Кавай Леонардгүйгээр шинэ хуудсаа эхлүүлж буй Лос Анжелес Клипперс баг хөгжөөн дэмжигчдийнхээ итгэлийг эргүүлэн олохын тулд илүү дорвитой арга хэмжээ авах хэрэгтэй байна.
Лос Анжелес Клипперс баг улирлын нээлтийн тоглолтод Сакраменто Кингс багийг 121-96-аар буулган авч, Intuit Dome цэнгэлдэхэд өөрийн гэсэн эхлэлийг тавилаа. Дасгалжуулагч Тайронн Лю ялалтыг NBA-ийн мөрдөн шалгалтаар цалингийн хязгаар зөрчсөн нь тогтоогдож, нэг жилийн хугацаатай эрхээ хасуулсан багийн эзэн Стив Балмерт зориулж буйгаа илэрхийлсэн юм. Гэвч багийн удирдлага зөвхөн эзэн хүнийхээ төлөө бус, хүнд хэцүү цаг үед ч үнэнч хэвээр үлдсэн хөгжөөн дэмжигчдийнхээ төлөө илүү их хичээх ёстой гэсэн шүүмжлэл өрнөж байна.
NBA-ийн мөрдөн шалгалтын дүнгээр Клипперс баг цалингийн хязгаарыг их хэмжээгээр зөрчсөн нь тогтоогдож, 30 сая ам.долларын торгууль төлж, 2029-2033 оны хооронд драфтын нэгдүгээр тойргийн эрхүүдээ алдсан юм. Мөн багийн эзэн Стив Балмер, бизнесийн үйл ажиллагаа хариуцсан ерөнхийлөгч Гиллиан Зукер нар нэг жил, сагсан бөмбөгийн үйл ажиллагаа хариуцсан ерөнхийлөгч Лоуренс Франк зургаан сарын хугацаатай эрхээ хасуулжээ. Харин Кавай Леонард 700 мянган ам.долларын торгууль төлөөд Торонто Рэпторс руу солилцоогоор явж, 115 сая ам.долларын хоёр жилийн гэрээ байгуулсан нь хөгжөөн дэмжигчдийн дургүйцлийг хүргэж байна.
Багийн зүгээс хөгжөөн дэмжигчиддээ зориулан үнэгүй зогсоол, өмсгөл солих зэрэг арга хэмжээ авсан ч энэ нь хангалтгүй гэж үзэж байна. Хөгжөөн дэмжигчид багийн зүгээс тоглогчдын бэртэл гэмтэл, оролцооны талаар илүү ил тод байдлыг хүсэж байгаа юм. Тайронн Лю тоглогчид болж буй үйл явдлуудад буруугүй гэдгийг онцолсон ч баг одоогийн бүрэлдэхүүнээрээ хөгжөөн дэмжигчдийнхээ хүлээлтийг дахин сэргээх том сорилттой тулгарч байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Starting over has to start somewhere, and so the Clippers got on with it Wednesday.
While Kawhi Leonard got an NBA Finals hero’s welcome back up north in Toronto, the Clippers did what they could to entice fans back to Intuit Dome.
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Not with superstars or championship aspirations. But with the promise of free parking, a jersey trade-in and a basketball team that is, at least, better than the Sacramento Kings, who they beat 121-96 in both teams’ season opener. Coach Tyronn Lue dedicated the win to suspended team owner Steve Ballmer: “Just want to say thank you for everything. We’re still fighting for him.”
Yeah, but the Clippers should focus on fighting for their fans, not the billionaire whose apparent salary cap circumvention has the organization in hot water.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue directs his players during a win over the Sacramento Kings Wednesday at Intuit Dome. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
Wednesday’s fan appreciation stuff was a swell gesture, as a start. But it wasn’t nearly far-reaching enough.
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Not for embattled Clippers supporters who have stuck with the team through thick and thin, sickness and health, in spite of Donald Sterling, the former cheap, racist owner and now Ballmer, the wealthy, over-invested one whose salary cap circumvention cost his team its first-round picks in the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033 NBA drafts.
To fans, that was the most consequential part of the historic punishment dealt by the NBA, which commissioned a year-long investigation that determined the Clippers committed audacious levels of salary cap circumvention.
The league also fined the team $30 million, suspended team owner Ballmer and president of business operations Gillian Zucker for a year and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for six months.
And Leonard? He got a $700,000 slap on the wrist and got traded back to Toronto, where he signed a two-year, $115 million contract extension and on Wednesday, had Raptors coach Darko Rajaković saying he was “super excited for the chance to bring a Hall of Famer back home.”
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“That’s one of the most insulting parts of it all, the way [Leonard] was able to walk away scot-free and the fans are left sort of holding the bag,” said San Pedro’s Justin Ratterree, while he tried to dodge raindrops as he waited in line, four hours before tipoff, to trade in his No. 2 Leonard jersey.
Young Clippers fans watch the team play the the Sacramento Kings Wednesday at the Intuit Dome. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
“It’s rough right now. Defending the team this past couple months has been really rough … and I’ve kind of just given up defending. How can you defend it?”
Even Ballmer stopped doing that, releasing a statement on Sept. 13 that read, in part: “This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets.
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“I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.
“We are,” he added, “committing to put this chapter behind us.”
Read more: Swanson: Kawhi Leonard is a Hall of Fame scam artist who deserves Clippers fans’ boos
Yes, let them try to scrub the memory of Leonard, the intensely skilled and private player who demanded so much of the Clippers when he signed with them as a free agent in 2019. Who made no efforts to popularize the team, missed almost as much time as he worked, and who failed to lead the Clippers to their first championship or anywhere close to it in his seven seasons.
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After his trade to Toronto went through on Sept. 23, the Clippers resisted posting the “Thank You, Kawhi” graphic that pro sports teams do when they part ways with a player.
Let them also forget to play a tribute video when Leonard’s Raptors visit Intuit Dome for the only time this season on Nov. 2.
And let the Clippers expand the jersey swap beyond the first 4,000 paying customers at Game 1; there was no official figure available Wednesday night for exactly how many jerseys were traded and how many of them belonged to he-who-must-not-be-named.
Read more: Steve Ballmer apologizes to fans, says Clippers will comply with NBA sanctions
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The Clippers should keep it going, offer the option all season. Set it up at the Intuit Dome’s Lost and Found — invite fans to exchange the No. 2 jersey of the player whom they lost all respect for a guy they’ve found themselves newly enamored with, likely rookie Keaton Wagler if Wednesday’s exchange was any indication.
Clippers fans also deserve more than having their parking picked up until an hour before gametime, on one rainy workday, on late notice.
They should have their parking at games covered all season — or at least substantially reduced from the typical $70 price that’s already too steep. (The Dodgers didn’t start charging $65 until the National League Championship Series!)
They should do more if they want to continue to draw a crowd to watch a team whose best player is now Darius Garland, whose future is compromised, whose current best-cast scenario — the play-in! — only Clippers fans could love.
Clippers forward Rui Hachimura drives past Kings guard De’andre Hunter and center Domantas Sabonis Wednesday at the Intuit Dome. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)
Several fans Wednesday also said they would appreciate improved transparency, including in terms of player injury and availability news.
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It’s the least the team can do for these patient people, who will have the type of team that they usually fall hard for, actually — a group of gamers, devoid of divas, punching above their weight.
“All this stuff that’s going on,” Lue said, “you can’t take that out on our players … that’s not their fault, you know?”
It’s not fans’ fault, either. Let’s see the Clippers go above and beyond for them.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
