John Gibson used his first message to fans to thank Kawhi Leonard, back Tyronn Lue and name a new front office.
The Los Angeles Clippers have a new person in charge, and he wasted no time trying to calm a fanbase that has been through a rough month.
John Gibson was hired on Monday as the team's interim CEO and governor, taking over the roles held by owner Steve Ballmer while Ballmer serves a one-year suspension from the NBA.
On Tuesday evening, Gibson released a video message to fans that laid out his plan for the franchise.
A Rough Month
The league handed down its punishment on Sept. 2 after its investigation into salary cap circumvention involving forward Kawhi Leonard, and commissioner Adam Silver has since explained the penalties.
The NBA's ruling suspended Ballmer for one year, fined the team $30 million and took away five first-round picks, one in each draft from 2029 through 2033.
President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was also suspended without pay for six months, which left a hole at the top of the front office that the team could not afford to leave open.
The Clippers made the hire official on Monday, and Gibson is a different type of hire than most team executives.
The Associated Press reported that he spent the last six years as a trial lawyer and litigation partner at DLA Piper in Los Angeles, and that he is a longtime Clippers season ticket holder.
That fan background showed up right away, since he opened the video by thanking the fans.
What Gibson Promised
The biggest news in the video was the new front office.
Gibson named general manager Trent Redden the interim president of basketball operations while Frank is away, and he moved assistant general manager Mark Hughes into the general manager job in the meantime.
He also said head coach Tyronn Lue remains in charge and that the team has complete confidence in him, which should settle any questions about the coaching staff.
Gibson thanked Leonard for his time with the team and welcomed forward Brandon Ingram, who came over in the trade that sent Leonard back to Toronto this month.
He also said the franchise is doing a full review of its basketball and business operations and will keep working closely with the league on compliance.
Near the end, he gave fans the line they wanted to hear.
"We believe our best days are still ahead of us," Gibson said in the video message.
Why the Message Matters
Words alone will not fix a team that went 42-40 and finished ninth in the West last season, but it was the message fans needed to hear this week.
The Clippers needed someone to take ownership of the mess, name who is running the team and point fans toward the court again, and Gibson did that in one video.
Keeping Lue gives the players stability, and handing the front office to two people who have been with the team since 2017 keeps the basketball plan steady during the suspensions.
The real test starts Monday at media day, when the players get their first chance to speak.
If Ingram is healthy and the new pieces come together, the Clippers can make Gibson's promise look smart by the time they open the season on Oct. 21.
