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Adam Silver has to do something. The majority of NBA players are African American and it would look very bad if the NBA did absolutely nothing. It would be like the CEO of the Bravo Network making homophobic remarks and then being surprised that there is a huge backlash from the gay community.
Quote:
Originally Posted by yesnomaybe
Of course IF even 50% of the black players boycotted the NBA, there would be problems. But we both know the NBA is the only meal ticket for many of these guys, so I have a hard time envisioning them giving up the pampered NBA life or learning a foreign language and playing overseas.
Ultimately, as sad as it is, it will come down to the almighty $.
The black NBA players aren't going to jump ship to play in Europe or some sort of upstart league in America and make a fraction of what they once did.
$ is only one color and that's green.
Yeah, Sterling is racist but my suspicion is that he was one who got caught and there are many more like him out there. I'll even go out on a limb and say that there are blacks who don't like whites.
But when it comes down to making $, I bet the only color people see is green.
Do you have recordings to prove that? Have you ever had a thought that could damage your employer if made vocal? This seems like a case of...didn't you know -- everyone is innocent in prison!
Sorry there is no recording all over tv and the news of me saying something outrageously hateful. Sorry I don't need more proof that. Donald Sterling doesn't need more proof than that either but of course he doesn't have it.
But seriously, I'm not surprised by these comments at all. As far as we think we've come on racial relations, we have 3 times as far to go. Sterling comes from that era of segregation, those feelings don't disappear just because we live in a society with anti-segregation laws. I suspect his feelings are shared by countless other people.
It will be interesting to see the long-term fallout within the Clipper organization.
Ok I just heard the recording and I don't think it's as "racist" as some have made it out to be.
1. He has a relationship with a mixed girl.
2. He says "minorities" and "blacks" - he did not use the "n" word to refer to blacks.
3. He employs and pays millions to blacks.
4. He agreed with her that Magic should be admired.
5. He even told her to sleep with blacks.
It sounds like he's an old guy that doesn't want his old friends (times were different 40 years ago) to talk about his pretty little lady palling around with black basketball players (and perhaps the hip hop culture). He wants her to portray a certain image which doesn't involve flaunting pictures of herself with blacks.
That is pretty laughable.
1. He didn't even acknowledge her as being mixed. She had to point that out to him several times.
2. Not using the N-word doesn't mean he isn't racist
3. He also makes even more millions off of these same blacks. They make a fraction of what he makes off of them.
4. He stated to acknowledge him privately, not publicly. That doesn't sound the same as admiring.
5. Yes because telling someone to sleep with blacks somehow means someone is not racist. You do remember hearing stories of slave masters having sex with their slaves right?
Even if we took your observations as accurate, which they are not in my opinion, his history of mistreating blacks and hispanics, including being sued by the federal government, should provide enough evidence of the type of person he really is.
So how many of you clippers fans are going to game 6?
Could you imagine how awkward it would be if the Clippers won the NBA Finals and then seeing Donald Sterling holding up the championship trophy during the trophy presentation?
I just don't see how someone can be punished for free speech/thoughts made in a private conversation. I would like to think what I say in private is my business and untouchable by an employer.
I don't think the NBA should get involved in legislating morality.
He is openly encouraging discrimination to a section of the NBA's demographic. If he stated that he didn't want gays at his games, not only would he have been punished already more swiftly but the discrimination portion would likely be less debated. For anyone to openly discriminate against a group of people is a no-no for a organization like the NBA. At the end of the day, you have to protect your image. What do you think public perception would be if they do nothing about this guy? It's more of a moral issue than a legal one. I think you need to distinguish the two. You are looking at this as just being a legal issue.
I feel bad for the Clippers team members because they now have this situation hanging over their heads. Hopefully they can rally around each other and come together for themselves.
I really despise political correctness, but if the audio recording is proven valid perhaps the NBA can give Donald Sterling an ultimatum of sorts. The NBA could allow all Clippers players, coaches, and basketball operations staff to become pseudo-free agents, able to talk with any other team without any tampering charges and despite being officially under contract, within a couple months (say one month after the Clippers are eliminated from the playoffs). (IMO, it is unfair for the people employed in the Clippers' organization to not have an opportunity to change jobs if they are opposed to the ownership's beliefs and direction; in most other jobs in the U.S. people can leave freely at any time if they so choose and market themselves on the open market.) If players and/or other members of the organization decide to leave, they can do so without penalty and the NBA can create a one-time provision that allows these players to be signed by other teams without cap penalties. Additionally, the Clippers will have one season after this pseudo-free agency period to prove they can field a competitive team that meets the best interests of the NBA to have all of its teams field a competitive product, otherwise the league will take over control of the team and will buy the team at less than market value. If Sterling does not want to agree to these terms, he can avoid them by selling the team, or at least initiating the process to sell the team, during that one month period between the end of the Clippers' season and the beginning of their pseudo-free agency period.
I'm of the opinion people can have whatever beliefs they choose to have, but it is not fair if those beliefs negatively impact your employees and those employees have no ability to seek other employment if they so choose.
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