Mark Cuban slams Clippers owner Donald Sterling as a bigot, but says 'people are allowed to be morons'
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says NBA faces 'slippery slope' if it starts to kick owners out of the league for things they think and say in private.
The NBA owners weighed in with strong statements on the Donald Sterling situation Monday, a day before commissioner Adam Silver was scheduled to hand down punishment to the 80-year-old Clippers owner for racist comments attributed to him.
Several owners expressed deep concern over Sterling's comments while Mark Cuban, owner of the Mavericks, also raised the issue of the potential precedent that could be set by forcing Sterling to leave the league.
"I think there's a constitution for a reason, right? Because this is a very slippery slope," Cuban said before Game 4 of the Mavericks-San Antonio Spurs series. "What Donald said was wrong. It was abhorrent. There's no place for racism in the NBA, any business I'm associated with, and I don't want to be associated with people who have that position.
"But at the same time, that's a decision I make. I think you've got to be very, very careful when you start making blanket statements about what people say and think, as opposed to what they do. It's a very, very slippery slope.
"Again, there's no excuse for his positions. There's no excuse for what he said. There's no excuse for anybody to support racism. There's no place for it in our league, but there's a very, very, very slippery slope."
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ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images Clippers owner Donald Sterling finds out his fate on Tuesday afternoon.He said he believes the league constitution will limit that to a fine and suspension.
"In this country, people are allowed to be morons," Cuban said. "They're allowed to be stupid. They're allowed to think idiotic thoughts. ... Within an organization like the NBA, we try to do what's in the best interest of the league and that's why we have a commissioner and a constitution and I think Adam will be smart and deal with Donald with the full extent available. But, again, if you're saying a blanket, 'Let's kick him out?' I don't want to go that far because it's not about Donald, it's not about his position, it's about his mess - and what are we going to make a decision on?
Cuban called it "damn scary" to consider removing somebody from the NBA because of their private thoughts.
"In no uncertain terms am I supporting what Donald Sterling said, or his position," Cuban said. "He's obviously racist, he's obviously bigoted. And in this day and age when you're in the public eye, you've got to be damn careful - if that's your position and that's unfortunately where you're at - you better be damn careful what you say, even in the privacy of your own home.
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Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who is also engaged to Knicks president Phil Jackson, expresses full confidence in NBA commish Adam Silver to handle the Donald Sterling mess."But regardless of your background, regardless of the history they have, if we're taking something somebody said in their home and we're trying to turn it into something that leads to you being forced to divest property in any way, shape or form, that's not the United States of America. I don't want to be part of that."
Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, on the other hand, made it clear in an interview with the Houston Chronicle that he wanted Sterling to be forced out of the league. Alexander also interpreted the NBA constitution to not allow the commissioner to have the power to remove an owner except for gambling, but said he suggested to Silver that all the Clippers players be given the option to become free agents after this season, which would be a way to force Sterling out of the league.
"This kind of behavior can't be allowed in the NBA by owners, players or anybody," Alexander said. "This guy has no place in the family of the NBA. Whatever it takes, we have to make sure this kind of event never happens again."
Jeanie Buss, whose family owns the Lakers, said: "The comments and sentiments expressed on the tape are reprehensible and disturbing, and certainly are the opposite of how the Lakers feel about the league's players and fans. I have full confidence that Adam Silver and the NBA will handle this situation appropriately."
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Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert issued a strongly worded statement as well: "It is shocking that anyone could hold the kind of offensive and feeble-minded views that are being attributed allegedly to the Clippers owner, Donald Sterling," Gilbert said in the statement. "The diverse staff members of the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise are united in encouraging commissioner Silver and the NBA to respond with swift and appropriate action consistent with a strong zero tolerance approach to this type of reprehensible behavior."
"We trust (NBA) commissioner Adam Silver to handle this matter swiftly and properly, but let me state without reservation: There is no place for prejudice or intolerance in our league, or anywhere else," Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a statement. "That's not a debatable point. It's a first principle."
Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen said: "The kind of statements attributed to Clippers owner Donald Sterling, if true, are abhorrent, and not acceptable for the owner of an NBA franchise or anyone in professional sports. We at the Trail Blazers reject any and all such sentiments, and believe NBA leadership should take swift and impactful action in this case."
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