Donald Sterling Fined, Banned From NBA: Magic Johnson, Stephen A. Smith Respond On Twitter

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been banned for life from the NBA and fined $2.5 million by commissioner Adam Silver. Silver also announced at a press conference that he will try to force Sterling to sell the team.

The decision comes three days after the audio of Sterling’s racist rant was released to the public. The ban will prevent Sterling from attending NBA games or practices, making appearances at the Clippers office or facility, or being involved in any of the team’s personnel or business decisions.

Even as the NBA commissioner, Silver cannot fire Sterling on his own. He needs cooperation from most of the owners in the league. A 75 percent vote of the NBA Board of Governors, which is made up of the 30 NBA owners, is required, in order to terminate Sterling’s ownership. Silver said that he expects to get the necessary votes from the league’s owners.

Sterling has never been afraid to go to court, and could challenge the decision. Paragraph 13 of the NBA constitution states that an owner can be ousted if he violates a contractual obligation, or if his actions adversely affect the league and its members, according to ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson.

There may be some disagreement about what Sterling’s punishment should be, but many around the league will be happy with Silver’s ruling. The likes of LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Clippers head coach Doc Rivers have expressed their outrage over Sterling’s comments. Even President Obama has weighed in on the incident, and many won’t be completely satisfied, until Sterling relinquishes control of the Clippers.

Magic Johnson, who was the target of Sterling’s racist rant, along with others, has responded to the news on Twitter.