The Athenaeum Forum

NEW YORK -- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver delivered the swiftest, strongest penalty he could, then called on NBA owners to force Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling to sell the team for making racist comments that hurt the league. Almost unanimously, owners supported the commissioner Tuesday, as he handed down one of the harshest penalties in the history of U.S. sports. "We stand together in condemning Mr. Sterlings views. They simply have no place in the NBA," Silver said at a news conference. Sterling, 80, is banned for life from any association with the league or the Clippers, and was fined $2.5 million -- the maximum allowable under the NBA constitution. If three-fourths of the other 29 owners agree to Silvers recommendation, Sterling will be forced to sell the team he has owned since 1981. A message left seeking comment at Sterlings business office hadnt been returned Tuesday afternoon. Team spokesman Seth Burton said in an email that the Clippers had no plans to issue a statement from Sterling on Tuesday. Players and others cheered Silvers quick action, with union officials saying that if the leagues punishment hadnt included a mandate for Sterling to sell the team, players were considering boycotting playoff games, including Tuesdays Golden State Warriors-Clippers matchup, the teams first home game since the scandal erupted. "We wanted to be a part of this decision, and we wanted Adam Silver to know where we stood. And we were very clear that anything other than Sterling selling his team was not going to be enough for us," said Roger Mason Jr., the first vice-president of the players union. Chris Paul, the Clippers All-Star point guard and the president of the players union, issued a brief statement before leading Los Angeles against the Warriors in Game 5 of their tied playoff series. "In response to todays ruling by the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver, my teammates and I are in agreement with his decision," Paul said. "We appreciate the strong leadership from Commissioner Silver and he has our full support." Sterlings comments -- which were recorded by his girlfriend and released by TMZ on Saturday -- harmed the league, Silver said. Sponsors were threatening to abandon the NBA, and criticism was coming from fans on social media and even the White House. Sterling criticized V. Stiviano -- purportedly the female voice on the recording -- for posting pictures of herself with black athletes Magic Johnson and Matt Kemp. "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that youre associating with black people. Do you have to?" Sterling asks the woman on the recording. "Sentiments of this kind are contrary to the principles of inclusion and respect that form the foundation of our diverse, multicultural and multiethnic league," Silver said. The NBAs longest-tenured owner keeps his team for now -- and Silver said he didnt know if Sterling would fight to do so permanently. But he cant attend games or practices, cant be involved in any personnel decisions or participate in board of governors meetings. Just three days after the scandal broke, and hours before the Clippers hosted their biggest game of the season, Silver apologized to some of the leagues black pioneers while meting out a punishment he believed would satisfy outraged players and fans. Sterlings Clippers have been one of the most incompetent franchises in pro sports, and nearly all of their previous seasons would have been finished by now. But after the most successful two-year stretch in Clippers history, the current team is a title contender led by Doc Rivers, a black coach whom Sterling brought in from Boston and paid $7 million a year. "(Silver) made the decision that really was the right one that had to be made," Rivers said before the Clippers game. "I dont think this is something that we rejoice in or anything like that. I told the players about the decision, and I think they were just happy there was a resolution and that its over, at least the start of it. I think were all in a better place because of this." Silver said the ban applied only to Sterling, and there had been no discussions about whether he could sell to a family member. Many owners supported Silver, and none of them publicly defended Sterling. "We applaud the firm punishment handed out today by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and appreciate the swiftness with which the NBA conducted its investigation," Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob said in a statement. The fine will be donated to organizations dedicated to anti-discrimination and tolerance efforts, Silver said. Sterling, with an estimated net worth of about $2 billion, did not comment, though Silver said he did not apologize for his remarks. Silver said Sterling confirmed that he was the person on the recording. Silver hasnt even been on the job three months and already had to face a crisis that threatened the league not only financially -- with several companies ending or suspending their sponsorships of the Clippers -- but more importantly, socially. The NBA survived the Indiana Pacers brawl with Detroit Pistons fans, and referee Tim Donaghy betting on games he officiated. But this brought a different level of outrage, particularly because the league could have done something sooner about Sterling, who has faced federal charges of civil rights violations and racial discrimination in his business dealings. "This has all happened in three days, and so I am hopeful there will be no long-term damage to the league and to the Clippers organization," Silver said. "But as I said earlier, Im outraged so I certainly understand other peoples outrage." After the announcement, the Clippers website had a simple message: "We are one." "We wholeheartedly support and embrace the decision by the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver today. Now the healing process begins," the Clippers added in a statement. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Raptors, issued a statement Tuesday afternoon. "As a proud member of the National Basketball Association, we stand strongly in our belief that the comments attributed to Mr. Sterling have no place in our society or sport. Our organization will always work to contribute to a culture of diversity and acceptance in this league and fully support the actions taken today. We thank commissioner Adam Silver, and all of the NBA players, for their leadership on this important issue." Rivers cancelled practice Monday and declined a meeting request from Sterling. He wouldnt address whether he would return next season if Sterling were still in control, a stance reaffirmed by the coach before Game 5 of the Clippers playoff series with Golden State. That might not be an issue if the owners vote to oust the owner. Sterling is estranged from his wife and had been dating Stiviano, 31. In court documents, Stiviano describes him as a man "with a big toothy grin brandishing his sexual prowess in the faces of the Paparazzi and caring less what anyone else thought, the least of which, his own wife." Silver said when he first heard the audio, he hoped it had been altered or was fake, but thought it was Sterling. And it doesnt matter if Sterling didnt realize he was being recorded, Silver said. "Whether or not these remarks were initially shared in private, theyre now public, and they represent his views." Shaq Mason Jersey . Still, its a start. Josh Baileys goal with 1:40 left capped a furious third-period rally, and the Islanders edged the Penguins 4-3 on Friday night. Eric Rowe Jersey . The 55th-ranked Istomin saved 11 of 14 break points to win in just over two hours, setting up a second round meeting with Australian Marinko Matosevic. 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Vincent Valentine Jersey . -- After a year spent travelling the world, Brooks Koepka suddenly is in a position to play a lot more golf at home. OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Clippers chose not to speak publicly about owner Donald Sterling before they faced the Golden State Warriors for Game 4 of their first-round series Sunday. Instead, they made a silent protest to generate attention. In response to Sterlings purported comments urging a woman to not bring black people to his teams games, the Clippers let their uniforms become a show of solidarity. They ran out of the tunnel wearing their usual warmups. Then they huddled at centre court and tossed the outer layer of their warmups to the ground, going through their pregame routine with their red Clippers shirts on inside out to hide the teams logo. Players also wore black wristbands or armbands during the game, which they lost 118-97. They also donned black socks with their normal jerseys. "Its just us, only us. Were all we got," Clippers point guard Chris Paul could be heard shouting to teammates before they ran out. The Warriors announced sellout crowd of 19,596, decked out in gold shirts, booed the Clippers -- as they always do -- during team introductions. Sterlings wife was sitting courtside across from the Clippers bench. Commissioner Adam Silver had said Donald Sterling would not be at the game. Clippers coach Doc Rivers said prior to the game that he would remain the only one to speak for the team on the issue because players wanted to remain focused on basketball. Afterward, Rivers said he knew what his players had planned but didnt voice his opinion. Rivers said he wasnt thrilled about the demonstration, though he didnt elaborate why. Even he, though, acknowledged that staying focused has not been easy since TMZ released the alleged recording of Sterling. "Our message is to play," Rivers said. "Our message is that were going to let no one and nothing stop us from what we want to do. And I think thats a good message. I really do. I think thats the message were trying to send. And if we can pull this off all the way, I think that would be a terrific message." In an overcrowded postgame locker room, most of the Clippers players deflected comment or refused to answer questions related to Sterling -- other than to say they remain united and focused on basketball. Shooting guard J.J. Redick, who is white, said the controversy has impacted everybody on the team and around the league. He also admitted it might have affected their preparation. "Maybe our focus wasnt in the right place would be the easiest way to say it," Redick said. "I didnt get the sense that we couldnt function. I thought we competed, but give them a lot of credit as well. It wasnt just the distraction of everything that has happened in the last 24 hours. Golden SState played a great basketball game, lets keep that in mind.dddddddddddd." While the Clippers wanted to let their play do the talking, other NBA players continued to speak out on the subject. Some talked about the hurt Sterlings alleged words caused. Others urged Silver to take an aggressive stance against Sterling, who has a history of alleged discrimination. Most of them hoped Sterling would be removed as the teams owner someday soon. Miami Heat star LeBron James said Silver needed to take action, going so far as to suggest "there is no room for Donald Sterling in our league." Lakers star Kobe Bryant wrote on his Twitter page that he couldnt play for Sterling. Warriors coach Mark Jackson, who played for the Clippers from 1992-94, said he could forgive Sterling but couldnt play for him right now, either. Asked if he needed to hear something from the league or Sterling to return as coach next year, Rivers said he didnt know and that he was just concentrating on the playoff series. At the Trail Blazers playoff game against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night, Portland players all wore black socks in solidarity with the Clippers players. "I wanted to do something to support our brothers," Blazers All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge said before the game in Portland. The players union, still without an executive director since firing Billy Hunter in February 2013, is following the situation closely. The union has asked former NBA All-Star and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson to take a leading role on the players behalf to address the Sterling matter. Johnson and Silver attended the game Sunday. Johnson said he called an emergency phone meeting of every player representative to the union Saturday night and spoke with Silver before the game. He said this is a "defining moment" for the NBA and for Silver. Johnson said players trust that the commissioner will meet their demands, which include: Sterling not attend any NBA games for the rest of the playoffs; a full account of past allegations of discrimination by Sterling and why the league never sanctioned him; the range of options that the league can penalize Sterling, including the maximum penalty, which players want if the audio recording is validated; assurance that the NBA and the union will be partners in the investigation; and an immediate and decisive ruling, hopefully before the Clippers host the Warriors for Game 5 on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Johnson also said there will be no league-wide protest by players or a boycott because theres enough attention on the issue already and that players "trust Adam Silver. They trust that Adam Silver will do the right thing." Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '