Los Angeles Clippers Selling to Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 Billion Pending NBA Approval
Los Angeles Clippers Selling to Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 Billion Pending NBA Approval
The selling of NBA franchise, Los Angeles Clippers, has been big talk in the sports world since disgraced owner Donald Sterling was banned for life from the NBA. In the past several weeks, many names have come up as future owners of the Clippers from Magic Johnson to Bill Cosby. However, on Tuesday, Donald Sterling's lawyers released a statement saying that he would fight in courts to keep the team.
But in the latest twist, it appears that Donald Sterling's wife, Shelly, who owns 50% of the team and in some reports have said Donald gave the team over to sell, has reached an agreement for a new owner/buyer. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has reportedly gave an offer to buy the Los Angeles Clippers for a staggering $2 billion.
"I am delighted that we are selling the team to Steve, who will be a terrific owner," Shelly Sterling said (via Variety). "We have worked for 33 years to build the Clippers into a premiere NBA franchise. I am confident that Steve will take the team to new levels of success."
"I will be honored to have my name submitted to the NBA Board of Governors for approval as the next owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. I love basketball," Steve said in a statement. "And I intend to do everything in my power to ensure that the Clippers continue to win - and win big - in Los Angeles. L.A. is one of the world's great cities - a city that embraces inclusiveness, in exactly the same way that the NBA and I embrace inclusiveness. I am confident that the Clippers will in the coming years become an even bigger part of the community. I thank Shelly Sterling for her willingness to entrust the Clippers franchise to me, and I am grateful to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and his colleagues for working collaboratively with me throughout this process."
Ballmer has had interest in being a NBA owner for a long time and wanted to bring a team back to Seattle after the departure of the 2008 departure of the SuperSonics, now the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also went after the Sacramento Kings and move them to Seattle had moved to OKC.
Now, pending the NBA's approval, Ballmer will have his own team finally and plans to keep it in Los Angeles sharing, "If I get interested in the Clippers, it would be for Los Angeles," he told the Wall Street Journal. "I don't work anymore, so I have more geographic flexibility than I did a year, year-and-a half ago. Moving them anywhere else would be value destructive."
Tags : la clippers los angeles clippers steve ballmer steve ballmer buys clippers donald sterling shelly sterling nba clippers 2014
Hot Trends
-
Lee Greenwood Collaborates with Drew Jacobs on New Version of "God Bless The U.S.A."
-
LIFE Worship Drops "Stones of Remembrance - Volume 1"
-
Story Behind Chris Tomlin's New Song "Is He Worthy?"
-
Hillsong Church and Brian Houston Respond After Being Accused of Money Laundering and Fraud
-
Hinson Family’s Jordy Is Engaged To Logan Smith
-
Bethel Music's Kalley Heiligenthal Reflects on Her First Valentine's After the Death of Her Daughter Olive
-
Faith-Based Thriller, "NEFARIOUS," Receives Rave Reviews & Endorsements
-
Jaquita Lindsey Leaves Southern Gospel Trio 11th Hour
-
Luke Wareham On His New EP, Writing Congregational Songs, and Singing the Bible
-
NF is a Christian But Don't Call Him a Christian Rapper
-
Darlene Zschech Celebrates As She Takes Her Final Post-Cancer Pill
-
Hillsong's Marty Sampson's Startling Revelations About Brian Houston & His Own Marriage
-
Natasha Owens Releases New Remix of Smash Hit Single “Trump Won” featuring Nick Nittoli
-
Here Are the Lyrics to Transformation Worship's "Yahweh"
-
Join Lauren Daigle's Choir as She Performs at the Carnegie Hall
Most Popular
-
Lee Greenwood Collaborates with Drew Jacobs on New Version of "God Bless The U.S.A."
-
LIFE Worship Drops "Stones of Remembrance - Volume 1"
-
Story Behind Chris Tomlin's New Song "Is He Worthy?"
-
Hillsong Church and Brian Houston Respond After Being Accused of Money Laundering and Fraud
-
Hinson Family’s Jordy Is Engaged To Logan Smith
-
Bethel Music's Kalley Heiligenthal Reflects on Her First Valentine's After the Death of Her Daughter Olive
-
Faith-Based Thriller, "NEFARIOUS," Receives Rave Reviews & Endorsements
-
Jaquita Lindsey Leaves Southern Gospel Trio 11th Hour
-
Luke Wareham On His New EP, Writing Congregational Songs, and Singing the Bible
-
NF is a Christian But Don't Call Him a Christian Rapper
-
Darlene Zschech Celebrates As She Takes Her Final Post-Cancer Pill
-
Hillsong's Marty Sampson's Startling Revelations About Brian Houston & His Own Marriage
-
Natasha Owens Releases New Remix of Smash Hit Single “Trump Won” featuring Nick Nittoli
-
Here Are the Lyrics to Transformation Worship's "Yahweh"
-
Join Lauren Daigle's Choir as She Performs at the Carnegie Hall