WaPo | At this point, it does appear likely that Sterling’s time as an owner
is finally coming to a close, and not just because of the public
outcry. Rather, the comments in the recording are starting to impact the
one thing that we know actually gets leagues and owners to take
decisive action: money. So far, Virgin America, CarMax, State Farm and
Kia have all announced they are ending sponsorships of
the Clippers, with others likely to follow. (State Farm runs those
omnipresent Cliff Paul ads that feature Chris Paul, the star point guard
for the Clippers and the president of the National Basketball Players
Association; Blake Griffin, the other star Clipper, has an endorsement
deal with Kia.)
These announcements seem to mark the beginning of the end for
Sterling. We saw this just a few months ago in Arizona, where a
controversial bill would have let businesses deny service to gay customers. The bill was roundly criticized by many businesses, and it seemed like it could have endangered the state’s chances of hosting the next Super Bowl, so the bill was vetoed.
It’s unclear right now what the league will do. The NBA says it will
make an announcement on Tuesday. Players have said they want the maximum possible punishment for Sterling. NBA commissioner Adam Silver (who took that job in February) referenced “broad powers in place under the NBA’s constitutional bylaws” in discussing what sanctions could follow an investigation.
We don’t know what is actually in these bylaws because they aren’t public (something taxpayers should remember the next time an NBA team asks for millions to upgrade their arena). But Jeffrey Kessler, a sports lawyer who participated in talks during the NBA’s lockout in 2011 (amid some controversy), said he thinks the league could force the team’s sale. (Kessler also said it doesn’t matter if the recording was made illegally,
because the NBA “is not a court of law.”) And Michael McCann noted that
even though forcibly removing Sterling is unlikely, the NBA could just suspend him indefinitely.
The NBA will hold a news conference on
Tuesday at 2 p.m. The Clippers host the Golden State Warriors for Game 5
of their playoff series a little more than eight hours later.
Fist tap Dorcas Dad.
