V. Stiviano and Donald Sterling
Audio inside
Donald Sterling is so caught up in his own twisted view of the world he doesn't consider himself to be a racist although his track record strongly suggests otherwise.
Besides owning the Los Angeles Clippers, Sterling is also the owner of several apartment and housing projects in the L.A. area.
In 2006 he was sued for discriminatory practices against African Americans and families with children. According to the
Bleacher Report, the business mogul paid a record
$2.725 million to settle the suit.
Scott Glover covered the case for the
Los Angeles Times. In 2009 he wrote that Sterling would have been completely exposed for his racist practices had the case gone to trial.
In court filings, Justice Department lawyers presented evidence that the Sterling's made statements “indicating that African Americans and Hispanics were not desirable tenants and that they preferred Korean tenants” occupy buildings they owned in Koreatown
.
Had the case gone to trial, an expert would have testified that an analysis of the Sterlings' rental practices in Koreatown revealed that they rented to far fewer African Americans and Hispanics than would be expected, based on demographics. As part of the settlement, the Sterlings will be required to pay for an independent contractor to monitor their employees' compliance with the Fair Housing Act over the next three years. The results of the tests would be reported to the Sterlings and to the government.
Deadspin obtained depositions from a similar lawsuit in 2003.
Sumner Davenport, one of Sterling's four top property supervisors, was told the owner "
wanted tenants that fit his image."
When Sterling took Davenport on a tour of The Ardmore Apartments he blamed an odor on African Americans and Mexicans.
"That's because of all the blacks in this building, they smell, they're not clean," he said, according to Davenport's testimony. "And it's because of all of the Mexicans that just sit around and smoke and drink all day." He added: "So we have to get them out of here."
Davenport came across an elderly woman named Kandynce Jones at the apartments. her apartment was flooded. Davenport said Jones was paralyzed on one side. She asked to be compensated for the damage to her place.
When Davenport reported her finding to Sterling he told her that he wasn't going to fix anything and to get rid of Jones.
"Is she one of those black people that stink?" When Davenport told Sterling that Jones wanted to be reimbursed for the water damage and compensated for her ruined property, he replied: "I am not going to do that. Just evict the b****."
Throughout all of these accusations the NBA has failed to act.
"The content of his lawsuits alone should have been acted on, but the other members of the club – in addition to Stern – should have [held him] accountable," one high-level NBA official told
Yahoo Sports on Saturday. "But no one would touch it. We were always holding players, teams and coaches accountable, yet the standard for owners has been a double standard.
Being an owner comes with an obligation to your business partners that extends beyond just a fiduciary responsibility."
Elgin Baylor
Hall of Fame basketball player and former Clippers executive
Elgin Baylor sued Sterling and others in February 2009 in L.A. Superior Court for wrongful termination and discrimination on the basis of age and race.
In Baylor's deposition he detailed several incidents he thought were race related.
1. Baylor spoke about what he called Sterling's "plantation mentality," alleging the owner in the late 1990s rejected a coaching candidate, Jim Brewer, because of race. Baylor quoted Sterling as saying: "Personally, I would like to have a white Southern coach coaching poor black players."
2. During negotiations for a new contract for player Danny Mannind, his agent told Sterling that the offer was unacceptable, Sterling responded by saying it was a lot of money. Said Baylor, in the deposition: “Donald T. said, ‘Well that’s a lot of money for a poor black ... ' -- I think he said kid. For a poor black kid I think. For a poor black something, kid or boy or something. Poor black. Poor black. Danny was upset. So Danny just stormed out. He just stormed out of the place. Where he went, I don’t know. He never came back to the house.”
Today
Deadspin has gotten a hold of new audiotape of Sterling spewing more racial hatred during a conversation with his girlfriend v. Stivianao.
V: I don't understand, I don't see your views. I wasn't raised the way you were raised.
DS: Well then, if you don't feel—don't come to my games. Don't bring black people, and don't come.
V: Do you know that you have a whole team that's black, that plays for you?
DS: You just, do I know? I support them and give them food, and clothes, and cars, and houses. Who gives it to them? Does someone else give it to them?Do I know that I have—Who makes the game? Do I make the game, or do they make the game? Is there 30 owners, that created the league?
V: Honey, if it makes you happy, I will remove all of the black people from my Instagram.
DS: You said that before, you said, "I understand."
V: I DID remove the people that were independently on my Instagram that are black.
DS: Then why did you start saying that you didn't? You just said that you didn't remove them. You didn't remove every—
V: I didn't remove Matt Kemp and Magic Johnson, but I thought—
DS: Why?
V: I thought Matt Kemp is mixed, and he was OK, just like me.
DS: OK.
V: He's lighter and whiter than me.
DS: OK.
V: I met his mother.
DS: You think I'm a racist, and wouldn't—
V: I don't think you're a racist.
DS: Yes you do. Yes you do.
V: I think you, you—
DS: Evil heart.
And there is also this baffling exchange about black Jews in Israel:
DS: It's the world! You go to Israel, the blacks are just treated like dogs.
V: So do you have to treat them like that too?
DS: The white Jews, there's white Jews and black Jews, do you understand?
V: And are the black Jews less than the white Jews?
DS: A hundred percent, fifty, a hundred percent.
V: And is that right?
DS: It isn't a question—we don't evaluate what's right and wrong, we live in a society. We live in a culture. We have to live within that culture.
V: But shouldn't we take a stand for what's wrong? And be the change and the difference?
DS: I don't want to change the culture, because I can't. It's too big and too [unknown].
V: But you can change yourself.
DS: I don't want to change. If my girl can't do what I want, I don't want the girl. I'll find a girl that will do what I want! Believe me. I thought you were that girl—because I tried to do what you want. But you're not that girl.
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