Donald Sterling, racist LA Clippers owner?

[The Zodiac Killer]

The NBA's commissioner came down hard Tuesday on Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, ordering him out of his team's business and pushing to force him to sell over racist remarks that caused a firestorm since becoming public days ago.

Adam Silver detailed Sterling's punishment of a lifetime ban and $2.5 million fine -- the "maximum amount" allowed per league guidelines -- at a press conference eight hours before Sterling's Clippers were to tip off in the fifth game of a tightly contested first-round playoff series with the Golden State Warriors.

His decision was met with immediate support from NBA owners, players and others connected to the league who have been calling for swift, firm punishment ever since TMZ posted audio featuring the incendiary comments.

"I hope that every bigot in this country sees what happened to Mr. Sterling and recognizes that if he can fall, so can you," Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA All-Star who was tasked with leading the NBA players union's efforts on this matter.
"In your lousy f**ing Instagrams, you don't have to have yourself with -- walking with black people," the man says.

"If it's white people, it's OK?" she responds. "If it was Larry Bird, would it make a difference?"

Bird was Johnson's chief rival when Bird's Boston Celtics and Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers ruled the NBA.

"I've known (Magic Johnson) well, and he should be admired. ... I'm just saying that it's too bad you can't admire him privately," the man on the recording says. "Admire him, bring him here, feed him, f**k him, but don't put (Magic) on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games."

After the audio went public, Johnson -- who, since retiring from basketball, has become a successful businessman and part owner of baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers -- expressed dismay and insisted he'd never attend a Clippers game so long as Sterling was the owner.

Johnson offered a very different tune Tuesday, commending Silver for exhibiting "great leadership" in saying he and others "are very happy and satisfied."

"I wish I was in LA, I would be at the Clipper game tonight!" he tweeted.

Sterling has history of fighting discrimination claims in court

Will the NBA make Sterling the first owner to give up team?
Kind of messed up. Thoughts?