OAKLAND — C.J. Paul watched and wondered like the rest of us Sunday afternoon.
Sitting
baseline as always, the brother of Los Angeles Clippers point guard
Chris Paul wasn't sure how this team, at the center of a controversy
still raw and unresolved, would respond once the ball went in the air
again. He recounted how hard the last few days had been for all of them
after those hateful words attributed to team owner Donald Sterling were
revealed by TMZ, and Paul watched as the Clippers took the floor, the
players no doubt still wondering what the NBA was going to do about it.
The
players lodged a silent protest, pulling off their team warm-ups,
piling them on the court and going through their drills in plain red
shirts and pants. They wore black wristbands and socks.
PRESSURE: NBA world demands action
TIMELINE: Reviewing Sterling's Clippers
A
reminder of the recent ugly events wasn't far away, either, as the wife
of the shamed Sterling, Shelly, made the inane choice to not only
attend the game but also sit in her standard seats — directly across
from the team on which 12 of 14 players are African American. She wore
all black, including the leather jacket and the pants and those high
heels that stayed on the floor until long after the Golden State
Warriors' 118-97 win.
But she wasn't inspiring, not like the
Clippers players. If her attire carried any symbolism, it would be to
point toward the end of her husband's disgraceful tenure as owner of the
Clippers.
Yet sadly, it likely won't.
For all the tough
talk that has come after of Sterling's alleged comments to his
girlfriend, the reality of the NBA's constitution and bylaws is that the
league can't simply take away Sterling's team because he reminded us of
his warped world view.
PROTEST: Clippers turn warmups inside-out
STERLING WIFE: Shelly says, 'I am not a racist'
There
will be a fine — the maximum is $1 million — and there probably will be
a suspension, and Clippers coach Doc Rivers said he expects those
verdicts to come down by the time Game 5 arrives Tuesday in Los Angeles.
But
the notion that Sterling will be kicked out of this basketball club
that he's been an embarrassing part of since 1981 appears far-fetched —
at the moment. And that is where this story is about to get even more
important.
The widespread trust in new Commissioner Adam Silver is
a good thing. But the owners, players, coaches, executives and fans who
bankroll this operation must not be fooled into thinking Silver can do
this alone. It will take many to deal with an owner as tenured as
Sterling.
Former player and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who is
acting on behalf of the National Basketball Players Association at the
request of Chris Paul, met with Silver before the Warriors-Clippers
game. The two of them talked in a hallway for about 15 minutes, with the
players' views being expressed to the league's new boss while Johnson —
who had a conference call Saturday night with the union's executive
committee — sought clarity on the potential punishment.
"I think that the players … are waiting for the commissioner to act
decisively," Johnson said. "They want the maximum of what constitutional
bylaws will allow, and we're trying to figure out what that is. And
that's why they want to know. They want the max. They want a decision to
be made quickly and decisively.
"Diversity is important. If we
are not valuing the players, and respecting them accordingly, or if we
allow owners to do anything other than to esteem and work in
partnership, it's just not acceptable. … Anything that taints or
tarnishes this great game that we love so dearly (is not acceptable).
There is no place for that. And there is a unanimous sentiment about
that."
The
only path to that outcome, however, is by continuing to apply pressure
that Sterling should have been getting from the NBA years ago. It will
be messy and could include endless legalities, but getting Sterling out
starts with him getting the message that he is no longer wanted in these
parts.
It's people such as Rivers, who was asked if he could
return next season if Sterling still owned the team. He gave the perfect
answer: "Don't know yet. Just going to leave it at that."
It's
Warriors coach Mark Jackson, who was asked if he would coach the
Clippers if he found himself without a job anytime soon: "I cannot right
now. Knowing the mentality, I cannot."
It's Michael Jordan
speaking out as he did Sunday, the Charlotte Bobcats owner and legend of
the game admonishing Sterling's words.
This should be just the beginning. That's the part that must not be forgotten. Let up, and you let Sterling off.
"I
think if there's anything, racism, (or) injustice of any kind, it
should always be front and center and we should never run from it,"
Rivers said. "I think we all do a good job running from it. You should
never run from it; you should confront it and try to do your best to
handle it. I think we are doing our best right now in this case by
trying to do that.
"How long it needs to stay front and center? I don't know. Let's say until there is none. You know? Maybe that's how long."
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