Nina Mandell of USA Today writes Magic Johnson is 'going to pray' for embattled Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Magic also said his "whole life is devoted to urban America" in an interview with Anderson Cooper that aired Monday night on CNN. Responding to Sterling's second round of racist and hateful remarks, Johnson said he “wish he knew the facts when he’s talking.”
“But he’s a man who’s upset and he’s reaching. He’s reaching,” he told Cooper. “He’s trying to find something that he can grab on to help him save his team. And it’s not going to happen. It’s not going to happen.”
“And again, I’m going to pray for the man because even if I see him today, I’m going to say hello to Donald and his wife as well,” Johnson added. “I’m not a guy who holds grudges and all that. Yes, am I upset? Of course!
“But at the same time, I’m a God fearing man and I’m going to pray for him and hope things work out for him.”
One of the additional false derisive claims Donald Sterling alleged in last night's "apology" interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN is that Magic Johnson has not done anything for the "black community" the way Donald Sterling has done. WTH? Yes, I know, Sterling is completely delusional. And, and this was not even the most so.
Ed Payne of CNN reviews some of Magic Johnson's many accomplishments and contributions in Sterling asked: What has Magic Johnson done? Answer: Quite a lot.
One of Don Sterling's more offensive statement, but not the worst was, "what has he done? Can you tell me? Big Magic Johnson, what has he done? He's got AIDS. Did he do any business, did he help anybody in South LA?"
So Ed Payne answers Sterling's vile question, saying "quite a lot. "
It turns out, a heck of a lot more than Donald Sterling. There is a reason everyone grew up hearing about Magic Johnson, but now one grew up hearing about "Magic Sterling."
Payne reviews Earvin Johnson's "Magic" touch going back to his days leading "Michigan State to a national title in 1979 before going first in the NBA draft and winning the championship with the Los Angeles Lakers"
In 13 seasons with the Lakers, he racked up five NBA championships and three MVP awards. And don't forget the Olympic gold medal in 1992 as a part of the "Dream Team" -- the first year pro players could take part.
Payne also reviews how Magic helped change attitudes about HIV/AIDS after being diagnosed as HIV positive in 1991 when such a diagnosis was widely thought of as a death sentence. Magic told Anderson Cooper,
"I'm the blessing because people were talking about it, they ran out and got tested at that time," he said.
"Then I'm the curse because...people now say, oh well, HIV is nothing because if I get it I can be like Magic. He's doing good, and I can do the same thing he's doing or take the same medicine he's taking and I'll be okay." ... "But what they don't understand," he added, "in 22 years, millions of people have died. ... And so, he says, his work isn't done.
Payne also tells us of the millions Johnson has raised for charity by setting up the Magic Johnson Foundation in 1991 when he was diagnosed with HIV to work "to develop programs and support community-based organizations that address the educational, health and social needs of ethnically diverse, urban communities." The Magic Johnson Foundation has raised over $20 million for charity and given out over $4 million in scholarships. He has also brought many business to the minority community with his MJ Enterprises he founded 1987.
Payne reports Johnson's business empire is estimated to be worth more than $500 million.
Magic Johson's agent and friend Lon Rosen responded to Don Sterling's smears saying the truth was exactly the opposite of how Sterling portrayed it.
"I've known Earvin since 1979 and his whole mission in life has been to create business opportunities in urban America and to be charitable," Rosen said in a Los Angeles Times interview on Monday. "He has literally donated tens of millions of dollars of his own money to organizations and individuals forever and ever and ever."
After he Donald Sterling interview Magic Johnson tweeted:
"I'd rather be talking about these great NBA Playoffs than Donald Sterling's interview," he said in one.
"After this week, no more Sterling talk. Just the NBA Playoffs," he said in another.
I agree. Sterling's 15 minutes of fame are over. He can add nothing more to our understanding. His "apologies no longer have any value. Donald Sterling is not just a hateful racist, but he is also an idiot. The only useful thing he could do not would be to give the L.A. Clippers outright to Magic Johnson, donate his estate to the Magic Johnson foundation, shut the $&^* up, and disappear until he dies.
Given that Sterling seems to have "lost his faculties," this is a very sad situation. His lawyers or friends, if he has any, need to get him a nurse, a body guard, and take him to a non-disclosed remote location where he can spend his remaining years doing no more harm to himself and others.
No responsible media organizations should exploit his condition by broadcasting interviews of him in his current state. How very ugly and sad all around.
10:19 PM PT: The Associated Press reports Johnson Says Clippers Owner Living in 'Stone Ages'
NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson says Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has badly outdated views about minorities and is shockingly ignorant about HIV and AIDS for such a prominent public figure.
"He's living in the stone ages," Johnson said in an interview that aired Tuesday with CNN's Anderson Cooper, a day after Sterling made his first public comments since racist recordings emerged last month and earned him a lifetime NBA ban. "You can't make those comments about African-Americans and Latinos. You just can't do it."
"I came out like a man, I told the world," Johnson said of his famous public press conference announcing his retirement. "I didn't blame nobody else. I understood what I did was wrong. And I hope that I was able to help people."
"He's trying to find something to grab on to help him save his team," Johnson said, "and it's not going to happen."
10:34 PM PT:
The potential legal fallout from Donald Sterling's CNN interview
Here's an interesting new angle that Don Sterling's apparently dementia may create a legal defense, or may decline owners from wanted to disenfranchise his ownership from the team. Shelly Sterling is saying she believes he suffers from early dementia has I speculated about twice in earlier articles today, and now I'm even wondering if Sterling's inexplicable interview yesterday may have been a performance to lay a foundation for his possible defense. Consider the following.
At other times, Sterling shared scattered thoughts. Sterling's occasional incoherence may signal legal trouble ahead for the NBA: Could the 80-year-old billionaire argue he is less blameworthy because of advanced age and associated mental limitations? Keep in mind, Sterling's wife, Shelly Sterling, recently told ABC's Barbara Walters that she believes her husband is afflicted with early dementia.
To be clear, there has been no reporting that Donald Sterling suffers from any cognitive impairment, let alone dementia, and he made no such acknowledgment during the interview. Cooper, for his part, addressed this issue and said he found no signs of dementia in Sterling, instead regarding Sterling as "very present" during their conversation
.
Still, Sterling gave several odd responses to Anderson which, when coupled with his wife's suspicions, may cause the NBA anxiety. ... Along those lines, would some owners feel uncomfortable ousting an elderly owner whose mind may not be what it was? Would they feel even more unease if Sterling is diagnosed by a physician with an actual cognitive impairment? Remember, a supermajority of NBA owners -- 22 out of 29 -- will be needed to oust Sterling. If Sterling, the longest serving owner, can find eight sympathetic colleagues, he won't be kicked out of the league.
In response, Sterling could in theory argue that he is protected from ouster by the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act, but the Act likely would not apply since, among other reasons, Sterling is not an employee of the NBA. Nonetheless, the moral case for ousting Sterling would be weakened if he can prove or suggest his racist remarks reflected a lesser mental state.
10:49 PM PT: Shelly Sterling says she believes her husband has dementia,which Sports Illustrated speculates may be the Sterlings may be mounting a legal defense on the Age Discrimination Act.
While technically, Sterling is an owner and not an employee so this probably would not protect him they only would need to convince 8 owners to back off to allow them to keep the team -- in their minds Lebron James and the players have still said they will not play for the Clippers if the Sterlings keep ownnership.
I had written earlier that I suspected that doctors did an NMR or PETSCAN or some other kind of brainscan of the the blood flow they would probably find that some critical portion of his brain has suffered from a partial stroke in the last year of so, to a region that effects his judgement but that he can not subjectively detect. Which does happen.
I could see no other explanation.
But now, I'm wondering if he could be acting in this way to prepare this cover story?
Either way the attempt would be to say, "Oh my, what a tragedy, have him disappear presumably to some careplace, and Shelly Sterling ask why should she be penalize because twice because her husband suffered from this horribly tragedy?