The NBA handed down the largest punishment in league history against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. It stripped the franchise of five first-round draft picks, fined the organization a massive $30 million and suspended owner Steve Ballmer for one year after a nearly yearlong investigation found the team had systematically circumvented the salary cap.

Steve Ballmer was 'fundamentally uninterested' in settling with NBA, hence harsh punishment to end Kawhi Leonard saga

Leaders can teach their most valuable contributors that rules don't apply. The consequences rarely stop there.

As the NBA regular season creeps forward, some of the biggest stories from the offseason continue to affect it. Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is no exception.

While some in the media were appalled by LA Clippers’ Steve Ballmer and reports revealing Kawhi Leonard’s no-show endorsement deals, his contemporaries reportedly gave the suspended team owner the benefit of the doubt throughout the process.