Beyond the lifetime ban and hefty fine that the NBA slapped Donald Sterling with on Tuesday, the league’s commissioner, Adam Silver, also announced that he’s maneuvering to make the Los Angeles Clippers owner sell the team. The punishment came after the 81-year-old made racist remarks in a recording that surfaced over the weekend.
If Sterling is indeed forced to sell the franchise, the result, of course, is that someone(s) else will then own it. Who could those someones be? A number of wealthy celebrities have already expressed interested in buying the Clippers, and though buying a pro sports franchise can be an expensive endeavor, here are some others who should consider.
Dr. Dre And Jimmy Iovine
These two have proven time and again that they can come together to make some pretty powerful business moves. From their musical collaborations at Interscope and Aftermath to headphone company/streaming service/brand-that’s-everywhere Beats by Dr. Dre, Jimmy and the Doc have what it takes to run a big company, and work well together. Add to that the fact that Dre is an L.A. native and Iovine has been a West Coast transplant for years now, and these two could be a good fit.
Top Dawg
If it’s not an elder generation of rap influencers that go after the Clips, why not the new kids that are runnin’ things? Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith and his eponymous label ‒ with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock and Ab-Soul ‒ rep L.A. to the fullest. Top Dawg sits courtside at Laker games, but he’d probably switch things up for this opportunity.
Macklemore
The rapper is an avid sports fan ‒ just usually for his hometown Seattle teams. Unfortunately, The Emerald City doesn’t have an NBA team, since the Seattle SuperSonics moved away in 2008 (that franchise has now become the Oklahoma City Thunder). Seattle fans have been itching to bring pro hoops back to their city in the years since. If Macklemore purchased the Clips, he could work on a move up north to give his hometown just that.
Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal is probably the most famous Clipper fan. And one of the only ones, too (until recently, at least). He could reward himself for those years of cheering and anguish by purchasing a stake in the squad and getting paid to sit courtside, rather than paying to do so.
Magic Johnson
The Hall of Famer was the subject of some of Sterling’s racist remarks, and because of them, now he’s got a chance to own the team. Magic is already a part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is beloved in L.A. thanks to the glory he brought the city during his Laker days. If he could bring the Clips some championships like he was able to do during his playing days for the Lake Show, that love would grow even stronger.
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