John Gibson Named Clippers’ Interim Governor, CEO

The NBA has approved Los Angeles-based lawyer John Gibson as the Clippers’ interim governor and CEO after he was nominated by Steve Ballmer, a source tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Ballmer, the governor and majority owner of the Clippers, was suspended from all team-related activities for the next year after an NBA investigation led by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz found the Clippers circumvented the salary cap to pay former star forward Kawhi Leonard through a handful of “no-show” endorsement deals.

The Clippers confirmed Gibson’s appointment in a press release (Twitter link via Law Murray of The Athletic). Gibson’s tenure will begin immediately and he will oversee the team’s business and basketball operations on top of representing the team at NBA Board of Governors meetings.

“I am honored to take on this responsibility and grateful for the opportunity to serve an organization I have supported many years,” said Gibson, a longtime Clippers season ticket holder. “The Clippers have talented players, coaches, and staff, an extraordinary home in Intuit Dome, and passionate Clippers 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 to move forward.”

According to the release, Gibson has more than 35 years of experience in law and was a “nationally recognized trial lawyer and litigation partner at DLA Piper” in L.A. before joining the Clippers.

It’s interesting that Ballmer did not name Dennis Wong, the team’s lone minority owner and alternate governor, as interim governor. Although he wasn’t punished by the league, Wong reportedly played a key role in funneling money to Leonard in December 2022 by making an investment in Aspiration, despite the fact that its independent auditor, KPMG, had resigned, and the company was already facing lawsuits worth millions for missed payments.

Aspiration was one of the companies at the center of the salary cap circumvention scandal, which was first reported last September by investigative journalist and podcaster Pablo Torre. The Clippers are still the subject of a Department of Justice investigation as a result of their dealings with Leonard.