ONE YEAR LATER: LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MOVE ON AFTER DONALD STERLING BAN

One year ago today, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Donald Sterling “for life” after an audio clip surfaced on TMZ featuring the Los Angeles Clippers owner making extremely racist comments to his then girlfriend V. Stiviano in an audio recording.

In the recording, the former team owner urged Stiviano to disassociate herself with Black people, not bring her Black friends to Clippers games and to refrain from posting photos of her and “minorities” such as Magic Johnson to her Instagram account. In the recording, Sterling was specifically heard saying: “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with Black people. Do you have to?”

At the press conference ironing out the details of Sterling’s punishment, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that Sterling may not attend any game or practices, be present at any Clippers office or facility, or participate in any business or player personnel decisions involving the team. “This league is far bigger than any one owner, any one coach and any one player,” said Silver.

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Silver also fined Sterling $2.5 million, which is the maximum amount allowed under the NBA’s constitution. The fine was donated to organizations dedicated to anti-discrimination and tolerance efforts that will be jointly selected by the NBA and the Players Association. “The lifetime banning of Donald Sterling is a bold and appropriate action in this matter,” said National Action Network founder Reverend Al Sharpton.

After the ruling, the Clippers were sold to Steve Ballmer, a Microsoft executive who vowed to be hardcore in every aspect of ownership. Currently the Clippers face a 3-2 deficit to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs.