One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Watch Steve Ballmer Lose His Sh*t Over How 'Hardcore' The Clippers Are
When Steve Ballmer gets excited, he doesn't hold back at all. Remember when the former Microsoft CEO was a sweaty mess when he screamed "developers" over and over again on stage at an event? (If you don't, you can watch it here in all its glory.) But now his new chant is "hardcore."
At a Clippers fan rally today where Ballmer was formally introduced as the team's new owner, he was hardcore indeed as he walked out to the stage to Eminem's "Lose Yourself" blasting in the background, while high-fiving everyone hard enough to break off their arms.
He kept screaming out, "I can't hear you!" to the crowd. Then he proceeded to yell out "hardcore" so many times we lost count. "We’re going to be hardcore. Hardcore. Haaaaardcoooore!" he shouted.
"Hardcore, baby. Nothing gets in our way. Boom! We’ll keep coming. Hardcore Clippers—that’s us."
He said this as all the Clippers players tried not to laugh in the background. You can see Ballmer start his speech at the 2:48:00-mark in the video below and his "hardcore" chant at the 2:56:55-mark.
Never change, Ballmer. Never change.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
