You realize that the city and county already approved a new arena being built once a team is secured right? And ignored? Educate yourself.
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Donald Sterling (LA Clippers owner) banned for life from the NBA
- Thread starter MagicWithEarvin
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You realize that the city and county already approved a new arena being built once a team is secured right? And ignored? Educate yourself.
Maddocks
Member
By then, Richard Sterling, Donald's long lost twin brother buys them and moves them back.
The NBA owners have to vote on a new owner. So Sterling can't simply just transfer ownership like that.
Well, he said he would "try" to force a sale.
I didn't say that he could. What I'm saying is before they get to the next step, that is likely the only move he would have to present to the owners and league.
The Los Angeles Clippers would like to announce the signings of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Greg Monroe and Dirk Nowitzki.
They should be punished the same if not worse, but that's never going to happen. I'm all for getting rid of this owner asshole, but if they aren't going to be consistant than this was essentially all for show.
OriginofHysteria
Banned
He wouldn't have to try very hard. It's stated that 3/4 of the ownership group can vote on whether or not Sterling stays or goes, that's something that was agreed upon with the owners when it was announced, so that should come as to no surprise to Sterling. Regardless of whether or not the owners think it's right, I can bet they'll vote "yes" just to save face.
Arrogant Bastard
Banned
Lol, again, that is my entire point.
How does the NBA punish someone worse; when in this case they are banning him for life, implementing the maximum fine possible, and forcing him to sell the team.
Those instances of forcing the sale of a legally owned property deal primarily with financial mismanagement, etc. not because someone said something offensive.
Red Mage
Member
Haha... what?
However, is this true or just nonsense?
That'd kind of suck.
Oh, a new arena? That's good. And ignored, or treated like crap, however you want to describe it. Refusal to update/replace the Key Arena's what lost you guys the Sonics.
They would force them to coach the Knicks.
vas_a_morir
Banned
I think back to the Kobe 'fag' situation. If a player like Kobe Bryant says 'faggot,' what do you do now? Is he banned for life and fined 2.5 million? if not, is this like saying that gay people don't deserve the same protections as black people? Slippery slope, for sure. I wonder how it will shake out.
NBA 2k15 will be glorious
There's just something about this that seems so wrong.
CountAntonius
Member
It was too big to be ignored. They had to quite the public outcry or the league would suffer with an image issue. As always it all about publicity.
Arrogant Bastard
Banned
Thank you, you understand the precedent.
They could argue fairly easily that his offensive statements are financially harming the team and the league, thus constituting negligence.
He has a history of being a racist . That would like if Kobe saying he doesn't want to play with Jason Collins and said the f word in the past
Byakuya769
Member
Haha, basically.
Also, Silver's coming down hard to have the backing of the owners on this I think, because any owner which doesn't vote Sterling out risks having this wildfire spread to their franchise, as well.
If Mark Cuban were to vote to keep Sterling in, it's hypothetical that you'd see sponsors pull out of Dallas. Silver wants to nip this in the bud, but to do so, he needs everyone on board.
Not surprised. Just a matter of how much of a struggle he puts up then, I suppose.
Saint Gregory
Member
I'm pretty sure that in any franchise the governing organization has the ability to move in and shut down an individual owner if rules are being violated. An NBA team isn't like a house or a car.
vas_a_morir
Banned
Let's not minimize the thoughts he expressed. Sterling thought of himself as a plantation owner in an organization that has largely black figures.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
You don't understand. There is nor issue of moral right or wrong or should they be able to do this. There are exactly two steps to take in the process: 1) did Sterling sign a contract 2) does the contract say that the league can force him to sell the team in this situation
That's it.
Let's say you have a camel with a ton of straw on its back and you add one straw too many.
much nicholson
Next up:
Sadly he's not a racist. To everyone one else, that's not sarcasm, I'm actually sad.
vas_a_morir
Banned
You are suggesting that the recorded conversation on its own would not have led to these exact same results. I say it would, even if he had not publicly known history of racism.
Say you heard this exact conversation from, I dunno, Mavs owner. Would you go "Well hold on, let's not be too hasty. he has no past history of racism?" He'd be gone in a flash.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Players likely have completely different contracts than the team owners. But, likely both the players and the team owners agreed to let the league top brass decide what punishments get assigned, even though there is no guarantee that the league will be consistent or even that the league is supposed to be consistent. So precedent doesn't really have anything to do with this.
I think you're equating people who are in two totally different positions who expressed two totally different thoughts at two totally different moments of their lives with two totally different media ramifications of their actions. Point is, they're not the same. They're not similar. (Not that there shouldn't be harsher punishments for players that might make the league even the tiniest bit less inclusive by their own, willful actions.)
Arrogant Bastard
Banned
I'm not minimizing the things he said, I'm just not going to continually say it over and over. He said some jacked up crap, we get that. The point is when you carry out the maximum punishment, what do you do when a more grievous violation occurs. My controversial opinion I know, but the NBA reacted so swiftly and so punitively because of the public outcry.
Black Mamba
Member
It's a majority black league where one owner admitted to saying some really fucking racist remarks.
If someone does something worse, they'll get the same max punishment.
Kobe's situation (as well as another player who did the same) are not remotely the same.
It should also be made clear that Sterling talked to Silver and showed no remorse and basically was just like "it was me, so?" from what we understand.
He cannot be in the league, anymore.
vas_a_morir
Banned
Kobe's 'slur' was made publicly, while on the court of an NBA game, directed toward another player in a confrontational manner. Is that not worse than clandestinely-recorded comments made in private? Do you now feel pressure to ban him for life?
Should we hold people affiliated with the NBA to different standards of moral decency?. Should we not protect all groups from discriminatory and vile comments?
I'm only asking hypotheticals here. 'Banned for Life' for offensive comments is the new precedent.
Ban Kobe for life? I can get behind that.
Stabby McSter
Member
Saint Gregory
Member
Have you actually taken a look at this guy's track record? I think that Kareem said yesterday that the stuff on the tape wasn't even in the top 10 most racist things that Sterling has said or done and I thought it was hyperbole until I looked him up.
The question shouldn't be why the NBA is doing this now but really why it took them this long.
Arrogant Bastard
Banned
I'm sorry why is it not the same. Excluding the fact that one individual is a player and the other individual is an owner.
So if Kobe, or any other player for that matter had a history of making bigoted comments on the court or in the locker room he shouldn't be banned for life? Why?
nod.
See this is the thing I was afraid of when I started this. I'm not defending the guy, I'm not saying that he is a nice guy, he is a racist piece of shit. I just think it sets a precedent that the NBA better be ready to back up in the future.
Just_myles
Member
Something something, Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Should have happened ages ago.
Should have happened ages ago.
Starphoenix
Member
While I understand the issue of free speech, I think the more pressing matter with Sterling is that he had control over people, and a history of habitually repeating such epithets among many others, trickling down to the way in which minority staff and players may have been payed or treated. A player does not have that responsibility.
Devolution
Member
Black Mamba
Member
No, it is not worse. It was a slur used in the heat of the moment at someone that was not gay. The term "faggot" has often been used so often not to convey anti-gay feelings and was not conveyed in that manner to convey such feelings. That does not justify its use; its use is wrong all the time and it is rooted in anti-gay history. The two things are not the same.
Kobe used the word in the same manner someone would yell "asshole." Again, it doesn't make what he said right because it wasn't. He was punished rightfully for it. But he also immediately apologized and tried to make it right and the context mattered.
Kobe was angry and said it in a way not meant to attack homosexuals even though the word itself is demeaning to homosexuals. Sterling's comments come from a place of hatred and it is all the more troubling because he owns a team that employs a majority of black people on the court. His comments were like black people were his property.
There is a huge chasm between both situations. I think both had the appropriate punishments, as did the other player who said the same as Kobe( I forgot who).
When someone does something worse you give them the same maximum punishment. The commissioner determined that Sterling's actions were worthy of the maximum punishment.
When you frame it in that way, you're not actually taking into consideration the context of their actions and the impact that their actions leave in the future.
In this case, no, it's not worse. You can give someone who says a slur to a colleague a slap on the wrist the first time they publicly exhibit that behavior. Because, afterwards, they'll likely change their behavior.
You cannot, however, change the behavior and toxicity of a person who has no intention of changing their views.
twinturbo2
butthurt Heat fan
I'm rooting for a sale to the Ballmer/Hansen group so Seattle can have an NBA team again.
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