As Clippers coach Doc Rivers said, the team's Monday fan festival was about welcoming the guy who happened to have $2 billion in his bank account.
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer certainly was excited once he was introduced, and he didn't hide it one bit. Ballmer walked through the crowd before reaching a stage reminiscent of the NBA Draft setup, slapping the hand of each fan in Staples Center.
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The excitement didn't subside once he reached the stage, but the start of Ballmer's entrance will be remembered for a long time.
"When he came through the crowd, I literally had goose bumps," said forward Blake Griffin, who was one of eight players in attendance. Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan were part of that group as well. "I don't know if there's one good word to describe him. I know all our guys are excited about the energy he brings. It's completely different."
Ballmer used a microphone, but his booming voice easily filled the arena without it. He prowled the stage and gestured to make his points in the enthusiastic style he was known for among Microsoft employees.
"We're going to be bold. Bold means taking chances," he said. "We're going to be optimistic. We're going to be hard-core. Nothing gets in our way, boom! The hard-core Clippers, that's us."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.