We got the chance to sit down to talk about how he got that way.

The Clippers experience in the bubble and the difficulty of parting ways with Doc Rivers.

We also talked about the Clippers new arena.

Here's our full conversation.

Steve Balmer.

A road of going to a championship, is hard as a pair and as a duo, and it has to start with us ready to dive right into this and give everything I have.

This is going to be unprecedented season.

What does it feel like to you to be starting up again?

I'll tell you the craziest thing.

I went to our first pre season game.

I sat in the head of Rita, your usedto, you know, 19,000 strong pumping and thumping.

And I was sitting e don't know 15 20 ft from the court by my myself, kind of lonely in that little place.

It just feels crazy to be in there.

And of course you got to think about the disease.

But the experience, I think, will be a little crazier.

Maybe even than than the bubble because the arenas air so much bigger.

We are used to seeing you as one of the most demonstrative owners in the league.

You're on the sidelines.

Last year during the season opener, you cheered so much you actually tour a hole in your shirt, which was amazing.

Um, I was fascinated to learn, though, that this wasn't always your personality.

I read an article talking about how used to hyperventilate before Hebrew school because the idea of speaking aloud in front of the whole class was so you were so shy.

It was so off putting to you.

How did you get from there to here?

It's a really good question.

I was super shy.

Is a super shy as a kid.

When I took my first job, Guy started the same day.

He described it this way.

Hi, I'm Steve Balmer in my hands, all sweaty.

I'm good to meet you.

Um, business school, that was That was me Business school.

I remember the first time I talked into business school class.

It was could barely get the words out.

And but once I sort of build my moment, um, get comfortable and I would say it was even the same way When about the Clippers, I wasn't gonna just, you know, I could be enthusiastic that that's fine.

But, you know, I had to learn my rhythm with the players.

I had to learn my rhythm with the coaching staff.

They all flow pretty freely now, But, yeah, I was a little shy and start that to Rachel.

It's been such a short off season.

The bubble is very fresh.

Patrick Beverley had a quote the other day.

He said, Everyone around here is pissed off, which is good.

Do you get that same sense?

Yeah.

I mean, look, nobody liked the way our season ended.

Nobody did.

There's no antidote.

Just being randomly angry doesn't do anything.

It's crazy.

I think there's a variety of ways people deal with adversity.

One is Thio.

Go put your head in the sand and deny one is toe.

You know, get timid.

That's not our guys.

I think our guys say Okay, we're not happy, but we're all about getting better.

How do we get better?

How do we get better?

How do we get better?

You didn't experience what happened in the bubble from afar.

You were down in Orlando for weeks and weeks at a time leading up to that Game seven in the second round.

What did it feel like for you to be sitting in the building and watching those last minutes tick off the clock?

I missed not one minute of anything in the bubble until the last 40 seconds, and I just couldn't stand.

E got 40 seconds, e believe.

Did you leave the into the concourse?

40 seconds.

I laughed, and then I saw the crock ease and I went over and congratulated them and the game ended.

Coaches are the fall guy, and sometimes it's not warranted.

Steve Balmer decided.

We need a fresh start and look, that's a brave, bold move.

Paul, George and the Clippers have agreed to add four years to his contract.

Last season, didn't end the playoffs, didn't go the way they wanted them to go.

And certainly there's a lot on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George with the new head coach in Thailand to get this figured out.

I'm interested, especially your approach to this, because you come from the tech world, you help build Microsoft.

How did that experience affect the way you approach to the N B.

A team, especially this offseason.

In the tech world, you have version updates.

Okay, what's a version update?

Well, we could do a major upgrade in the summer on.

We could do a minor upgraded to trade that line.

You know, you think about things in a little bit different perspective.

Um, sports is more final, you know, Attack.

You could say, Well, improve the product.

Next for lease.

Oh, no.

Every 24 seconds.

You know how you understand?

You know, every game, every season and there's no hey, I'll make it up in the future.

It's all even more accountable.

Doc Rivers have been with the team since you bought it.

And really a key point of contact for you.

How hard was it to decide you guys should part ways?

It was very hard.

I mean, Doc, I would call my mentor.

I'm the league E.

I don't know what it's like for most people when they first come in and as governors, and but I didn't know what I was doing.

I learned more from Doc did from anybody else, and I really appreciate his mentorship, but Yeah, it was time.

It was time to try.

Try something a little bit different.

And I respect Doc Itan.

I like Doc Itan.

I learned Aton.

And except when the Clippers play the 76 years, I wish it will have a look.

You're also trying to improve the team by building a new arena.

Why is it so important to you that you have your own place?

We need our own home.

I mean, this is a crazy place, you know, People who spend time in L.

A Fine.

I grew up in Detroit.

In Seattle.

There was one Pistons.

There was one SuperSonics.

There was no contention to be the basketball team in town.

Well, here there is.

We need our home, our identity, our personality.

And I will say you didn't ask the state or city for money.

You guys are spending the money for this.

Do you feel it's gonna fundamentally change who the Clippers are in Los Angeles?

I think it takes a lot of things for us to fundamentally change who we are.

E mean, any one thing.

I think it will be another significant milestone, but we've gotta win.

I mean, the Arena two.

But people want, you know, it's winners that transformed the legacy of the team.

What the team really stands for, and it will be a step.

But the big step.

We'll be getting our hands on one of those pretty little trophies.

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