“We have to make a clean break, I think,” Garcetti said at City Hall, according to the Los Angeles Times. “It’s clear to me that we should have ownership that reflects the values of Los Angeles. I think as long as there is ownership in the Sterling family, there are fans, sponsors and players who will stay away.”
Shelly Sterling, Sterling’s wife, has indicated that she would like to keep her stake in the team.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Donald Sterling for life after an audio recording surfaced in which Sterling tells V. Stivano not to bring “black people” to his games and is trying to get 3/4 of the owners to force Sterling to sell his team. Garcetti has previously conceded that, after speaking to Sterling, he does not believe Sterling will relinquish the team easily. The NBA appointed former Time Warner CEO Dick Parsons to be the interim CEO of the Clippers on Friday.
NBA players have suggested they may boycott the Clippers if Sterling is still the owner next year while Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has also indicated it would not be a good idea if Shelly Sterling was still associated with the team, especially since she also has been accused of racist behavior in the past when she allegedly impersonated an inspector to harass tenants.