Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue and his players made sure to shout out owner Steve Ballmer following their opening night win.
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue and his players made sure to shoutout owner Steve Ballmer following their opening night win over the Sacramento Kings.
Ballmer is currently serving a one-year suspension from the NBA after attempting to circumvent the league’s salary cap to pay former player Kawhi Leonard under the table. He is not allowed to attend games, practices, owners’ meetings or team facilities during his suspension, but the team clearly still feels his presence.
“That win was for Mr. Ballmer,” Lue said. “Just want to say thank you for everything. We’re still fighting for him.”
Players chimed in as well, with center Brook Lopez saying the owner was there “in spirit” and guard Darius Garland holding a similar sentiment.
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“We were trying to protect home court,” Garland said. “It’s the house he built. He was definitely here in spirit… We felt his energy for sure.”
Jan 22, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, right, congratulates head coach Tyronn Lue after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesDid the Clippers Play Well?
The Clippers looked dominant over an inefficient Kings team in Wednesday’s win, with Garland and Lopez leading the way for the team.
Garland was a driving factor in the opening quarter, during which the Clippers outscored their opponents 41-29, scoring 16 points and hitting all three of his 3-point attempts in nine minutes. He finished the game with a game-leading 30 points, as well as one rebound and four assists.
Lopez turned in a solid performance as well, scoring 17 points for the Clippers while collecting 11 rebounds.
They weren’t the only ones contributing, though, as rookie Keaton Wagler scored 15 points with five rounds and five assists, the youngest NBA debutant to post that stat line since LeBron James. Isaiah Jackson, Rui Hachimura and Gradey Dick also contributed more than 10 points each for the Clippers.
The Clippers are off to a great start to the year, but have plenty of challenges ahead of them if they’re to compete for a playoff spot this season. They stay close to home for their next game, which comes against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Friday at 7:00 p.m. PT. They’ll hope to establish themselves as a contender with yet another strong performance in that contest.