Donald Sterling facts for kids

Donald T. Sterling (born Donald Samuel Tokowitz; April 26, 1934) is an American businessman and former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team. He owned the team from 1981 to 2014.

In April 2014, Sterling was banned from the National Basketball Association (NBA) for life. This happened after recordings of him making racist comments became public. The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, also fined him $2.5 million. Silver said he would recommend that Sterling be forced to sell the team. In May 2014, Sterling's wife, Shelly, made a deal to sell the Clippers for $2 billion to Steve Ballmer. Sterling tried to stop the sale in court, but the NBA approved it in August 2014. Sterling later settled his lawsuit against the NBA in November 2016. He is still active in real estate in Los Angeles.

Many people have criticized Sterling's time as owner of the Clippers. Some even call him one of the worst owners in American sports history.

Early Life and Name Change

Donald Sterling was born Donald Tokowitz on April 26, 1934, in Chicago. When he was two years old, his family moved to Boyle Heights, Los Angeles in Los Angeles. His parents, Susan and Mickey, were Jewish immigrants. He went to Theodore Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles. There, he was on the gymnastics team and was class president. He finished high school in 1952. He then studied at California State University, Los Angeles and Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles.

When Donald was 25, he and his wife Shelly changed their last name to "Sterling." They officially changed it on December 9, 1959. They said it was hard for people to say "Tokowitz." They also believed the new name would help them financially.

Real Estate Business

The Sterling Plaza in Beverly Hills, California

In 1961, Sterling started his career as an attorney. His biggest business ventures were in real estate. He began by buying a 26-apartment building in Beverly Hills, California.

In the 1960s, Sterling also bought two large apartment buildings in Westwood, Los Angeles. He renamed them the Sterling Towers. In 1976, he leased a building on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills and called it Sterling Plaza. This building was an Art Deco landmark built in 1930. By April 2014, Sterling owned 162 properties in Los Angeles.

Owning an NBA Team

Donald Sterling and Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss helped each other get their NBA teams. In 1979, Buss sold some of his apartment buildings to Sterling for $2.7 million. Buss used this money to help buy the Lakers, the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, and The Forum arena. Two years later, Buss suggested Sterling buy his own NBA team. Sterling then bought the San Diego Clippers for $12.5 million.

When he first became owner in San Diego, Sterling promised to spend "unlimited sums" to make the Clippers a winning team. He even put his smiling face on billboards and buses. The ads said: "My Promise: I will make you proud of the Clippers." However, unlike Buss's Lakers, the Clippers struggled for many years. They did not have their first winning season until 1991–92, which was 11 years after Sterling bought the team. In Sterling's 33 years as owner, the Clippers lost 50 or more games 22 times. They were often seen as the worst team in the NBA.

In 1982, the NBA fined Sterling $10,000. This was the largest fine ever given to an owner at that time. He had said he would accept the Clippers finishing last to get a top player in the NBA draft. In June 1982, Sterling tried to move the team to Los Angeles. The NBA investigated the Clippers. Days before a vote to remove Sterling, he agreed to sell the team. However, he was able to keep his position as owner. He instead gave control of the team's daily operations to Alan Rothenberg.

In 1984, Sterling moved the Clippers from San Diego to Los Angeles. He did this even though the NBA had said no. The NBA fined him $25 million. He sued the league for $100 million, but later dropped the lawsuit when the fine was lowered to $6 million.

The Clippers moved into the Staples Center for the 1999–2000 NBA season. This was the same arena where the Lakers played. In the 2005–06 season, the Clippers won 47 games and made the playoffs. This was their best record since moving to California. They won their first playoff series since 1976, beating the Denver Nuggets. They then lost to the Phoenix Suns. In the 2011–2012 season, they made the playoffs again. They won their first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies. Led by players like Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, the Clippers had even better seasons in 2012–13 and 2013–14. They set new team records for wins, but only won one playoff series in those two years.

Sterling did not want to move the team out of Los Angeles or sell it. In later years, he started spending more money on the team. In 2003, he signed Elton Brand to a big contract. The Clippers also signed other well-known players like Cuttino Mobley and Baron Davis. The team also gave long-term contracts to their coach, Mike Dunleavy Sr., and player Chris Kaman.

Under Sterling's ownership, only two coaches, Dunleavy and Bill Fitch, lasted four seasons or more. Dunleavy was the longest-serving coach in team history. Sterling also spent $50 million to build a new practice facility and team headquarters in Los Angeles. This facility opened in September 2008.

Many people viewed Sterling's ownership negatively. In 2009, ESPN The Magazine called the Clippers the worst team in professional sports. In 2010, Sterling even yelled at his own players from the sidelines during games. In April 2014, after his racist comments became public, The New York Times and Forbes called him the "worst owner" in sports. Under his ownership, the Clippers had the worst winning record in all four major American sports leagues.

Racist Remarks and Ban

On April 25, 2014, a recording was released by TMZ Sports. It was a conversation between Sterling and a woman named V. Stiviano. In the recording, Sterling was upset about a photo Stiviano posted online. The photo showed her with Basketball Hall of Fame player Magic Johnson. Sterling told Stiviano, who is partly African-American, that it bothered him that she was "associating with black people." He also said, "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want," but "the little I ask you is ... not to bring them to my games."

The recording caused a lot of discussion in the media. The NBA is a league where most players are black. On April 26, the Clippers team discussed the incident. Players and coaches were very angry about the comments. They even thought about not playing a game, but decided against it. Instead, they protested by wearing their shirts inside-out during their pre-game huddle. This was to hide any team logos. Players from other teams, like the Miami Heat, also showed support. Many current and former NBA players spoke out against Sterling's remarks. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) canceled plans to give Sterling an award. President Barack Obama called Sterling's statements "incredibly offensive racist statements." Several sponsors stopped working with the Clippers.

On April 29, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that Sterling was banned from the league for life. He was also fined $2.5 million. Silver took away almost all of Sterling's power over the Clippers. He also banned him from any Clippers facilities and NBA games. This was one of the strongest punishments ever given to a professional sports team owner. Silver also said he would try to force Sterling to sell the team. This would need approval from three-quarters of the other NBA team owners.

Sterling's wife, Shelly, had co-owned the team with him since 1983. She was not banned by the NBA. However, the league said that if the main owner's interest was ended, all other owners' interests would also end.

On May 23, Shelly Sterling said her husband had given her permission to sell the team. On May 29, she made a deal to sell 100% of the Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion. Shelly also agreed not to sue the NBA. The NBA then canceled its hearing to consider taking the Clippers from the Sterlings.

Donald Sterling later said he had not given his wife permission to sell the team. He denied all charges and refused to sell the Clippers. He called the punishments "too harsh" and the process unfair. He then sued the NBA for $1 billion. On June 4, 2014, Sterling's attorney said Sterling had decided to drop the lawsuit and allow the sale to Ballmer. However, on June 9, the attorney said Sterling had changed his mind and would continue the lawsuit.

Shelly Sterling was granted a trial in court that began on July 7. This trial allowed her to sell the team as the sole trustee. She argued that doctors said Sterling was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and could not manage his financial affairs. On July 28, the court ruled in Shelly's favor. This allowed the sale to be completed. Ballmer's $2 billion purchase of the team was finalized on August 12, 2014. As part of the sale, Shelly received the titles "Clippers Number One Fan" and "owner emeritus."

In March 2016, a judge dismissed Sterling's 2014 lawsuit over the sale of the team. Sterling appealed the decision, but his attorneys did not file the necessary documents. The case ended with a request to dismiss it.

Personal Life

In 1955, Sterling married Rochelle ("Shelly") Stein. They had three children: Scott, Chris, and Joanna. Joanna's husband, Eric Miller, worked for the Clippers.

Donald and Shelly Sterling became separated at the end of 2012. He moved to a mansion in Beverly Hills, California. In March 2016, their attorneys announced that Donald and Shelly had resolved their differences and decided not to get divorced.

Health

In 2012, Sterling began treatment for prostate cancer. By May 2014, doctors said Sterling was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. He was considered mentally unable to manage the family's financial matters. This allowed his wife Shelly to sell the Los Angeles Clippers on his behalf, even though he disagreed.

Miniseries

Sterling is played by Ed O'Neill in the 2024 FX miniseries Clipped.

Images for kids

• 

  The Sterling Plaza in Beverly Hills, California