Thursday, September 3, 2026

Here's revealing statements by ESPN's Brian Windhorst about how he got the Clippers story so wrong

I'm using Youtube's transcript, this is all in the first 20 minutes:

Windhorst: I would say the headline is Steve Balmer was not accused of much direct wrongdoing. He was accused or maybe even I guess you could say convicted basically of lack of institutional control. They basically said you should have known and we think you kind of did know. They don't really accuse him.

McMahon: Well, the exact language of the NBA's press release is Balmer suspended from all league and team activities for one year for knowingly seeking to help Mr. Leonard obtained off court income opportunities for approving a business deal that he knew was a precondition for aspiration to enter into an endorsement agreement with Mr. Leonard 

...

McMahon: I honestly thought everything that's come out of the Clippers's mouth since this started has been extremely flimsy and it get it keeps getting less and less believable.

Windhorst: Man, I got to tell you, man. I I said this to you again. I keep referring to this this podcast that we did after Dacttronics. I had friends swear to me that this was bunk. I've talked to Clippers people too who lied to my face. I mean, I don't know what to tell you. I talked to Steve. I mean, I get there was one moment before a Clippers game this year where but people wouldn't come up and talk to him. Like Steve would come out before Clippers games for years and you could just go up and talk to him. Frankly, a lot of times I talked to him about golf.

McMahon: I am stunned by that. You talking to a rich guy about golf. I can't imagine.

Windhorst: And I and I was talking to him and and we were talking about the investigation and he said, "They can't prove I I knew. I I didn't know. They can't prove it."