NBA Commissioner Adam Silver handed down an unprecedented lifetime ban to Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling on Tuesday for racist remarks he allegedly made on a recording leaked to TMZ.com. Silver also said he would ask the other NBA owners to exercise their authority to force a sale of the team. Shortly after Silver’s press conference, other NBA owners, stars and former players reacted to Sterling’s punishment on social media:
Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks (who previously said that banning Sterling could be a “slippery slope”)
Magic Johnson, famed former NBA player (who called for Sterling to lose his team and is rumored to be interested in purchasing the Los Angeles Clippers)
Lebron James, current Miami Heat player (who said there was “no room” for Sterling in the NBA and led his team’s protest against Sterling)
Jodie Meeks, current Los Angeles Lakers player
Jalen Rose, former NBA player and ESPN commentator
J.R. Smith, current New York Knicks player
Ed Davis, current Memphis Grizzlies player
Bill Simmons, sports and basketball commentator on ESPN
Stephen A. Smith, sports and basketball commentator on ESPN
Shabazz Muhammad, current Minnesota Timberwolves player
Reggie Miller, former NBA player and basketball commentator on TNT
Dwyane Wade, current Miami Heat player
Stephen Curry, current Golden State Warriors player
James Worthy, former NBA basketball player and commentator
Micky Arison, owner of the Miami Heat
David Robinson, former NBA player
Grant Hill, former NBA player
Shaquille O’Neal, former NBA player and commentator on TNT
Jason Collins, current Brooklyn Nets player
The Clippers, meanwhile changed their social media profiles and avatars to the picture that reads, “We are one.”
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