Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling may not be expected to give up his ownership of the NBA team, according to city’s mayor Eric Garcetti, who believes it may take a “protracted fight” before the 80-year-old billionaire agrees to sell. “He thinks he’s going to be the owner for a long time,” Garcetti said Sunday on the CBS “Face the Nation” TV program. Referring to talks he had with Sterling last week, Garcetti added said the owner did not seem to realize the effect of the scandalous remarks made by Sterling about African Americans. “He believes in his heart that he’s a very good person” and is proud of what he has accomplished, Garcetti said.
The mayor said he and others need to press Sterling to understand that his comments do not
reflect Los Angeles and its commitment to diversity and tolerance. “Los Angeles is not represented by
those comments,” Garcetti added, describing the two times Olympic host city as one of the world’s most
open and diverse cities. Asked if he thought players would want to remain on the team if Sterling was
able to hold onto the franchise, he said “I think it would be very tough for them to stay there. I think the
players are really the ones that have the burden on them,” he said. “They’re not going to want to play for
somebody – knowing that the money they’re generating for that individual goes into these sorts of
attitudes.”
According to the The Los Angeles Times, the mayor also was asked if he would urge fans to
boycott the Clippers’ games if Sterling remained the owner. “I would certainly keep that arrow in my
quiver,” he said. “I want to see representation of our city in its best light.” He said the incident has brought
together the city in support of its second NBA franchise. “We are all behind the Clippers,” he said.
This article was republished with permission from Karl-Heinz Huba, the editor and publisher of the Sport Intern.