As a boy, born and raised in Detroit, he badly wanted to play basketball, but ended up a manager for his high school team. As an adult, what little time he spent away from the office included playing basketball with his kids. And his mornings often started with a pickup basketball game at a sports club next to the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Wash. A few years ago he was part of a group that tried to keep the Seattle SuperSonics from leaving town. And more recently, he joined a group that tried to buy the Sacramento Kings. During those efforts, Ballmer was still chief executive of one of the most important tech companies in the world. Love him or hate him, Ballmer is known for his relentless, singular focus. He likely would have been a silent partner, staying behind the scenes