Bill Simmons has a piece about him taking a flight in first class a year ago. Sterling in on the same flight in first class. He had an assistant but she was in coach. As the assistant, she would come to first class as Sterling needed things, which was often. Bill didn't recognize her until recently, when this all blew up. That could be explained a ton of ways but I'll just chalk it up to her being stupid until proven otherwise.
That article was hilarious for its "look, I always hated this piece of shit! I mentioned he sucked two years ago and didn't swap seats with him on a plane! Take that, racism!" tone. Just begging for us to pat him on the back.