The Los Angeles Clippers have found a temporary answer to one of the biggest questions hanging over the franchise before the new NBA season. But the choice is not someone most fans would have expected to step into the spotlight. Instead of turning to a familiar name from the organization’s ownership group, they have handed their top leadership duties to longtime Los Angeles attorney John Gibson as interim CEO and governor.
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The decision comes with Steve Ballmer sidelined for the next year. The NBA suspended the Clippers owner after its investigation into the team’s dealings involving Kawhi Leonard found violations related to endorsement agreements. The punishment also hit the franchise hard, with the Clippers receiving a $30 million fine and losing five first-round draft picks. Ballmer and Gillian Zucker were each suspended for one year, and Lawrence Frank for six months.
Ballmer did not initially intend to accept the punishment quietly. After the NBA announced its sanctions, the Clippers owner said he planned to fight the league’s ruling. That stance, however, changed 11 days later. In a statement Ballmer said the organization would comply with the penalties and accepted responsibility as the team’s principal owner. He apologized to Clippers fans, employees and fellow NBA owners for the turmoil surrounding the case.
“We are committing to put this chapter behind us,” Ballmer’s statement read. “We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine and are moving forward. While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus. Team owners should support, not distract.”
With Ballmer now set to serve his suspension, the Clippers needed someone else to oversee the organization. That is where Gibson enters the picture.
“I am honored to take on this responsibility and grateful for the opportunity to serve an organization I have supported for many years,” said Gibson in a statement. “The Clippers have talented players, coaches, and staff, an extraordinary home in Intuit Dome, and passionate Clipper Nation fans who, like me, care deeply about this team. My focus will be on supporting our people, providing steady leadership, and helping the organization continue moving forward.”
Gibson brings a legal background rather than years of experience running an NBA franchise. The choice is notable because the Clippers had another established option in Dennis Wong, the team’s vice chairman, co-owner, and Ballmer’s longtime friend. Pablo Torre highlighted why the decision to appoint Gibson would have materialized instead of the usual alternate governor.
Wong has also drawn attention because of his connection to Aspiration, the company involved in the broader Leonard controversy. He invested nearly $2 million in the company shortly before Aspiration made a late payment to Leonard, according to reporting based on financial records.
Wong was not referenced or sanctioned in the Wachtell report, and the available reporting does not establish that his investment was connected to the payment. Still, his presence in the story helps explain why Gibson’s appointment has generated interest.
He is a partner at DLA Piper in Century City and specializes in complex business litigation. That experience could prove especially relevant given the circumstances surrounding his appointment. He has worked with the organization before, including during one of the most complicated ownership battles in franchise history.
Gibson previously represented the Clippers during the legal fight surrounding Donald Sterling’s ownership of the team in 2014, when the franchise eventually changed hands and Ballmer became its owner.
That history gives Gibson a unique connection to the organization. He has already worked through one of the most turbulent ownership transitions in Clippers history, and now he steps into another complicated chapter.
His assignment is temporary, but the timing makes it important. With Intuit Dome entering another season and the Clippers trying to move past a turbulent offseason, Gibson now becomes the person tasked with keeping the business side steady while the franchise turns the page.