Blake Griffin: Clippers Salary Cap Punishment ‘Probably Fits’
Griffin played eight seasons with the Clippers and made five All-Star games.
Former Clippers star Blake Griffin believes the NBA's punishment for the team's salary cap violation "probably fits." Griffin spoke to Front Office Sports about the irony of the Clippers changing ownership from Donald Sterling to Steve Ballmer, who allegedly circumvented the salary cap to pay Kawhi Leonard more than allowed. Griffin noted that Clippers fans went from having the "cheapest owner of all time" to an owner willing to pay more, which he found amusing.
Griffin expressed concern that Ballmer's effort to ensure the team's success went "a little too far." In 2014, Sterling was forced to sell the Clippers after racist remarks were leaked, and Ballmer purchased the team for $2 billion. The NBA recently found the Clippers violated the salary cap with sponsorship deals for Leonard, resulting in a range of punishments, including losing five future first-round picks and suspending Ballmer and other executives.
Griffin feels Clippers fans received the worst of the punishment, praising their loyalty and suggesting the next five years could still be successful with smart planning and the leadership of coach Ty Lue.
Written by urgent.news from Front Office Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
