Ty Lue Dedicates Clippers' Win in NBA Opener to Steve Ballmer, 'Still Fighting for Him'

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue dedicated Wednesday's season-opening, 121-96 win over the Sacramento Kings to team governor Steve Ballmer.

Speaking to reporters after the convincing victory, Lue told reporters, "First off, that win was for Mr. Ballmer. Just want to say thank you for everything and we're still fighting for him."

Lue went on to add, "We keep him in our hearts. He provided a great living for everyone in this arena. One of the best men that I know."

Ballmer is serving a one-year suspension handed down by the NBA for his role in salary cap circumvention related to former Clippers star Kawhi Leonard's $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC.

In addition to the Clippers being docked $30 million and five future first-round draft picks, Ballmer is not permitted to participate in any league or team activities for an entire year.

After trading Leonard to the Toronto Raptors during the offseason and amid all of the drama related to his situation, there were major question marks regarding how the Clippers would fare in 2026-27.

Although it was only one game, early returns were excellent, as L.A. cruised to an impressive home win over Sacramento.

Kings-Clippers Highlights

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Guard Darius Garland was the leading performer by far, leading all players with 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field to go along with four assists.

Garland echoed Lue's sentiments regarding Ballmer, saying, "He was definitely here in spirit. Somebody was at his seats and we felt the energy. It wasn't his energy, but we felt his energy."

Entering this season, Lue led the Clippers to the playoffs in four of his six seasons at the helm, and the team has never finished .500 or worse with him as head coach.

They narrowly missed the playoffs last season with a 42-40 record, but Wednesday's showing suggests they have a chance to bounce back and return to the postseason mix.

Lue and the Clippers will look to keep rolling Friday when they face the rival Los Angeles Lakers at the Lakers' Crypto.com Arena.