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When news breaks in American sports it has a way of being blown out of proportion. Sponsors and marketing companies get added airtime as sagas drag out, but the Donald Sterling tape was news no one could believe happened.
Just hours before Game 5 of the Los Angeles Clippers versus Golden State Warriors game of the NBA play offs, newly appointed NBA commissioner Adam Silver handed down a lifetime ban and maximum fine of $2.5 million to Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
Whether you are a basketball fan or not, the decision to ban Sterling from the NBA was a no-brainer.
The owner came under fire after audiotapes emerged of Sterling making racist comments against black people to his assistant and girlfriend V. Stiviano. Then the uprising began.
So what is Donald Sterling’s history?
Briefly, Donald Sterling was born Donald Tokowitz to Jewish parents in 1934. He started off in law, and then made his millions in real estate. Befriending future Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, Sterling eventually bought the struggling San Diego Clippers for $12.5 million in 1981.
His racial slurs of 2014 aren’t a first for the 80-year-old owner. In 2006 Sterling was sued by the Justice Department relating to housing discrimination. It is alleged Sterling said: “Black tenants smell and attract vermin”, and refused to rent properties to certain races in certain communities.
In 2009, former player and Clippers executive Elgin Baylor’s 50-year connection to the NBA was absolved after Baylor sued Sterling for employment discrimination. Behind closed doors, Sterling is alleged to have said he wanted to fill his team with: “Poor black boys from the south and a white head coach”.
When all of these issues were occurring, former commissioner David Stern refused to sanction Sterling, as the former lawyer intimidated Stern.
All six teams threatened to boycott games on Tuesday and opposition players screamed for Clippers players to be granted free agency unless forceful action was taken against Sterling.
The Clippers turned their pre-game workout uniforms inside out so as not to display any Clippers symbols before Game 4, and then let the effects of the past 48-hours show by getting whipped by the Warriors.
Weighing in were some of the nations heavyweights – president Barack Obama, mega-star LeBron James and Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson.
In his first test since taking the job, new boss Adam Silver did something former commissioner David Stern would not do – stand up to Donald Sterling.
He has effectively ended the owner’s involvement in the NBA. Sterling will now have to wait until a board of owners unanimously rule for him to relinquish ownership of his franchise.
So was Sterling a curse on the NBA?
Sterling was never a good owner. When friend and Lakers owner Buss turned the Lakers into Hollywood’s team, Sterling sat midcourt at his home games and never made any decisions to help his franchise win.
Besides winning the heart of Billy Crystal, the Clippers have not won anything of note. Until recently, they were referred to as one of the worst sports franchises in history.
No league title, no conference title, their first division title came in 2012-2013. A big reason for this was Sterling, who refused to put any foundations in place that teams usually use to succeed.
With Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and legendary coach Doc Rivers, the Clippers could be anything after being freed from the Sterling curse.
The Clippers have long been a supporting cast in LA to big brother the Los Angeles Lakers.
They are in the headlines for completely wrong reasons, but when the governing board strip Sterling of his ownership, the Clippers could potentially be the “Big Brother” of Los Angeles for the right reasons.
Sterling cheated the system. Basketball will move on, and it’s nice to know that no matter how much money you’ve got you are not exempt from poor behaviour.
Good riddance Donald Sterling.
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