On Saturday an audio recording believed to be of Los Angeles Clippers basketball owner Donald Sterling was released onto the Internet and began a whirlwind of controversy in the sport’s world and beyond.
On the recording, which was published on TMZ, Sterling can be heard arguing with girlfriend V. Stiviano over a picture, which she posed with NBA hall of famer Magic Johnson and posted onto Instagram. During the taped phone call, Sterling tells his girlfriend that he is upset because she wants to “broadcast” that she is “associating with black people” and later instructs her not to “bring any of them” to Clippers basketball games.
The NBA and Clippers organization are still trying to determine if the shocking audio is legitimate, but the comments have already drawn outrage from basketball fans every where.
President Obama messaged that Sterling’s comments are an example of how “the United States continues to wrestle with the legacy of race and slavery and segregation,” while a number of celebrities including rappers Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Game and Meek Mill continue to speak out against Sterling and the Clippers organization.
Weezy, and many others suggest, that the players on the L.A. Clippers quit. “F– you. That simple, that easy,” he began his statement which was captured on video. “If I were a Clippers fan, I wouldn’t be one any more, it’s that simple. But if I was a current Clippers player you wouldn’t see me on the court any more in that uniform.”
Team coach Doc Rivers confirmed that the team will play their Sunday (April 27) playoff game against Golden State Warriors, but that hasn’t done much to curb the outrage.
The Game took to his Instagram and started what he calls the Empty Seat Campaign, urging all Los Angeles residents to boycott the today’s game. “I find myself in a position to defend both my heritage & that of all of the Hispanic community, not only here but around the world,” he wrote.
Magic Johnson says Sterling should sell the team and NBA champion LeBron James says there is no place for Sterling in the NBA.
Rihanna responded with a number of memes and Meek Mill blasted the owner on Twitter. “All them racist dudes are always old as sh–… 10 years from now they all gone be extinct,” he wrote.
Snoop had a different, but equally as frustrating response, sending a profanity-laced message towards Sterling with an IG video, calling the billionaire a “racist piece of sh–,” amongst some other things that we probably shouldn’t print.
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