Thoughts on Donald Sterling

If the TMZ reports are true, this man needs to go.

"Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops."

~Luke 12:3 ESV

One day in Korea, I was in the car with my uncle. I asked him if he would rather stay in Korea or America because he spent a significant amount of time in both countries. My uncle answered Korea because he has the comfort knowing he won't be discriminated by anyone there for his race.

I share this story in the wake of the alleged racist comments by Donald Sterling. Now, it's a TMZ report, so we're not 100% sure if it's right or not. They've released iffy reports before. Donald Sterling even came out saying he doesn't know if it's legit or not and it doesn't reflect his views towards blacks. It's certainly plausible that the voice could have been fabricated much like the whole Manti Te'o hoax. But then again, would he really come out publicly and admit the whole thing is true???

Suppose the whole exchange between Sterling and his girlfriend is fake. Then we move on and this blog post was a waste. Actually...either way, whether it's fake or not...

It doesn't change the fact that racism still exists in America

But if it's true, then as Ernie Johnson of Inside the NBA said perfectly, "If it's true and if it's him, there's no place in the league for Donald Sterling..."

When the initial reports came out. I just shook my head and said one word: Sad.
It's sad to see racism still alive in a country that is a blessing to live in. That promises its people equality.

Racism in professional sports isn't a new development. Recently it's happened before with Riley Cooper and Richie Incognito. The former remained with the team while the latter was cut.
In terms of dealing with an owner, what can you really do? Dealing with players seems more simple as you can just get rid of them. But what do you do with an owner who has so much wealth and power? Who owns a multi-million dollar franchise like the Clippers?

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

This will be a big test to new NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Charles Barkley and ProBasketballTalk proposed suspending/banning him for a period of time. In my opinion, Silver and the other owners of the NBA should force Sterling to sell the team immediately. But I'm not sure if they have that kind of power.
If only it were that simple...

I can't believe the NBA would let a potential scumbag like this run a team in a league that predominantly has African-American athletes. This isn't the first time where Sterling appeared as a pig-headed fool. In the past, he was sued by Elgin Baylor who claimed he was fired based on his race. According to him, Sterling said:

“...Donald said something that was very shocking to me. He said, ‘Personally, I would like to have a white Southern coach coaching poor black players. And I was shocked. And he looked at me and said, ‘Do you think that’s a racist statement?’ I said, ‘Absolutely. That’s plantation mentality.”

Baron Davis, who formerly played for the Clippers, voiced his own opinion via Twitter. When he played, he claims he was heckled and taunted by Donald Sterling courtside. 

That's the way it is...He is honest about what he believes in..Been going on for a long time, Hats off 2 the Team.. 4 playin above it all.
— Baron Davis (@Baron_Davis) April 26, 2014

All these actions alone (before the racist allegations) should tell you Donald Sterling deserves to be called one of the worst, if not the worst, owners in the NBA. After all these developments, shouldn't he feel the need to get out of this mess and sell the team?

I know my views can't represent what black people are feeling about this. But if there were a league where most of the players were Asian, and one team's owner goes out and makes racist remarks towards Asians, I'd be furious. And I'd bet African-Americans everywhere are pissed at these remarks. But you don't have to take my word for it. Here's what Snoop Dogg had to say...

I can't imagine what it's like to be a Clipper fan right now. Many are calling for his head and are no longer supporting the Clippers. I also can't imagine what it's like to be a Clipper right now (especially one who's black) playing for an owner like this. How will they play through all of this "noise" in their title run?

DeAndre Jordan posted this poignant photo on his Instagram:

Apparently, that's the actual photo. Makes you think...

It's unfortunate that the foolishness of this man is affecting the many lives of other people in a negative way. Magic Johnson tweeted that Sterling's comments are "a black eye for the NBA." Not only that, but Sterling's comments puts the Clippers now in a negative spotlight as long as he's the owner. 

As Inside the NBA said, if you were a Clipper, would you re-sign with the team? Or if you're a free agent, would you want to sign with the Clippers?

In the middle of a playoff run, as the team is chasing for a championship, I hope the Clippers overcome this mess. We shouldn't be mad at the Clippers. We should be mad at Sterling. Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, Blake Griffin, and the other staff and athletes shouldn't be lumped together with this debacle. Unfortunately, people are doing so and don't want to root for the Clippers anymore. 

The Clippers have never won a championship in their 44 year-existence. Maybe it's partly because of Donald Sterling. The Clippers are now a relevant team and in the hunt for the Finals. Right when the Clippers are moving towards the right direction and starting to become something great, this occurrence might hold them back. It's sad. It's stupid. It's frustrating. It's unfair to the superstars of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. For me, I'm still rooting for the Clippers because they are a team that has suffered so much and must endure this additional problem. 

I'll say it again, if these reports are true, for the benefit of the Clippers organization...

Donald Sterling needs to go.