NBA fines LA Clippers owner $2.5m over racist remarks

The US National Basketball Association has banned Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, from the league for life and fined him $2.5 million (€1.8 million) over racist remarks.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Mr Sterling admitted, during its investigation, that his was the voice in a recording heard scolding his girlfriend Vanessa Stiviano for bringing African-Americans, including basketball legend Magic Johnson, to games and for posting photographs of herself with African-Americans online.

“The hateful opinions . . . are those of Mr Sterling,” the NBA commissioner told a press conference announcing the lifetime ban and fine. “That they came from an NBA owner only heightens the damage and my . . . outrage.”

Mr Silver said, in addition to the NBA ban from the team and league, he would urge the NBA’s board of governors to force the sale of the Clippers.

Three-quarters of NBA team owners must vote to force Mr Sterling’s sale of the team and Mr Silver said he “fully expected” this to happen.

“The views are expressed by Mr Sterling are deeply offensive and harmful,” said Mr Silver.

The April 9th recording of a man alleged to be Mr Sterling and a woman identified as his girlfriend were first released on the celebrity news website TMZ late on Friday.

Maximum fine
The $2.5 million fine is the largest that the NBA can impose. As part of his lifetime ban, Mr Sterling is forbidden from attending NBA games or practices or going to any Clippers office or facility.

Companies from Virgin America to Red Bull severed lucrative sponsorship ties with the Clippers over the alleged comments, while politicians, commentators and celebrities, from president Barack Obama to Oprah Winfrey, condemned the remarks.

Mr Obama described the comments as “incredibly offensive”. Ms Winfrey said the views expressed by Mr Sterling “feels like a plantation mentality in the 21st century”.

On Sunday the Clippers played with black wristbands and socks in protest at Mr Sterling’s comments.