The NBA has slam-dunked Donald Sterling.
In an historic move, an emotional Adam Silver banned the Clippers owner for life on Tuesday following the release of racist recordings that were, indeed, from the NBA’s longest-tenured owner.
“The hateful opinions voiced by that man are from Mr. Sterling,” the NBA commissioner said in announcing the ban, the first of its kind in the four major American sports. “That they came from an NBA owner only heightens the damage and my personal outrage.”
In addition the the lifetime ban — which bars Sterling from having any association with the team, effective immediately — Silver added that he will encourage the league’s other owners to envoke their power to vote in favor of forcing Sterling to sell the team. Additionally, he will be fined $2.5 million — the maximum allowed under the NBA constitution — and the funds will be distributed to anti-discrimination groups.
“As for Mr. Sterling’s ownership interests, I will urge the Board of Governors to exercise its authority to force the sale of the team and do everything in my power to make sure that happens,” Silver said, adding the ban only extends to Sterling and not his family. His wife, Shelly, is involved with the Clippers.
“No decisions (have been made) about other members of the Sterling family, I should say this ruling applies specifically to Donald Sterling and Donald Sterling’s conduct only,” Silver said.
Silver said that he spoke with numerous players before rendering his decision, and spoke directely with Chris Paul and “extensively” with Clippers coach Doc Rivers before making a decision. He also said that he was in daily communication with Players Association adviser and former All-Star Kevin Johnson, currently the mayor of Sacramento.
“I believe that players will be satisfied with the rendering today,” Silver said, adding that if a player does not want to continue playing for the Clippers the league will address that in the future. But Silver said that he does not anticipate that to be an issue.
“I agree 100% with Commissioner Silvers (sic) findings and the actions taken against Donald Sterling,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tweeted.
The scandal exploded Friday night when TMZ.com published a nine-minute recording of Sterling speaking with his then-mistress V. Stiviano, urging her not to bring black friends to Clippers games and to stop posting photographs of herself with black people on Instagram.
“Why are you taking pictures with minorities? Why,” Sterling asks in the recording.
V. Stiviano, Donald Sterling’s alleged mistress, has said through her lawyer that she didn’t leak the racially-charged recordings.
“People call you and tell you that I have black people on my Instagram, and it bothers you,” Stiviano responds.
“Yeah, it bothers me a lot that you want to promo … broadcast that you’re associating with black people.”
Donald Sterling’s wife, Shelly, has distanced herself from the Clippers owner.
That was just the beginning, as Sterling went on to say that Stiviano, who is black and Mexican, can do whatever she likes — but only behind closed doors.
“I don’t want you to have hate. … I want you to love them—privately. … But why publicize it on the Instagram, and why bring it to my games? … You can sleep with them, you can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that (Instagram) not to bring them to my games.”
MARK J. TERRILL/APSources close to V. Stiviano (l.) tell TMZ that Donald Sterling requests their conversations are recorded.
A photo of Lakers legend Magic Johnson appeared to strike a nerve with Sterling, who told Stiviano, “admire him, bring him here, feed him, f— him, I don’t care. … But don’t put him on Instagram for the world to have to see.”
The racist remarks led to outrage from all corners — even President Barack Obama condemned Sterling — with many prominant figures asking for the NBA to force Sterling out of the league.
On Sunday, before the Clippers staged a silent protest ahead of their Game 4 loss to the Warriors in Oakland, Deadspin released an extended cut of the taped conversation which included more racist remarks from Sterling and shone a spotlight on his notorious misogynistic side.
As Sterling reasoned that racism was part of the “culture,” Stiviano — who is locked in a bitter lawsuit with Sterling’s wife of 56 years, Shelly, where she’s accused of being a gold-digger and embezzling $1.8 million from the team owner — urges him to “be the change and the difference,” a suggestion that sets the octogenarian off.
“I don’t want to change. If my girl can’t do what I want, I don’t want the girl,” he says. “I’ll find a girl that will do what I want. Believe me. I thought you were that girl — because I tried to do what you want. But you’re not that girl.”
During Sunday’s game — which Sterling didn’t attend — Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson stressed that players want “swift and decisive action” taken against Sterling, adding that if the investigation found it was indeed Sterling on the recordings, players wanted to seek the most-severe punishment possible for the owner.
The scandal continued to escalate Monday, with Stiviano reportedly in posession of more than 100 hours of taped conversations — recorded at Sterling’s request — and over a dozen sponsors either ending or suspending their partnerships with the Clippers as cries for harsh punishment for Sterling grew louder and louder.
Silver clearly was listening.
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