Monday afternoon, NBA attorneys authenticated the audio recording of a 15 minute racist rant and confirmed that the man railing against black people is indeed NBA franchise owner Donald Sterling.
According to TMZ:
We’re told there was NO doubt by anyone the recording is the real deal. The NBA lawyers heard the 15 minutes that have been made public, but not the remaining 45. And we’re told … based on conversations along with analysis … they’re satisfied about authenticity.
As the Donald Sterling saga continues, more celebrities and sponsoring companies are pulling their support of the NBA franchise Los Angeles Clippers.
The latest to speak out is Victor Willis, former lead singer of the Village People. He’s refusing to allow the group’s mega hit, YMCA to be played at their game. Willis owns the rights to the song, and other sports anthem Macho Man and is serious in his claim. He has threatened to take legal action if the songs are played.
Tuesday morning, Newark Mayor Cory Booker said during an appearance on Fox’s Good Day New York there should be a “lot of actions taken against (Sterling)” and that “should this prove true, he should not be an NBA owner.”
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, a former NBA owner, said on a morning stop at CBS This Morning that if he were in charge, “I’d ban him for life,” adding, “This is much more than just about the NBA, this is about America.”
As part of the same interview, Oprah weighed in, “It feels like a plantation mentality in the 21st Century, in 2014. It just doesn’t fit. And I’m waiting to see what they’re going to do. Because something has to be done.”
R&B singer Tank, who was scheduled to sing the National Anthem at tonight’s Clippers playoff game. Tank tells TMZ, “As an African American man and artist, I must take a stand on a matter that is so deeply personal to me.”
Rapper Snoop Dogg took to his Instagram when the news first broke, telling Sterling how he really felt. In an expletive laced rant, the rapper exclaimed, “A message to the motherf*cker who owns the Clippers: B*tch-ass redneck white-bread chicken sh*t motherf*cker. F*ck you and your momma and everything connected to you, you racist piece of sh*t. F*ck you.”
Music mogul Steve Stoute, CEO of Translation, declared, ”This is a black eye to sports…It’s the businesses that sponsor this team that have to be appalled with that comment and that racist point of view and they have to stop supporting. And it’s the fans that have to say, ‘I am not going to buy tickets or things and support a team that has racist comments.’ if they don’t want African Americans at the game, they don’t want Latinos at the game, they don’t want women at the game…If that’s the feeling, then we all have to stand up and do that.”
Activist Al Sharpton is organizing a boycott of the NBA if Sterling isn’t suspended for his discriminatory comments.
The on going boycott of the Clipper’s owner doesn’t stop at high profile celebrities. Major companies, all who have had long standing relationships with the Clippers are backing out of their sponsorship.
Kia, CarMax, Virgin America, Amtrak and Red Bull have since cut all ties with the Clippers brand.
The NBA is holding a press conference Tuesday at 2pm ET to make an announcement about their investigation of Sterling.