Right after the case for the selling of the LA Clippers has been closed, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is now officially the owner of the franchise. LA Clippers was formerly owned by Donald Sterling. Sterling had an altercation with the NBA after recorded conversations of him throwing racist comments surfaced on the internet.
It can be remembered that NBA has banned Sterling for life as he has been found out on a recording telling his girlfriend to refrain from bringing African-American friends to games. The racist comment received an ire from NBA fans, players and heads which caused him a fine worth $2.5 million as well as an immediate push to force him into selling the Clippers. For the record, Sterling denies the allegation of him being a racist.
It was because of this that Steve Ballmer saw the need to send out an open letter to all LA Clippers fans thanking them for their undying support and at the same time promising them a new era of the Clippers. Here is the content of the letter:
To the Clippers Family -
You may now have heard that this morning I officially became the owner of your Los Angeles Clippers. So as my first official communication, let me say thank you for continuing to support the Clipper organization. We are now looking forward to an exciting new season and I can't wait to experience the opening tip off with you.
Today marks the beginning of a new era in the life of our franchise. It also is the culmination of a dream that I have harbored for many years. To Coach Rivers, to our fantastic players, and most importantly to you, the dedicated fans that make this all possible, I pledge this: I will be hard core in my commitment to give the team the support it needs to be its best on and off the court. And I will do whatever is necessary to provide you, your family and friends with the best game-night experience in the NBA.
The Clippers franchise is a true public trust, and my goal is that the Clippers will play an ever-increasing role in the life of our community. We will achieve this goal the same way we will succeed on the court: By waking up every day and figuring out how we can be better - how we can do more - how we can ensure that the Clippers organization is not only winning on the court but also making a real difference in the community.
That is the challenge I set not only for myself but the entire Clippers organization.
Please join me for our Fan Festival, on Monday, August 18th at the STAPLES Center at 12:30 p.m. to celebrate what promises to be a bright future!
Sincerely,
Steve A. Ballmer
The new season for the LA Clippers will commence after a few much and a lot will be looking forward for the changes that will be happening with the team now that they have established a new owner.
