The Los Angeles Clippers sent a powerful message Sunday during warm-ups for their playoff game seemingly in response to audio that leaked online this weekend of chairman Donald Sterling allegedly making racist comments in a conversation with his girlfriend. The players left their team-issued shooting shirts in a pile in center court and turned their gear inside-out to obscure the team’s logo.
A powerful moment on the court for the Clippers http://t.co/DdBsmUk7FM http://t.co/Yb6c8itFao
— Sarah Parnass (@WordsOfSarah) April 27, 2014The Clippers took off their shooting shirts and dumped them at center court. pic.twitter.com/Nod5QWsWJy
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 27, 2014“There is no negativity. I love everybody,” a man TMZ identified as Sterling says on the recorded audio, after confronting his girlfriend over posting pictures of herself with African-American sports figures on her Instagram account. “I’m just saying in your lousy f***** Instagrams, you don’t have to have yourself with, walking with black people… You can sleep with them. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want,” the man added. “The little I ask you is not to promote it on that, and not to bring them to my games.”
The NBA promised a quick and thorough investigation into the audio, which NBC News has not confirmed, and which Sterling has not denied.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that Sterling will not be attending Sunday night’s game against the Gloden State Warriors.
Clippers take off their warmups that say team name before layups, leave them at half court..
— Ray Ratto (@RattoCSN) April 27, 2014PS – all of the Clipper warmups jackets are in a pile at midcourt as they warm up for Game 4 with no logos. Pretty amazing scene.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) April 27, 2014#DubNation fans condemning racist comments attributed to #Clippers owner #Sterling pic.twitter.com/LL6NepU1PU
— Christien Kafton (@ckaftonktvu) April 27, 2014Related: Clippers owner represents ‘the vestiges of discrimination,’ Obama says
RT @SpearsNBAYahoo: #Clippers wearing shooting shirts inside out. pic.twitter.com/VkLUHn3o7h
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 27, 2014The #Clippers are wearing their warmups inside out so the Clippers logo doesn't show. pic.twitter.com/ss2B1fUuDG
— NBA RETWEET (@RTNBA) April 27, 2014Clippers wearing plain RED t-shirts without a #Clippers logo to protest #DonaldSterling!! RESPECT. pic.twitter.com/4Y67b8R6nO
— Basketball Forever (@Bballforeverfb) April 27, 2014
Erin Delmore