Tuesday, April 29, 2014

LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling banned for life

Donald Sterling. 21 April 2014


  Donald Sterling bought the Los Angeles Clippers in 1981

The owner of the Los Angeles Clippers professional basketball team has been banned from the National Basketball Association for life after a recording emerged of him making racist remarks. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Donald Sterling would be forced to sell his interest in the team.

And the league will fine him $2.5m, the maximum allowed.
Mr Sterling was recorded asking a woman not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to games. He later said the recording "does not reflect his views". In a news conference on Tuesday, Mr Silver told reporters that Mr Sterling's "hateful opinions... simply have no place in the NBA".




Adam Silver

"This league is far bigger than any one owner. That the remarks came from an NBA owner, only heightens the damage," he said. "I am personally distraught that the views expressed by Mr Sterling came from within an institution that has historically taken a leadership role in matters of race relations."

More reaction
  • "Commissioner Silver thank you for protecting our beautiful and powerful league!! Great leader!!" - Miami Heat star LeBron James
  • "This kind of behaviour has no place in basketball, or anywhere else, and we as a league must stand together in condemning this ignorance." - New York Knicks owner James Dolan
  • "I agree 100% with Commissioner Silver's findings and the actions taken against Donald Sterling." - Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban
  • "We are a single team here today, a team not only speaking out for what we're against - racism, hatred, bigotry, intolerance - but what we're for. We're for great basketball." - Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
Mr Silver said Mr Sterling would be banned from participating in all team business, as well as attending any NBA practices or games. The fine will be donated to organizations focused on combating racism, he said. And Mr Silver said he would urge the NBA's board of governors to force Mr Sterling to sell his stake in the team, which he purchased in 1981. It is considered the harshest punishment ever meted out by the NBA.
"Commissioner Silver showed great leadership in banning Sterling", basketball great Earvin Magic Johnson tweeted following the announcement. Mr Johnson reportedly posed for a photo with Mr Sterling's female companion, leading to his comments on the controversial recording.

Following the announcement of Mr Sterling's NBA expulsion, the Clippers' website posted the message: "We are one."
"We wholeheartedly support and embrace the decision by the NBA," the statement added. "Now the healing process begins."

The row erupted on Friday when celebrity news website TMZ published a 10-minute audio recording in which a man can be heard criticizing a woman, believed to be Mr Sterling's girlfriend V Stiviano, for posting online photographs of herself with black friends at Clippers games.



LA Clippers

The Clippers players wore their jerseys inside out as a protest
 
"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you are associating with black people. Do you have to?" the man says.
"The little I ask is not to promote it on that... and not to bring them to my games."
On Tuesday, Mr Silver said Mr Sterling had acknowledged it was his voice on the recording. It was not clear how or when the conversation was recorded. The remarks caused an immediate uproar in Los Angeles and among basketball fans across the country. The Clippers are competing in the first round of the NBA playoffs, drawing extra scrutiny to Mr Sterling's remarks.

On Sunday before a game against the Golden State Warriors, the players staged a silent protest, going through a pre-match warm-up with shirts on inside-out to hide the team's logo. The players also wore black wristbands or armbands and all wore black socks with their normal jerseys. Mr Sterling did not attend the game.

It's encouraging to see everyone involved in the sport and the companies and organizations that support it, all standing together on this issue.

4 comments:

  1. To those who feel Mr. Silver's penalities were too severe and that freedom of speech should prevail.

    People do have the freedom to be racist, anti-semanitic, etc., but when they have no filters and their words offend others, especially those in high-profile positions--punishment is well-deserved, as it is in this case.

    Too many different ethnic groups have endured too much racism and oppression from the 'Good Ole White Boys' throughout the last several centuries in this country. There should be no tolerance of actions and/or words that harm or are hurtful to others, regardless of the fact that the Constitiution allows people the Freedom of Speech.

    I think this was a bold move by the NBA and all people in general. It is going to take us all standing together hand in hand to wipe out this scum no matter where they are hiding .

    One good start would be our goverment requesting your color , sex, or nationality . Does it matter ? I'm an US citizen ! This goes on in the real world hourly .

    We act shocked it is an NBA owner when he is another one that people of color deal with . I think this black this or other terms used is BS! These are people of color as we all are . I'm not a clipper fan anyway, 76ers,bobcats and Heat .

    The real question is ;
    If Sterling had said don't bring the black guys you're having sex with , would that still be racist ? Just axin'. (SMILING)
    Just my humble opinion

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  2. Howdy PIC,
    Old Sterling is getting his just desserts ... I bet his girlfriend got her idea from Mel's girlfriend ... but Sterling's skanky girlfriend is going to show her how to be a wealthy 'HO' hahaha if Sterling's wife don't sue her ass off and take everything she has got out of Sterling except her drawers .
    Got Mr. Humble to say a word or two .
    Gil said the sponsors was very wise to pull out so quickly ... when you make money from serving the public ... you can't be associated with anything negative .

    Good post
    Luv PIC

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Humble,
    Well known people should be even more conscientious than the average guy about what verbiage pours out of them in public. They have a moral responsibility because so many people look up to them. The guy got what he deserved and I hope he serves as an example to the rest of the good ol'white boys.
    The good ol'white boys are already in the minority, world wide. Africa is having a population explosion and Asia has billions so by the end of the century, Whites will be a very small portion of the global population. It's a good thing.
    In a couple more centuries the people of planet Earth will all be beige. Presto! No more racial conflict.
    I didn't know that in the US it was allowed to request color, sex, nationality. Unfair!
    We are not allowed to ask these questions or about religion. We are so multi-cultural it just wouldn't work. I think we've got a more objective system. More of a level playing field.

    The two things I hate most in this world are racists and Japanese people....HA!


    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey PIC,
    I agree he is getting just what he deserves. HA! Mel's girl friend didn't do so well financially. We'll see how Sterling's girl does because I know she isn't going to stick around very long.
    She'll be looking for greener pastures. His wife, is already suing the girl friend for more than a million. I wonder if she will sue the pants off Sterling too. She stands to make some good pocket money.
    I think the sponsors did the right thing. It's all about image.
    Thankyou PIC...luv ya

    ReplyDelete

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