LOS ANGELES—Claiming their heart and determination in making the playoffs had earned them a benefits package that included both Microsoft Access and Publisher, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer rewarded the team Wednesday with complementary Office Suite upgrades. “This team defied expectations all year, and I can’t think of a better way to honor them than with the most powerful office and productivity tools on the market,” said the former Microsoft CEO at a press conference, clarifying that players would also received Office Insider accounts, which offer early access to product updates and a direct line of communication to the development team. “This is the full Office 365 Home package, that’s a $99 value, and they deserve every cent. It’s the least I can do after the kind of season they had. This is a special group of guys who deserve premium features, whether it’s a word processor that can save files in any conceivable format or a note-taking app that can easily convert handwriting into text.” Ballmer added that if the Clippers win the NBA championship, their contracts guaranteed them a bonus of brand-new, Windows-equipped Dell desktops.



Advertisement