At a press conference this afternoon, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been hit with a lifetime NBA ban and a $2.5 million fine for allegedly making racist remarks. Thing is, Sterling has a long, shameful history of racist conduct, of which the NBA was well aware. So why did the NBA put up with it for so long?
That’s what “Inside Edition” reporter Lisa Guerrero wanted to know, and she boldly confronted Silver:
If Adam Silver came hard at Donald Sterling, Lisa Guerrero hit Silver just as hard asking about the NBA looking the other way for years.
— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) April 29, 2014
She also alluded to the Justice Department’s 2006 housing discrimination lawsuit filed against Sterling:
Lisa Guerrero (framing a question for the commish): Sterling "a racist slumlord"…#NBA
— steven west (@SteveWestATL) April 29, 2014
Silver deflected:
When Inside Edition reporter Lisa Guerrero asked why the NBA hadn’t acted before, such as when Sterling was involved in housing discrimination, employment discrimination, and sexual harassment lawsuits, Silver responded that he “can not speak for past reactions,” but that “when the NBA was presented with specific evidence, it acted.”
Observers weren’t all that impressed by Silver’s lackluster response:
@EdgeofSports I thought Lisa Guerrero's question was spot on, but that Silver basically ducked it.
— Oink (@seaman_bodine) April 29, 2014
Good question @4lisaguerrero! I wish he answered it better. #DonaldSterling pic.twitter.com/Abm8Tx7prD
— Dwight Nixon (@PhotogDwight) April 29, 2014
https://twitter.com/davesportsgod/status/461211395317456896
Lisa Guerrero asked an awesome question. Too bad #AdamSilver dodged it
— London_Eye? (@theRealRoeLuv) April 29, 2014
But they applauded Guerrero for daring to ask the question that’s been on so many minds:
https://twitter.com/JozDalt/status/461209305170313216
Good on Guerrero.
https://twitter.com/greghoward88/status/461208785865162752
Kudos to Lisa Guerrero of Inside Edition for asking why Sterling was not taken account for past actions of racism and being a slumlord
— rxbun (@rxbun) April 29, 2014
congrats to @4lisaguerrero for calling the NBA out on letting Sterling slide on being a racist slumlord for decades.
— T1theinfamous (@T1theinfamous) April 29, 2014
https://twitter.com/JohnDennisWEEI/status/461208710355103744
https://twitter.com/BlackCanseco/status/461218808678473729
Lisa Guerrero had that question locked and loaded lol
— Adrian (@ElQueSab3_) April 29, 2014
Just saw my girl @4lisaguerrero with @InsideEdition asking a phenomenal question as she always does, at the @NBA Donald Sterling conference.
— J.D. ?? ?? ?? ?? (@iownjd) April 29, 2014
I love this reporter who called Sterling a ‘racist slumlord’…she was real with her feelings.
— Krissy Brierre-Davis (@krissybri) April 29, 2014
The lady from @InsideEdition had the toughest question for the NBA Press Conference. She showed no fear, I like that.
— Corey (@CoreyCW) April 29, 2014
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