la clippers

Clipped: Why LA is done

/ Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment
An organization divided

An organization divided

They stood there in defiance. A team against an owner. The basketball team with no name, but with a loud message. “We do not support our owner”!

There is no question that the LA Clippers are in the center of a storm of controversy. In the past 24 hours, Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling has been accused of making racist remarks towards African-Americans. He even went so far as saying that he didn’t want them to attend Clippers games! This isn’t even the first time this has happen. In 2006, the U.S. department of justice sued Sterling for 2.75 million dollars for not allowing blacks to rent his apartments.

The fact that this man could make these comments is revolting. Nobody, and I mean nobody should judge others based on race. Excuse me Mr. Sterling. Aren’t you a business owner? You shouldn’t care if a person is black, white, blue, purple, or clear if they pay premium money to support your team!

After this bombshell it is clear that the title hopes for the Clippers have pretty much gone out the window. Now I know that many of you will say they are still one of the most talented teams in the league with a great head coach, and I would agree. However, it’s hard enough to win with any distractions especially one of this magnitude. Besides who wants to play for this man? Would you really risk your body for a man who clearly does not feel that way about other people? Even with the team still intact and beyond the fact that the team is protesting the owner, the big question is what next?

When the playoffs are over and if Sterling is still the owner  of the franchise, I have a strong feeling that there is going to be problems within the organization. I cannot see Doc Rivers wanting to work for this organization if Sterling is still in charge. Don’t forget the players. Would Deandre Jordan and Chris Paul want to play for a racist? I can’t see it.

While the Clippers still are in the playoff race and could potentially compete for the title, the next few months will without question be trying. With a team that was smacked in game four 118-97, and who protested the game by refusing top wear the Clippers logo in warm ups, it is clear this team does not want to play for Sterling. With a distraction like this, I see no way that the Clippers will make the finals, let alone make a run in the postseason. While the fallout from this incident still remain to be seen, there is no question that there is no fun in the sun for the Los Angeles Clippers organization right now.

 

Can anyone topple the NBA’s evil empire

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Can anyone knock the Heat off their throne

Can anyone knock the Heat off their throne

“This fall I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat”. When Lebron James uttered these words in front of a surprised nation, a new villain had been spawned. “The Big Three” of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh became the new villains of basketball. Much like the movie Star Wars, this evil empire is led by three NBA juggernauts who for the past three years have bullied the NBA’s best. In those three years the Heat have won two championships and have been in the finals every single year. Now the question is can anyone take down the empire? While it remains to be seen if Chris Bosh will return, there is no question that the Heat will be the favorites to three peat. The thing is that there aren’t many eminent threats to this evil empire’s reign. The Pacers and Bulls represent the biggest threats with their deep pools of talent. However, the Bulls will need Derrick Rose back and healthy if they want to beat Miami. If healthy I think that the Bulls could be the team that is the biggest threat in the East. That is if they can stay healthy. What about the Pacers? While the Pacers have a talented roster and a physical style of play that can exploit the Heats, I think Miami will do two things to prevent this. First I think they will not underestimate the Pacers again, and second I think that the Heat will add a physical big to help counter the physical in the paint style of the Pacers. The only other team that could compete with the Heat would be if the Celtics can reload their roster with young talent while removing the original big three of Garnett and Pierce. What about the West? While Kevin Durant’s Thunder pose the biggest threat it was apparent this postseason that he still needs help around him. The LA teams? The Lakers and Clippers are both messes right now, with the only exception being that the Clippers are a glorified highlight reel. The Spurs? Unfortunately I think this was the last hoorah for Parker and Duncan as father time becomes their biggest challenger. While there may not be an immediate end to the Heat’s reign, the one thing that all other NBA fans have is hope. They hope that their team, or some other team will rise from the NBA depths and overthrow the Heat’s empire for good.