By CONNOR SYRACUSE & LAURA D’ANGELO
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday levied the severest punishment ever on a major team sports owner by exiling Donald Sterling from the league for life and fining the embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner the maximum of $2.5 million.
In a crowded, humid room brimming with anticipation, a grim-faced Silver took to the microphone to unconditionally declare Sterling persona non grata in the world of professional basketball because of overtly racist words he used in speaking to a female friend that were captured on tape and disseminated to gossipy media sites.
“I am personally distraught that the views expressed by Mr. Sterling came from within an institution that has historically taken such a leadership role in matters of race relations and caused current and former players, coaches, fans and partners of the NBA to question their very association with the league,” he said to a tumultuous international group of sports reporters and other journalists at a afternoon press conference at the midtown headquarters of the league.
There was no comment so far from Sterling or his representatives but Silver said that Sterling acknowledged that the voice in the recording was his.
The decision was made early Tuesday morning after an investigation of Sterling, 80, after TMZ was given an audio recording of Sterling making the remarks, including one that his girlfriend Vanessa Stiviano, 31, should not bring black men to Clippers games.
Investigator David Anders from the Wachtell Lipton firm began Saturday, when the tape was released, conducting interviews over the phone and in person with Sterling, and the investigation concluded late Monday night.
Sterling was banned from attending any practices, games, or events at any Clippers facility, as well as being banned from attending NBA Board of Governors meetings.
The funds from his $2.5 million fine will be given to anti-discrimination efforts selected by the NBA.
Silver said that he will “do everything in his power” to encourage the Board of Governors to force Sterling to sell the team, which would require a three-quarters vote by the ownership group.
“I fully expect to get the support I need from the other NBA owners to remove him,” said Silver.
“I’m outraged, so I certainly understand other people’s outrage, and it will take some time, this will take some time, and appropriate healing will be necessary,” said Silver.
Some observers speculated that Sterling could fight stripping him of ownership by suing the league.
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