On Friday, the Los Angeles Clippers showed off their new arena, the Intuit Dome, to the media. Among its most eye-catching features is the “Halo Board,” a massive, double-sided, immersive 4K video screen.
“When I think about what fans will think about when they drive home, it’s likely going to be the size, shape and capacity of this board,” said Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker (via Los Angeles Times).
“It’s unfair. It’s not right,” Steve Ballmer says of the usual jersey tossing seen at NBA games. And what did the Clippers do? They put jersey cannons on the Halo Board that can apparently reach every seat in the stadium so that no one is left out. No, I’m not kidding! image.twitter.com/6N5mO9psxa
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) July 19, 2024
The board could also feature a “Steve Ballmer cam,” which shows the enthusiastic team owner clapping, cheering and pumping his fist during the action. It’s possible that promoting the “Steve cam” was a joke at Ballmer’s expense during the presentation.
His embarrassment when the tape was shown, though, seemed to indicate it could be real. And really, now that the Clippers have touted this as a possibility, the team has to go through with it, right? Ballmer is an owner made for a fan camera in the arena.
On a much more serious note, Ballmer was asked about the Clippers losing Paul George to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. After signing a four-year, $212 million contract with the Sixers, George revealed on his podcast that he didn’t want to leave the Clippers and that he loves Ballmer, but that he felt the team’s initial offer to him was “disrespectful.”
Ballmer said Friday that the love is mutual, but the Clippers made what they saw as the best offer they could make under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement while maintaining a competitive roster.
“I love Paul,” Ballmer told reporters. including Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN“Let’s start with Paul as a human being. Paul is a great human being and I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know his family. So on a personal level, I hated him. I hated him.”
Finally, Ballmer said he’s happy for George, even if he left for another team.
“He wanted to leave and I respect him for that,” Ballmer added. “Basketball players don’t have that many years in their lives to make money and so on. I wish he was here and I wish him the best. We brought in a lot of great players that we wouldn’t have been able to bring in otherwise. So I’m happy about that, too.”
The Clippers re-signed James Harden, added Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, Kevin Porter Jr. and Mo Bamba (presumably with the money they saved by not re-signing George) and traded Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz for Kris Dunn.
“I think people are going to be thinking a lot about how to continue to build their rosters to win,” Ballmer said. “I think people are going to be on the second line, but when you’re on the second line, you better feel like you have a clear shot.
“It’s not about the luxury tax anymore,” he added. “It’s about the penalties in terms of how to improve. I’m not willing to sacrifice improvement. I’m still willing to pay the money. But it’s more than just money now.”
