Nov 13, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling (left) and wife Shelly Sterling attend the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center. The Clippers defeated the Thunder 111-103. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Two-Time All-Star Refers To Former NBA Owner Donald Sterling As "Beyond Ignorant"

Originally posted on Back in the Day NBA on SI
By Shandel Richardson | Last updated Jan 30, 2025 2:32 PM ET

In 2014, former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned from the NBA over making alleged racist comments.

Sterling owned the team since 1981 before selling it August before the start of the 2014-15 season. Two-time NBA All-Star Baron Davis, who played for the Clippers when Sterling was in control spoke on the situation during an appearance on the Dan LeBatard Show.

"Donald Sterling is not a racist," Davis said. "He is a hate everybody-ist. He don't give a sh*t. He don't understand blacks, he don't understand Latinos, Asians, white people. He don't understand [expletive]. He's delusional. Whatever he says to you is like whatever the [bleep] he's thinking. He is beyond ignorant."

"Donald Sterling is not a racist. He is a hate everybody-ist. He don't give a sh*t... He wasn't a basketball fan. Basketball was just a real estate holding that he probably didn't even like." @BaronDavis opens up about the major dysfunction inside the Los Angeles Clippers under… pic.twitter.com/4vYTR8dtfZ
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) January 30, 2025

Davis said Sterling only used the Clippers to make his other businesses look good.

"When you have that much money and you use your team as a scapegoat, if you use the team as a media play for your other business play," Davis said. "He wasn't a basketball fan. Basketball was just a real estate holding that he probably didn't even like."

Back in 2014, the incident was major news. At the time, it prompted the league's biggest star, LeBron James, to address it.

"Who you are will come to light; you can't hide it," James said. "It don't matter how much you can fake in front of cameras or try to be someone you're not. At end of the day, who you truly are will come to light. No matter if [Sterling] said that in confinement of his family or said that by himself, he is who he is. He was that before he even owned the Clippers."

This article first appeared on Back in the Day NBA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: