Donald Sterling Selling Clippers Franchise To Magic Johnson For $1 Billion? Racist Comments Force Owner To Miss His Team's Games!
Donald Sterling, owner of the LA Clippers could not attend his team's road game in Oakland Coliseum against the Golden State Warriors. His racist comments might spark a riot among agitated fans on both sides.
He might not even be able to visit his predominantly black employees who comprise the LA Clippers. His head coach and best player are black, of the same race as Magic Johnson, the man he sought to exclude.
Magic may also be the man to bail him out of this mess. The LA Lakers basketball legend is one of the most charismatic personalities in all of California and he recently partnered with a group of billionaires to acquire the LA Dodgers. Now they could do the same with the LA Clippers. The exclusive report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
"Magic Johnson and his billionaire backers, the Guggenheim Partners, want a chance to purchase the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources told Yahoo Sports. "Magic's absolutely interested," one source closely connected to Johnson's business interests told Yahoo Sports on Sunday night.
To bail themselves out of the NBA's worst crisis of credibility since the Tim Donaghy officiating scandal, the easy part for the NBA will be enlisting the eagerness and financial muscle of Magic Johnson and Mark Walter of the Guggenheim Partners - owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers."
It will also bail out the person on the hot seat, new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:
"For commissioner Adam Silver, the chance to turn the Clippers over to Magic Johnson and his partners could salvage is the best possible of solutions. Exit Sterling, enter Magic. It would be the greatest trade in sports ownership history since, well, Magic for the McCourts, with the Dodgers."
The idea of being 'saved' by the 'victim' of racism himself is almost like a storybook ending for Silver. The NBA is probably moving heaven and earth to make it happen. As Yahoo emphasizes:
"Magic Johnson is the ultimate cleanser in sports, and steering a Clippers sale to him could be transformative for the franchise. Truth be told, it could change the balance of basketball power in Los Angeles forever. To keep Doc Rivers as president and coach, to hold together the core of a championship contender and keep building it, Magic can make it happen."
There are still complications to be ironed out, and Sterling will not go without a fight, or at least a billion dollars-"As an exit strategy, Sterling could walk away with a $1 billion-plus sales price for his franchise."
Not too shabby, but these rumors have yet to be confirmed. This is real life, not an NBA storybook.