Clippers dedicate opener win to suspended owner Steve Ballmer, and a columnist pushes back

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue dedicated Wednesday’s 121-96 win over Sacramento to owner Steve Ballmer, who is suspended for the entire 2026-27 season for violating the NBA’s salary cap circumvention rules.

“First off, that win was for Mr. Ballmer,” Lue said after the game. “Just want to say thank you for everything and we’re still fighting for him. … We keep him in our hearts. He provided a great living for everyone in this arena. One of the best men that I know.”

Darius Garland and Brook Lopez both said they missed Ballmer’s “energy” on the Intuit Dome sidelines, Beth Harris writes.

Not everyone agrees with the tone. Columnist Mirjam Swanson argues the Clippers should be fighting for their fans rather than for the billionaire owner at the center of the cap scandal that cost the franchise five first-round picks. The team let 4,000 customers swap Kawhi Leonard’s No. 2 jersey for a new one, but Swanson says its fan appreciation efforts have not been “nearly far-reaching enough.”

Lue has a tough job this season. With Leonard gone and Brandon Ingram, Max Strus and Jordan Miller among several players unavailable with injuries, Law Murray calls it his toughest challenge yet.