The early October evening and a new NBA season approached when Steve Ballmer returned to the topic that has consumed his eight years of owning the Clippers.
Inside a West Adams compound hidden from the street by high walls, Ballmer turned to Baron Davis, Paul Pierce and Jamal Crawford, the former Clippers he was seated next to during a test broadcast of the team's new streaming service. As it often does with Ballmer, the conversation turned to championships.
"My pattern," Ballmer said, "says you've just got to have one of those guys."
