NBA News Roundup: LA Clippers' Steve Ballmer voted as the best owner in a survey of league insiders
The LA Clippers have been one of the most rapidly improving franchises in the past decade. The team has progressed from being playoff hopefuls in the early part of the 2000s to being one of the strongest terms in the NBA today. A big reason for this has been the LA Clippers owner Stever Ballmer, who was recently voted the best owner in the league. In this edition of the NBA news roundup, we will have a detailed look at it.
NBA News Roundup: League insiders vote LA Clippers coach Stever Ballmer as the best owner in the league
In a survey conducted by the Athletic, 31 league insiders were asked to vote on who they believed was the best franchise owner in the NBA. The insiders surveyed included 13 executives, ten front-office personnel, six scouts and two coaches in the NBA.
As already mentioned before, Ballmer was voted as the best owner in the NBA for his work with the LA Clippers. He received 20.5 votes.
Following Ballmer were the likes of Micky Arison, Mark Cuban and Joe Lacob, the latter two being the owners of the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors respectively.
Owners of NBA franchises tend to go unnoticed. So, it is important to appreciate the work they do. Speaking on how it is to work with Steve Ballmer, an NBA scout had this to say:
"His enthusiasm, his willingness to spend money, what he’s done with the Clippers, forging into LA, creating their own identity and building their own building now - that’s bad news."
Steve Ballmer recently brought two players - Kawhi Leonard and Paul George - who rank among the best in the NBA. The duo helped the franchise take a huge leap during the regular season and finish as the second seed in a stacked Western Conference.
While the 2020 NBA playoffs were a massive disappointment for the LA Clippers, the franchise seems to have learnt its lessons and moved on. The team looks all set to come back hungrier than ever next season, and Ballmer will hope that the LA Clippers finally win their first-ever NBA championship.
Also Read: The case for and against the Atlanta Hawks making the NBA Playoffs 2021.