The Donald Sterling Story Continues

It seems that Donald Sterling, the octogenarian owner of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, is always in the headlines these days. Recently, it was for his interview with Anderson Cooper of CNN. This was his first interview since the controversy over his racist comment started about two weeks ago. In the recording, Sterling is talking to his girlfriend, V. Stiviano. He scolds her for bringing African-Americans to Clippers games as well as posting pictures of herself with African-Americans on Instagram. No one knows hows the recording was obtained, though some of have said Sterling had started recording his conversations, as he was planning on writing a memoir.

In the interview with Cooper, denied allegations that he was a racist. Instead, he said that he had been "baited" into making those remarks by Stiviano, even though he believes she is a "good person". Her friends however, say that she wanted fame. Sterling also denied that he had an intimate relationship with Stiviano, who is almost 50 years younger than him. His estranged wife however, believes that the relationship is intimate. Shelly Sterling is currently suing Stiviano to get back more than $2 million in gifts that Donald Sterling gave her. 

Shelly Sterling is also involved in a battle for ownership of the Clippers. Donald Sterling still owns the franchise, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is working with other NBA owners to force Sterling out of the league. Silver also issued Sterling a $2.5 million fine (the maximum amount that can be fined) and issued a lifetime ban on him, which means that Sterling will no longer be allowed to associate with the Clippers or the NBA. Shelly Sterling meanwhile, has said that she would like ownership of the team, even though many people, including NBA analyst Charles Barkeley, has stated that no player would play for the Clippers if any member of the Sterling family owned the team next year.

One man who is reportedly interested in buying the Clippers is Magic Johnson, one of the owners of the MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers and WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks. Sterling did mention Johnson many times in his interview, even saying that Johnson told him to keep quiet. Johnson responded on Twitter by saying that he no longer wanted to talk about Sterling. Sterling also slammed Johnson for having HIV and for not helping African-Americans.

Many people have come to the defense of Magic Johnson, who is also a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Silver issued an apology to Johnson, saying that he was sorry that Johnson kept being "dragged into the situation". Filmmaker Spike Lee also has defended Johnson, saying that he is "loved by everybody around the world".

As this story continues to unfold, it's hard to predict what will happen. One thing is for sure though: there will be a complex, legal battle that could get very messy.