The Los Angeles Clippers voiced their support for the NBA’s lifetime ban imposed on Donald Sterling, but the team’s players and coaches sympathized with the owner’s wife.
Shortly after the league punished Sterling for making racist remarks to his mistress, the team said in a statement that it “wholeheartedly support[s] and embrace[s] the decision,” which was handed down hours before the Clippers’ home playoff game against the Golden State Warriors.
The decision made matters even more awkward for Sterling’s wife, Shelly Sterling, who can typically be found courtside at the Staples Center for the Clippers’ home games.
But in the wake of the NBA’s punishment, Shelly Sterling watched the game from a luxury suite. ESPN reported that she was flanked by a “handful of bodyguards” and exited the Staples Center immediately after the game ended.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers said he gave his blessing when she asked if it would be appropriate to attend the game.
“It’s a tough one for Shelly, really,” Rivers said, as quoted by ESPN. “She didn’t do anything wrong. You have compassion for her. I kept hearing about the girlfriend, and Shelly’s the wife. You know what I mean? I talked to her today, and she’s been through as much as anyone as well. She asked if she could come, which I thought was a very nice gesture, and she just wanted the players to know that she loved them and she told me to tell them. I thought why not?”
Shelly Sterling sat courtside for Sunday’s game between the Clippers and Warriors in Oakland, mere days after a recording of her husband making racist comments ignited a nationwide firestorm. She denounced those comments on Sunday, telling ESPN that she’s “not a racist.”
Clippers superstar Chris Paul said he had no qualms with her attending Tuesday night’s home game.
“Coach talked about it in our locker room how I’m sure it’s been tough on her also,” Paul said, according to ESPN. “She came to our game to support us in Golden State, and for us it’s tough, but I can’t imagine how tough it is for that family so we’ll let them get through that. I think the biggest thing for us is getting back to basketball and doing what we love.”
The Clippers won the game to take a 3-2 lead in the first round playoff series after receiving an emotional ovation from the home crowd.
She’s no angel either.
EDIT: Hey TPM. There was an NBC poll released showing higher poll numbers for Obama (but of course they issued the caveat of how it’s still not good, “still difficult terrain” etc) http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2014/04/30/obama-nbc-wall-street-journal-poll-approval-ratings-abc-washington-post/8502175/
Just thought you should know so you can trumpet that like you did the other one.
What a bunch of bull. I was totally gobsmacked to learn yesterday from one of the commenters here, that she’s been with this d-bag for 50 years. In addition, she has a history of trying to sue Stirling’s girlfriends out of the gifts (homes) he’s given them. Gah!
This ain’t her first rodeo; won’t be the last. She’s probably just shocked that it all blew up as fast and furious as it did.
you mad 'bro? And you know “she’s no angel either” how?
And let’s not forget TPM, where’s the followup on the Paul Simon marriage brawl.
Hey TD - one more thing:
Gross domestic product expanded at a 0.1 percent annual rate,
Economists polled by Reuters had expected growth to slow to a 1.2 percent rate.
They feel sorry for her??? WTF
THIS from the thread running just above this one:
[During a 2009 deposition, a tenant in one of the Sterling’s apartment buildings accused Rochelle Sterling of once calling him a “black m—f—” during a discussion.
“I asked her again, I asked her, ‘would you reduce the rent?’” Darrell Rhodes said in the deposition, according to the Times. “And she said, ‘who do you think you are, you black m—f—.’"
Rhodes sued the Sterlings in federal court in 2007, accusing the couple of discriminatory behavior. His case was ultimately part of a $2.765 million settlement reached in 2009 between the Sterlings, the Justice Department, and other Sterling tenants, according to the Times. As part of the deal, the Sterlings did not admit any wrongdoing.
In a separate deposition in 2009, an on-site manager who worked at one of the Sterlings’ buildings described a time that Rochelle Sterling visited the building.
“She said, ‘Oh, my God. This is so filthy. I can’t remodel my apartments the way that I want because Latinos are so filthy," manager Maira Oliva said, according to the Times.
"Did she say those exact words, ‘Latinos are so filthy’?” an attorney asked Oliva.
“I can’t remodel my building the way I want and that the building was filthy because of the Latinos," Oliva replied. ]
She’s fortunate that I wasn’t in charge of making the decision as to whether to allow her to attend the game or not! I’m not as charitable as Doc Rivers and the Clippers team members The way I see it, it if you lie down with dogs, you’ll surely catch some fleas.