Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to buy Clippers for $2 Billion

[gts]

forbes did an NBA valuation thing back in jan 2014.

they valued the knicks at 1.4billion. the lakers were #2 at 1.35b. the clippers were valued at 575 million (#13 on the list).

http://www.forbes.com/teams/los-angeles-clippers/

i think steve ballmer just really wanted to become an nba owner at ANY COST. it's not a business move. it's a hobby move.

Yep.. the price tag doesn't represent the value, it represents how badly Ballmer wanted the team..

When you outbid everyone else by 800 million dollars in the first round of bidding and everyone else pulls out... you just overpaid.

And that OK, he wants the team he has the money and he only reps himself...

[NumberSix]

Yep.. the price tag doesn't represent the value, it represents how badly Ballmer wanted the team..

When you outbid everyone else by 800 million dollars in the first round of bidding and everyone else pulls out... you just overpaid.

And that OK, he wants the team he has the money and he only reps himself...

The 2nd highest bid was $1.6 billion. That's not a difference of $800 million.

[Lakers Legend#32]

Hey Balmer, you b###h thanks for stabbing Seattle in the back.

[Kiddlovesnets]

Well he would not bring this team to Seattle for every reason. When he was about to purchase the Kings the situation was different, it was Sacramento, not a city better than Seattle. Why would you want to move if you are already in a large city/market like New York or Los Angeles. Just from business point of view theres no incentive to move this team to Seattle.

[MavsSuperFan]

Well he would not bring this team to Seattle for every reason. When he was about to purchase the Kings the situation was different, it was Sacramento, not a city better than Seattle. Why would you want to move if you are already in a large city/market like New York or Los Angeles. Just from business point of view theres no incentive to move this team to Seattle.

He lacks loyalty doe. Good for clipper fans.

[Darius]

Yep.. the price tag doesn't represent the value, it represents how badly Ballmer wanted the team..

When you outbid everyone else by 800 million dollars in the first round of bidding and everyone else pulls out... you just overpaid.

And that OK, he wants the team he has the money and he only reps himself...

People are buying skyscrapers in NYC for $1b to get a yield of $20m or even less.

Clippers are a rare commodity as well.

$2b is a big number but asset prices are going through the roof due to inflation.

He might have overpaid a little bit but not by much.

[Kiddlovesnets]

He lacks loyalty doe. Good for clipper fans.

Cant blame him for this, he spent 2 billion on this Clippers team and you cant ask him to do more than this. The Clippers still own a contract with Stapples center, why do they leave?

[NumberSix]

Well he would not bring this team to Seattle for every reason. When he was about to purchase the Kings the situation was different, it was Sacramento, not a city better than Seattle. Why would you want to move if you are already in a large city/market like New York or Los Angeles. Just from business point of view theres no incentive to move this team to Seattle.

Because he wants a team in Seattle and the Clippers was the team that was for sale.

[eliteballer]

There is language IN THE CONTRACT that says he won't move the team.

[NumberSix]

There is language IN THE CONTRACT that says he won't move the team.

Allegedly.

[LoneyROY7]

Allegedly.

[Droid101]

6 is really going out of his way to look like an idiot regarding the Sterling saga. He just wants to be wrong about every aspect of it, looks like.

[DCL]

so now the knicks are worth almost 5 billion? ohhh kay, whatever. let's all just pull numbers out of our asses.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/heres-m...200108041.html

[gts]

so now the knicks are worth almost 5 billion? ohhh kay, whatever. let's all just pull numbers out of our asses.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/heres-m...200108041.html

if that were true the guy who just bought the Bucks is doing backflips in his office

[Soundwave]

When you have the type of wealth Ballmer does, a sports team isn't an investment.

It's a nice toy (the best kind of toy), that you can afford. When you're that wealthy it's really a problem to actually spend that much money, Lambos and yachts don't cut the mustard, a lot of the players themselves have those. And being in LA it also now means he has very nice venue to rub shoulders with movie stars and young girls look to "make it" in the city.

And if he ever does move the team to Seattle, in that case, he cements his legacy as a local hero back home. I don't think he'll actually do that, but I suspect he will lobby hard on the board to get another franchise to relocate to Seattle.

Plus he needs something to do now that he's out of Microsoft, Ballmer doesn't strike me as the type of guy who can just sit at home, a pro sports team is probably a perfect fit for an intense guy like him.

And it's good PR, you get to play white knight in the press, everyone will love you after Sterling alienated basically everyone.