Steve Ballmer Appoints Clippers’ New Interim Governor To Run The Team During His Suspension

After the Clippers accepted the league’s punishment and confirmed they would not seek external redress in court, top executives next waited for Steve Ballmer to appoint his replacement as the franchise’s interim governor.

According to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania, Steve Ballmer has finally made the decision, and the league has approved it.

“The Clippers have named accomplished Los Angeles-based lawyer John Gibson as the franchise’s interim Governor and CEO, per source. Steve Ballmer nominated Gibson and the NBA approved him,” wrote Charania on X.

This is a bit surprising, since Pablo Torre, the sports investigator who unveiled the entire salary cap circumvention scandal, also explained that the only co-owner of the Clippers, Daniel Wong, who is also the team’s alternative governor, was not appointed to this role.

Torre previously suggested that Daniel Wong might be involved in the criminal investigation into Aspiration and thus Ballmer may have chosen to keep him away from team operations.

However, Wong was not named in Wachtell’s report on the case’s findings; therefore, keeping him away from team operations raises eyebrows.

And now the question becomes: who is John Gibson, and why did Steve Ballmer consider him more suitable to run the franchise than the team’s only other co-owner (Wong owns 1% of the Clippers, Ballmer owns 99%)?

In addition to being a trial lawyer and a season ticket holder for the Clippers, John Gibson was a litigation partner at DLA Piper in Los Angeles. Gibson will take over the Clippers’ business and basketball operations as soon as he starts his new position.

“I am honored to take on this responsibility and grateful for the opportunity to serve an organization I have supported for many years,” Gibson said in a statement.

“The Clippers have talented players, coaches, and staff, an extraordinary home in Intuit Dome, and passionate Clipper Nation fans who, like me, care deeply about this team. My focus will be on supporting our people, providing steady leadership, and helping the organization continue moving forward.”

Previously, Gibson was the Clippers’ lead trial attorney in the legal battle over the team’s sale from former owner Donald Sterling to Ballmer. After Ballmer was given a one-year suspension by the NBA, he appointed Gibson to replace him for that duration, and the league gave its approval following completion of the vetting process.

As the Clippers get handed the worst punishment in league history, this marks the beginning of a new chapter in their history. Gibson joins the team just a few days after they formalized the trade that sent Kawhi Leonard back to the Raptors.

It will be interesting to see whether Gibson is just a caretaker until Ballmer returns, or if he has his own plans to give the team direction during this difficult time.