It was a bit of a throwback scene here in Seattle on Monday evening: Steve Ballmer revving up the crowd at the top of his lungs, and NBA hoops back on the hardwood.
The former Microsoft CEO had Climate Pledge Arena roaring as he took the microphone at midcourt just before a preseason game between the Los Angeles Clippers, which Ballmer owns, and the Portland Trail Blazers.
“I am so excited to have a game in my hometown of Seattle!” Ballmer yelled, pumping his fist and pacing around in his trademark energetic fashion.
The game represented the first NBA action at the redeveloped arena, which was home to the Seattle Supersonics until 2008 when the team left town for Oklahoma City.
The departure left a large void in the city — one that Ballmer nearly helped fill while he was running Microsoft, headquartered in nearby Redmond, Wash.
Before he purchased the Clippers for $2 billion in 2014, Ballmer was part of an ownership group that tried to keep the Sonics in Seattle in 2008. He then became a part of an investment team that tried to build a new arena south of downtown.
Since buying the Clippers, Ballmer has made it clear from the beginning that he will not move the team to Seattle. However, when it comes time for NBA expansion, he said he will be in a position to make the case for Seattle to the rest of the league.
In his 75-second speech on Monday, Ballmer thanked the Blazers, owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen since 1988 before he passed in 2018. He said Allen “got me interested in basketball.”
Paul Allen’s sister, Jody Allen, is managing The Paul G. Allen Trust, which still maintains ownership of Portland’s team. Jody Allen was sitting courtside at the game Monday.
Ballmer closed out the speech by asking the crowd: “If this is a basketball city, damn it, let’s hear it!”
Approached by GeekWire on the court during pre-game warmups, Ballmer greeted us warmly but said he wasn’t able to comment for this story.
Ballmer sat courtside during the game with his wife, Connie, and displayed a full range of emotion, locked into the action until the final seconds, even at a preseason matchup.
The game had a who’s-who in attendance, including Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who is a part-owner of the Seattle Kraken, the city’s NHL team that debuted last year. Seattle-based tech giant Amazon bought the naming rights to the building in 2020 and changed its name from KeyArena to Climate Pledge Arena.
Government leaders came out to the event, including Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, and King County Executive Dow Constantine.
And of course, Sonics legends showed up: Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Lenny Wilkens, Sam Perkins, Detlef Schrempf. Former head coach George Karl was also in the crowd. They were all honored on the court during the game.
“I don’t think we have to prove anything to the NBA,” Schrempf told GeekWire before Monday’s game. “They understand we have a great fanbase; we have an amazing facility; and we have enough wealth in this city that can support a team and pay for all the stuff that’s needed.
“It’s great for people to see this,” Schrempf said of the game, “and keep our hopes alive.”
