The story continues to unfold regarding Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling and the tape that surfaced of a racist rant. Allegedly the comments made by the owner were towards his girlfriend, V. Stiviano, who Donald Trump claims set up Sterling for the fall. Trump, who does not know when being quiet is better, spoke out saying he believed the entire Sterling rant was simply a ploy by someone he called a terrible person. However, head coach Doc Rivers does not see it as such.
While speculation continues to rise about whether or not it is in fact Sterling on the tape, Rivers says there is no doubt that the voice is the owner and he does not believe this was merely some setup plot by the girlfriend.
"Yeah, I believe he said those things," Rivers said, via ESPN.com. "I still want to make sure it hasn't been doctored, but 'yes' is the answer. As far as believing those things, I heard what he said. Until someone tells me differently, you usually listen to what people say. I haven't given him his due process. I haven't given him an opportunity to explain himself and quite honestly right now don't want him to, or don't want him to to me. I'll wait for that further judgment."
Rivers admitted that he was not sure he would continue to coach for the Clippers if Sterling remained the owner. He noted that the last 48 hours have been tough for the team. Practice before Game 5 was canceled so players could rest and try to relax. After losing Game 4 to the Golden State Warriors, the team returns home to the Staples Center to try and take the series lead. Chris Paul admitted he was nervous about how the fans would react.
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about what it is going to be like," Paul said. "Because our fans have been amazing all season long, and obviously I hope that it will be the same. You just never know. They've been amazing, and we wouldn't be where we are without them. But it's tough."
Blake Griffin agree with the point guard saying that he expected some fans not to show in protest of the owner. After staging a silent protest against Sterling, the Miami Heat followed the act before their Game 4 against the Charlotte Bobcats. The team wore their warmups inside out so the team name was not shown. The NBA can expect more teams to follow the example until decisions are made regarding Sterling's future.
