National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday addressed a sea of reporters in Midtown where he formally banned LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling “for life” over racist comments Sterling allegedly made on tape.
Silver also says Sterling faces a $ 2.5 million fine, the maximum amount allowed under NBA rules, and will actively urge the league’s Board of Governors to force a sale of the team.
Silver says the fine will be donated to “organizations dedicated to anti-discrimination and tolerance efforts.”
Sterling’s ban from the league and the Clippers goes into effect immediately.
The league has been trying to verify that Sterling’s voice is the one heard on recordings released by Deadspin.com and TMZ.
On the clips, a man believed to be Sterling is heard questioning his girlfriend’s association with minorities, and telling her not to bring anyone who is black to any games.
Meanwhile, several companies including Mercedes-Benz, Virgin America Airlines, and Carmax have pulled their sponsorships of the Clippers over the controversy.
The NAACP also says it will no longer honor Sterling with a lifetime achievement award next month.
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