LA Clippers

[hoya]

I don't believe they can. I believe Marge Schott willingly sold her team after a lot of problems and bad publicity. They can't make you sell it, but they can sure make owning it no fun.

[adaniel]

It is not illegal to be racist scum, and while the NBA could force a sale Sterling would sue them into to stone age--and likely win.

I wouldn't be shocked if Adam Silver and the players union issue a fine, suspension, and strongly worded memorandum advising him to sell but nothing more. At this point, the man is 81 years old, they'd be better of just letting nature take it's course.

[Dubya61]

NBA News: Magic Johnson, Guggenheim Partners Want To Buy The Clippers | Lakers Nation

Here's the real story, if this ends up happening you can bet your bottom dollar that Magic was behind this whole set up. And for the record I don't support any of the racist comments the guy made. But he was definitely setup by the oh bag and will soon find out who else.


Magics been doing shows all day today saying the nba needs to take the clippers away.

If Johnson is trying to set up Sterling, he began several years ago (unlikely, IMO).
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Donald Sterling?s Racism and the NBA - TIME
Sterling is no angel and has a track record of racism

2006: U.S. Dept. of Justice sued Sterling for housing discrimination. Allegedly, he said, “Black tenants smell and attract vermin.”
2009: He reportedly paid $2.73 million in a Justice Dept. suit alleging he discriminated against blacks, Hispanics, and families with children in his rentals. (He also had to pay an additional nearly $5 million in attorneys fees and costs due to his counsel’s “sometimes outrageous conduct.”)
2009: Clippers executive (and one of the greatest NBA players in history) sued for employment discrimination based on age and race.

If Johnson is trying to buy the Clippers, it's just to save a franchise in need of seamless continuation.

[Dubya61]

I remember the whole Marge mess. I agree that both Schott and Sterling are/were racists but I wondered back with Marge how they can be made to sell a business they own because people don't like what they say.

I don't think they can make him sell the organization. I think they can say, "Know what? I don't think the Clippers will continue playing in the NBA. Find yourself another league."

[Pete]

NBA press conference on this matter at 1PM Oklahoma time.

The expectation of one rival team, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports, is that Silver will opt for a lifetime ban and hefty fine well over $1 million for Sterling and also announce that the league will help the Clippers with the sale of the team. He said the league will pursue voting Sterling out if the Clippers do not cooperate.

[Midtowner]

Obama responds to Clipper's owner Don Sterling's alleged racism - CNN.com

I wonder why you chose to bring the President into this and how you think his remarks violated the Constitution?

[Garin]

I think Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nailed it. He has about the best, most comprehensive, well thought out response of anyone yet.
"So, if we’re all going to be outraged, let’s be outraged that we weren’t more outraged when his racism was first evident. Let’s be outraged that private conversations between people in an intimate relationship are recorded and publicly played. Let’s be outraged that whoever did the betraying will probably get a book deal, a sitcom, trade recipes with Hoda and Kathie Lee, and soon appear on Celebrity Apprentice and Dancing with the Stars.
The big question is “What should be done next?” I hope Sterling loses his franchise. I hope whoever made this illegal tape is sent to prison. I hope the Clippers continue to be unconditionally supported by their fans. I hope the Clippers realize that the ramblings of an 80-year-old man jealous of his young girlfriend don’t define who they are as individual players or as a team. They aren’t playing for Sterling—they’re playing for themselves, for the fans, for showing the world that neither basketball, nor our American ideals, are defined by a few pathetic men or women."

[Chadanth]

He was taped without knowledge what did he say or do that would cause a civil suit

1. It's criminal to tape in a 2-party state without consent.
2. She says she had consent - V. Stiviano Says Donald Sterling Knew He Was Being Taped | Robert Littal Presents BlackSportsOnline

[Jersey Boss]

Apparently it would be extremely difficult to take the franchise away from Donald or force him to sell the team. That being said the league can fine him, suspend him, and bar him from the day to day operations. Also because California is a community property state and the team is in the name of both husband and wife, the league is within their authority to transfer controlling interest from Donald to his wife. That is karma.

[Bellaboo]

Per ESPN -


Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling received a lifetime ban from the NBA and a $2.5 million fine.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the discipline Tuesday, three days after the revelation of an audio recording in which Sterling made racist comments.

Silver confirmed Tuesday that the voice on the recording was Sterling's.

[Pete]

So, the ban means he can't be at their practice facilities, have any decision making role with the team. And obviously can't attend games in person.

Commissioner Silver also said he full expects to the get the owner votes needed to force the sale of the team.

[jerrywall]

Isn't a bad essential a death penalty for an owner, at this point?

Is it intended as a temporary block until the owner votes?

[Pete]

Even if the owners don't force the sale (unlikely) he will still financially own the team but can't at all be involved in the operation.

[AP]

Good riddance.

[Pete]

Regardless of your opinion on this recent event, it's pretty common knowledge that Sterling is a contemptible sleazeball.

And you can expect him to fight to the death in courts over the ownership issue. Among his many despicable traits, he's notoriously litigious.

[Snowman]

So, the ban means he can't be at their practice facilities, have any decision making role with the team. And obviously can't attend games in person.

Commissioner Silver also said he full expects to the get the owner votes needed to force the sale of the team.

If nothing else it gets as close to why many owners own a team, ego, as any sanction could. Most if not all the social benefits of being the owner were already gone.

[Teo9969]

Regardless of your opinion on this recent event, it's pretty common knowledge that Sterling is a contemptible sleazeball.

And you can expect him to fight to the death in courts over the ownership issue. Among his many despicable traits, he's notoriously litigious.

Here's what worries me:

This is almost surely going to go to court, especially if the team has to be sold (though if he were to contest current actions, they'd most likely be separate cases, I would think).

If for whatever reason the judge/jury rules in favor of Sterling based on contracts/legal authority/blah blah blah, there is going to be a large contingent of the country decrying problems with racism, when any ruling is going to have 100% nothing to do with racism and everything to do with business contracts. This has the chance to be far more reaching than basketball and that scares me more than anything else about this whole situation, because I cannot foresee the country ending up on the other side of such a ruling anything but more divided than it already is.

[Pete]

Yeah, for owners like Sterling it's all about power,ego and limelight, not the financial returns.

Plus, how is he going to seduce women less than half his age if he can't take them to his courtside seats and big-dog it?

Without that, he's just another shriveled up sugar daddy.

[Urbanized]

Sell them to Magic and/or the Buss family, rename them Lakers, then have the Buss family sell the sorry squad currently masquerading in Lakers uniforms to Chris Hansen and his investors, move them to Seattle, rebrand them as the Supersonics. BAM. Multiple problems solved for the league. You're welcome.

[kelroy55]

Regardless of your opinion on this recent event, it's pretty common knowledge that Sterling is a contemptible sleazeball.

And you can expect him to fight to the death in courts over the ownership issue. Among his many despicable traits, he's notoriously litigious.

I agree he's a sleezeball and a racist but I disagree with making someone sell their business because you don't like what they said. Doesn't that violate the 1st Amendment?

[Teo9969]

Sell them to Magic and/or the Buss family, rename them Lakers, then have the Buss family sell the sorry squad currently masquerading in Lakers uniforms to Chris Hansen and his investors, move them to Seattle, rebrand them as the Supersonics. BAM. Multiple problems solved for the league. You're welcome.

[Teo9969]

I agree he's a sleezeball and a racist but I disagree with making someone sell their business because you don't like what they said. Doesn't that violate the 1st Amendment?

Not at all. It's a business that is part of a larger governing body. That body has an amount of control over its constituents (the 30 NBA teams). How much, we'll find out when this all goes to court.

But the business (the NBA and its board of governors) has to do what's best for the business…and you just hope that they're making the right decisions that coincide with their legal purview.

[Snowman]

Sell them to Magic and/or the Buss family, rename them Lakers, then have the Buss family sell the sorry squad currently masquerading in Lakers uniforms to Chris Hansen and his investors, move them to Seattle, rebrand them as the Supersonics. BAM. Multiple problems solved for the league. You're welcome.

Seattle looks nice as a market verses a lot of cities but not LA. Even the second rate team in LA has far better market potential than on in Seattle to either average fans but especially the number of people that can afford luxury suits. Before the Sonics left they were an over stretched market, as they would be again if they came back and really overstretched if Hansen goes through on bringing in a NHL team too. Where as LA is not even close to what an area that size can support and even when Sterling was going super small on team salary they were still getting decent attendance. Get a competent ownership group there that is willing to pay to continuously put a good product on the floor, verses Sterling just doing the minimum for years and lucking into a pick that drew other talent to the team, and fair chance that soon they could build this team to be one of the leagues most profitable teams on a consistent basis.

[Roger S]

I agree he's a sleezeball and a racist but I disagree with making someone sell their business because you don't like what they said. Doesn't that violate the 1st Amendment?

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

I don't think Congress is the governing body removing him from the business.

Freedom of speech doesn't give you freedom from the repercussions for saying the wrong thing. I am free to use a racial slur towards you on these forums but Pete or Martin would also have every right to ban me from these forums for doing it.

[Urbanized]

Seattle looks nice as a market verses a lot of cities but not LA. Even the second rate team in LA has far better market potential than on in Seattle to either average fans but especially the number of people that can afford luxury suits. Before the Sonics left they were an over stretched market, as they would be again if they came back and really overstretched if Hansen goes through on bringing in a NHL team too. Where as LA is not even close to what an area that size can support and even when Sterling was going super small on team salary they were still getting decent attendance. Get a competent ownership group there that is willing to pay to continuously put a good product on the floor, verses Sterling just doing the minimum for years and lucking into a pick that drew other talent to the team, and fair chance that soon they could build this team to be one of the leagues most profitable teams on a consistent basis.

You're trying to talk business. I'm trying to solve the league's three worst PR problems; Clippers ownership, no team in Seattle, and a Lakers squad that can't make the playoffs.