5 Things We Learned From the Adam Silver Press Conference

At 2:15 PM on Tuesday afternoon, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took to the podium at NBA headquarters in New York City and announced unprecedented sanctions against Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Effective immediately, Sterling has been banned from life from the NBA, fined $2.5 million (the maximum amount allowed by the NBA’s constitution), and Silver will “immediately” pursue having Sterling’s ownership stake in the Clippers stripped.

As you almost surely know, Sterling came under fire after being recorded making racist comments directed at Magic Johnson and African-Americans in general. This controversy comes as just the latest episode in a troubling history for Sterling, who has previously faced numerous allegations of racist and discriminatory practices both with the Clippers and in his real estate ventures.

The NBA’s decision to absolutely hammer Sterling comes largely as a sigh of relief, with Silver receiving universal praise from both owners and players alike. While this story is far from over, we at least now have a sense of what direction we’re heading in. Here are 5 Things We Learned From the Adam Silver Press Conference.

There’s a reason Adam Silver is now the Commissioner of the NBA, and he has only strengthened his standing in the eyes everyone. His accountability (he said that “I apologize” very early on in the press conference), swift condemnation of Sterling (that his words were “deeply offensive and harmful...heightens the damage and my personal outrage”), and overall tone clearly set Silver apart and justified the strong sanctions that followed.

The next move is the forced sale of the Clippers, which will require the consent of 75 percent of the owners (at least 22). Silver said that he “will do everything in my power to ensure that that happens,” and has already mobilized the standing committee that handles such matters, which is chaired by Timberwolves’ owner Glen Taylor.

While Mark Cuban has said that this type of action could be a “slippery slope,” in this case it is warranted and should receive ample support.

The always-thoughtful Kareem Abdul-Jabbar authored a definitive commentary on Sterling’s troubled past, writing in an op-ed for TIME that “I’m bothered that everyone acts as if it’s a huge surprise.” It’s a legitimate question given everything that has happened with Sterling from essentially the moment he purchased the team.

It was interesting, too, that Silver deflected a question about why nothing had been done earlier when allegations had been raised against the Clippers’ owner. They only took action when they had “tangible evidence,” but we have to ask: what about the suit from the justice department? Or Elgin Baylor?

Even though there were no findings of guilt, it’s a little odd that no investigation was performed and no action was taken whatsoever. We can chalk it up to Stern regime, we suppose, and Silver is instead just focused on moving forward.

The answer to the question of why the NBA didn’t do anything earlier, ultimately, will likely never be answered.

Rumors of free agency for all Clippers players seem unfounded.

Prior to Silver’s press conference, Bill Simmons tweeted that he was expecting the NBA Players Association (which is being represented publicly by Kevin Johnson) to demand that all Clippers players be granted free agency in July should Sterling still be the owner at that time. It appears that, for now, this will not be happening.

First, Silver said in his presser that the option of free agency “is not something we are considering.” Then, in his press conference following Silver’s announcement, Johnson emphasized that “the players had a dialogue with Commissioner Silver” in meting out punishment, involving them in the process and taking a shot at the former commissioner, who repeatedly clashed with the players over seemingly everything.

While this could become an issue again depending on how swiftly Sterling is removed from ownership, it seems that for now major player upheaval has been avoided.

Perhaps the most astounding revelation from the press conference today was this quote from Silver:

“Mr. Sterling has not expressed [remorse] directly to me.”

The league worries that Sterling will not go quietly, and knowing Sterling’s past he probably won’t. But really, the important thing to remember is that he is going, which is a victory for the NBA, its players, and its fans.

Donald Sterling may be a horrible human being, but he's about to be (and to a degree already is) a very rich horrible human being. He bought the Clippers in 1981 for $12.5 million, and already the cost of the team is looking to be $1 billion-plus:

The bidding war about to ensue will be fascinating. The Clippers are one of the most valuable franchises in a league where all teams are worth a ton. They play in a massive media market and have marketable stars, so right there you've got the foundation for a team that wins and makes a ton of money.

While Magic Johnson may be among the early frontrunners, there will undoubtedly be a massive competition.