"Private" Remarks
For many NBA fans, Donald Sterling’s
infamous rant about the African American community was the first time they
heard his name mentioned. As with most
information I hear about via social media outlets, I was very skeptical of what
I heard about the comments Sterling allegedly made to his girlfriend. I seriously thought that nobody could be dumb
enough to be recorded saying blatantly racist statements. I felt that way until I listened to nearly
nine minutes of an audio recording between Sterling and his girlfriend. After listening to his remarks, I was not overly
surprised. I would imagine that he is
one of many people who make racially insensitive comments in “private”
places. In this case, his remarks were
recorded, and mysteriously leaked to the media by an unknown person. I am glad that the NBA’s new Commissioner,
Adam Silver, decided to ban him for life and also fine him $2.5 million. Silver exercised the most punitive method
afforded to him by the NBA’s Constitution to punish Sterling. During Silver’s press conference, he mentioned
that, according to the NBA’s Constitution, the owners can come together to
force Sterling to sell the Los Angeles Clippers franchise.
Let’s be clear—Silver’s move had to be
made. We live in an era where stories
are instantly shared to millions of people.
The audio recording of Sterling’s comments was clear and there was
little doubt in anyone’s mind that he made the comments. An even more telling factor in this analysis
was the simple fact that Sterling never made a public statement denying that he
made the comments. This lack of action
sent a clear message to me that he made the comments and that he does not have
one remorseful bone in his body. The NBA
brand is a multi-billion dollar, international brand that is dependent upon
each player, owner and employee of the NBA franchises to continue building the NBA
brand. Each NBA franchise is worth
hundreds of millions of dollars. To put
things into perspective, we will examine the net worth of a few NBA franchises. The San Antonio Spurs are the 10th
most valuable franchise and has a current value of $660 million. The New York Knicks are the most valuable
franchise and has a current value of $1.4 billion.
The Los Angeles Clippers Franchise is
worth $575 million. That net worth does
not include intangible things that add value to the franchise. These intangible things include good will,
and being a good corporate citizen. In
order to be a good corporate citizen, an organization cannot have a leader who
is involved in deplorable behavior. Before
the allegations regarding Sterling’s comments were confirmed, multiple
corporate sponsors of the Los Angeles Clippers temporarily severed ties with
the franchise. Imagine if the players
decided not to play a game (which is exactly what the plan was if Silver did
not handle the situation in a swift manner), or if some interest group
organized a rally at the Staples Center (which was also in the works)? Imagine the backlash and possible irreparable
damage done to the Clippers franchise and most importantly—the NBA brand. Imagine the lost profits surely to be
incurred by the Clippers and again—the NBA. If Adam Silver did not act swiftly
and with every ounce of authority afforded to him as the Commissioner, the NBA
was set to lose millions of dollars.
Donald Sterling has a history riddled
with accusations of racist remarks, practices and ideology. In 2003, Sterling was sued for housing
discrimination. Specifically, the
plaintiffs alleged that Sterling refused to rent apartments to African
Americans. This lawsuit followed another
civil action where Sterling was accused of forcing African American and
Hispanic tenants to leave rental property he owned in Los Angeles. In 2009, he was ordered to pay a $2.725 million
settlement for another housing discrimination case. That same year, Hall of Fame player, Elgin
Baylor, filed a lawsuit against Sterling alleging many years of racist behavior
by him. These examples are but a few in
the long history of accusations of Sterling’s racially insensitive behavior.
If the NBA was aware of his racist
behavior during his tenure as an owner, why had he never been banned,
sanctioned or suspended before this incident?
Although factually different, this case is analogous to the unfortunate
sexual abuse allegations at Penn State University a few years ago. In both cases, a powerful man was allowed to
either exhibit or fail to report deplorable behavior over the course of many
years. When an institution allows
egregious behavior from high-ranking officials, it creates an environment where
secrets are swept under the rug. The
behavior is no longer seen as bad, but rather, “just the way things are done.” It creates an environment where men are
allowed to create their own rules. It
seems to me that Sterling knew he was not in any real danger because he has
enough money to pay his way out of trouble.
It seems reasonable that he would have that belief because he displayed that
kind of deplorable behavior for over thirty years with little consequences. However, he began believing in his own legend
and ability to evade serious trouble a little too much and that is what led to his demise.
What Next?
So what does Adam Silver’s decision
mean for NBA fans, players and coaches? To
the fans, I think his decision shows that, although only in his 88th
day on the job, he is more than capable of making well-reasoned, tough
decisions for the betterment of the NBA.
For NBA players, this decision shows them that blatant, racist behavior
will not be tolerated in the NBA. Does
that mean that individual or institutionalized racism has been eradicated from
the NBA? No. But, at least the players can rest assured
that overt racism will not be tolerated and that is a step in the right
direction. As for the coaches, this
decision should serve as a warning that certain behavior will not be
tolerated. Nothing humbles a person and screams,
“you are expendable” quite like seeing your immediate boss get the axe.
So what happens to Sterling? Will he fade to black as many of us hope he
will do? The answers to these questioned
are undetermined at the moment. However,
if his record of defiance and blatant disregard for the Rule of Law are any
indication, he almost certainly will not fade to black. Even if the NBA owners vote to oust him as an
owner that does not mean that he will not have other avenues of recourse. He could pursue an antitrust lawsuit against
the NBA and its owners. Unfortunately,
we will likely be hearing Sterling’s name mentioned for quite some time. At least we will not have to see his face
though, as his he has been banned from the NBA for LIFE.
Peace