Kevin Johnson says NBA want max punishment for Donald Sterling

[Sportsguy9695]

Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, working on behalf of the National Basketball Players Association, said the players want the NBA to ban Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling from attending future playoff games this season and levy the maximum possible punishment against Sterling in response to racist comments purportedly made by him to girlfriend V. Stiviano.

Johnson met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Sunday before they attended Game 4 of the Clippers' first-round series against the Golden State Warriors. During the meeting, Johnson laid out what the players felt were key objectives in terms of the league's dealings with Sterling.

"The players wanted to ensure that Mr. Sterling does not attend any games for the Clippers or any other team for the duration of the playoffs," Johnson said. "We're confident that the commissioner understood that this is an enormous distraction for everyone, and we want the focus to really be on the games and what's taking place on the court, and he certainly understood that."

Source: ESPN LA

 

[starbigd]

I've said it a million times.......if they were serious, they would have suspended him off the top indefinitely, while they investigate.

It costs them nor Sterling nothing to do this......and it takes the focus off Sterling. The longer they sit here doing nothing, the longer this story will run. When somebody fucks up like this.......the best move is IMMEDIATE action to send a message that you will defend the integrity of the league first.

Bad move by Silver talking all that due process crap. Yes Sterling is entitled to it, but he's not a first time offender. Just suspend him and remove him from the equation.

 

[LogicMan]

I think this situation if validated will require Sterling to finally sell this team. The NBA knows no players will want to go their, and quickly now the franchise collapses. I suspect already there are conversations with him to put it up for sell. This is really ugly.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

The longer they take the stiffer I think the penalty...

Thinking about it, there is a possibility this could be domestic abuse.

 

[rjshull]

I know nothing of his past, the only thing I know about Sterling is the audio recording and from what I heard it seems real fishy, almost like they were reading a script. If I was biracial, and someone was throwing racial crap at me I would have blown up. It seems he was more pissed that his mistress was out with another guy than the fact he was black. It seemed to me that most of the racial crap came from her, but once again that only thing I know is the tape. If he has a history of this crap then hopefully this will be the last straw and the league will force him to sell the team. Hell no matter what happens; please make him sell the team! I am not a fan of the NBA, or basketball as a whole but this guy is a complete douche bag and he should not own a team.

 

[JDM]

I've said it a million times.......if they were serious, they would have suspended him off the top indefinitely, while they investigate.

It costs them nor Sterling nothing to do this......and it takes the focus off Sterling. The longer they sit here doing nothing, the longer this story will run. When somebody fucks up like this.......the best move is IMMEDIATE action to send a message that you will defend the integrity of the league first.

Bad move by Silver talking all that due process crap. Yes Sterling is entitled to it, but he's not a first time offender. Just suspend him and remove him from the equation.

There are rules that must be followed. There should be nothing whatsoever they can do.

 

[JDM]

I know nothing of his past, the only thing I know about Sterling is the audio recording and from what I heard it seems real fishy, almost like they were reading a script. If I was biracial, and someone was throwing racial crap at me I would have blown up. It seems he was more pissed that his mistress was out with another guy than the fact he was black. It seemed to me that most of the racial crap came from her, but once again that only thing I know is the tape. If he has a history of this crap then hopefully this will be the last straw and the league will force him to sell the team. Hell no matter what happens; please make him sell the team! I am not a fan of the NBA, or basketball as a whole but this guy is a complete douche bag and he should not own a team.

This is highly unlikely to be possible, nor should it be.

 

[anotheridiot]

why do people continue to think this man can show his face at a playoff game. You are doing him a favor by banning him.

 

[trojanfan12]

I think this situation if validated will require Sterling to finally sell this team. The NBA knows no players will want to go their, and quickly now the franchise collapses. I suspect already there are conversations with him to put it up for sell. This is really ugly.

Unfortunately, the NBA has no provision to allow this. They can talk to him all they want, they can pressure him all they want. But at the end of the day, if he refuses to sell, it appears that there's not a lot they can do beyond a lengthy/indefinite suspension and a huge fine.

 

[ThruTheEyesOfRuby]

Unfortunately, the NBA has no provision to allow this. They can talk to him all they want, they can pressure him all they want. But at the end of the day, if he refuses to sell, it appears that there's not a lot they can do beyond a lengthy/indefinite suspension and a huge fine.

I'm wondering just that.. if they'll go the indefinite suspension route.

 

[BUD]

Sterling needs to sell the team and get the hell out of the NBA, Stupid ass comments coming from an owner/ charity funds person for the urban community. I'd lay money that Sterling has a drinking problem.

 

[gohusk]

You mean the guy's going to get a slap on both wrists? If he were to get the punishment he deserved for all the sleazy crap he's pulled then he would have been living in one of his own slums for the last 30 years. The guy's a POS and everyone has known this for decades. He seems like the kind of prick that would dig his heels in and not sell the team. But it isn't like you can just throw together an ownership group overnight.