Trouble in Paradise-Sterling Scandal

Davis Goode, Editor-in-Chief

Over the past several weeks, LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been embroiled in a scandal which has captured the attention of the entire nation as his girlfriend, Vivian Stiviano, who is almost fifty years his junior, recorded a phone conversation in which Sterling discouraged Stiviano from taking pictures with African Americans because it was an embarrassment to him (CNN). Sterling would rather Stiviano take pictures with “Larry Bird” than “Magic Johnson”.

Public backlash has been extreme against Sterling, including members of the team he used to own. Twelve of the fourteen players and the coach of the LA Clippers are African-American. Many of the players took to social media to express outrage, in addition to wearing their jerseys inside out in protest during warm-ups in late April (Huffington Post).

Many believe that Stiviano recorded the call because she wanted her own publicity and money; she was in talks to both write a book and have her own reality TV show. Whatever the case, Sterling was forced to sell the team, which was bought by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, for $2billion. However, Sterling sued the NBA for $1billion, and though his wife made a deal with the NBA to sell the team and to attempt to avoid a suit, Sterling is still pursuing legal action (NBC).

The reaction of contempt towards the billionaire real estate mogul has been virtually universal. Even his daughter took to social media, taking a picture with several African American friends as an expression of disappointment and defiance. Sterling proved on May 14th of this year, in an interview with Anderson Cooper that he has not nearly mastered the art of the celebrity apology (CNN). In addition to refusing to apologize, Sterling attacked Magic Johnson, saying that Americans should not idolize him due to his promiscuity, that Johnson’s disease is his fault and he deserves no sympathy, and asking, “What has he done?” for the African American community.

Sterling’s public relations nightmare only metastasized from that point on, and he looks to continue this trend through a lawsuit against the NBA. It is likely that the NBA will try and reach a settlement so that this situation, which has been a headache for them as well, does not continue to dog the league.