The Clippers have a problem, and its a big one. According to a recording made public by TMZ, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling made a number of racist remarks about Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
Sterling alledgedly made the comments to his girlfriend after she posted a picture of herself with Magic Johnson on instagram.
The full audio of the recording is disgusting, and filled with racist language. Here are some editted comments from it that give you the general gist of it.
“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?”
“You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that … and not to bring them to my games.”
“I’m just saying, in your lousy f******* Instagrams, you don’t have to have yourself with, walking with black people.”
“…Don’t put him [Magic] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don’t bring him to my games.”
The NBA is said to be looking into the incident which is the first major controversy in the tenure of new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Given the remarks in question, if proven to be true, there is no doubt that a large punishment could be headed Sterling’s way.
The NBA is investigating, said NBA Executive Vice President of Communications Mike Bass.
“We are in the process of conducting a full investigation into the audio recording obtained by TMZ. The remarks heard on the recording are disturbing and offensive, but at this time we have no further information.”
Magic Johnson replied via Twitter:
TMZ reported this morning that Clippers owner Donald Sterling doesn’t want me or other African-Americans to come to Clippers games.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 26, 2014
.@cjbycookie and I will never go to a Clippers game again as long as Donald Sterling is the owner.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 26, 2014
I feel sorry for my friends Coach Doc Rivers and Chris Paul that they have to work for a man that feels that way about African Americans.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 26, 2014
Adam Silver will be meeting the media tonight in a scheduled appearance in Milwaukee concerning the sale of the Bucks franchise. There is no doubt that this news will create some new questions.
This isn’t the first time that Donald Sterling has been in trouble for alleged racist actions. In 2009 he paid $2.725 million to settle a lawsuit about discriminatory housing practices.
Rollie Massimino and former Clippers GM Paul Phipps have also accused Sterling of making racist comments.
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