The Los Angeles Clippers are in purgatory after the NBA’s historic punishment over salary cap circumvention with former star forward Kawhi Leonard, and Bill Simmons is pissed.
The Sports Guy famously became a Clippers season ticket-holder two decades ago when he moved from Boston to Los Angeles, and he’s kept them ever since. During the highs and lows of the NBA’s most depressing franchise, Simmons has had an up-close experience to draw on in his commentary.
Now that the team is out its first-round pick for the next five years and just lost Leonard in a trade, he is second-guessing that decision.
So, he revealed in the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast that he recently penned a strongly worded email to the organization demanding to be let out of the contract. Simmons explained his loyalty to the team and why the Leonard punishment was the final straw.
“After the Clippers traded a future MVP and almost a decade of first-round picks for a monosyllabic grifter who barely played and eventually torpedoed their future, we kept renewing,” Simmons said (and wrote to the Clippers). “Obviously, because we were stupid.”
The only problem with Simmons’ plea is that the team signed him and other customers to years-long contracts when it moved to the new Intuit Dome.
“In retrospect, I’m surprised they didn’t offer us some complimentary Aspiration stock,” he said. “And yeah, we agreed well before we learned that the Clippers had been flagrantly breaking the rules with their star player and his rule-breaking uncle. We had no idea the Clippers were about to be handed the NBA version of a death penalty.
“Last season, our connections within the organization kept assuring us that Pablo (Torre)’s reporting was bullsh*t and nothing bad would happen with the Clippers. Sure. Now we’re looking at three more years of a non-playoff team with the bleakest future in the NBA. And not just that, but a sixth-row, midcourt view of the single dumbest franchise in the history of the league.”
Simmons is not even halfway through his ticket agreement.
As he explained on the podcast, he and longtime friend Mike Tollin, a documentary producer, are demanding to be let out of their contract and refunded what they’ve already paid for the upcoming season (though, hilariously, Simmons appeared unsure if payments for the 2026-27 tickets had already come out of his well-fed bank account).
“The Clippers broke their contract with fans and season ticket-holders, so we would like to break ours,” he added.
Though said somewhat in jest, Simmons’ monologue speaks to the deeper crisis the Clippers are facing. Unlike the comparable Joe Smith scandal with the Minnesota Timberwolves nearly 30 years ago, the Clippers’ rule-breaking centered around their best player. With Leonard gone and the team’s revamp stuck in the mud now, the team has little to no hope.
Simmons acknowledged he can easily afford his tickets, but said he wanted to make a larger point.
“I certainly wouldn’t expect anyone to feel bad for us. It doesn’t matter, ultimately,” Simmons said. “I just don’t want to go to the games, and I don’t want to go Clipper games anymore. And I don’t think we should have to.”
A remarkable $30 million in the hole after the NBA’s fine, the Clippers are unlikely to give up any guaranteed cash any time soon. Simmons will likely have to eat the bill, and we can bet his audience will hear all about the bleak scene at the Intuit Dome all season — and for the next two after.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is an Editorial Lead at Awful Announcing overseeing digital content and special projects. He lives in Phoenix and has covered sports media for Awful Announcing since 2023.