Editing Steve Ballmer (section)

==Sports==
On March 6, 2008, [[List of mayors of Seattle|Seattle mayor]] [[Greg Nickels]] announced that a local ownership group involving Ballmer made a "game-changing" commitment to invest $150&nbsp;million in cash toward a proposed $300&nbsp;million renovation of [[KeyArena]] and were ready to purchase the [[Seattle SuperSonics]] from the [[Professional Basketball Club LLC]] in order to keep the team in Seattle. However, this initiative failed, and the SuperSonics [[Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City|relocated]] to [[Oklahoma City]], [[Oklahoma]], where they now play as the [[Oklahoma City Thunder]].<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=8243&dept=40 |title=Mayor Nickels announces local effort to buy Sonics, renovate KeyArena |publisher=Seattle.gov |access-date=December 27, 2013 |archive-date=November 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118022805/http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=8243&dept=40 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In June 2012, Ballmer was an investor in [[Chris R. Hansen]]'s [[Sonics Arena|proposal to build a new arena]] in the [[SoDo, Seattle|SoDo neighborhood]] of Seattle and bring the SuperSonics back to Seattle.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Thompson, Lynn |author2=Young, Bob |title=Ballmer, Nordstroms part of Seattle arena investor group |newspaper=The Seattle Times |date=June 13, 2012 |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018421214_arena14m.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615172237/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018421214_arena14m.html |archive-date=June 15, 2012 |access-date=November 5, 2023}}</ref> On January 9, 2013, Ballmer and Hansen led a group of investors in an attempt to purchase the [[Sacramento Kings]] from the [[Maloof family]] and [[Failed Relocation of the Sacramento Kings#Seattle|relocate]] them to Seattle for an estimated $650&nbsp;million. However, this attempt also fell through.<ref>espn.com, [https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/11005695/seattle-bid-nba-team-dealt-blow-steve-ballmer-agrees-purchase-los-angeles-clippers Clippers name has to go with Sterling], accessed May 30, 2014.</ref>

Following the [[Donald Sterling#Racist remarks and lifetime ban|Donald Sterling scandal]] in May 2014, Ballmer was the highest bidder in an attempt to purchase the [[Los Angeles Clippers]] for a reported price of $2&nbsp;billion, which was then the second-highest bid for a sports franchise in North American sports history (after the $2.15&nbsp;billion sale of the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] in 2012). After a California court confirmed the authority of [[Shelly Sterling]] to sell the team, it was announced on August 12, 2014, that Ballmer would become the Los Angeles Clippers owner.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/steve-ballmer-takes-over-ownership-los-angeles-clippers-n178761 |title=Steve Ballmer Takes Over Ownership of Los Angeles Clippers – NBC News |date=August 12, 2014 |publisher=nbcnews.com |access-date=August 26, 2015 |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904022818/http://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/steve-ballmer-takes-over-ownership-los-angeles-clippers-n178761 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2020, Ballmer agreed to buy [[The Forum (Inglewood, California)|The Forum]] in [[Inglewood, California]].<ref name="The Forum">{{cite web |last1=Greif |first1=Andrew |title=Clippers buy Forum for $400 million, clearing way for new arena construction |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/story/2020-03-24/ballmer-clippers-buy-forum-from-msg-for-400-million-dollars |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=April 4, 2020 |date=March 24, 2020 |archive-date=April 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404115728/https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/story/2020-03-24/ballmer-clippers-buy-forum-from-msg-for-400-million-dollars |url-status=live }}</ref> The purchase would allow him to build [[Intuit Dome]] in the nearby area since plans for a new Clippers' arena were opposed by the former owners of The Forum.<ref name="The Forum" />

In a survey conducted by ''[[The Athletic]]'' in December 2020, Ballmer was voted the best owner in basketball.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Vorkunov|first=Mike|title=Who are the NBA's best and worst team owners? League insiders vote|url=https://theathletic.com/2261119/2020/12/17/nba-owners-ranked/|access-date=January 4, 2021|website=The Athletic|archive-date=February 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214171526/https://theathletic.com/2261119/2020/12/17/nba-owners-ranked/|url-status=live}}</ref>