NEW YORK — The NBA has chosen Richard Parsons, a former Citigroup chairman and former Time Warner chairman and CEO, as interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers. Parsons will oversee the franchise while the league tries to force owner Donald Sterling to sell it following his lifetime ban for making racist remarks. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday in a statement that Parsons “will bring extraordinary leadership and immediate stability to the Clippers organization.” “Dick's credentials as a proven chief executive speak for themselves and I am extremely grateful he accepted this responsibility,” Silver added. With Sterling banned from anything to do with the team or league, and team President Andy Roeser on an indefinite leave of absence, the league and Clippers worked together to find someone to lead the organization along with coach Doc Rivers. “Like most Americans, I have been deeply troubled by the pain the Clippers' team, fans and partners have endured,” Parsons said. “A lifelong fan of the NBA, I am firmly committed to the values and principles it is defending, and I completely support Adam's leadership in navigating the challenges facing the team and the league.” Parsons is currently a senior advisor at Providence Equity Partners and sits on the board of directors for the Commission on Presidential Debates. He has also been on President Barack Obama's economic advisory team. A three-fourths vote of owners is required to force Sterling to sell the team he has owned since 1981. His estranged wife, Shelly, wants to keep her 50 percent ownership stake in the team, her lawyer said Thursday, and Silver said so far the ban only applies to Donald Sterling. — AP
