Webster has four definitions for the word “sterling,” the fourth one being, “thoroughly excellent.” Hashtag ironic. I hope that “excellent” is a word none of us would use to describe Donald Sterling. The truth is he has been a ridiculously bad owner for all these years. Now he finally assembles a good team on the court and he proves that he is not just a bad owner, he is a bad guy.
The most amazing thing about his horribly insensitive comments caught on audio is that he doesn’t feel he did anything wrong. Even in private with the commissioner of the NBA, he never apologized or even expressed remorse. That is one of the reasons that Adam Silver dropped the hammer on Sterling. It is amazing to me how a guy like him could have accepted more than one award from the NAACP when he harbors such hate in his heart. I guess it is akin to a mafia Don, many of whom are devoutly religious, spending every Sunday morning at church even as the hit men are out protecting the family business.
New NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took a decisive and punitive stance when he banned Sterling from the NBA for life. Further more, he is trying to facilitate the means by which Sterling will be forced to sell the Clippers. Good on Silver, but bad on his former boss. David Stern knew Sterling was racist. There is a mountain of evidence. There are court cases, documentaries and magazine articles which expose Sterling as the closed mined pea-brain that he is. Action should have been taken years ago.
I do not have an ounce of respect for Sterling’s “girlfriend” V. Stiviano who made the recording. In fact it is amazing to me how casually she and Sterling live this adulterous life. She calls herself an artist, love, writer, chef, poet, stylist, philanthropist. I wonder how many of these occupations will be possible without Sterling’s money? Amazingly, she will be remembered as a woman who helped right a wrong by getting Sterling out of the game.
When asked about Sterling on Monday, Mark Cuban suggested that every person in the country has heard something racist without acting on it. He is probably right. It is time to stop it. Stop it people, don’t tell the racist joke, don’t laugh at the racist joke, don’t tolerate the racist joke. Speak up. Call the offensive person Donald or Sterling. Just realize that if someone calls you Sterling, they are not saying you are thoroughly excellent.
