Monday, April 28, 2014

What does the Donald Sterling controversy mean for the future of the Clippers?

Early Saturday morning, TMZ released audio purported to be Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist remarks in a recorded conversation with his girlfriend. In the event you aren't dwelling under a rock, you're aware of this by now.

The Clippers took the court on Sunday in Oakland for game four of their first round playoff series with the Golden State Warriors, where they were smacked around on their way to a 118-97 defeat.

Magic Johnson, whose name was invoked during the conversation, has already come out and said that he (and his wife) will never attend another Clippers game at Staples Center while Sterling is the owner of the team. Monday, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that Johnson is a part of a group that has interest in purchasing the Clippers from Sterling should Sterling decide to sell the team.
Magic Johnson and his billionaire backers, the Guggenheim Partners, want a chance to purchase the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources told Yahoo Sports. "Magic's absolutely interested," one source closely connected to Johnson's business interests told Yahoo Sports on Sunday night. To bail themselves out of the NBA's worst crisis of credibility since the Tim Donaghy officiating scandal, the easy part for the NBA will be enlisting the eagerness and financial muscle of Magic Johnson and Mark Walter of the Guggenheim Partners – owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported later in the day that Johnson has had no discussions regarding purchasing the team.
 Wojnarowski is well-regarded as a reporter, while Shelburne actually lives in L.A. and would appear to have better connections to information like this. So, take either report for what it's worth.

Clippers sponsors have also been rapidly severing ties with the franchise as a result of the controversy. CarMax, Chumash Casino and Resort, State Farm Insurance, Kia Motors America, Virgin America, AQUAHydrate, Red Bull, Yokohama Tires, and Mercedes-Benz have all either pulled or suspended sponsorships in light of the alleged comments. Amtrak, Corona and Anheuser-Busch have not yet pulled their sponsorships, but have all already issued statements regarding the possibility of doing so in the future once the NBA concludes its investigation.

Much has been made regarding the possibility of a potential boycott of Tuesday's game five, from Clippers fans scheduled to attend the game to the teams themselves refusing to play. Warriors head coach Mark Jackson went so far as to say that if he were a Clippers player, he would not be playing in the game.
Photo Credit - Shaka/Wikimedia Commons

Clipper head coach Doc Rivers has been the primary spokesman on behalf of his players in the aftermath of the alleged incident. Rivers signed a three-year deal after coming over from the Celtics last summer, but when asked about his desire to continue coaching the Clippers next season if Sterling is still in charge, Rivers has been non-committal.

Frankly, if Sterling retains ownership of the Clippers into the future, the incredible progress the team has made in the last few years could all come crumbling to the ground. The addition of Rivers brought instant credibility to a franchise sorely in need of it, and his departure could have a domino effect. It's evident that the Clipper players love playing for Rivers, and if he were to bolt, could some of the players follow? With a number of coaching positions likely to be available this summer, there will be no shortage of clubs eager to nab Doc if he were to resign as Clipper coach.

Players like Chris Paul and Blake Griffin remain under contract for several more years, but could they hold-out and simply refuse to play? It's tough to say that they would or should, considering they're under contract to play and it's not like NBA careers last forever. But someone like Paul has never been shy about speaking his mind and standing up for what he believes in, so I wouldn't say it's out of the question that he'd refuse to play for the Sterling-owned Clippers.

Player agent Chris Luchey has already come out and said that he'll try to steer his clients away from the Clippers as free agents if Sterling remains in charge. Considering a number of players have already said that they wouldn't be interested in playing for the Clippers, anyway, this probably wouldn't be very difficult.

If the Clippers lose their coach and aren't able to attract free agents in the offseason, their championship window may be rapidly coming to a close.

The NBA is set to hold a press conference on Tuesday, where they're expected to announce their findings regarding the Sterling investigation. The Players Association wants the maximum sanctions if it's found that it was Sterling on the recordings, though the league will not be able to force Sterling into selling the team.

Here is an official statement from Doc Rivers.


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