What You Need to Know This Week About Donald Sterling
A CEO has been appointed by the NBA to take over daily operations.
May 10, 2014— -- A new private recording of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling defending himself was released this week as the NBA moved one step closer to settling the team's management, which has been unresolved since the league banned Sterling for a racist rant.
On Friday, the Clippers again faced headlines about off-court activities when a new recording of Sterling was released and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced an interim chief executive officer for the team.
On court the team is facing problems as they battle the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the NBA playoffs. The Clippers trail the Thunder two games to one in the best of seven series.
With the Clippers still alive in the NBA playoffs -- even as their ownership remains in flux -- we've run down the most important facts you need to know.
Another Recording of Donald Sterling Comes Out
Two weeks after an audio recording of Sterling making incendiary racial statements led to his ban from the NBA and a $2.5 million fine, another recording has been released of the embattled Clippers owner.
Released by Radar Online on Friday, a voice reported to be Sterling says that the reason he made the earlier racial statements was to win over V. Stiviano, Sterling's reported personal assistant heard in the original recording.
"If you trying to have sex with a girl and you're talking to her privately, you may say anything in the world, what difference does it make?" Sterling said in the recording.
Sterling later said the reason he told Stiviano not to bring black people to his games was that he was "jealous."
"I know what I said was wrong, but I never thought the private conversation would go anywhere out to the public," he said. "I didn't want her to bring anyone to the games because I was jealous."
A New Boss, For Now
The same day the new Sterling recording was released, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that former Citigroup chairman and the current Time Warner chairman and CEO Richard Parsons will become the interim CEO, as the Clippers' ownership is in flux.
"I believe the hiring of Dick Parsons will bring extraordinary leadership and immediate stability to the Clippers organization," Silver said. "Dick's credentials as a proven chief executive speak for themselves and I am extremely grateful he accepted this responsibility."
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Now that Parsons has been appointed he will take over the basic daily operations for team and oversee the team's president, who has been in charge of the team since Sterling's ban. In a statement, Parsons said he was "honored" to be working with the team.
"Like most Americans, I have been deeply troubled by the pain the Clippers' team, fans and partners have endured," Parsons said in a statement. "The Clippers are a resilient organization with a brilliant coach and equally talented and dedicated athletes and staff who have demonstrated great strength of character during a time of adversity."
Donald Sterling's estranged wife Rochelle Sterling, also the team's co-owner, said she supported Parsons being named as the interim CEO.
"Mr. Parsons has impressive management credentials in the important fields of the media, finance and professional sports," Sterling said. "He is an ideal choice to run the franchise until the ownership issues are clarified."
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