The NBA must revoke Donald Sterling’s rights to own the Los Angeles Clippers professional basketball team.  There’s no room for racists in professional sport.  New NBA Commissioner Adam Silver I’m calling on you to demonstrate your leadership and inform Mr. Sterling the league is going to take over ownership of his team.  How can any employee of the Clippers continue to work for this man?  How can Sterling ever show his face in public again without total ridicule.  He needs a reminder that there’s no room for racists especially in positions of power like owning an NBA franchise.  President Obama has it right, Sterling’s comments are incredibly offensive and speak for themselves.  He sounds like a complete asshole.  Something needs to be done by the league now to remove this bigot from the game.

There’s no acceptable justification to allow Sterling to continue his ownership of the Clippers.  His team is comprised of some of the most talented basketball players on the planet and yes, Mr. Sterling, they are men of color.  So are the fans of your team, some of whom are God fearing, tax paying, hard working Americans, just like you.  Some do not live in the United States nor are they American citizens.  But, just because they don’t look like you don’t mean they are any less of a human being then you are.  There must be some NBA bylaw and, if there isn’t, one should be created to prevent idiots like this to own a professional sports team.  Racism cannot be tolerated.  American society was built on the premise that all men were created equal and yet a small minded minority like Sterling continues to judge people by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character.  In today’s interconnected diverse world, his comments are shameful.

Of all people, Sterling should know this.  His parents were Jewish immigrants.   He is a self-made man building his fortune by being a divorce attorney and real estate mogul in Southern California.  He’s one of the longest tenured owners in the NBA.  He’s 80 years old and should know better.

The longer the NBA takes to do something, the longer it’s A rating for diversity suffers.  Former Commissioner Stern’s legacy to bring greater diversity to the NBA suffers if something drastic isn’t done swiftly and severely to Mr. Sterling.  The only option is removing his right to own the Clippers.  He has plenty of money to retire comfortably, in his own way, with his own white friends, and to not have to worry again who his trophy girlfriend is photographed with.