Clippers interim head John Gibson sets three priorities after NBA sanctions

John Gibson, the lawyer serving as interim head of the Clippers, has set out three priorities for the club after the NBA's heavy sanctions: building bridges, taking responsibility and continuing to build the team.

Gibson said he has been a fan of the team for 20 years. "I have seen how it developed. I witnessed the passion of its fans and their resilience. I value the work that has gone into all of it and I am encouraged by our future," he said.

He named Tyronn Lue as a central figure. "Tyronn Lue has repeatedly shown he can overcome any difficulty, unite the team and inspire the players. His leadership qualities will be extremely important in our future," Gibson said.

He quoted owner Steve Ballmer: "As Steve Ballmer said, we have substantial problems, but our character is strong. Resilience will be seen not in words but in deeds."

On the first priority, Gibson said: "We will build bridges. We will hold an open dialogue with the players, staff, fans, sponsors and business partners, the NBA, other owners, the players' union and the communities. We want to hear your questions, your new ideas. Your point of view. We will take it all with humility."

The second was accountability. "We will set goals. We will build a culture that meets the NBA's requirements. We will be accountable. We will cooperate with oversight and follow the standards. We will act with integrity and professionalism. We will restore the trust and confidence of fans, players, partners and the league."

The third was the team itself. "We will continue to build the team and the organisation as a whole. We will carry out a thoughtful and full assessment of the business and basketball operations to make sure that every decision leads to wins," Gibson said.