Donald Sterling

Courtesy of Inner-City Newspaper

Over the last week, the biggest story in America has been the racist comments by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Sterling, the LA real-estate mogul, made waves when he said bigoted things in a phone conversation illegally recorded by his mistress, V. Stiviano. Among the offensive comments was Sterling saying to Stiviano "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people" in response to an Instagram picture she took with Magic Johnson. “Bring him here, feed him, **** him, I don't care. You can do anything. But don't put him on an Instagram for the world to see so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games. ok?" The news of this incident made the rounds quickly, putting pressure on new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to act swiftly and firmly. In their first game following the comments, the Clippers staged a silent protest by turning their warm up shirts inside out and putting them at half court. The Miami Heat also turned their shirts inside out to show solidarity. Numerous NBA legends like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson publicly ripped Sterling. It is now known that a league-wide boycott was planned if Silver was soft in his punishment.

These comments took the country by storm because they point out a type of racism that many people are unfamiliar with. People know how to react to incidents like Philadelphia Eagles receiver Riley Cooper threateningly saying the n-word on camera. It is also easy to grasp the idea of a bigot who disassociates with the group he/she hates. Donald Sterling shows that sometimes the most bigoted people are the ones smiling in your face. His comments point out the incredibly deep-seeded superiority he feels. People like Sterling have no problem associating with minorities as long as they are still in a position of power. The fact that Sterling referenced hiring blacks as “giving them” things is an example. What makes Sterling so despicable is that he is an authority figure with the ability to hire and fire people, not just his comments alone.

Many are concerned that this punishment will set a precedent for Silver to unfairly enforce rules in the future, but I disagree. As commissioner, Silver can hand down whatever punishment he wants based on his own judgment. He has the right to ban DeJuan Blair for life for kicking Tiago Splitter in the head. Silver would never do this, however, because there would be tremendous backlash. Much like a government could imprison someone for life for stealing a loaf of bread, but knows it isn’t worth the impending riot. People know when the punishment does not fit the crime. Silver knew that he would be universally supported, so he went forward without asking permission first. This does not mean Silver will throw around life-banishments whenever he wants, only when it is truly warranted. So the only precedent being set is one against comments as bad as what Sterling said.

Silver’s strong verdict and the universally positive reaction to it shows progress in our society, but I am still somewhat cynical. What if Sterling owned an NHL team instead? Would his comments have resonated as strongly? NBA players were ready to boycott, unsurprising since 78% of the league is black. I do not know if they would have taken such a strong stance if they were mostly white players who were not personally targeted by the comments. His lifetime ban is a significant decision, but there are still many bigots out there who are skilled at hiding it.