It’s sad but it’s true: Since Donald Sterling’s racist comments were leaked, he has attracted the focus and attention of the whole basketball world. But whilst everyone is still in shock concerning the comments made by the the Clippers’ owner, the Los Angeles Clippers have a very tight first round match-up against the Warriors to negotiate. < As if playing such a talented and determined team wasn't hard enough. Going into this match-up, the Clippers had a big challenge on their hands; even though they were the superior side, with home advantage, being the favorites against a team that can often play like one of the best teams in the league is not an easy position to be in. Because when Golden State are at the best, when Steph Curry is hitting three pointer after three pointer, when Andre Iguodala is making you pay for every turnover with a great dunk and when Andre Bogut and David Lee are totally shutting down the paint, this team is nearly unbeatable. Add in one of the best crowds in the league and you have the ingredients for a real struggle. So when you discover that your owner, the one who is signing the cheques you are playing for, the one who owns the logo you are fighting for each game, can come up with such ignorant and offensive comments, the task starts to become really complicated. Proof of that with the heavy loss in game 4, where quite frankly the Clippers players seemed to have their minds elsewhere, no longer looking like the determined and spectacular team that we are used to seeing. Not that I blame them.
“It’s just us, only us. We’re all we got” The motivational words uttered by Chris Paul before running out of the tunnel onto the court portray just how hard it has to be for this squad. Suddenly all the trust and unity that was installed in this franchise has been shattered by the man right at the top, the one who is in charge. The players who play their hearts out for him have been betrayed by his ignorance. Whether a player is White, Black, Hispanic or Asian, Donald Sterling’s words are just as offensive. Because at the the end of the day, although not every player on this team is black, the comments made by the owner are probably just as hurtful to each one of them.
That is clearly shown by JJ Redick’s (of white ethnicity) comments after the game: “Maybe our focus wasn’t in the right place would be the easiest way to say it. I didn’t get the sense that we couldn’t function. I thought we competed, but give them a lot of credit as well. It wasn’t just the distraction of everything that has happened in the last 24 hours. Golden State played a great basketball game, let’s keep that in mind.”
Which makes you realize that behind this scandal, the Clippers are playing some of the most important games of the season. As well as being very badly timed, Sterling’s comments take the attention off the best tie of the year for any basketball fan and player. Though now, it would be lovely to see Los Angeles advance to the semi-finals of the Conference. Not because Golden State don’t deserve, but because it would show the world that basketball can beat racism. This was clearly outlined by manager Doc Rivers: “Our message is to play,” Rivers said. “Our message is that we’re going to let no one and nothing stop us from what we want to do. And I think that’s a good message. I really do. I think that’s the message we’re trying to send. And if we can pull this off all the way, I think that would be a terrific message.”
Ironically, if the Clippers win this series, it would almost be a victory against their own owner. The protest made by the players to not wear the Clipper’s training outfit portrays how these players are no longer playing for their franchise, but playing for themselves, for the team that they make up.
Easy to forget that despite the loss in game 4, the Clippers still have home advantage in this playoff series, that is tied up at 2-2. With two games left to play at home, Los Angeles should come out on top, but that is assuming that they can keep their focus on basketball. Whilst discussions and debates about Sterling’s words will continue to dominate NBA news, the Clippers players will be trying to get ready for game 5, trying to block out the outside world and trying to block out the offensive ignorance of their owner.
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