An organization like the Jazz takes care of their people without having to self-promote it. Sterling not so much... http://journaltimes.com/sports/bucks/article_efc79902-4ebd-11e0-8c1b-001cc4c002e0.html
That's cold. They'd ****ing let a man die like that just because they are too cheap to pay the bill? Kudos to the players; **** the owners.
The kind of pub might cause Stern to move into action and free the Clippers from DTS. He is an embarrassment. Major props to Maggette, Kaman, Brand and Jaric.
honestly Stern is always concerned about the image the NBA puts on yet he continues to allow Sterling to run the clippers as one of the worse organizations in all of sports from a business ethics and winning standpoint. How soon until he forces Sterling to do something? For that matter the other owners should say something too they are being reflected upon poorly in this as well.
And this is exactly the kind of stuff that the Clippers are known for and why DeAndre Jordan will seek employment elsewhere come the offseason as will Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, Randy Foye, Mo Williams, etc. as soon as they get a chance to leave.
How do we know which of the other teams, if any, would cover a cost like that? I bet the Clippers aren't the only ones.
this is a good point. Maybe Sterling never even knew about it or heard about his situation. I imagine Sterling doesn't make the Medical Insurance decisions. He most likely purchased insurance for all his employees and the insurance company decides what is covered and not covered. Now it would be different if he approached Sterling for some help and he shot him down.
I'm not sure it's within Stern's power to force Sterling out. Does NBA's constitution (or whatever establishes the relationship between the league and its teams) have a clause allowing an owner to be forced out for douch-baggery? Economically, though, I think having a Sterling-type owner probably hurts the image of the league and its revenue. I am not how by how much, though-- most fans probably would still watch the Clips because they like Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon even if they dislike Sterling since they don't have to see the owner for the most part. On the other hand, George Shinn's shenanigans definitely hurt the Hornets and the NBA's standing in the Charlotte market.
I'm always looking for a chance to criticize Sterling, but I think you're right; this story doesn't smell right. It seems unlikely that the Clippers are self-insuring, so it was probably an insurance company that shot him down. From the way the story goes, my suspicion is that this second doctor/hospital isn't in the network. He could have waited for the first doctor and been covered (though sounds like that would have been a bad move).
It's $70,000. That's pocket change for these owners. Besides... they could just help the ailing party and just sell it off as a huge PR stunt.
So you don't think this quote was true? Sounds like the organization had control over what would be covered and what wouldn't.
I'm going to focus on the positive aspect of this story here and say that it was just great of those guys to do such a thing. It may just be one game's pay for most of them, but it is still nice to see athletes putting other people before themselves once in a while.