Donald Sterling, the owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers franchise, is under fire for recently released audio recordings posted by TMZ in which he asks his girlfriend of more than three years, Vanessa Stiviano, to not bring black people to his games.
“Do you know that you have a whole team that’s black, that plays for you?” Stiviano, 38, asks Sterling, 81, in an additional audio recording posted by TMZ earlier today. “You just, do I know?” Sterling responds. “I support them and give them food, and clothes, and cars, and houses.”
Needless to say, Donald Sterling’s comments have sparked quite the controversy, with the NAACP officially announcing today that they will not be giving Sterling a Lifetime Achievement Award as planned during the Los Angeles chapter’s at 100th anniversary celebration next month. “He is not receiving a lifetime achievement award from the NAACP,” NAACP Interim President Lorraine Miller said on Meet the Press on Sunday. “If you’re silent about this, then you’re accepting this,” she said. ”People have got to say that this is not good and do something about it.” (It is unclear if the organization will revoke their previous Lifetime Achievement Award given to Sterling in 2009. How many NAACP Lifetime Achievement Awards is one person — racist or not — eligible for, anyway?)
It seems the Los Angeles clippers players have taken Miller’s comments to heart, and although they technically did remain silent, their message was loud and clear during warm ups before their first-round play-off game against the Golden State Warriors Sunday:
The players came out of the tunnel and went to center court where they removed their warm ups and tossed them on the floor, revealing inside-out Clippers shirts, which they wore for shoot-arounds:
But perhaps these two Golden State Warriors fans sum it up best:
Good thing the Clippers owner isn't here to witness that. #DubNation #BeatLA pic.twitter.com/3quh433cma
— Jeremy Gordon (@JeremySF) April 27, 2014
Donald Sterling had previously announced he would not be in attendance at today’s game, but the same can’t be said for his estranged wife, Rochelle Sterling, who was sitting across from the Clippers’ bench. It was announced this week that Rochelle had filed a lawsuit against her husband of 51 years on March 7 (before all the racist headlines) claiming that he has spent millions on girlfriend Vanessa Stiviano, much of which came from communal funds.
From the LA Times:
Rochelle Sterling alleges that her husband used community property to buy Stiviano a 2012 Ferrari, two Bentleys and a 2013 Range Rover, worth a total of more than $500,0000.
Sterling also allegedly gave Stiviano $1.8 million to buy a duplex on West 4th Street near the Beverly Center last December, according to the suit, which claims that Sterling additionally provided her with $240,000 for upkeep and living expenses.
The property was supposed to be held in the Sterlings’ name, Rochelle Sterling contends, but Stiviano has title and has refused to relinquish it. Arguing that the gifts were all allegedly made without Rochelle Sterling’s knowledge or consent, the complaint seeks their return along with compensatory damages.
Meanwhile, the Clippers are getting shellacked by the Warriors. This is just not Donald Sterling’s week.
