[Houston Chronicle] Les Alexander wants all Clippers made Free Agents

Why won't he? When the Clippers sucked in the past you think they had great sponsors? All he will do is cut costs to the point where he is still making money and put a bad product on the floor, like he has done in the past.

 

I actually liked Cuban's comments. While I hate what Sterling said, I'm not sure if it's right to legally take someone's asset for something they said to someone else in the privacy of their own home. Now if an employer is discriminating in the NBA workplace then that's a different question, and something else to prove altogether. I do completely get how the NBA is more like a "club" where you have to gain access though, so if it's something in their constitution to allow a removal then so be it.

 

why stop there. Miami, bunch of fair humid weather fans. they don't deserve rocky sitting front row! make the heat all free agents.

 

I want Hedo too!

 

I'm certain they had sponsors regardless of how bad they were. This is different. This isn't a bad team. This guy is a social leper at this point...and associating with him taints you.

 

Cuban's first comments were:

"Hey, it's playoff time...the only thing we should be talking about is the Mavs!"

He took until yesterday to make his "slippery slope" comments. Owning a franchise means you're subject to the franchisor. It's not an independent business. And in this case, it's very high profile. The commissioner has broad discretion to take actions that will make it very uncomfortable for Sterling, and that's exactly what he should do. The NBA has a product to protect.

 

There is a legitimate business interest here that Sterling's comments could hurt the NBA brand. So while I think Sterling is entitled to having his own racist opinions this is having a bearing on the bottom line of the NBA and under that basis they could and should force him out.

 

Ok, so let's take all of their sponsors. He still gets his cut of league merchandising and league TV revenue, and the league is about to sign a bigger TV deal. The league now has revenue sharing, so he will get money from that. How will he lose money? If he does lose money, will it offset the money he can get from bargaining/borrowing off an asset that's probably worth $1B? He bought the team for $12.5M. It's now worth at least whatever the Bucks sold for. That's a big cookie asset to use for other things.

He isn't going to sell his team.

 

I agree with all of that. If there is something in the rules that allows them to take the team from him go ahead and do it. But from what I'm reading it only appears to be a vote getting 75% of the owners to say yes. I don't see that happening. Even if it does happen, I don't see Sterling going away without a fight. He has sued the league before. He doesn't care. He doesn't appear to care about being uncomfy either. I think we need to realize who we are talking about based on his previous track record.

 

Not just to help himself to some of the better players in the league, but because that way it would hurt his value. Sterling bought that team for something around the 16 million dollar mark and it is now valued at 570 million give or take. Forcing him to sell the team isn't really hurting him much.

 

Time to get predatory I see.

 

No kidding.

You know what I see? Mindless blood thirsty hyenas gnawing on fresh kill and stealing away pieces of the carcass to hang on their own walls.

 

Not sure what to think about this quote from Les.


Positives that I agree with -

-Sterling needs to be punished harshly
-the way to really punish Sterling would be to destroy the value of his franchise so he can't sell at a premium and make a billion dollars
-the way to do that is to remove CP3, and Griffin
-Players deserve a right to choose their employer

However-

-Wonder about the motive with Les here. Is he saying this because he believes in standing up for a just cause, and the betterment of humanity to not tolerate racial discrimination, or is he just stepping up to make this statement because he wants Chris Paul and/or Blake Griffin????

My guess is there is a little bit of both here.

 

I understand the alleged defense that it was recorded and in the privacy of his home. Its the fact that this single incident has brought all of it to head. An eclipse has finally aligned for this jerk after many years of getting away with it.

 

No they can't.

If fans don't like an owner for any number of reasons should the NBA force them out?

Why is everyone so on board with them going outside of their legal rights to take this team away when at the same time people want the CBA enforced when it comes to play discipline?

The same people yelling to rip his team away from him for being a racist would be the same ones screaming if the NBA took a player's contract away for doing something offensive. Should Kobe have lost his contract for being homophobic? Should the player that talked trash to the gay player on the Nets lose his contract?

 

They had that right and they chose Donald Sterling. So did Doc Rivers.

His racism wasn't a secret.

 

I'm assuming there's a league constitution and franchise agreements that speak to how they deal with wayward owners. Franchisors aren't powerless.

 

I have no idea what his revenues look like...what each part looks like...I know it costs money to operate a team and an office. I have no idea what his franchise will be worth on paper if it's without sponsors and has an identity/logo that no one wants to be associated with going forward.

 

Of course he does. Jimagine Chris Paul on the Rockets. Crawford off the bench. Make it happen les LoL

 

There are both. They've been discussed in articles that were posted. It would be a huge overreach if they force Sterling out by a vote of some sort. He will sue the hell out of them unless there is some sort of settlement agreement (which there still may be.)