For all of you that thought things would be different when it comes to race relations in this country because there is a black president, you forgot one thing. The billionaires and morons either did not get that memo or are just too plain stupid to understand it.
Enter Donald Sterling. By now you have heard about his comments and you have heard from everyone who has something to do with race on this planet. Come to think of it, we have heard from just about everyone on the planet, although the precincts from the country of Mongolia have been slow to report. Yes, Donald Sterling, a self-made billionaire who just never got it for many years until earlier this week.
Say hello to Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA. Silver had the whole world looking at him, and he made the right call. He banned Sterling from the NBA for life, levied the maximum fine and started the process, with the blessing of other owners, of selling the L.A. Clippers. Never in sports have we seen a situation like this, and hopefully we will never see another one, but for those who think they want to try on Adam Silver, I would suggest trying someone else.
Silver responded to his players that make this league. With a weaker response, anarchy could have reigned supreme. Instead, he unified league owners and fans unlike anything else that has ever taken place before now.
As for Sterling, to waste time and ink on such a despicable person would be useless. Sterling’s racist behavior in the past should have been checked before now by the NBA, but then again you can pick a league and there will some owner who has had problems in this area. Yes, it should have been addressed before now. The problem here is that this situation is costing the NBA money and its image.
While he is a billionaire according to his bank account, Donald Sterling is a loser in life as his team has reflected for so many years. The question is: who will defend him or try to run up the “free speech” flag like they always do?
There may be a draw back here as there may be a pushback from some in selling the team and the legal ramifications that may come from it. The NBA owners will have the final say on this and as they ponder how to punish one of their members, they need to be reminded that the slave mentality will no longer be tolerated. Yes, the players are millionaires and the owners are billionaires, but one needs to understand the other in order to move on from here.
The league bylaws worked here. To go overboard and re write the book may not be needed, with the exception of increasing fines. While it is the maximum, $2.5 million is not even half the money that the average player in this league makes.
I commend the actions of Adam Silver and how he handled himself in representing the NBA. The players and fans should feel good about his leadership even though he has only been on the job for just three months. Yes, there will be a time where he will lock horns with the Players Association , but so far he has proven that he has their backs.
Sterling has still made millions off the team and will cash another big check upon the eventual sale of the team, which is valued well north of a half-billion dollars. Sterling will have another payday for sure. Billionaires do that sort of thing. They also lose contact with reality, as Sterling has clearly displayed.
Good old Mizzou
For those who yearned for the days of Norm Stewart and the “glory days” at old Mizzou, look no further as former player and assistant coach at Missouri Kim Anderson has been named head coach of the basketball team. Perhaps the safest hire for Mike Alden, Anderson will hope to rekindle the glory days in Columbia.
He will have his work cut out for him as he has few good players as we speak. He’ll need to create a comfort level for all players he recruits, especially in St. Louis, where good players are starting to emerge. It’s my hope that Anderson will have a better relationship than his mentor Norm Stewart had as he neared the end of his coaching career. They say things change with time. Let’s hope this is one.
Anderson certainly deserves a chance and some time as he will be starting from scratch. Let’s hope he finds some talent in St. Louis quick as the three guys before him thought to go elsewhere for wins. So few wins that they are now elsewhere.
Let’s hope Kim Anderson is the man for all Mizzou fans. Time now for the local media to fawn all over Anderson. Hopefully Anderson is smart enough to know they can do little for him or the program. He will have to do it on his own.
