ON AUG. 18, 2014, Steve Ballmer shouted, chest-bumped and high-fived his way through a frenzied crowd of 4,500 fans inside Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. Eminem's "Lose Yourself" thumped overhead. The former Microsoft CEO had just paid a then-record $2 billion for the LA Clippers, at once rescuing the team, the city of Los Angeles and the NBA from one of its darkest eras.
"We're going to be bold. Bold means taking chances," Ballmer thundered into the microphone after taking the stage. "We're going to be optimistic. We're going to be hardcore. Nothing gets in our way -- boom!