Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, talking to Peter Holt, his counterpart with the San Antonio Spurs, during Game 1 of the NBAs Western Conference finals in San Antonio, Texas, May 19, 2013. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Jewish groups condemned the racist remarks attributed to Donald Sterling, the Jewish owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Abraham Foxman, the Anti-Defamation Leagues national director, called the remarks reprehensible.
If the National Basketball Associations investigation reveals that Mr. Sterling in fact made these racist and intolerant statements, we expect and anticipate a swift and forceful response, Foxman said in a statement. We applaud those within and outside the NBA who have already spoken out on this issue. It is reassuring and affirming to know that such flagrant racism is so widely regarded as out of bounds.
TMZ published a 10-minuterecordingof the racist rant on its website late Friday, saying the recording was a conversation between Sterling and his model girlfriend, V. Stiviano.
Sterling, the son of Jewish immigrant parents, allegedly tells his girlfriend, who is black and Mexican, not to be seen in public with black people or to post photographs of herself with black people on Instagram. He also tells her not to bring black people, including Magic Johnson, to his teams basketball games.
Johnson and others in the NBA community, notably Michael Jordan, the former Chicago Bulls superstar and now an owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, have slammed Sterlings remarks, as did President Obama in Malaysia over the weekend.
On Sunday, an extended audio from the conversation wasreleased by the website Deadspinin which the man identified as Sterling is heard explaining that his views reflect the way the world works. As evidence, he says that black Jews in Israel are just treated like dogs.
His girlfriend is heard countering that as a Jew, Sterling should know better than to advocate discrimination, and she cites the Holocaust as an example of where racism can lead.
Amanda Susskind, ADLs Pacific Southwest regional director, called on Sterling to reject the statements attributed to him.
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Jewish groups slam racist rant attributed to Donald Sterling