Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Mar 16, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer reacts against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Intuit Dome.
The NBA dropped the hammer on the Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer after they were found guilty of salary cap circumvention related to superstar Kawhi Leonard, and now it’s Ballmer’s lawyer who is paying the price.
The league fined Ballmer $30 million and stripped the Clippers of five first-round draft picks, a punishment that the team ultimately accepted.
However, Ballmer was initially to fight the battle out in court,
“This type of witch hunt flies in the face of fundamental fairness and of the integrity of the league and of this sport that we all love,” the billionaire owner initially claimed in a letter to the league on Sept. 2. “We are exploring every legal remedy to address this gross injustice.”
That letter was penned by attorney David Kelley of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, who is now no longer employed by Ballmer.
Steve Ballmer Is Letting His Lawyer Take The Fall For Clippers’ Disaster
Ben Horney of Front Office Sports reports that Ballmer has since cut ties with both Kelley and O’Melveny & Myers.
To make matters even more interesting, the firm had also been representing Ballmer in an investor lawsuit against Aspiration founder Joseph Sanberg, in which the Clippers’ owner is named as a defendant.
According to the report, O’Melveny is still listed on the docket for that case, but there were two filings last month that showed Ballmer has a new law firm advising him: Simpson Thacher.
Ironically, the report claims that Ballmer hired Kelley to specifically work on NBA-related matters, which, of course, didn’t end all that well for him.
Ballmer is also facing an investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice, which may well have influenced his decision to accept the league’s punishment.
But this much is clear: Kelley’s legal advice led Ballmer down a path that has not ended well.