“Donald Doesn’t Like White Players”: Doc Rivers Reveals the Bizarre Reason Why Ex Clippers’ Owner Tried to Block Star Player’s Trade

Anybody who has been following NBA religiously would know former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling as someone who engaged in racial discrimination. There have been multiple stories about discrimination from players.

Most recently, Clippers coach Doc Rivers revealed how Sterling was trying to block the signing of JJ Reddick out of his racist mentality.

“I think he was going to sign with Minnesota, I literally talk J.J. out of it, ‘Come play with me. Come play with the Clippers with Chris Paul and DJ and Blake [Griffin], you’d be a great fit,’” Rivers said on NBA Together with TNT’s Ernie Johnson.

“The free-agent signing is done, J.J. agrees, I jump on a plane, I fly back to Orlando, and I get a call from Andy Roeser, and he says, ‘the deal’s off.’ I say, ‘what do you mean the deal’s off?’

“‘Donald doesn’t like white players.’”

Doc Rivers was just three weeks in as a coach of Los Angeles Clippers

Rivers couldn’t believe his ears. He had a heated conversation with Sterling over the phone. At the end of the conversation, Rivers, who was just three weeks into his job thought he had lost it. But he would eventually keep the job as well as get the deal.

“Three hours later I get a call from Andy Roeser who says, ‘Hey man, the deal’s done, Donald’s all in.’ Didn’t say why, didn’t say anything, just he changed his mind,” he said.

“I knew that minute we were in trouble.”

But later, it was trouble for Sterling rather than Rivers. The league banned him from NBA after some of his racist comments had become public. Rivers, on the other hand, stayed with the Clippers and is still their coach.

Clippers’ current team is probably the strongest in years. Rivers now has the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who they signed last summer, to work with. Their inclusion, coupled with Rivers’ experience, has made the Clippers real title contenders from the West.