Hour 1 - Hip to Clip?

September 3, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The NBA dropped a hammer on the Los Angeles Clippers, fining them $30 million, stripping five first-round draft picks, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for a year, and banning Kawhi Leonard’s former business manager for five years. The league cited a pattern of salary cap circumvention involving under-the-table payments to Leonard. But Ben Maller, host of The Ben Maller Show, argues that the punishment is far less devastating than it looks—and that the NBA may have just created a monster.

Why the punishment is not the death penalty

Maller opens by acknowledging the surface-level shock: a $30 million fine, five first-round picks gone, and key personnel suspended. But he quickly dismantles the idea that this is a crippling blow. The fine means nothing to Ballmer, who is the seventh-richest person in America. “I don’t care about money. It’s not my money,” Maller says. Ballmer loses $30 million making avocado toast. The owner’s one-year suspension is equally toothless—nobody watches a game to see the owner, and Ballmer can just watch from his mega-yacht.

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What you'll learn

1 (03:31) **Opening & The Big Story** - Ben Maller teases the night's lead topic: the NBA's severe punishment of the LA Clippers for salary cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard.
2 (10:55) **The "Unpopular Opinion": Why This Isn't Capital Punishment** - Maller argues the penalties are less severe than they appear, focusing on the owner's wealth and the overvaluation of draft picks.
3 (14:10) **The Real Danger: Ballmer's Grudge and F-U Money** - Maller pivots to the consequences for the NBA, arguing they have created a vengeful and motivated billionaire.
4 (20:50) **The Ultimate Winner: Kawhi Leonard** - Maller concludes that Kawhi Leonard is the biggest beneficiary of the scandal, walking away with a slap on the wrist.
5 (25:21) **Caller Reactions and the "Angry Letter" Tease** - Maller opens the phone lines for listener reactions and previews the Clippers' official response to the league.
6 (48:38) **The Angry Letter Revealed** - Maller reads and analyzes the actual angry letter sent by the Clippers' organization to the NBA.
7 (49:52) **The "Who Am I?" Game** - Maller presents the nightly trivia segment.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Ben Maller talks about the NBA handing down punishment to the Clippers for Kawhi Leonard's hidden pay by docking them 5 first-round picks, millions in fines and numerous suspensions. Is this the death penalty for the Clippers? Also, who ends up with a sweetheart deal in all of this?

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