By Julie Buehler
The truth shall set you free.
In Donald Sterling’s case, the truth of his dark personality and racist views has set off a chain reaction that might free him from NBA team ownership.
The fact that the Clippers’ owner had a 20-something girlfriend and his estranged wife was suing her should have been enough for the NBA to look sideways at the Sterling.
The fact Sterling was sued by former general manger, Elgin Baylor, for discrimination should have been enough for the NBA to wonder.
The fact he was repeatedly sued by the federal government for housing discrimination should have caused the NBA to take pause and consider the man who once held the tightest purse strings in NBA history.
But David Stern never did a thing and shame on him.
Stern retired as the NBA’s commissioner and left his protégé, Adam Silver, to clean up the mess he ignored for decades.
The story began on April 9th when the Clippers owner confronted his ‘girlfriend’ about “the culture” he lives in and “the culture” he needed her to live within. Apparently that culture does not embrace “black people” as he admonished her to stop “broadcasting” that she associates with the likes of Magic Johnson and Matt Kemp.
Sterling’s ‘girlfriend,’ V. Stiviano, clearly had an idea about what kind of conversation she was going to have with Sterling when she decided to record her 80-year-old billionaire ‘boyfriend’ in a non-sensical, illogical and inexcusable confrontation regarding her Instagram photos.
On full display was the NBA’s longest-tenured owner’s thought process that is so wildly bizarre and incongruent with the league’s values it’s hard to imagine how the man can address the public in a credible manner ever again.
Then again, the idea he was ever a credible owner in the first place is somewhat laughable.
First, there were the decades of futility on the court for the Clippers. They were so awful, players who were offered their childhood dream of being drafted into the NBA cringed when the Clippers called their name.
Curses were named after the Clippers, players were forever altered after wearing the jersey. But the NBA’s version of purgatory changed when the team drafted Blake Griffin from the University of Oklahoma 3 years ago. And they went from laughing stock to one of the NBA’s most entertaining and marketable teams.
Still, Sterling’s background is so checkered with racial incidents the NBA should have been watching closer and may have avoided a situation like this had they recognized the big picture of abusive behavior.
It’s amazing to me the NBA can fine players for not wearing the right attire, fine Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban an estimated $2 million for speaking his mind about poor officiating and David Stern can watch his longest-tenured owner get sued multiple times for highly questionable activity and not bat an eye.
Shame on him.
Donald Sterling is not a decent human being and that’s been clear well before his mistress recorded a lover’s-spat and sold it, for her own profit, I’m sure, to TMZ and Deadspin.
Serves him right.
David Stern had an opportunity to send a message and actually be a quality leader by attending to significant matters. Instead, he batted around with meaningless quibbles and missed handling an owner who needed someone of authority to be authoritative.
Shame on him.
As this story broke, newly appointed commissioner Adam Silver alluded to the NBA’s “broad powers” of enforcement and acted on them by banning Sterling for life and fining him the most, $2.5 million, available under the NBA constitution.
Silver was strong, direct and resolute in his exacting of what the NBA thought was justice and it was a refreshing change of pace for a leader of a sports league to have a no-tolerance approach to highly damaging behavior.
The public outcry is somewhat appropriate to be directly sharply at Donald Sterling as his prejudices are terribly ridiculous and disturbing. But David Stern should also be included in the criticism as it was under his tutelage that Sterling was empowered and enabled for decades.
Julie Buehler hosts the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 3-6 on 1010 KXPS, the valley’s all sports station. She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners. Tune in M-F 3-6 pst at www.team1010.com or watch the show on Ustream.
