The NBA is bigger than basketball. It is a culture, a conglomerate, and at the end of the day it is a source of entertainment…and as of lately entertaining it has been. A few days ago Los Angeles Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, made headlines for his jaw dropping racist remarks about the African-American community. Everyone from LeBron James to President Obama stood up to give their opinion of Sterling’s appalling comments. With the Clippers currently battling in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the players and coaches found themselves in a terrible position of the court.
All eyes were on the Clippers organization and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Who would make the first move? What would the NBA do? How will the fans react? In my opinion, the true question in this all is “What is the best form of punishment for Sterling’s racist comments?”
There was so much speculation as everyone and their grandmother weighed in on the topic. Many onlookers felt that there would be little to no punishment for Sterling’s actions. Some even felt that the Clipper’s shouldn’t suit up for the playoff games.
Today NBA commissioner Adam Silver made one of the biggest rulings in sports history. During a press conference held earlier today in New York, Silver banned Sterling from the NBA for life and also fined him $2.5 million. This is one of the harshest penalties ever issued by the league and one of the stiffest punishments ever given to an owner in professional sports.
Silver is also looking to part ways with Sterling as an owner of the Clippers organization. “I fully expect to get the support I need from the other NBA owners I need to remove him,” Silver said.
To be honest, the lifetime ban and huge fine is just the silver lining in all of this for those seeking justice. Regardless of where Sterling stands after the fine and lifetime ban, he still owns a multi-million dollar pro basketball team. If the NBA forces Sterling to sell he still walks away with about $700 million and makes racist remarks all the way to the bank. If he isn’t forced to sell, the players will still have to give their all for a straight up racist and Sterling will continue to watch his money pile up.
How can this wrong be made right? Let us know what you think and be sure to tune in to tonight’s game 5 as the Los Angeles Clippers face the Golden State Warriors for the first time in Los Angeles since the Sterling comments were released. Tip-off is at 10:30 PM ET on TNT.
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