The Donald Sterling Thread

[dland24]

[h1]Regarding Donald Sterling, commissioner's hands are somewhat tied[/h1][h2]Adam Silver is restricted by NBA constitution in his punishment of Clippers' owner[/h2]
By NBC Sports

After years of just ignoring everything Donald Sterling has done — the housing discrimination lawsuits, the stories from former players and front office personnel of racist behavior — the NBA seems finally ready to act on the alleged racist comments by Sterling.

If the consciously non-political Michael Jordan is calling for action, you can bet a lot of other owners are pushing for something to be done. They want this mess cleaned up. This is a league that fines players for anything seen as vaguely detrimental to its image — don’t you celebrate a key bucket with the “big balls” dance — and what Sterling did, no matter how private the moment, is a huge black eye to the league.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he has “broad powers in place under the NBA’s constitution and bylaws that include a range of sanctions, and all of those will be considered depending on the findings of our investigation.”

However, Silver’s hands are somewhat tied — he can only do so much.

What he can do will not be enough for some people.

Silver is limited by the NBA’s constitution, which is a private document. What has leaked out from people who have seen it paints a picture that ties Silver’s hands.

• He can’t force Sterling to sell. Essentially the league constitution says the league can only sell a team out from under an owner if said owner is not meeting his financial obligations (not paying his bills) and that is not an issue. Blake Griffin’s checks are clearing. What’s more, Sterling’s style — with his real estate holdings, with everything — is to buy and keep, not sell.

Maybe the other owners could try to force the issue saying, “We no longer want Sterling as a business partner” legal argument, but the very litigious Sterling likely would fight that. And it would get ugly. Or, uglier. And it would drag the issue out for years.

There has been talk the league could force him to hand over the team to his estranged wife as part of joint property laws… but she is her own piece of work. In some of the housing discrimination cases against Sterling it was learned she posed as a government health inspector to gain access to apartments. She was part of the problem.

• Silver can only fine Sterling up to $1 million. That’s the maximum, according to multiple reports. Sterling is worth $1.9 billion dollars according to Forbes, a $1 million fine to him is about the equivalent of you or I getting a parking ticket. It’s annoying, we don’t want to write the check, but it’s not that steep a hit.

• Suspension — this is the hammer Silver really can wield. He can suspend Sterling from any contact with the team or interacting with the front office, keep him from attending games. This would be the biggest blow — for Sterling games are a social, “kiss the ring” kind of event where the people around him gather to enjoy “his team” and “his games.” He basks in the celebrity of it. Take that away and it is more of a blow than any fine would be.

How long a suspension is the question. Through these playoffs for sure (which may not last that long for the Clippers, as distracted as they were Sunday). All of next season seems more reasonable … if Silver can do it. We don’t know what limits there could be on a suspension in the private constitution, but none have been mentioned.

A suspension and fine will not make everyone happy — it does not seem enough for a history of racist issues. This is why David Stern should have dealt with the issue when he could, when he had more serious public offenses that were clearly actionable grounds by the league. But he didn’t, there wasn’t an outcry from the other owners to act. He was seen as the bad owner of a bad team, everyone just ignored him and Stern swept the issues under the rug.

Now it falls to Silver, and the case is based on the audiotape of a private conversation — something not admissible in a court of law (Sterling did not consent to be taped). Combine that with Sterling being very litigious and you have Silver stuck in a spot where no matter what he does some people will be unhappy with him. He has to come down as hard as he can, and even that will have some saying it’s not enough and possibly prompting a lawsuit against him from the other side.

Welcome to the big chair, Silver.

-- Kurt Helin, ProBasketballTalk.com

 

[smangalang]

 

[teamlakers909]

What would happen if he comes out and apologizes, goes on oprah and says he was raised wrong and he's trying to fix himself etc...even goes to racism rehab.

what happens then? thoughts?

 

[smangalang]

Nick Fasulo @nickfasuloSBN Follow

State Farm is pulling its sponsorship of the Clippers. Wow. Others expected to do the same.

10:21 AM - 28 Apr 2014

Arash Markazi        [emoji]10004[/emoji] @ArashMarkazi Follow
The Clippers cancel practice tomorrow.

7:47 PM - 27 Apr 2014

Arash Markazi        [emoji]10004[/emoji] @ArashMarkazi Follow
Clippers will not only not have practice but there will be no player availability for the media tomorrow. #DayOff

8:07 PM - 27 Apr 2014

Chris Palmer        [emoji]10004[/emoji] @ChrisPalmerNBA Follow

Mark Jackson says fans shouldn't show up. Not gonna happen. Just the opposite. Fans will be louder than ever.

3:20 PM - 28 Apr 2014



http://nypost.com/2014/04/27/knicks-great-larry-johnson-calls-for-all-black-league/

 

[MVP]

CarMax, Virgin, KIA, RedBull, State Farm, Sprint, AQUAHydrate, Chumash, Amtrak, LoanMart, Lumber Liquidators, Anheuser-Busch gone.

Steps starting in the right direction, affect the wallet and he'll have to consider at least selling or stepping aside.

 

[T0INE]

Other than an immense amount of public pressure, I'm not sure there's anything anybody can do to make him sell the team.

Agreed.

Interested in seeing what punishment Silver hands down tomorrow.

 

[rell826]

This is also part of David Stern's legacy.

 

[worldbeefreeg]

Rich people (billionaire rich not millionaire rich) are generally horrible people, you don't say? I would have never thought...

 

[jjs07]

Cuttino Mobley looks like someone's grandpa...

 

[el chaplo]

how is this even news? you cannot have an opinion in america anymore?

you act like he said this in public. this was a private conversation between a middle age jumpoff and her sugar daddy.

you are allowed to dislike black people in america. you can't force people to like black people or any other people.

he was expressing his opinion in an private conversation. are his opinions about black people incorrect and disgusting? yes, but they're HIS OPINION.

how is she not in trouble? you're not allowed to record private conversations without consent.

i don't see what silver can punish him for? having an opinion? this political correctness has gone too far.

 

[pmatic]

View media item 943220
Money and power can blind anyone.

 

[elpablo21]

Their last sponsor Corona has officially suspended ties with the Clippers

 

[rell826]

Well this was a private conversation, but his views on minorities and women have been on public record for 30+ years. This was Stern's mess to clean-up but left it for Adam Silver. This has nothing to do with political correctness. He's been a stain on this league for far too long.

 

[darthska]

Was talking about the possibility of the team being stripped from him the other day, and this friend was completely offended at me saying, "I mean, no one can do anything to him, because we're talking about a belief. It would be like stripping him of the team because he's Christian."

My friend's a Christian, so he laughed and was completely defensive, but...

... amirite?

Same thing, no? As reprehensible as racism is, and I honestly wish dude weren't breathing anymore, for real.... but in the end, we're talking about a belief system.

 

[Bert.]

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA 25m
According to TMZ, "V. Stiviano is in possession of more than 100 hours of recordings" of Donald Sterling. Wow. This may get even uglier.

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA 22m
V. Stiviano claims Donald Sterling would ask her to record him, as he "frequently forgot what he said and the tapes refreshed his memory."

doubt this is true unless she has a recording of him saying that

which then she should... right?

 

[dman14]

Well this was a private conversation, but his views on minorities and women have been on public record for 30+ years. This was Stern's mess to clean-up but left it for Adam Silver. This has nothing to do with political correctness. He's been a stain on this league for far too long.

View media item 943261

 

[MVP]

Was talking about the possibility of the team being stripped from him the other day, and this friend was completely offended at me saying, "I mean, no one can do anything to him, because we're talking about a belief. It would be like stripping him of the team because he's Christian."


My friend's a Christian, so he laughed and was completely defensive, but...

... amirite?


Same thing, no? As reprehensible as racism is, and I honestly wish dude weren't breathing anymore, for real.... but in the end, we're talking about a belief system.

On the surface maybe in this particular incident, you would have a point. But there's such a larger body of work and more egregious actions that DS has been a part of aside from these audio tapes, that this is basically the straw that broke the camel's back. When it's concealed and not up in everyone's face or directly affecting you, it can be ignored (see the NBA allowing him to be an owner up to this point). But you cannot have the firestorm that's resulting from this in a league where the athletes are 80%+ black; and team's whose comprised of even a larger percentage get away with this. Can't be swept under the rug anymore, it's out for the world to see.

Not at least making an effort to do something or make him so uncomfortable that's he's forced to sell would send a far greater message league wide that the players really are just labor and not human beings in my opinion. It's bigger than DS himself, if they don't at least try, they're basically condoning what his 'belief system' is, which is a systematical injustice especially in 2014.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Was talking about the possibility of the team being stripped from him the other day, and this friend was completely offended at me saying, "I mean, no one can do anything to him, because we're talking about a belief. It would be like stripping him of the team because he's Christian."


My friend's a Christian, so he laughed and was completely defensive, but...

... amirite?


Same thing, no? As reprehensible as racism is, and I honestly wish dude weren't breathing anymore, for real.... but in the end, we're talking about a belief system.

Sure, and the NBA owners are completely within their rights to not want certain belief systems represented by their league.

apparently its in the constitution when you agree to buy the franchise so calling it a "belief system" isn't a shield from criticism or punishment.

Mozilla (Firefox) ceo just got fired for donating to anti marriage equality groups.

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Was talking about the possibility of the team being stripped from him the other day, and this friend was completely offended at me saying, "I mean, no one can do anything to him, because we're talking about a belief. It would be like stripping him of the team because he's Christian."


My friend's a Christian, so he laughed and was completely defensive, but...

... amirite?


Same thing, no? As reprehensible as racism is, and I honestly wish dude weren't breathing anymore, for real.... but in the end, we're talking about a belief system.

The difference is Sterling's belief system is widely regarded as wrong, and it naturally creates tension and conflict.

I think it's more accurate to say "the Clippers should be taken from Sterling because his beliefs have a negative impact on the league, relations, attitude, business, etc etc" than just "the Clippers should be taken from Sterling because of his beliefs."

 

[bravelude]

I don't get why people are so fussy about this, especially the media. DOC and players 'needing' to pretend like they are emotional. At the end of the day, they are paid millions!

 

[100027]

The difference is Sterling's belief system is widely regarded as wrong, and it naturally creates tension and conflict.

I think it's more accurate to say "the Clippers should be taken from Sterling because his beliefs have a negative impact on the league, relations, attitude, business, etc etc" than just "the Clippers should be taken from Sterling because of his beliefs."

Right, exactly.

I don't get why people are so fussy about this, especially the media. DOC and players 'needing' to pretend like they are emotional. At the end of the day, they are paid millions!

You sound clueless.  All people want to feel respected as human beings, no matter how much money they are making.

 

[teamlakers909]

Where is Eric Piatkowski to make sense of all this?

 

[bravelude]

The difference is Sterling's belief system is widely regarded as wrong, and it naturally creates tension and conflict.


I think it's more accurate to say "the Clippers should be taken from Sterling because his beliefs have a negative impact on the league, relations, attitude, business, etc etc" than just "the Clippers should be taken from Sterling because of his beliefs."

It's confusing when people are saying he has had a HISTORY of this. Yet, NOTHING has ever surfaced. Now everyone, and I mean EVERYONE is playing a victim and jumping on this opportunity. What's even more funny is when you have people saying his system is/was wrong and still on board with him. LOLZ

I guess, this makes JIM BUSS look like a SAINT. LOLZ

 

[rell826]

Mozilla's CEO didn't get fired. He stepped down in the best interests of the company.

 

[bravelude]

Where is Eric Piatkowski to make sense of all this?

HAHAHA. I remember this clown guy. He was like my shooter in my NBA LIVE video games. HAHAHA