NBA analyst contrasts Steve Ballmer's approach as owner to Jeanie Buss' major missteps
Replying to a fan's take on LA Clippers' owner, Steve Ballmer, on X on Saturday, NBA analyst Matt Moore compared the billionaire with LA Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.
Moore agreed with the fan's take that team owners shouldn't meddle unnecessarily while singling out Buss as an exception.
"Is Ballmer the perfect owner? Unlimited money, doesn't meddle egregiously, puts the right people in charge," the fan tweeted.
"Yes. He is what every fan should hope their owners are unless their owner is the owner of the Lakers in which case they can do almost everything wrong and still win. Celtics ownership (outgoing) is great, too," Moore replied.
Steve Ballmer is rarely in the news about his involvement in the LA Clippers' on-court decisions since he bought the franchise in 2014 for $2 billion.
Ballmer spent another $2 billion to bring the team's own home-court, the Inuit Dome, to fruition ahead of the 2024-25 season. They had previously shared the Crypto.com Arena with the LA Lakers.
Meanwhile, Jeanie Buss plays a major role in the Lakers' decisions and is very involved as an owner. Although many of her decisions have been criticized, the Lakers have continued to be impactful.
Jeanie Buss makes candid admission on hiring JJ Redick
The LA Lakers' hiring of JJ Redick to be their coach ahead of the 2024-25 season was met with a lot of criticism, with many highlighting his lack of experience as a coach.
In a chat on SiriusXM podcast, Jeanie Buss explained the reason behind the decision.
"When the decision was made to part ways with Darvin Ham, I said to Rob (Pelinka). 'I want you to go find a coach that meets how you look at the process and complement your style. Think differently. You don't have to do the standard re-thread of a coach,'" Buss said.
"I just wanted him to have the freedom and after doing his work, he came back to me and JJ (Redick) was really resonating with him. My confidence was in Rob Pelinka. ... he should have the opportunity to have a coach that really reflected his vision."
Under JJ Redick, the LA Lakers achieved their first 50-win season since the 2019-20 season, when they won their last NBA championship. With the feat, the rookie coach proved his ability to make an impact.
However, the Lakers are down 2-1 in their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They will look to even the series in Game 4 on the road on Sunday.