LA Clippers Owner Donald Sterling under fire for taped racist comments to GF

[MaxQue]

He shouldn't be forced to do anything.  He owns the team.  If he gets hit financially, it may be advantageous for him to sell the team, but I doubt there'll be any mass boycotts.  I don't see sports fans going on any sort of massive boycott, and most people will have forgotten about this in a week.

Membership of the league for the team isn't a right, through. So, in that way, NBA can force him out if they decide to do so.

[MaxQue]

He shouldn't be forced to do anything.  He owns the team.  If he gets hit financially, it may be advantageous for him to sell the team, but I doubt there'll be any mass boycotts.  I don't see sports fans going on any sort of massive boycott, and most people will have forgotten about this in a week.

Membership of the league for the team isn't a right, through. So, in that way, NBA can force him out if they decide to do so.

Well that depends on what the franchise contract says.

Experts seemed to say than the easiest way to do so would be to just suspend him for an indefinite period, like it can suspend any coach or player.

[MaxQue]

He shouldn't be forced to do anything.  He owns the team.  If he gets hit financially, it may be advantageous for him to sell the team, but I doubt there'll be any mass boycotts.  I don't see sports fans going on any sort of massive boycott, and most people will have forgotten about this in a week.

Membership of the league for the team isn't a right, through. So, in that way, NBA can force him out if they decide to do so.

Well that depends on what the franchise contract says.

Experts seemed to say than the easiest way to do so would be to just suspend him for an indefinite period, like it can suspend any coach or player.

Before even investigating it?

And does the NBA really want to go down the road of suspending people whenever they make racist remarks?

No, after the investigation, obviously. But I'm sure there is already studying the options of the NBA should they decide to sanction him.

Most professionnal leagues are suspending players uttering racist remarks, as far as I know. Or fine them. Another issue is than many players are black and the players association isn't happy at all. The new commissionner doesn't want a rocky start with them.

[MaxQue]

He shouldn't be forced to do anything.  He owns the team.  If he gets hit financially, it may be advantageous for him to sell the team, but I doubt there'll be any mass boycotts.  I don't see sports fans going on any sort of massive boycott, and most people will have forgotten about this in a week.

Membership of the league for the team isn't a right, through. So, in that way, NBA can force him out if they decide to do so.

Well that depends on what the franchise contract says.

Experts seemed to say than the easiest way to do so would be to just suspend him for an indefinite period, like it can suspend any coach or player.

Before even investigating it?

And does the NBA really want to go down the road of suspending people whenever they make racist remarks?

No, after the investigation, obviously. But I'm sure there is already studying the options of the NBA should they decide to sanction him.

Most professionnal leagues are suspending players uttering racist remarks, as far as I know. Or fine them. Another issue is than many players are black and the players association isn't happy at all. The new commissionner doesn't want a rocky start with them.

So what would an "indefinite suspension" look like?

Like any suspension, but without an end. It would be like a ban from NBA events.

EDIT: And, more significant, team players seem very angry. They threw the team sweatshirts on the ground during warm-up (doing the warm-up in plain clothes without any words written on) and they wore black socks and armbands during the match.

[MaxQue]

I don't know what the point of the fine is. If he's not going to associate with the league, then why pay a fine?

The money of the fine will be give to an organisation fighting racism.

NBA had no choice, Players Association was pressuring them and sponsors were leaving. They had to do something.

[MaxQue]

The fact that this demonstrates there can be fairly adverse economic consequences for being a known racist does weaken the case for the continuation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act.  Of course implying that an NBA franchise is anything like a typical business serving the public would be idiotic, but no business that seeks to have a national presence can afford to be seen to be tolerating racism today.  Alas, we're not there yet, as the NBA was willing to tolerate Sterling as long as he wasn't widely seen.

Many owners hating him and wanted to get rid of him since long, but they needed 24 team owners (on 30) agreeing on that. Hard to do so without a good reason.

[MaxQue]

If he was a poster here, he would most likely be infracted for excessive hyperbole.