Former Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin criticized former team owner Donald Sterling for his unwillingness to spend money during his tenure, contrasting his leadership with Steve Ballmer's approach as the franchise prepares to begin the 2026-27 NBA regular season.
With the Clippers set to host the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. PT, Griffin reflected on the organization's transformation in an interview with Law Murray of The Athletic ahead of the Oct. 20 premiere of his new comedy talk show, “The Stepback with Blake Griffin.”
“Among a lot of the more serious problems with Donald, he was notoriously cheap,” Griffin told The Athletic.
“Like, he never wanted to spend money; he cut back every single (way) he could. And now, the Clippers have this owner who is basically, like, ‘I mean, is the salary cap, like, a rule or is it just, like, a suggestion?’ You know, he’s happy to pay over the salary cap. He’s happy to go above and beyond to spend. So, in terms of Clipper fans, they got one end of the spectrum to the other.”
Griffin spent the first eight-plus seasons of his NBA career with the Clippers after the organization selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. The six-time All-Star helped transform Los Angeles into a consistent playoff contender alongside Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan.
However, Sterling's ownership remained controversial throughout Griffin's early years with the franchise.
The NBA banned Sterling for life in 2014 following the release of recordings containing racist remarks. The league also fined him $2.5 million before Ballmer purchased the franchise for $2 billion later that year.
Clippers enter new era following Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration scandal
While Griffin highlighted Ballmer's willingness to spend, his comments come after the Clippers received significant penalties for violating the NBA's salary cap circumvention rules through financial arrangements involving Kawhi Leonard and several team sponsors, including Aspiration.
On Sept. 2, the NBA announced that its independent investigation found multiple violations involving the organization facilitating outside endorsement agreements for Leonard.
The league fined the Clippers $30 million and stripped the franchise of five first-round draft picks from 2029 through 2033. Ballmer received a one-year suspension from league and team activities, while president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank received a six-month suspension.
Leonard was also fined $700,000, while his former representative and uncle, Dennis Robertson, received a five-year ban from conducting business with NBA teams.
Article Continues BelowBallmer initially disputed the findings before announcing Sept. 13 that the organization would comply with the penalties.
The controversy also preceded Leonard's departure from Los Angeles. On Sept. 14, the Clippers officially traded the seven-time All-Star to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a first-round pick swap.
The transaction ended Leonard's seven-season tenure with the franchise and marked another significant organizational transition.
Despite the recent controversy, Griffin's remarks underscore the contrast between Sterling's reluctance to spend and Ballmer's extensive financial investments, which included constructing the Intuit Dome.
Los Angeles now enters the 2026-27 campaign with a restructured roster and significant challenges following one of the NBA's most consequential investigations in recent years.