By Adam Fleischer
Donald Sterling’s alleged racist remarks that leaked over the weekend had everyone talking — including many of hip-hop’s notable names. Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg were a few of the MC who had words of ire for the Los Angeles Clippers owner, but Game hopes to take things beyond the talk.
“I had playoff floor seats for the next home game; you might see ‘em on my Instagram ripped in half, just as one of the voices of my campaign,” the Los Angeles native told MTV News on Monday (April 28), referencing his #EmptySeatCampaign. “I’m definitely not attending.”
What began as a call to action in an Instagram post on Saturday has since picked up some steam on social media, and Game hopes fans take this as an opportunity to make a point — by not attending the next home game and creating an arena full of empty seats on Tuesday.
“If we could stand as a human race and just not support that organization on the next home game, I think that would [make] a statement,” he said. “We go to the next one, or the next one after that, because it’s not about the players, and you wanna support Chris [Paul] and the whole team, but we gotta take a stand, so that things like this don’t go with no consequences.”
On Saturday morning, TMZ obtained a tape of what is reportedly Sterling, who has owned the Clippers since 1981, making racist remarks. In a conversation with his then-girlfriend V. Stiviano, the 80-year-old is critical of her for “associating with black people” and “broadcasting” her relationship with the likes of Magic Johnson and Los Angeles Dodgers player Matt Kemp by posting photos on Instagram.
The reaction among the public was swift, though the NBA has yet to announce any disciplinary actions.
On Sunday, the Clippers took the court for the first time since the tapes leaked. Prior to tip off of the fourth game in their first round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors,the team wore their warmup shirts inside out as a show of protest. They also wore black socks as a statement of solidarity.
Game understands it was an important playoff game, and doesn’t fault the players for taking the court, but would have admired an even more profound stand.
“If I was the captain of the team, I would have suggested we not play a game,” he said. “It’s just a game, out of the whole 82 game season plus now the playoffs, and I think that game would have had to be forfeited, or played again. But I feel taking that loss, at the end of the day, would have been sort of like a win. Like a win for the support of non-racism. They’re players, they’re played to play, so I can’t be that person. I can’t decide what I would do if I were them.”
Instead, he urges the public to take action — including through the #EmptySeatCampaign. “I think, as people, we take over and we do what we need to do to make it affect the person it needs to affect, which is Donald Sterling.”
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