Donald Sterling Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Jackson, Curry, Sterling

May 4th, 2014 at 8:43am CST by Eddie Scarito

With the Warriors being eliminated from the playoffs last night, speculation about coach Mark Jackson‘s job status has begun. In regards to his future, Jackson said, “I don’t get caught up in it. I have total confidence and total faith that I will be fine even if I’m a full time pastor,” tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Owners Move Forward On Sterling Ouster

May 3rd, 2014 at 5:34pm CST by Cray Allred

SATURDAY, 5:34pm: The NBA will appoint a CEO to run the Clippers while the league moves to strip Sterling of the team, according to The Associated Press. An individual hasn’t been identified for the role, but the league says it will move quickly to put one in place. The Clippers will have input on the decision, per a tweet from Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.

THURSDAY, 6:02pm: The NBA announced that the league’s Advisory/Finance Committee decided to move forward with their attempts to force suspended Clippers owner Donald Sterling to sell the team (H/T Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun). The committee met via conference call today, and unanimously decided to move “as expeditiously as possible.” The committee will reconvene for their next step next week.

After audio of Sterling’s racist comments was leaked, scrutiny surrounding the long-time owner’s recorded conversation and checkered business history led to commissioner Adam Silver’s investigation and resulting punishment: a lifelong ban, a $2.5MM fine, and an impetus to strip the team from Sterling. Silver is believed to have the necessary 75% vote among the league’s 30 owners to carry through on the forced sale of the club, and today’s unanimous decision reinforces that belief. However, legal action from Sterling is the biggest hurdle the league faces in the push to oust him.

A growing concern from the league is that Sterling’s strategy could include attempts to unearth evidence of racism within other organizations, per a series of tweets by Chris Mannix of SI.com. Mannix says the league has “no idea” if it can win the looming legal battle with Sterling. The NBA has definitely earned the support of fans and players with its swift actions, but such a lawsuit could turn out disastrous in the long run.

Lawrence On D’Antoni, Gasol, Calipari, Sterling

May 3rd, 2014 at 2:12pm CST by Charlie Adams

Mike D’Antoni walked away from the Lakers due in part because the team is likely to attempt to re-sign Pau Gasol this summer, reports Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. A source tells Lawrence that D’Antoni knew that Gasol and Kobe Bryant didn’t want to play for him, so he made the decision to resign from the team on Wednesday. Let’s have a look at some more interesting notes from Lawrence’s piece:

Kurt Rambis and Byron Scott are two of the most viable candidates for the Lakers’ coaching job, hears Lawrence. We reported on Thursday that both Rambis and Scott are set to interview with the team.
Despite rumored interest, Lawrence says there’s no chance John Calipari will become the next head coach for the Lakers. The team reportedly has “zero interest” in hiring Calipari.
Stan Van Gundy was contacted about taking over the head coaching role for the Pistons, but talks didn’t get far because he wanted some level of control over the team’s personnel decisions, writes Lawrence.
Lawrence hears that once Adam Silver meets with Donald Sterling, Silver is expected to tell Sterling that the league will battle him in court to see that the franchise is sold, no matter the resistance Sterling puts up.
Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston and director of player personnel Mark Warkentien aren’t worried about their jobs, since the duo has contracts with owner Jim Dolan and not the Knicks specifically, says Lawrence. As a result, the pair will be able to retain their positions, even if Phil Jackson doesn’t want them around.
The Cavs and Bucks still haven’t decided whether or not they’ll keep their general managers beyond this season, reveals Lawrence. Both Central Division teams failed to meet preseason expectations and finished well below .500.
It’s likely Mark Jackson will be fired by the Warriors, suggests Lawrence, who adds the coach might have a hard time landing another job with an NBA team because of the perceived dysfunction in Golden State’s organization during his tenure.
The Thunder could potentially see a first-round playoff exit tonight, but Lawrence says Scott Brooks‘ position is safe in Oklahoma City.

Western Notes: Sterling, Owners, Lakers

May 2nd, 2014 at 10:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Donald Sterling has kept a low profile since NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned him for life and fined him $2.5MM on Tuesday. Sterling broke his silence in an interview with DuJour.com, saying, “I wish I had just paid her [V. Stiviano] off.” Stiviano, in an interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters, characterized Sterling’s current state of mind as “confused,” adding, “I think he feels very alone, not truly supported by those around him. Tormented, emotionally traumatized” (link via ESPN.com).

Clippers/Sterling Rumors: Roeser, Rivers, Silver

May 2nd, 2014 at 2:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

Donald Sterling has prostate cancer, as Linda Massarella, Emily Smith, Bruce Golding and Helen Kumari of the New York Post report, and his poor health might play a role as the NBA seeks to remove the Clippers from his ownership. The family of the 80-year-old could avoid millions of dollars in taxes if the team is sold after his death, as David Wharton and Stuart Pfeifer of the Los Angeles Times explained this week, giving Sterling incentive to stall and fight the NBA in court until his passing.

Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com has much more on the Sterling saga, and while her entire piece is worth reading, we’ll pass along a few notable revelations here:

Clippers president Andy Roeser opposed the idea of releasing a statement that disputed the tapes, Shelburne reports. Sterling prevailed upon him to release the statement, which argued that the recordings didn’t represent Sterling’s true feelings, through the team with Roeser’s name on it. Doc Rivers was “furious” about the statement, Shelburne writes, describing it as a breaking point for Rivers and the players.
Roeser has been in charge since Silver banned Sterling, but the NBA will likely appoint a trustee to run the team, according to Shelburne.
The NBA interviewed a third person who could be heard in the background of the recordings of Sterling and V. Stiviano, and that interview could help the NBA in its attempts to oust Sterling if the legality of the recordings is questioned in court, Shelburne writes.
NBA owners were confident that Silver would take appropriate action, reflecting the belief in the commissioner that they’d held since the 2011 lockout. Many of them had wanted him to succeed David Stern long before he did so in February, according to Shelburne.

And-Ones: O’Neal, Sterling, Jackson

April 30th, 2014 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jonathan Abrams of Grantland examines the resurgence of Jermaine O’Neal with the Warriors. O’Neal feels like his years with the Celtics were lost seasons, per the article. O’Neal said, “Those two years [in Boston] were very difficult for me, because not only did I feel like I was wearing down physically, I was wearing down mentally. That was the first time in my life I felt myself starting to break away a little bit.”

And-Ones: Warriors, Constitution, Sterling

April 30th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mark Jackson strongly denied a report that said he asked Warriors adviser Jerry West not to attend most practices or team activities, USA Today’s Sam Amick writes.

“That’s a lie,” Jackson said. “Come on. That’s a lie. That’s disrespectful.”

West has indeed been attending practice of late, a source confirms to Amick, though the “wide and strong” belief is that Jackson would prefer West not be over his shoulder. Here’s more from around the league that uses West’s likeness in its logo:

Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders takes a look at a few of the intriguing clauses in the NBA’s Constitution and By-Laws, which the league released for the first time in light of its use in the punishment of Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
The NBA’s advisory/finance committee will hold a conference call Thursday to begin the process of arranging a vote to take the Clippers away from Sterling, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News details.
Raptors CEO Tim Leiweke isn’t worried about the notion of Kyle Lowry and coach Dwane Casey walking away this summer when their contracts expire, as he said on SportsNet 590 The Fan, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. “Why wouldn’t you want to be here?” Leiweke said.
Bulls GM Gar Forman has yet to begin negotiations with Nikola Mirotic but he’s confident that the European star will play for the Bulls at some point, as Forman told reporters today, including K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).

Clippers Rumors: Rivers, Sterling, Miller

April 30th, 2014 at 10:19am CST by Chuck Myron

The Clippers picked up a significant on-court victory Tuesday, beating the Warriors, but Adam Silver’s punishment of owner Donald Sterling is probably a significant off-court victory, too. The team would have become a pariah for players and agents, likely scuttling a squad that’s been building toward contention the past several years. Still, there’s no guarantee a key figure will be back, as we examine amid the latest on the Clippers:

Doc Rivers on Tuesday night still wouldn’t commit to returning to the team next season, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports notes.
There’s a strong chance that Sterling will sue the NBA on antitrust grounds, a source tells Michael McCann of SI.com, who outlines the legal ramifications of Silver’s decision.
Silver spoke with Sterling before announcing the punishment, but neither Sterling nor anyone on his behalf gave the league assurances that he won’t sue, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Sterling will have the chance to defend himself in a hearing before the NBA’s Board of Governors before the owners vote to strip the team from him, as Berger writes in the same piece. TNT’s David Aldridge seconds that in a piece for NBA.com that also lays out the timeline for the NBA’s probable ouster of the Clippers owner.
Rivers doubts that the Clippers can remain in the Sterling family, an idea that union vice president Roger Mason Jr. opposes, but Shelly Sterling, the wife of Donald Sterling, wants son-in-law Eric Miller to take over the team, Spears writes in a separate piece.

More Clippers/Sterling Fallout

April 29th, 2014 at 10:24pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There are more noteworthy quotes to pass along tonight regarding the reaction to Donald Sterling’s punishment, and what this could mean for the future of the Clippers organization, and we’ll continue to relay the latest below:

Based on what he’s heard out of Seattle and other cities, the NBA is only looking to find a new owner for the Clippers, not move them, tweets ESPN LA’s Arash Markazi.
Rochelle Sterling – wife of Donald Sterling – is in attendance at tonight’s Clippers-Warriors game but is watching from a suite, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN LA. Earlier today, league commissioner Adam Silver told the media that no decision has been made regarding Donald Sterling’s family: “This ruling applies specifically to Donald Sterling and Donald Sterling only” (Associated Press). In the same piece, it’s said that top Clipper executives aren’t likely to be shuffled in the short term, particularly while the team is still competing in the playoffs.
Former boxing star Oscar De La Hoya has emerged as another potential investor that would like to join Mayweather in his attempt to purchase the team, reports Bob Velin of USA Today.

Earlier updates:

Mayweather Promotions chief executive Leonard Ellerbe and Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer are among the investors that Floyd Mayweather Jr. alluded to when speaking of his interest in buying the Clippers, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.
NBPA vice president Roger Mason Jr. tells Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News that in addition to Donald Sterling’s ban, he expects Sterling’s family to be stripped of team ownership (Twitter link).
Clippers head coach and senior VP of basketball operations Doc Rivers says that Commissioner Adam Silver was fantastic today and made the right decision, adding: “we’re all in a better place because of this.” He later said that he couldn’t remember the last time he actually spoke with Donald Sterling (All Twitter links via Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe).
Rivers said he didn’t hear Sterling say anything racist before this incident and joined the organization “on good faith.” When asked about his future with the Clippers, Rivers had this to say: “I haven’t thought about leaving or staying…(but) Adam’s decision, if there was one, made mine easier” (All Twitter links from Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News).
“Is this over? No, it’s not over. But it’s the start of a healing process we need,” said Rivers, according to a tweet by Scott-Howard Cooper of NBA.com.
When asked if he would still work for Sterling, Rivers replied “I don’t know If I am.” He also told reporters that the locker room was silent when he delivered the news of Sterling’s punishment to the players (Twitter links via Arash Markazi of ESPN LA).
Entertainment mogul David Geffen – who made an attempt to buy the Clippers several years ago – is still reportedly interested in making a bid, a source tells Matthew Futterman of the Wall Street Journal.
Boxing megastar Floyd Mayweather Jr. tells Bob Velin of USA Today that he and some other investors would be interested in purchasing the team as well: “I can’t come in here talking about Mayweather only (acquiring) 3% or 4% (of the team)…”I (have) to get a solid percentage…But do we want to buy the Clippers? Yes we do. We’re very, very interested in buying the Clippers.”

Reaction To NBA’s Punishment Of Donald Sterling

April 29th, 2014 at 7:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

Donald Sterling told Jim Gray of Fox News that he has no intention of selling the Clippers, as Gray reported shortly before Adam Silver delivered the news that the Clippers owner is banned for life from the NBA (video link). It doesn’t appear as though the decision will be in his hands, however, as Silver interprets the NBA’s constitution to hold that a three-fourths majority of owners can strip the team from Sterling. Owners across the league have begun issuing statements in support of Silver, and one member of the Board of Governors tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that Silver has the votes necessary for the ouster (Twitter link). Here’s more reaction to the commissioner’s decision:

NBPA president Chris Paul had this to say before tonight’s playoff game: “In response to today’s ruling by the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver, my teammates and I are in agreement with his decision…We appreciate the strong leadership from Commissioner Silver and he has our full support” (Twitter links via ESPN LA’s Arash Markazi).
According to the NBA constitution, Sterling has 30 days to pay his $2.5MM fine, tweets Ken Berger of CBS Sports. If Sterling fails to comply, that in itself will be grounds for his dismissal by the Board of Governors.
Getting the votes necessary to take the team away from Sterling isn’t the issue, as Glen Taylor, chairman of the Board of Governors, tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). The legal fallout from such an action is the greater concern, Taylor says, adding that he’ll vote to oust Sterling.

Earlier updates:

Clippers president Andy Roeser will handle day-to-day operations for the Clippers in Sterling’s place, reports Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Any outcome short of Sterling selling the team wouldn’t have been enough for the league’s players, Mason said, as Mullen tweets. That suggests there will be extra pressure on the league’s owners to strip the team from Sterling, though it appears as though the owners will indeed vote Sterling out.
Sources tell Grantland’s Zach Lowe that Silver and the league, and not Sterling, would control the sale of the Clippers if the owners vote to take the team away from Sterling (Twitter link).
One Clippers player tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com that everyone on the team is pleased with Silver’s punishment (via Twitter). The Clippers released a statement saying that they “wholeheartedly support and embrace” Silver’s decision, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com passes along (on Twitter). While that statement seems to have come out without Sterling’s involvement, it’s unclear who’s running the Clippers for now, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
Sterling can’t attend any games or practices, show up at any Clippers office or facility, or take part in any business involving the team or the league in accordance with his lifetime ban, according to The Associated Press.
Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, speaking on behalf of the player’s union, expressed satisfaction with the commissioner’s ruling, notes Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (Twitter link).
Players were ready to boycott games if Silver didn’t act as they wanted him to, union vice president Roger Mason said, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Mason added that the players want owners to swiftly vote on Sterling’s ouster, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter).