Donald Sterling *shakes head*

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Jack.Kerr

So that's Cuban's pitch to the top-flight free agents who might consider signing with Dallas? Good luck.

I don't see how that has anything to do with free agency... He repeatedly said that Donald Sterling is a disgusting bigot who he doesn't want to be associated with in the NBA.

But he does have a point about precedence. Where does it stop once you set a legal framework? Could an owner get booted for criticizing the league?

[Jack.Kerr]

Originally Posted by Underdog

I don't see how that has anything to do with free agency... And he said repeatedly that Donald Sterling is a disgusting bigot who he doesn't want to be associated with in the NBA.

But he does have a point about precedence. Where does it stop once you set a legal framework? Could an owner get booted for criticizing the league?

I think Cuban's statements here will be used against him (or at least taken into account)--by players' agents and advisors, and possibly the GMs of other teams in some cases when it comes time to decide where to sign.

This is going to be such an extremely, primally emotional issue for so many players, at least for the forseeable future, that I don't think even a salesman like Cuban would be able to intellectualize or nuance away anything less then categorical opposition to Sterling's remaining an owner.

Given the Mavericks' recent record of success in attracting free agents such as Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James (who has already said he wouldn't play for Sterling and that there was no room for Sterling in the NBA), I'm not sure Cuban's comments here are tipping the balance in favor of the Mavericks in future decisions. Silence would have been a better option, IMO.

[TripleDipping]

Originally Posted by Underdog

I don't see how that has anything to do with free agency... He repeatedly said that Donald Sterling is a disgusting bigot who he doesn't want to be associated with in the NBA.

But he does have a point about precedence. Where does it stop once you set a legal framework? Could an owner get booted for criticizing the league?

That's absolutely right. That slope gets mighty slippery.

What do you do then with everyday people who make racist remarks? What do you do if your employer makes such racist remarks?

The NBA can penalize Sterling by fining him, banning him from attending games, or withdrawing draft picks from the Clippers. I read somewhere that the Clippers' players might be able to opt for free agency and go play somewhere else. I think they can, and should, be afforded the opportunity to do so. It's just like if you find out your employer's a racist prick, you can always quit or even sue for discrimination, but forcing him/her to sell the business so that you can continue to be employed there and get a paycheck is nonsense.

One more thing, the person who obtained and leaked the audio of a private conversation between a man and his girlfriend is, imo, as big a scum as Sterling.

[Jack.Kerr]

Originally Posted by TripleDipping

One more thing, the person who obtained and leaked the audio of a private conversation between a man and his girlfriend is, imo, as big a scum as Sterling.

Really? That's what troubles you?

Maybe Sterling and his wife and their attorneys grossly "misunderestimated" this woman when they decided to try to reclaim the cash, jewlery, cars, property and other gifts that he made to during their four-year extra-marital relationship. All's fair in love and war.

Or maybe Sterling should select his mistresses more carefully, in any case.

[TripleDipping]

Originally Posted by Jack.Kerr

Really? That's what troubles you?

Maybe Sterling and his wife and their attorneys grossly "misunderestimated" this woman when they decided to try to reclaim the cash, jewlery, cars, property and other gifts that he made to during their four-year extra-marital relationship. All's fair in love and war.

Or maybe Sterling should select his mistresses more carefully, in any case.

Sure it bothers me, simply because I've said things in private that I regretted later, and wouldn't want the world to know about it.

Sterling is a racist scumbag, and an idiot in selecting mistress. But invading someone's privacy is extremely low. That's all I'm trying to say.

[Jack.Kerr]

Originally Posted by TripleDipping

Sure it bothers me, simply because I've said things in private that I regretted later, and wouldn't want the world to know about it.

I totally see your point. And when I hear Donald Trump talk about how slimy the woman who betrayed Sterling is, and how she baited him, and tricked him, and made him say those awful things; and when I hear Mark Cuban talk about "freedom of speech", slippery slope, yada yada blah blah, .....my mind immediately wonders to what men like them may have said "in private conversations" (not to mention 'done behind closed doors') that they now wonder whether were recorded or not.