Donald Sterling, the embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner banned for life by the NBA for racist remarks, says he doubts players would strike if he still owns the team next season.
|Last Updated: May 15, 2014, 09:31 AM IST|Source: AFP
Los Angeles: Donald Sterling, the embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner banned for life by the NBA for racist remarks, says he doubts players would strike if he still owns the team next season.
In portions of an interview with CNN released on the television network`s website Wednesday, the 80-year-old real estate tycoon said salaries would be more important that spiting him.
"That`s talk. The media pushes that," Sterling told CNN`s Anderson Cooper. "Why would they do that? If they get their salaries, they are going to play."
LeBron James, the Miami Heat superstar who has led his club to the past two NBA crowns, told CNN that players are pleased with the actions of NBA commissioner Adam Silver to ban and fine Sterling and they understand the process of removing Sterling as an owner will take time.
"The direction Adam is going and the NBA is going, there should be a need for (a strike)," James said. "We trust those guys and we know they are going to take care of what needs to be done for our league and we understand that it`s not going to be done tomorrow."
There had been talk of a walkout during the playoffs in the days after Sterling`s comments first surfaced but that tension eased when Silver banished Sterling for life.
Sterling`s troubles began late last month when recording of him making racist comments were posted online by TMZ, Sterling saying he did not want his girlfriend bringing black people to Clippers games or posting photos of herself with black people on social media websites.
Sterling has later claimed he was trying to seduce the much-younger woman, known only as V. Stiviano, to whom he had already given money and expensive gifts.
The remarks prompted a firestorm of controversy and Clippers players turned their jerseys inside out during a pre-game playoff warmup to protest Sterling before Silver issued his life ban and began the process of having owners remove the team from Sterling`s control, hoping to push Sterling to sell the club, something he has said he will not do.
While a firm timetable is not yet set, Silver said Monday the league`s board of governors "is continuing with its process to remove Mr. Sterling as expeditiously as possible."
Sterling apologized in a portion of the CNN interview aired earlier but in doing so insulted NBA legend Magic Johnson, prompting Silver to issue an apology to Johnson from the NBA for Sterling`s latest comments.
In comments released Wednesday, Sterling asks, "What am I, a Frankenstein? What am I, some kind of ogre?
"I`m a good person. I`m a warm person. I say hello to everybody who comes to the team."
The Clippers trail Oklahoma City three games to two in their best-of-second Western Conference second round playoff series with game six on Thursday at Los Angeles.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.