LeBron James says the NBA players won't stand for any Sterling in control of the Clippers. (USATSI)
More: Sterling banned for life | Latest updates | NBA news
LeBron James told reporters Sunday at Heat practice that NBA players don't want any member of the Sterling family to retain ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers.
"As players, we want what's right and we don't feel like no one in his family should be able to own the team," James said after the Miami Heat practiced for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Brooklyn.
"At the end of the day, this is going to be a long litigation when it comes to that," James said. "This guy who's owned the team since the `80s is not going to just give the team up in a day. So we understand it's going to be long, but we want what's right."
via LeBron James says NBA players feel no members of Donald Sterling's family should own Clippers | Fox News.
More LEBRON on STERLING: "A guy who owned the team since the 80s is not going to just give the team up in a day."
— Joseph Goodman (@JoeGoodmanJr) May 11, 2014James' comments came the same day that Shelly Sterling, wife of banned Clippers owner Donald Sterling, told ABC that she intends to fight any effort by the NBA to force the sale of her portion of the team. The NBA responded with a statement that describes an NBA bylaws clause that allows owners to terminate all minority ownership agreements if they vote to terminate the majority owner's control.
James was one of the first NBA athletes to speak out when Sterling's comments first came to light two weeks ago before NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a lifetime ban on Sterling from all NBA activities.
It's probably for the best that James says the players understand how long this process could take. Given the litigious nature of both Sterlings, this whole thing could take quite a while to resolve.
Basketball Hot News
Report: Damian Lillard’s new adidas contract in excess of $100 million
Adidas has bet big on Damian Lillard, bet that the dramatic game winner that sunk the Rockets was not the last big playoff shot we’ve seen from the second-year guard.
How big? Sam Amick of the USA Today has some numbers.
When it comes to the business of basketball and one man’s brand, no one has won in these playoffs quite like the Blazers’ second-year point guard whose Adidas deal is believed to be the third largest in the entire NBA. The contract — which his agent, Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management, told USA TODAY Sports could be “well over $100 million” with very-reachable incentives and is expected to eventually include a signature shoe and apparel — was seen by some as a head-spinner when it was first revealed on April 14.
Adidas is counting on a lot more big shots.
That said, guards/wing players sell shoes (not big men, even Shaq never moved the product). Adidas has bet big on Derrick Rose and Lillard to help them cut into Nike’s overwhelming share of the market.
Why Lillard?
The key decision-making factors in a shoe contract, according to Norman, range from the player’s market to his character, personality and style as well as the position he plays. In Lillard’s case, he just so happens to be based in the city where both Adidas and their No. 1 rival, Nike, call home. And with Adidas’ top basketball athletes, the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose (two season-ending knee injuries) and the Houston Rockets’ Dwight Howard (negative publicity relating to his Aug. 2012 exodus from Orlando), having fallen on such hard times in recent years, Adidas’ competitors in the industry understood that the time was right for them to take a calculated risk on Lillard.
Lillard is a good guy. He’s exciting to watch. Fans relate to the “little guy” playing amongst the trees of the NBA — and Lillard interacts with them often on social media.
If you’re going to gamble, this was about as good a gamble as adidas could take. There are no sure things (see Rose’s injuries) but just like you in Vegas, you make the best calculated risk you can then hope it pays off. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn’t.
For Lillard’s sake, I hope this gamble pays off.
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