2013-2014 NBA season thread

[RedCoffee]

It's a slippery slope to just unfranchise the guy over a private conversation. Especially in light of the fact that the outward public knowledge was always there and everyone sat by doing nothing. I mean, we all hope jerks like Sterling get their day, but we're becoming the jerks ourselves for doing it.

I am wary of thought police, judges and executioners, but I won't front and deny that I enjoyed that. Despite my schadenfreude, I'm not buying this NBA hypocrisy for a second (Donald Sterling was a well-documented racist scumbag for decades prior to four days ago, this is all about money, pr and embarrassment.)

[Senator Clay Davis]

Yeah it's definitely pretty odd that of all the incredibly racist stuff Sterling has said/done that this is the one that did him in. I gotta imagine if this were say 2002 and not 2014 where social media dominates so much, that this might not even have rated. It's amazing this is what brought him down. Kinda like getting Al Capone on tax evasion.

[octothorp]

Yeah, it's a totally different era. Different makeup of other owners, where media-savvy tech billionaires, international investors, and media conglomerates make up a significant voice of the ownership group... not that all of these people have great ethics, but they are much more PR conscious. As well, the fact that players themselves have such strong voices as a result of social media would make it much more difficult for the NBA to control a story the way they might have 15 years ago. As well, it was important for Silver to differentiate himself from Stern, and it's difficult to say whether Stern would have chosen the stiffest punishment possible.

Regardless of the reasons, it's great that he's on his way out, although I still shake my head at how much money he'll make by simply holding onto the franchise and putting the absolute minimum into it.

[RedCoffee]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Yeah it's definitely pretty odd that of all the incredibly racist stuff Sterling has said/done that this is the one that did him in. I gotta imagine if this were say 2002 and not 2014 where social media dominates so much, that this might not even have rated. It's amazing this is what brought him down. Kinda like getting Al Capone on tax evasion.

The last straw is often pulled from the least likely of haystacks

Originally Posted by octothorp

Yeah, it's a totally different era. Different makeup of other owners, where media-savvy tech billionaires, international investors, and media conglomerates make up a significant voice of the ownership group... not that all of these people have great ethics, but they are much more PR conscious. As well, the fact that players themselves have such strong voices as a result of social media would make it much more difficult for the NBA to control a story the way they might have 15 years ago. As well, it was important for Silver to differentiate himself from Stern, and it's difficult to say whether Stern would have chosen the stiffest punishment possible.

Regardless of the reasons, it's great that he's on his way out, although I still shake my head at how much money he'll make by simply holding onto the franchise and putting the absolute minimum into it.

And Sterling would probably still have another chance to be a jerk if he'd been caught on tape talking about tenants rather than attendees.

The achievement Sterling is most proud of is that he has never sold anything (his fortune was built through real estate - parking lots and garages, apartments, luxury apartments, etc.). He also made Mike Dunleavy sue him to pay the balance of what he was owed on his contract after they fired him. As a result, I would wager that any attempt to force him to sell the franchise is not resolved until he is dead.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

Of course they should want to get rid of him, my doubts were whether they could. Not sure where federal law and nba bylaw intersect on the issue but straight up forcing someone to sell sounds illegal. The punishment silver dished out seems to be a proxy for making him sell by frustrating him, which hopefully works. This guys crustiness level is through the roof though so I don't see him going out without a fight.

Again, this kind of thing is more common in many franchises. Owners have been forced to sell in Tim Hortons for example

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Can't believe there isnt an actual thread for this controversy (I don't like starting threads)

First time I'm aware that any owner is named for life from expressing their views.

The reaction from the players is interesting. There's rumours that some will not report and wish to become be free agents after this season.

Perhaps a first for the NBA, but Marge Schott was banned for life from baseball - and forced to sell her team - after making comments praising Hitler. She had a long and ignominious history as well.

George Steinbrenner was banned from baseball for a time as well.

[Resolute 14]

Incidentally, I am always flabbergasted by the fact that I have a far better understanding of the American First Amendment than many Americans seem to.

[RedCoffee]

I think Steinbrenner was banned from operations but not from owning the team.

Not sure that makes any sense.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by RedCoffee

It's a slippery slope to just unfranchise the guy over a private conversation. Especially in light of the fact that the outward public knowledge was always there and everyone sat by doing nothing. I mean, we all hope jerks like Sterling get their day, but we're becoming the jerks ourselves for doing it.

I disagree about the slippery slope, as it's not the first time something like this has been done (maybe in the NBA). If you own a sports franchise in this day and age, you better be careful what you say. I don't find this hypocritical from the league, they're simply responding to public pressure with a firm response.


I agree in the sense that with technology the slope is getting slipperier (word?) though. It's anything truly said in private anymore?

[Senator Clay Davis]

I just love that there's major conspiracy theory potential if Magic Johnson ends up as Clippers owner. Even for the NBA that would be a crazy (but not unbelievable) conspiracy theory.

[bluejays]

The thing about Magic possibly getting the team is it realistic that Sterling would actually sell it to him? Forced or not, if Silver is to be believed that Sterling didn't show any remorse, I doubt he'd sell to Magic Johnson. My guess is that he'll be happy with his millions, and do his best to drag the NBA into as much problems as he can with this. Surely it'll kill the franchise value, but he seems to be a guy who just does not give a ####.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by RedCoffee

I think Steinbrenner was banned from operations but not from owning the team.

Not sure that makes any sense.

So was Schott, and so is Sterling.

The pressure to sell in Schott's case was separate.

[savemedrzaius]

The NBA has a huge black fan-base so it makes sense to me that they would want to come down hard on a guy saying "Don't take black people to my games". I think it's a fair punishment. The guy's an idiot.

[Antithesis]

The NBA absolutely had no choice but to take the actions it did. They would have had a labour relations disaster on their hands if they set down anything short of a lifetime ban and forced sale. The Clippers certainly would have lost corporate support and fan support. I'd imagine a weak response could have also led to national sponsors pulling out.

The NBA is a private organization. This has nothing to do with thought police and everything to do with someone's actions negatively impacting the business.

Good on the NBA for their actions today. Racist attitudes, expressed privately or publicly, are unacceptable.

[Geeoff]

As far as racist rants go, that's probably the saddest one someone could possibly go down for. Better to go full Michael Richards than sobbing to your girlfriend...

[Stay Golden]

It is refreshing to see an organization act so swiftly and justly against racism and bigotry.
That in Sterling's lifetime he can see that no Master Donald the vast majority of North America does not share nor support your narrow minded viewpoints on racism.
I hope the NBA has a clause that can force Sterling to sell the Clippers to the NBA and they can decide who will purchase the team moving forward and not Sterling.

[Drake]

No surprise here Sterling has said he will not sell the team. Looks like a legal war is on the horizon.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Aaaaand the Bulls are done. The Heat's road to the championship gets easier.

[darklord700]

Scott Brooks flat out cannot coach. How can you lose to the Grizzilies with two young studs in KD and Westbrook? The ending of tonight's game was amazing.

[Zach]

Playoffs have been amazing so far. Raptors need a big W tomorrow.