No NBA owners saying they'll side with Sterling

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By TIM REYNOLDS

MIAMI (AP) — A majority of NBA ownership groups reached Tuesday by The Associated Press say they will vote to force embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling to sell his club.

The teams were then contacted by The Associated Press on the specific question of whether Sterling should be forced to sell, and 16 ownership groups said yes, while another eight declined to reveal their stance.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wants Sterling to sell as part of the extremely stiff series of sanctions brought against the league's longest-tenured owner in response to racist comments. Silver banned Sterling for life, fined him $2.5 million and said he will press the other teams in the NBA to support his desire to make Sterling sell.

Within minutes of Silver announcing the sanctions in New York, most of the clubs in the league — including the Clippers — put out statements supporting the league's moves.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140430/bkn-clippers-sterling-owners-6391584937.html

---

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addresses a news conference in New York, Tuesday, April 29, 2014. Silver announced that Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been banned for life by the league in response to racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation.(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

[Jesus Malverde]

1. In some ways Adam Silver works for sterling.

The dynamics of this business are interesting.

[LynneSin]

2. yes but he works for the other 29 owners too

and the other 29 owners know they don't want this toxic mess in their league.

[Jesus Malverde]

4. But they also don't want a mob to have a say in how they run their business.

The people are capitalists and capitalists don't like outside regulation in it's various forms.

[Angleae]

11. Only until such outside regulation is needed to protect their profits.

[Jesus Malverde]

12. Very good observation...nt

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. A mob of advertisers, a mob of players, a mob of fans

The owners will listen to some mobs.

Well, maybe not the mob of fans.

But the other mobs have some voice.

[CreekDog]

10. well if you think a wrong has been committed against Sterling, let us know

[bluedigger]

3. Celtics are on board.

The Celtics released a statement Tuesday regarding the NBA's decision to ban Clippers owner Donald Sterling. From Celtics managing partners Wycliffe Grousbeck, H. Irving Grousbeck, Stephen Pagliuca and Robert Epstein:

“The entire Boston Celtics organization and our ownership group fully support the decisive action taken by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver today. The Celtics stand for inclusion and equality, and we are proud to be a part of a league that shares the same values.”

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2014/04/celtics_release_statement_regarding_nbas_decision_on_donald.html

[srican69]

5. Freepers are upset .... I wonder why?

I guess it infringes upon their right to be racists.

[Mike Daniels]

17. While FR was always hard-RW there seemed to be a small non-fringe element in the past

Apparently, they've managed to purge anyone who's not a foaming at the mouth racist from that site over the years.

[lib87]

6. Of Course They Won't Now

Sterling's views are now way too public and receiving too much negative reception and the owners and commissioner want no parts of that now.

They get no kudos from me for waiting decades to address this scumbag.

[JohnnyRingo]

7. It shouldn't be any skin off their asses.

That is to say, what positive outcome could possibly result from their standing up for him? These are a consortium of businessmen, and as such they make decisions based on what benefits them the most. None of them will want to buy a share in Sterling's epic PR fail.

Unless one of them is Sean Hannity, there's no upside to covering for Sterling. The NBA saw that, and so will his peers. To say they'll throw him under the limo is an understatement in my view.

[LiberalFighter]

8. I was figuring Cuban would be against it.

Since he used the slippery slope metaphor.

[Sgent]

14. He came out in open

support.

[johnlucas]

9. I am very impressed with this. Sends a CLEAR message.

That behavior will no longer be tolerated in that organization.
I'm actually impressed.

Congratulations to Adam Silver & the rest of the NBA management.
The NBA is no place for bigots & you have made that as clear as crystal.
Gives me hope for this species yet. I had been depressed lately about how people act.
John Lucas

[heaven05]

15. sterling probably does not give a damn

if forced to sell clippers he stands to make 100 times what he paid for the team in 81. paid 12.5 million- it's plausible that he could sell for 1.25 billion. The rich definitely do get richer.

[olddad56]

16. 8 aren't reveling their stance.

Counting Sterling, there are 30 owners. 16 are on record as saying they would force the sale. they need 22 to force the sale. 8 aren't reveling there stance and 5 are unaccounted for. The league may have a tough time getting the required 75% majority to force the sale.

I think this might be a long drawn out process.

[malthaussen]

18. I'm a little unclear on something...

... how can Mr Sterling be "forced" to sell his property? I can see how a voluntary association of team owners could eject him and his team from their club, but it isn't clear to me exactly what legal leverage they would have to force him to sell the team.

-- Mal

[NobodyHere]

19. Sterling signed a contract when be bought the team

That contract says that 3/4ths of owners can vote to force him to sell the team.

For further reading
http://mediacentral.nba.com/media/mediacentral/NBA-Constitution-and-By-Laws.pdf

[malthaussen]

20. Thank you. n/t

[freshwest]

21. Loosely speaking, Sterling is a contractor for the NBA and cuts their profits with his idiocy.

When a company hires a contractor to do a job and he flubs it, the company looks bad is shown the door. That's their reasoning, IMO. :shrugs: