RUSH: What is that, about a thousand media people there at the NBA press conference today? Here’s what we know. TMZ just caught up with Oprah, which is not very hard to do. (interruption) Well, is it? (interruption) Not very hard to catch up with Oprah. (laughing) (Interruption) Oprah says she doesn’t want the team. But she thinks it would be cool if Magic bought the team. She said we gotta get rid of this plantation mentality, we’re off the plantation.
Oprah, come on, get real. We haven’t been in a plantation mentality in this country in I don’t know how long. In fact, I keep quoting Bernie Goldberg, ’cause he’s right. The universal outrage over this proves this is not a racist country anymore. We can get past this. But apparently what’s gonna happen here, we have advance word, ladies and gentlemen, Sterling is gonna be suspended indefinitely, the owner of the team.
Oprah told TMZ — interesting how they are always in the middle of this, by the way — Oprah told TMZ that she doesn’t want the Clippers, but, man, it would be great if Magic bought ’em. So then TMZ caught up with Magic, which is not hard to do these days, either, and he said he doesn’t want the Clippers. So the plot thickens out there as the price continues to be driven lower. (laughing) Everybody says, “No, I don’t want the team,” including those who no doubt do.
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RUSH: “Donald Sterling Banned for Life from Any Association with the Clippers or the NBA.” That means he can’t go to the games, can’t negotiate contracts. Does that mean he can’t watch on TV? What if Magic invites him over to watch a game? Can he do that? “Donald Sterling Banned for Life from Any Association with the Clippers or the NBA.”
(interruption) Well, he could still earn profits from it. (interruption) Well, he can… (interruption) Yeah, and so the commissioner is now urging the board of governors of the NBA to exercise their authority to force Sterling to sell the team. So there you have it. Pretty much predictable, knowable. Did I just…? Yeah, I just thought I saw a $2.5 million fine for Donald Sterling.
When he gets the money back, the NAALCP will make that up. So that’s a wash. No, I’m just kidding. He only gave ’em 45 grand. Their rates are not very high, at the NAALCP’s LA chapter. Forty-five grand’s all it took. Cheap award. Two awards. Two awards and almost a third award for 45 grand. Those are cheap rates.
So, a lifetime ban. (interruption) I mean, Dawn, your point is that’s the same as taking his team away from him, which we didn’t think they could do. But they’re urging the board of governors to force the sale of Sterling’s Clippers team. This is gonna open up potential lawsuits, ’cause the wife and the family may not want to get rid of this team.
So it isn’t gonna be long before the biggest cleanser in sports swoops in here, probably on Oprah’s plane, to save the day.
It’s gonna be a matter of days, folks, before this happens.
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RUSH: This a press conference by the NBA. It’s a $2.5 million fine for Sterling, and they take team away from him by suspending him for life. The commissioner just said they’re not even using anything in the past. They’re just doing this on the basis of this tape. The commissioner said that Sterling admitted that it was his voice on the tape but said nothing else. So on the basis of this tape, they’re taking his team away from him.
On the basis of this tape, the NBA has decided to take his team away from him.
Who’s next? John in Lompoc, California. Great to have you on the EIB Network. Hello.
CALLER: Rush, it’s an honor to talk to you. We have Magic Johnson here leading the charge, and where does he get his credibility from? Because he played in the NBA? I think if anyone can remember back, Magic Johnson lied to his family, lied to everyone that was a fan of his. And here he is the first one leading the charge, and I can tell you —
RUSH: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What did Magic lie about?
CALLER: Magic cheated on his wife, lied, had AIDS, and kept that secret for a while.
RUSH: Well, that was just sex. That didn’t affect anything.
CALLER: But he lied to his family about it and he had sex multiple times–
RUSH: So does anybody who has an affair.
CALLER: Exactly. But here the credibility that he is now leading the charge and the one that is wholesome, as far as what he’s saying, to go on and to do what he’s doing?
RUSH: Well, look, I’m remembering here what Neil in Dallas said. Neil said, “Draw a line for yourself and try not to step over it because they’re coming for you. They’re gonna get you if you’re not careful, and we want you to be here to entertain us every day.” It’s clear what’s happened here, and there’s a reason why Magic is considered Mr. Clean in sports, and it doesn’t serve any purpose to explain that.
I mean, what’s done is done here. Nothing’s gonna change happening. It speaks for itself, really, what’s happened here. It doesn’t need any additional… (interruption) Well, Magic said he doesn’t want the team. (interruption) Why shouldn’t…? (interruption) If he says he doesn’t want the team, I’m gonna believe he doesn’t want the team. If he says so, I’m gonna believe Magic when he says it.
(interruption) Yeah, I’m not… (interruption) What am I gonna do? I’m gonna sit here and say, “Magic doesn’t mean it”? Magic says he doesn’t want the team. He doesn’t want the team. (interruption) No, Oprah said she hoped… (interruption) Oh, Oprah said she heard that Magic wants to buy it? (interruption) Oh, and then Magic said, “No, I don’t want to buy it”?
Well, Oprah’s probably wrong. Did she cry when she said this? (interruption) Well, then she’s not right. If she didn’t cry, she didn’t know what she was talking about. The fact that she didn’t cry means she’s probably wrong. (laughing) Just based on her show. Anyway, I’ve gotta take a quick time-out here, my friends. You sit tight. I’m chomping at the bit to explain this, but I’m just not gonna go there, folks.
There’s nothing in it.
It just it is what it is.
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RUSH: The commissioner of the National Basketball Association, Adam Silver, said that “Magic Johnson knows he’s always welcome as an owner in this league.” The commissioner said that during the press conference today, that “Magic Johnson knows he’s always welcome as an owner in this league.”
Jim Gray, noted sports reporter extraordinaire, Fox News, actually talked to Sterling twice today before the announcement and Sterling said “no comment.” After the announcement Gray called Sterling back and reported that Sterling told him he doesn’t know what he’s gonna do, but that the team is not for sale. That’s not gonna go over well with the media. That’s not gonna go over well with the board of governors. Sterling is supposed to get the message here to sell the team by sundown today.
And again, it’s important to note here that the commissioner said none of this punishment has anything to do with Sterling’s past. They haven’t even looked into that yet. This is strictly what V. Stiviano collected on that tape. Now, the reason for that protects a lot of people who looked the other way all these years when Sterling was being who he is. Remember, this is nothing new, folks. Everybody in the NBA has known this about Donald Sterling for years, and I think it’s quite telling that in response to a question the commissioner said (paraphrasing), “No, no, no, no, it has nothing to do with anything in Sterling’s past,” because that provides cover for a lot of people who looked the other way. It only has to do with what happened on the tape.