Donald Sterling In Real Life: Here Is The Shocking True Story Behind FX’s Clipped

FX’s sports drama Clipped is based on the true story of LA Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling’s fall from grace after he was caught making racist comments on a recording.

By
Jashandeep Singh
- June 7, 2024 | 3:59 PM IST
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With a riveting storyline and stellar performances from Ed O’Neill and Laurence Fishburne, FX’s sports drama series, Clipped, has been generating a lot of buzz. The show tells the story of an NBA team owner who was caught making racist remarks, leading to a huge scandal.

What makes the show even more intriguing is that it is based on a true story. In 2014, the sports world was shaken when a leaked tape exposed Donald Sterling, Los Angeles Clippers owner, as he made discriminatory comments.

True Story Behind FX’s Clipped: The Infamous Tape of Donald Sterling

Donald Sterling started his career as an attorney and soon ventured into real estate, making a fortune along with his wife, Shelly Sterling. In 1981, he bought the San Diego Clippers team for $12.5 million before moving the franchise to Los Angeles in 1984. As years passed, Donald got into an affair with his personal assistant, V. Stiviano.

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In April 2014, Donald sparked widespread controversy when a recording made by Stiviano was leaked and went viral. In the audio, the LA Clippers owner was heard reprimanding his mistress for posting a picture on Instagram with Black athletes Magic Johnson and Matt Kemp. “It bothers me a lot that you want to promote, broadcast that you’re associating with Black people, do you have to?” Donald said in the clip.

The audio sparked outrage across the world, and Donald received a lifetime ban from the NBA along with a $2.5 million fine. On the day of the leak, the LA Clippers had a playoff game against the Golden State Warriors, and the players contemplated boycotting it. The team, however, played the game but hid the Clippers’ logo from their jersey.

As NBA players and executives called him out and asked for his removal from the game, Donald wasn’t ready to budge, claiming that he was not a racist. Eventually, Shelly took charge and sold the LA Clippers to Steve Ballmer, the team’s current owner, for $2 billion. Now 90 years old, Donald Sterling mostly stays away from the public eye. However, he continues to enjoy his fortune, with an estimated net worth of around $4 billion.

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