Doc Rivers is not playing and he’s going to make a strong statement if Donald Sterling remains owner of the Clippers. This news is coming from the Clippers interim CEO as he testified in state court Tuesday. AND it looks like the players could follow in Doc’s footsteps. Someone needs to do something ASAP before it gets crazy.
Hit the jump for details.
Via ESPN:
Dick Parsons said he has talked to Rivers, several players and key sponsors who are troubled by Sterling’s continued ownership of the franchise, which is being adjudicated in a California probate court.
At issue is whether Shelly Sterling acted properly in selling the franchise, without her husband’s expressed consent, for a record $2 billion to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Parsons was called as a witness in the trial Tuesday to discuss the effect the continuing uncertainty over the ownership situation has had on the Clippers franchise.
“If Doc were to leave, that would be a disaster,” Parsons said. “Doc is the father figure of the team. Chris [Paul] is the on-court captain of the team. But Doc is really the guy who leads the effort. He’s the coach, the grown-up, he’s a man of character and ability — not just in a basketball sense, but in the ability to connect with people and gain their trust. The team believes in him and admires and loves him. If he were to bail, with all the other circumstances, it would accelerate the death spiral.”
