Steve Ballmer: 'I Hated' That Paul George Left Clippers, Signed 76ers Contract in FA

Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said that he was upset to see star Paul George depart in free agency, but believes the team will still be able to contend for an NBA championship.

"I love Paul," Ballmer said, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "Let's start with Paul as a human being. Paul is a great human being and I've really enjoyed my opportunity to get to know Paul's family. So on a personal level, I hated it. I hated it."

Ballmer said he believes the Clippers gave George a solid offer that still allowed them to build a championship roster, but it wasn't what he was looking for.

"From a basketball perspective, Paul is a fantastic player, future Hall of Famer," Ballmer said. "But we knew we needed to continue to get better. And with the new CBA, what tools, what flexibility [can be restricted], we made Paul what I consider a great offer. But it was a great offer in terms of us thinking about how to win championships. It wasn't what Paul wanted."

Ultimately, George opted for the Philadelphia 76ers, who offered him a four-year, $212 million contract.

While they will be without George, Ballmer thinks the Clippers will still be a contender in the West.

"I think we're going to be a very, very good team," Ballmer said. "We're going to contend, we'll see how far it takes us. There's a lot of good teams in the West, let alone you've got the Celtics, et cetera in the East. But there's a lot of good teams. I think we are one of them and if we stay healthy, if we play well, I think every team's got to get a little bit of luck."

Los Angeles is coming off a disappointing 51-31 season that saw it fall in the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers found little success with George, reaching the conference finals just once during his tenure, and they'll now look to right the ship after his departure.