By Aubrey Freckman | August 12, 2014
What thoughts and emotions are running through your head now that the sale has officially gone through?
“I’m just really excited. My personality, I like to use the word ‘hardcore’ which means tenacious, intense, passionate and committed to being better every day, that’s kind of my personality. The question I ask myself is, ‘how do I apply that in some way at the Clippers?’ The support, the great folks we have running both basketball side, Coach Rivers, the players, the staff and the folks that have been carrying the water and doing such a phenomenal job on the business side.”
How does your family feel about you being the owner of an NBA team?
“Everyone likes basketball and they’re all very supportive. They knew this is something that I would really like to do and they really like the sport. It’s important that the kids don’t take anything for granted and they don’t. I have three sons and they’ve all encouraged me and are happy for me. My wife is right there with them.”
Favorite sports memory?
“My very favorite sports memory was the Harvard-Yale game where we ended up beating Yale. I was standing in the endzone as the team’s football manager to retrieve the ball after the winning field goal went through. When you’re there in a big moment like that, it’s so cool.”
What do you do in your spare time?
“I like to work, I’ll be honest, I do like to work. My current passions outside of work are golf and anything that my kids are into. I just have one now left at home and he plays football and basketball so I really love being out there and supporting him.”
Any first impressions on working and living in Los Angeles?
“I spent about two or three months in Los Angeles back in 1979. I got out of college and worked for almost two years at Procter & Gamble and I wanted to know what it would be like to be in Los Angeles, to be in the movie business. I get out there and live for a few months and decide that starting at the bottom of the movie business wasn’t for me. But I really enjoyed it, I loved my short time there. So this was sort of a perfect opportunity.”
Anything you’re looking forward to doing in LA?
“From the vantage point of the Clippers, we have a unique opportunity to be a positive contributor and a positive force for a lot of good things within the L.A. community. For the broad and diverse set of groups who live in Los Angeles, I want to figure out the best way for the Clippers to do that and how I can support that.”
Anything you want to say to the city of Los Angeles and Clippers fans around the world?
“We’re in it! We have a phenomenal coach, phenomenal players, a great staff and we are hardcore determined to be the best that we can be. Come on out and watch it!”