Come reader, as we glimpse into the vain and amoral ponderings of the filthy rich and the honesty among the people that love them.
Donald Sterling is the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Los Angeles Clippers owner. In 1981 he bought the Clippers for $12.5 million – a team now worth $575 million according to Forbes. Sterling is a billionaire and rather racist.
Sterling’s self-respecting and obviously not-in-it-for-the-money girlfriend V. Stiviano describes herself on her Instagram as a: “Artist, Lover, Writer, Chef, Poet, Stylist, Philanthropist.” Her website, vstiviano.com, looks like this:
The darlings of TMZ Sports managed to get their hands on a recorded conversation planned by Stiviano that took place on April 9th. Stiviano and her boyfriend, Mr. Sterling, got in a heated argument in which he voiced his opposition of her taking pictures with minorities and Magic Johnson. Highlights of the recording include Sterling saying:
“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?” (3:30) – Ironically, Stiviano is a both black and Mexican.
“You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that … and not to bring them to my games.” (5:15)
“I’m just saying, in your lousy f******* Instagrams, you don’t have to have yourself with, walking with black people.” (7:45)
Pictures like these are what Sterling is upset about:
This isn’t the first time Sterling’s racism peered its ugly head. ESPN reported in November 2005 he wound up paying a fine of $2.73 million to settle claims in regards to discriminatory rental practices. In February 2009 he was sued for employment discrimination on the basis of age and race; that same year in August, the Los Angeles Times reported that he was sued again by the U.S. Department of Justice for housing discrimination, unwilling to rent to non-Koreans in Koreatown, Los Angeles, and to African Americans in Beverly Hills.
More money more problems.
Update (2014.04.28): DeadSpin recently acquired extra audio of the conversation above. Assumingly, Stiviano is selling it to the highest bidder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tof8ty3xzY
Now, what Sterling is suggesting is a racist culture in the elite that is unchangeable by the will one. It is deep rooted and still manages continuation in modern times; inescapable.
Images via YouTube, NBA.COM, vstiviano.com, twicsy (1), (2), (3)