Donald Sterling 'Controversy' Goes Far Beyond The Tape

“I didn't see this coming; I saw this happen.” That sums up Bomani Jones' feelings on the issue of Los Angeles Clippers owner, Donald Sterling. Over the weekend, TMZ released an illegal audio recording of a private conversation Sterling had with his young mistress (Sterling has been married to his wife, Shelly, since 1955). He can be heard in the 10-minute clip telling his girlfriend that he didn't want her posting pictures with NBA Hall of Famer and Los Angeles Lakers legend, Magic Johnson, or other black people. That transgression is only the latest. Jones penned a column in August 2006 titled "Sterling's racism should be news." In it, Jones details why Sterling's past transgressions should have started the conversation on this ‘controversy' over a decade ago. “People need to stop lying about their level concern about race,” Jones said on his weekly podcast. “What they care about is a chance to jump on an easy punching bag.” Housing Discrimination In 2003, Sterling was accused of trying to drive blacks and Latinos out of buildings he owned in Koreatown. The presiding judge said this was "one of the largest" settlements ever in this sort of matter, which Sterling had to pay $5 million just for the plaintiffs' attorney fees. Three years later, Sterling agreed to pay a fine of $2.73 million to settle claims in similar case. In the latter, Sterling is on public record, not private conversation, saying “black tenants smell and attract vermin.” Jones said Sterling's issues go far beyond a tape -- the real controversy lies in redlining. “Keeping blacks out of the suburbs, so we're gonna build these houses in the suburbs,” said Jones, using Chicago as his particular example. “But all the work is in the city. So now we gotta build freeways. Where do these freeways run? Through black neighborhoods. Freeways built to get you up out of Chicago.” Jones said on his podcast that what the U.S. lacks is discussion on the race issues that are significant, "because I don't think people truly understand how crucial those issues are. A lot of people alive now inherited the discourse of the previous generation." A PBS documentary in 2003 outlined the U.S. government's role in housing policies. "Of the $120 billion worth of new housing subsidized by the government between 1934 and 1962, less than 2 percent went to nonwhite families. Nonwhites were locked out of home ownership just as most white Americans were finally getting in." The issue is a big reason how ‘white flight' led Detroit, among other major cities, to lose over half its population since the 1960s or earlier. Jones continued, “one thing LA is really good at: keeping people over on their side of town.” LA Slumlord, NBA Owner The Clippers, for the better part of the franchise's time in Los Angeles (Sterling went against the wish of the league and other owners by moving the team from San Diego) have been a failure. In 33 seasons as owner, the Clippers have a total of six winning seasons, three of which have come since 2011. He bought the team in 1981 for $12.7 million; as of January 2014, the franchise is worth $575 million. Many question why players and coaches have signed with the Clippers over the last decade, even with Sterling's past lawsuits. During negotiations with Danny Manning, who played for the team from 1988-1994, Sterling is charged with saying, "I'm offering a lot of money for a poor black kid." In reality, a player rarely has much contact with an owner -- especially ones not named Mark Cuban or Micky Arison, known for being very hands on. "A typical NBA player or free agent has very little to absolutely no direct communication with a professional team owner," Darren Heitner, founder and CEO of DYNASTY DEALINGS, LLC, and Professor of Sport Agency Management at Indiana University Bloomington, told Benzinga. "In fact, it is also rare for the representative of the player to engage in any correspondence with the owner." Heitner said a free agent, unless of very high stature, will almost solely deal with a team's general manager and said that it's much more common for the player's agent to communicate with a team's GM and other executives designated by the team to discuss contractual or off-court matters. Not The Last Sterling is far from being the first professional sports owner for holding such views.