Hosam Kateb BOSTON — It's a beautiful ending to a horrible few days — Clippers owner Donald Sterling is officially banned for life from all NBA activities after some horrible, backward, racist comments he made regarding black people. It's extremely important to mention that this isn't the first time Sterling has been under the spotlight when it comes to his racial views. It is, however, the first time he's been tried, not in the court of law, but the court of public opinion. Donald Sterling is in his 80s, he grew up in a time where racism was the norm; before the Civil Rights Movement. Until then, it was normal for people to have these backward thoughts, but thanks to the great work of the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, things have changed dramatically. Laws have been placed to prevent discriminatory actions. This led to a huge shift in the psyche of the American public; at first, they stopped discriminatory actions in fear of the law, but in a span only two to three generations, they stopped discriminatory actions because the people truly believed that racism is nothing less than inexcusable. Fifty years ago, no one would have batted an eye at what Donald Sterling said, but today, he may be the most hated man in America, and to be fully frank with you, I love it. Before continuing, I want to make sure the following is noted: Unlike most analysts, I refuse to call him Mr. Sterling. By calling him that, I am implying that I respect him for his age and position, and I'm sorry if this seems ill-mannered but I don't have an ounce of respect for someone who would ignore the hardships that greats like Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell and Jim Brown to name a few have fought against. Now back to Sterling. I want to applaud NBA commissioner Mr. Adam Silver for taking swift action against Donald Sterling. Issues regarding anyone in the NBA usually takes a few months at least before an insignificant resolution is made, but Commissioner Silver did all he could to make sure Donald Sterling wouldn't spend another second with the NBA. Now, the pressure goes to two groups: The other 29 NBA owners, and the NBA fans. Let's start off with the owners. For the NBA to officially wash their hands of the filth that is Donald Sterling, the other 29 owners would have to vote on whether Sterling should be forced to sell the team or not, with 3/4 of the owners having to vote yes. I'm going to continue my pattern of being frank by telling you that if one owner votes no, he will be ostracized from the league as well, because it's one thing to make racist comments in private, but it's another to condone it. The responsibility also falls on the fans. If I were a fan, I would cheer on the Clippers' players and fill the court to brim. I'm not a player, I'm not an executive, and I'm not a coach. What I am, however, is a fan, and as a fan I can attest to one thing, I cheer on teams because of the players, the coaches and the city. Not because of the owner. This is the closest chance for a lot of the Clippers players to win a championship, something they've worked their whole lives for, and I would not let a disgusting person and his backward views interfere with that. As a fan, I expect others to cheer on the likes of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Doc Rivers until they run out of breath. And if they do in fact win the championship, I don't want to see Sterling in the same building as the trophy. To the Clippers players, Clippers fans, and all of the African American community, I want you to know that you are far from being alone, and I can promise you that the whole world is on your side. Sports is the only true meritocracy, and this week was evidence that the filth that is Donald Sterling doesn't belong anywhere near the court. — Follow Hosam Kateb on Twitter @HosKateb
