
Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers told his girlfriend that he doesn’t want her to bring black people to his games or post pictures with black people on Instagram, according to audio obtained by TMZ.
The tape begins in the middle of an argument between Sterling and his girlfriend, V. Stiviano. Sterling appears to be upset that Stiviano, who is black and Mexican, has been posting photos to Instagram of herself with black people — in particular, with Magic Johnson.
Among the comments:
— “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?” (3:30)
— “You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that … and not to bring them to my games.” (5:15)
— “I’m just saying, in your lousy f******* Instagrams, you don’t have to have yourself with, walking with black people.” (7:45)
— “…Don’t put him [Magic] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don’t bring him to my games.” (9:13)
Magic Johnson has heard Sterling’s comments, and he’s not pleased. “It’s a shame that Donald Sterling feels that way about African-Americans,” he told TMZ. “He has a team full of amazing African-American basketball players that are working to bring a championship to Clippers fans. The Clippers also have a strong minority fan base.”
Sterling has long had a reputation for racism. In 2009, Sterling paid $2.7 million in response to a housing discrimination lawsuit that accused him of refusing to rent apartments in his properties to blacks and Hispanics. Sterling and his wife denied the claims and said the settlement was not an admission of guilt, according to the LA Times.