Donald Sterling Racist Comments Update: Magic Johnson Responds on Twitter to Clippers Owner's Diss During CNN Interview
Donald Sterling broke his silence and asked for forgiveness for his racist remarks, but the disgruntled Los Angeles Clippers owner took a swipe at Magic Johnson during an interview with Anderson Copper of CNN.
Johnson saw Sterling's interview on Tuesday, but he declined to comment about the banned owner's recent tirades against him. Instead, Johnson said through his Twitter account that he'll rather focus on the ongoing NBA Playoffs than talk about Sterling's interview.
"I'd rather be talking about these great NBA Playoffs than Donald Sterling's interview," Johnson said.
"After this week, no more Sterling talk. Just the NBA Playoffs, my Dodgers and my LA Sparks," he added in another post.
Sterling was apologetic for the majority of his interview with Cooper, but he surprisingly slammed Johnson, who was mentioned in the controversial recorded phone conversation between Sterling and his girlfriend V. Stiviano.
Sterling questioned Johnson's character, saying that the basketball Hall of Famer has not done anything to help other people, while also adding that the former Los Angeles Lakers star, who is HIV-positive, has not been a good example to LA children.
"What kind of a guy goes to every city, has sex with every girl, then he catches HIV? Is that someone we want to respect and tell our kids about?" Sterling said. "I think he should be ashamed of himself. I think he should go into the background. But what does he do for the black people? He doesn't do anything."
Sterling's statement against Johnson drew raves in different social networking sites, and also prompted NBA commissioner Adam Silver to release a statement. Silver apologized to Johnson, and also added that the league is doing their best to remove Sterling quickly.
"I just read a transcript of Donald Sterling's interview with Anderson Cooper and while Magic Johnson doesn't need me to, I feel compelled on behalf of the NBA family to apologize to him that he continues to be dragged into this situation and be degraded by such a malicious and personal attack," Silver said in a statement, ESPN reported.