The NBA's next move - an open letter to Adam Silver
Dear Commissioner Adam Silver,
Congratulations on decisively demonstrating that you were the best possible choice to take on your new job. In taking swift action against Donald Sterling for his vile verbiage you have taken the first step toward healing the ugly wounds created by the bigoted billionaire.
The next move you make is critical. Anyone who is related by blood or marriage to Donald Sterling should be suspended, with pay, from any position they hold with the Los Angeles Clippers. His wife, his son-in-law and anyone else with whom he has family ties must temporarily be removed from team operations. This is the only way to make it very, very clear that he can no longer exercise even a semblance of control over the team.
At the same time, you need to appoint a competent person to operate the franchise until its future course can be determined. Andy Roeser is a really solid team president. That doesn't means omeone else shouldn't be appointed to protect the interest of the Sterlings, the team, the players and the league. Someone should take on that job.
But who? Jerry West would be ideal, but he's on the Board of Directors of the Golden State Warriors. Elgin Baylor would be a great choice except that it would be asking too much of a man to return to run a team he was fired by. I'm going to make an off-the-wall suggestion. Give Donald Sterling a short list of names and allow him a chance to choose an acceptable "trustee" to keep things going while he makes his inevitable legal challenge to the impending vote to expel him from the NBA.
Anyone who has expressed an interest, publicly or privately, in buying the Clippers should be excluded from consideration. I'm sure you can come up with a few names. Then give him a choice. He can pick one, or you WILL pick one.
Wishing you continued success as you run the best basketball league on the planet.
Congratulations on decisively demonstrating that you were the best possible choice to take on your new job. In taking swift action against Donald Sterling for his vile verbiage you have taken the first step toward healing the ugly wounds created by the bigoted billionaire.
The next move you make is critical. Anyone who is related by blood or marriage to Donald Sterling should be suspended, with pay, from any position they hold with the Los Angeles Clippers. His wife, his son-in-law and anyone else with whom he has family ties must temporarily be removed from team operations. This is the only way to make it very, very clear that he can no longer exercise even a semblance of control over the team.
At the same time, you need to appoint a competent person to operate the franchise until its future course can be determined. Andy Roeser is a really solid team president. That doesn't means omeone else shouldn't be appointed to protect the interest of the Sterlings, the team, the players and the league. Someone should take on that job.
But who? Jerry West would be ideal, but he's on the Board of Directors of the Golden State Warriors. Elgin Baylor would be a great choice except that it would be asking too much of a man to return to run a team he was fired by. I'm going to make an off-the-wall suggestion. Give Donald Sterling a short list of names and allow him a chance to choose an acceptable "trustee" to keep things going while he makes his inevitable legal challenge to the impending vote to expel him from the NBA.
Anyone who has expressed an interest, publicly or privately, in buying the Clippers should be excluded from consideration. I'm sure you can come up with a few names. Then give him a choice. He can pick one, or you WILL pick one.
Wishing you continued success as you run the best basketball league on the planet.
posted by me at 3:55 PM
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