I was disturbed when I heard about this because I wondered how this could be acceptable. (I mean, does he own the team or not? How can he be forced to sell something he owns over a private remark? Maybe I need to look up the rules, but I guess that means he actually works for the NBA as a franchise manager, rather than really being an owner.) Racist comments are going to happen, but to use this to literally run this man out of the NBA...it just felt wrong to me. I think Whitlock and Abdul-Jabbar both pointed out why. I mean, this really does set a dangerous precedent. Anyone with a tape recorder can go and record you and the second they catch you saying something inappropriate, whether in private or not, you get the axe? You get crucified in public view?

The way I see it, this is basically like any political scandal that's happened where say, someone has an affair--the only reason people are so mad at him is because he got caught. There's no reason to think Sterling is alone in his thinking, either in the NBA or elsewhere on the planet. But it's morally wrong to basically engage in thought policing like this. It's like as a culture we--or I should say *they*--have come to accept this sort of thing without even blinking. This surveillance state, I mean.

In short, two wrongs don't make a right. Do I think Sterling should've been allowed to continue to own the team? I don't know. I don't know enough about his activities as a team owner to make that call. But I definitely wouldn't make that call based on that tape. Because that tape really wasn't any of my business.

Both Jason Whitlock and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have admirable, honest, and courageous takes on the situation. They both make the point that a conversation that Sterling thought was private was recorded and publicized. Abdul-Jabber makes the further point that Sterling's girlfriend is undoubtedly going to plug into all the riches our cheap, celebrity culture offers. Both men condemn Sterling's views, but refreshingly, they also challenge the mob mentality. I'm a UCLA alum and a life-long Laker fan. I've always liked Abdul-Jabber, although he was never a crowd favorite until he appeared in the movie "Airplane" (one of the funniest movies ever made). Now I like him even more. Great post, KYFHO.