Billionaires Behaving Badly; Clippers Owner In Hot Water After Alleged Racist Comments Released
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST: Good evening. I'm Michael Smerconish. We begin tonight with these words, billionaires behaving badly. Sounds like a newspaper headline about cavalier Wall Street cowboys during the height of the financial crisis a few years back. But I'm not talking about them. Topping tonight's list is Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling allegedly caught on audio tape making racist comments, disparaging remarks about blacks chastising his young mistress for posting an Instragram photo of himself, herself, and basketball legend Magic Johnson and saying a lot of other things. The reaction has been searing, even President Obama has weighed in. But I'm not taking only about Don Sterling. There's news that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be rich, really rich as in super rich. On the front page of Sunday's New York Times, a report about the rumors, speculations, theories, maybe even some guesses that Putin may control assets worth $40 to $70 billion, assets so extensive that if true, he would the richest world leader in history. Why should people care? Well, two reasons actually, many Russians believe their country is controlled by a political and financial elite that critics accuse of stealing the country's wealth for itself, the so called oligarchs, who move money out of the country and buy apartment in cities like New York for tens of millions of dollars. Sitting atop that elite, Vladimir Putin. But ordinary Russians need to know that the credit rating of their country's sluggish economy has been cut to just about junk status by standard and poors. So, I want to ask White House Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken if these new sanctions announced today are designed to squeeze Putin's inner circle and expose his secret billions. How much does the U.S. really know about Putin's rumored wealth? And are these latest sanctions which would result of a continued threats to Ukraine's sovereignty really designed to hit him and his cronies in their own wallets? As for that other billionaire behaving badly, Donald Sterling sure sounds like a jerk. I think we can all put that one to bed. But does his being a jerk mean that he should be kicked out of the NBA and force to sell the Clippers, a team that he's owned for more than three decades, for things that he may have said that he thought were private? That is, do we have a right to be stupid, and ignorant, and racist in our own private life without repercussions? I have a great lineup of guests. As we look at the story from numerous angles including talk show host Larry King, who's not only a basketball fan but knows Donald Sterling very well. So let's get started. Let's get right to the comments allegedly made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling and what the NBA needs to do about this toxic situation for professional basketball. I'm joined by Tavis Smiley, PBS broadcaster and best selling author. And I want to start by playing some of the offending audio obtained by TMZ sports for those viewers who have yet to hear it.</s>DONALD STERLING, OWNER, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: Yes. It bothers me a lot that you want to -- broadcast that you're associating with black people. Do you have to?</s>V. STIVIANO, DONALD STERLING'S GIRLFRIEND: You associate with black people.</s>STERLING: I'm not you, and you're not me. You're supposed to be a delicate white or a delicate Latina girl.</s>STIVIANO: I'm a mixed girl.</s>SMERCONISH: Tavis thanks for being here. Is there any outcome, any acceptable outcome to this situation shy of him getting out of the NBA and relinquishing, selling control of the Clippers?</s>TAVIS SMILEY, PBS BROADCASTER AND AUTHOR: Always Michael, I want to leave some space for grace because we're all cracked vessels, none of is human and divine, we're just human. And I believe -- and I think most black people believe there's always room for redemption. Having said that, you know, the old ad is that is not the crime but it's the cover up. In this instance, it's not the slur, it's the spin. I don't know how Donald Sterling can hear this tape and still not come out and say it was him and offer an apology, a sincere apology. How does his wife hear this tape and not know whether it's Donald Sterling. How do the Clipper organization listen to this tape and put out a press release suggesting that these are comments attributed to Donald Sterling. I don't get that. It's what some folks (ph) we've got to get to a place of having an admission, having a sincere apology, but I want to leave space again for people to be redeemed from their sins. I believe that if Donald Sterling wants to be made a better person, again, I don't believe in ever throwing (ph) any human being away but it has to start with an acknowledgment, an apology. And the fact that we are days into this and he has not even acknowledged this, much less apologize for is quite frankly unacceptable.</s>SMERCONISH: Beyond an apology and shy of relinquishing control of the Clippers would be a fine. And even though a sum like $5 million would be unprecedented in the world of the NBA. For him to have -- it would be chump change.</s>SMILEY: It would in fact be chump change, and I believe that the only thing that a racial arsonist and a slumlord like Donald Sterling asking response to is being hit in his pocket, and that's why with all due respect to Doc Rivers and the Clippers, and I love these guys, I watch them, I'm rooting for them right now in the playoffs. I was a bit disappointed that the best they could do was to turn some jerseys inside out and put them at the half court.</s>SMERCONISH: Should they not have played?</s>SMILEY: Well, I think I would not have been in pity (ph) if they didn't play. Look at what Muhammad Ali did, look at what Bill Russell did, look at what, you know, what Curt Flood did, we could run the list of people who made a sacrifice. And again, when you're talking about a guy like Donald Sterling, that the only thing he response to is being hit in his pocket. And so, were the NBA tomorrow to announce that they're forcing him into selling, I suspect there might be some lawsuit on his part that he can't be forced to do that, I don't know all of their leeway that the NBA has, but I can tell you that this is one person who would not be offended necessarily if they forced him to selling that team. This does not belong in our society and especially in a league. And there's as many African-American players as the NBA does and are supported by so many African-American consumers.</s>SMERCONISH: Tavis, stay right where you are and thank you for being here. I want to bring into the conversation Alice Hoffman, President of the California NAACP. And Alice, as you know, many people are scratching their heads wondering how is it that he was recognized for achievements in the past by the NAACP. And next month was set to be designated with yet another award.</s>ALICE HOFFMAN, PRESIDENT, CALIFORNIA NAACP: Well, let me set the record straight. First of all, it's the local branch, L.A. branch of the NAACP. It's not the entire family, not national, and not the state conference which I'm on and on the national board. We have 50 local branches or more here and 30 used units. And they have a lot of economy and they have relationships that we don't even know who was those relationships are and they make decisions, they all of our units that have these events give awards to various people that they have relationships with. In my opinion, they did it in -- once before, that should have been enough because it was controversial then, but it didn't have the magnitude of visibility that this event has that we're all responding to. I said, we think it's a just poor judgment that they should have known not to do it again, that's a second time around. We all live from contributions in grant corporate American. That's how we survive, but we have to be careful about the money we take and we have to make sure that the color of the money does not taint us. And that we could still carry out our mission, we cannot sell out just to get the money. We have to have integrity in what we do and I think this was just a very poor judgment on my local branches we have. And I'm glad to say, finally made a statement that they're resenting (ph) the award.</s>SMERCONISH: And Alice Hoffman, you've anticipated my next question but I'm going ask it anyway. And I respect the fact that it was not the state wide entity but rather the Los Angeles Chapter. Is it your understanding that he became a major benefactor after his brushes with the law? We're now all familiar with the fact that in 2009 he paid $2.73 million to settle a civil suit that was brought by the Justice Department for alleged discrimination.</s>HOFFMAN: I can't believe that he didn't do it for some other reason then to contribute to the betterment of society after I've listened to his tapes. There is not way he was doing it to help African-Americans out because he doesn't like African-Americans. And we are a 104-year -- f105-year organization that we focus primarily on eliminating racism and discrimination. So it has have been for some other reasons because he doesn't even want black people coming into the game. So, I think -- I can't get inside of his head and know what's really going on. My best friends might know him better than I do, I don't know him at all. Don't care to know him, now. And so, I can't prejudge but I can just simply say, it's a mistake, that's money we should not take.</s>SMERCONISH: And Tavis Smiley. Weigh in on this financial question because I know a lot of people -- and I think that Alice Hoffman has just set the records straight for all of us and I'm glad that she did that this was the Los Angeles Chapter, it was not the state wide entity, what do you think went on here?</s>SMILEY: I think Alice is right. It's poor judgment. He should never been honored in the first place particularly given this history that Alice has laid already. But she has brought about the fact that these organizations survived under contributions not of just the members. And I'm proud to be a lifetime member of the NAACP. But they also survived on these contributions in corporate America. I quite frankly don't have a problem with that. There's so much money that corporate America makes off of the consumers spending of African- Americans that they ought to put money back in these organizations to help them do the kind of reparative work that needs to be done in our country around the most interactive issue that we know, the issue of racism, but Donald Sterling should never have been on the list to be added in the first place. He should not have taken all of this Michael.</s>SMERCONISH: Alice Hoffman, Tavis Smiley, thank you so much for joining us tonight. Donald Sterling is not a household name to most Americans at least not before this weekend. One person who does know him personally, is Larry King, talk show host, extraordinaire, and NBA fan. Larry, it's a little odd for me to interview you, but it's a privilege for me to have you here. Does this comport with your knowledge or understanding of the man. I know that you've been in his company on many occasions.</s>LARRY KING, TALK SHOW HOST: First, Michael, you were always a great guest when I hosted in this time period for so many years. So it's good being on the other side.</s>SMERCONISH: Thank you.</s>KING: I know Donald Sterling for many years, I moved to Los Angeles 17 years ago. I guess I've known him all that time. I've been at his Malibu home. I've socialized with him at the games. I've seen him at breakfast and nothing surprises me although this was really over the top. You know, I'm -- I think it's aberrant to tape someone against their knowledge and it's a crime in California. That woman could be charged with a crime because you can't tape someone without them knowing it. However, once this came out, it's aberrant, there's no excuse for it, it's unforgiving, I wouldn't take a phone call from him. Doc Rivers refused to talk to him today, his own coach. The league will make some decision tomorrow. I don't know the bylaws of the league, Michael. I don't know what they can do and can't do. I'm told that they can't find anyone for over a million dollars that will be, as you said, meaningless to Donald Sterling. It's just so sad and it comes in middle of the playoffs. I disagree with Tavis Smiley (inaudible) great deal. The Clippers should have played that game. You can't leave the NBA playoffs in the middle of -- with all these teams involved and having a great playoffs season. And all the fans of the Clippers, my kids has scheduled to go to the game tomorrow night, they may or may not go. They may wear black. They don't know what to do. It's horrendous situation, terrible for the team, I'm a big fan of the team. Others like Billy Crystal has been a fan of the Clippers. Ever since they moved to Los Angeles from San Diego, will Billy go to the game tomorrow night? It's all in the quandary, it so just sad, I'm really sickened by it.</s>SMERCONISH: Larry, I want to make clear both of us. You speak for both of us when you say that the man apparently said something despicable for which there is zero defense. However, I'm glad you've brought up the woman and we don't know if she's the one who roll the taped. But I found it odd. I printed out the entire transcript and at the end of at least that portion which was revealed, she says, "I'm sorry. Is there anything that I can do to make you feel you better?" And I listening to this and I'm saying, you know, she is of some kind of mixed race and after what purports to be an hour long conversation where he says one ugly thing after another. Would she be apologizing to him and asking may I do anything to make you feel better? Read those T leaves for me if you can.</s>KING: Well, I guess is -- no one is very -- no one comes out good at this, she does not come out very good either. First, to the whole way she acted, obviously, she's setting him up. It would be stupid not to think that TMZ didn't pay for these tapes, that's what TMZ does. That's what these gossip mongers do. I don't have great respect for them either. But I think the sum in substance (ph) there have -- there's not a lot to be said for her. I don't understand the whole -- well, I assume it was in her house or in his house. That is Donald Sterling, I mean, the league will acknowledge that tomorrow. I know Donald Sterling, of course that's him. We have to keep saying alleged, but that's him. And -- but beyond that -- beyond her, beyond anything else. What he said overwhelms me. There's nothing I could imagine that could be -- I don't know where Donald Sterling -- I'll tell you Michael, where would Donald Sterling, could he go to dinner tonight? Can you go out? What's left of him that he has to sell -- the league has to take some action. Other leagues have taken action, the Dodgers, hey, the baseball -- Major League Baseball sent in someone to run the Dodgers, but the owner of the Dodgers was kept out, he was forced to sell, he did sell, he got over $2 billion, Frank McCourt didn't come up bad and anything McCourt did tales, tales in comparison to this story, tales (ph).</s>SMERCONISH: Larry, a treat for me to have you here, you look well and thank you.</s>KING: Thank you Michael. Thanks for the couple of minute (ph). You continue and good luck.</s>SMERCONISH: Thank you sir. Is President Putin the richest world leader in history? That's what some reports are suggesting. And the newest sanctions maybe an effort to squeeze the associates keeping his money. We'll also go live to Mississippi where tornadoes are rocking that state just one day after twisters killed 16 in the Midwest. And more when we return on the fall out from the Clipper scandal, yes, Donald Sterling sounds like an ass, but if he sounded like jerk because he was being illegally recorded, who's in more trouble? Him or the person who taped him?</s>MAGIC JOHNSON, NBA LEGEND: We are all upset. We have to (inaudible) because if you're going to be like this, why you own a team in NBA which quite is over 70 percent African-American basketball players? So I think he should step down.</s>LEBRON JAMES, NBA PLAYER: For comments like that, it taints our game and we can't have that. We can't have it from a player, we can't have it from the owner, we can't have it from a fan, and so on and so on.