New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – The NBA is moving forward with its plan to strip ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers from Donald Sterling, saying his conduct has damaged the league’s image.<\/p>\n
The NBA initiated a formal charge Monday seeking to end Sterling’s ownership of the team he bought in 1981. The charge requires the 3\/4 approval of the NBA Board of Governors.<\/p>\n
Sterling has until May 27 to respond to the charge, per the NBA constitution, which also gives him the right to make a presentation at a special meeting of the board of governors planned for June 3.<\/p>\n
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver last month banned Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million over racists comments the Clippers owner made that were recorded by his girlfriend and posted online.<\/p>\n
Silver also said April 29 he would urge the other owners to force Sterling to sell the team. The NBA says its constitution provides grounds to terminate Sterling’s ownership.<\/p>\n
Sterling has reportedly threatened to sue the NBA and said he would not pay the fine, claiming through a lawyer that he has done nothing wrong and his punishment is unwarranted.<\/p>\n
Audio of Sterling urging his girlfriend not to bring black people to Clippers games and disparaging Magic Johnson was first published by TMZ. Deadspin.com later posted a longer clip.<\/p>\n
The comments sent shockwaves through the league, leading to a protest from Clippers players, who dropped warmup jackets at midcourt before a playoff game and practiced with their shirts turned inside-out to hide the team’s logo.<\/p>\n
The story filled headlines and late-night monologues for days and “Saturday Night Live” opened a show with a sketch lampooning Sterling’s efforts to defend himself.<\/p>\n
The owner’s comments drew rebukes from athletes and observers across the league, including from Miami Heat star LeBron James, who said there was no room for Sterling in the NBA.<\/p>\n
Sterling told CNN’s Anderson Cooper he “is not a racist” and “made a terrible, terrible mistake,” but also took further shots at Johnson, saying the Hall-of- Fame former Lakers star doesn’t do enough for the black community.<\/p>\n
The league said in a statement Monday that Sterling “engaged in conduct that has damaged and continues to damage the NBA and its teams.”<\/p>\n
His “actions and positions significantly undermine the NBA’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion; damage the NBA’s relationship with its fans; harm NBA owners, players and Clippers team personnel; and impair the NBA’s relationship with marketing and merchandising partners, as well as with government and community leaders,” the league said.<\/p>\n
The NBA said Sterling “engaged in other misconduct as well, including issuing a false and misleading press statement about this matter.”<\/p>\n
The league has appointed former Time Warner chairman and CEO Dick Parsons interim CEO of the Clippers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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