By now we know the majority of the facts about this Donald Sterling situation.
The exchange between the Clippers owner and his girlfriend V. Stiviano has gone viral, and created pandemonium inside the NBA.
I’m not going to beat around the bush, the comments made by Sterling are some of the most derogatory and racist out there. To tell your significant other not to be seen with African-Americans is just an insane request. But this has to be a set up by Stiviano right? Why else would she record these.
During the alleged argument with Stiviano, who herself is black and Mexican, he asked, “Why are you taking pictures with minorities? Why?” Stiviano: “People call you and tell you that I have black people on my Instagram, and it bothers you?” Sterling: “Yeah, it bothers me a lot that you want to promo… broadcast that you’re associating with black people.”
Now don’t get me wrong these are some pretty bad comments, especially when you own a franchise in a league where the majority of players are black.
But if you think about it, there’s probably only a handful of people on earth who have never made a racist comment. And this is what angers me the most, seeing former athletes and ‘sports analysts’ calling for his resignation, to sell the team, and so and so forth.
Sure there is no place in professional sports for comments like these, but the way they were recorded, its intent was malicious.
For all these people in the business, to go out and just keep calling this guy a racist and exploiting him, like these former players/analysts have never said anything racist in a locker room, game, or just in a life.
It just comes with being in a position of power. Had I made this comment and had a gorgeous black/mexican girlfriend and had it recorded, 10 people would have heard and just said come on man, you’re better than that. With him being the person he his, his out reach is millions of people more.
And just prior to all this Sterling was set to receive the NAACP’s life-time achievement award this year. An award he will no longer receive after his comments.
The award wouldn’t be his first, Sterling has has received many honors, including the 2009 NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2008 BBA Humanitarian of the Year Award, and the 2008 NAACP Presidents Award.
It’s a shame a blackmail recording, just when you think nobody is recording, can cause such an uproar.
I’m guessing at this point Sterling could care less about the media and what’s being said. With $1.9 billion just sitting in the bank, he’s probably got another handful of mixed chicks just to prove he doesn’t care what the world thinks. If he’s forced to sell the ‘Lob City’ add another few hundred million to that number.
While everyone wants to keep taking the racist shot at Donald Sterling, just take the time to think and make sure you’ve never made a racist comment in your life before blasting this guy.
And enough of Lebron trying to share the spotlight saying, “There’s no room for Donald Sterling in the NBA” and throwing their warmups in center court. I don’t need another seven hour special on ESPN about Lebron throwing his two cents in, go hold another time wasting ‘decision’ and keep those comments to yourself.
photo credit: getty images, forbes
