Steve Ballmer and fans go wild at Clippers rally
New owner works raucous crowd into a frenzy at an event to celebrate the start of a fresh era of 'hard-core' support for the Los Angeles team
A fist-pumping, high-fiving Steve Ballmer enthusiastically vowed to run a "hard-core" NBA franchise that will win championships during a rally to introduce the new owner to Los Angeles Clippers fans.
Wearing a blue Clippers' cap and clapping constantly, the former Microsoft chief executive shouted until he almost went hoarse as he moved quickly through the Fan Festival crowd.
"Do we have any Clipper fans here? I can't hear you," he screamed in the raucous style he was known for at Microsoft. "I couldn't be more honoured or excited or fired up to be here."
Bold means we are going to be willing to take risks. If you are not being bold, you are going to be timid
US tech tycoon Ballmer paid a record US$2 billion for the Clippers in a sale that was confirmed by a judge last week.
Clippers head coach Doc Rivers and players Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan joined Ballmer on the stage.
The name of disgraced owner Donald Sterling, who bought the team in 1981 for US$12.5 million, wasn't mentioned once.
Some of the fans had been waiting outside Staples Centre arena for four hours before the start of the rally.
Ballmer told the crowd that years ago he planned to move to Los Angeles after he graduated. But those plans changed when his college buddy, Bill Gates, offered him a job at Microsoft.