Mark Cuban: Donald Sterling’s Comments ‘Abhorrent’
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DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN/CBS 11/AP) – Prior to Game 4 of the NBA Playoffs pitting his Dallas Mavericks against the San Antonio Spurs, owner Mark Cuban made his first comments to the media regarding the alleged racially-charged comments from Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
Even though the owners have only spoke five times in the past 14 years, Cuban pulled no punches in calling Sterling’s comments “abhorrent.”
Often railing on the perils of an overly recorded and monitored society, Cuban added that he fears punishment could create a “slippery slope,” saying, “If we start trying to legislate morality, we’ve got much bigger problems.”
“There’s no place for racism in the NBA, any business I’m associated with,” Cuban said. “But at the same time, that’s a decision I make. I think you’ve got to be very, very careful when you start making blanket statements about what people say and think, as opposed to what they do.”
Two days earlier, Cuban declined to give his opinion over the brewing saga of the racist comments that Sterling is alleged to have made in a taped conversation.
While he was more forceful in his rebuke of Sterling in front of about two dozen reporters Monday, Cuban questioned how the league would legislate other forms of discrimination.
“How many people are bigoted in one way or the other in this league?” Cuban asked. “I don’t know. But you find one, all of a sudden you say well, you can’t play favorites being racist against African-Americans. Where do you draw the line?”
Asked if the league would be better off without Sterling as an owner, Cuban said, “At this point, yes.”
Cuban said that he would support whatever decision NBA commissioner Adam Silver made. That decision came Tuesday afternoon, when Silver announced the Sterling would be banned from the league for life. Click here to read more about that announcement.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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