Clippers’ Sterling apologizes on CNN
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling apologized Sunday for racist comments captured on tape.
“I’m not a racist,” Sterling told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in excerpts posted from an interview taped Sunday and set to air Monday. “I made a terrible mistake. I’m here to apologize.”
In his first public comments since being banned for life from the NBA, Sterling said years of good behavior as an owner should count toward his future.
NBA says Sterling’s wife gone, too
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA said if Sterling’s ownership of the Clippers is terminated, so is Shelly Sterling’s.
Hours after Shelly Sterling told ABC News’ Barbara Walters that she would fight to keep her ownership of the franchise even if her estranged husband can’t, the league said that wouldn’t be possible.
“Under the NBA constitution, if a controlling owner’s interest is terminated by a three-quarter vote, all other team owners’ interests are automatically terminated as well,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement. “It doesn’t matter whether the owners are related as is the case here. These are the rules to which all NBA owners agreed to as a condition of owning their team.”
Shelly Sterling’s attorney, Pierce O’Donnell, responded to the NBA’s statement, saying, “We do not agree with the league’s self-serving interpretation of its constitution, its application to Shelly Sterling or its validity under these unique circumstances.”
Miami’s LeBron James said Sunday that players believe nobody in Sterling’s family should be able to own the Los Angeles Clippers if he’s gone.
“As players, we want what’s right and we don’t feel like no one in his family should be able to own the team,” James said after the Miami Heat practiced for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Brooklyn.
Man City wins Premier League
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City won the Premier League for the second time in three seasons with a 2-0 victory over West Ham on Sunday that required far less drama than two years ago.
City won behind goals from Samir Nasri and Vincent Kompany, meaning Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Newcastle at Anfield was meaningless and City finished two points above the Merseyside club. In 2012, City won the title on goal difference ahead of neighbor Manchester United after coming from behind to beat Queens Park Rangers on the final day.
Nadal wins when Nishikori retires
MADRID (AP) — Rafael Nadal won his fourth Madrid Open title on Sunday after Kei Nishikori was forced to withdraw with a back injury when trailing 2-6, 6-4, 3-0 in the final.
Nadal became the first repeat winner in Madrid, and recovered from two recent quarterfinal losses on clay to win his second title on the surface and third overall this year.
Earlier, Maria Sharapova bounced back from a poor start to defeat Simona Halep 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 to win the women’s title.
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