Doesn't sound like Cuban agrees with kicking sterling out presently

[Kane3387]

Cuban admits to being prejudiced and reacting to negative stereotypes.

"In this day and age, this country has really come a long way putting any type of bigotry behind us, regardless of who it's toward," Cuban said Wednesday. "We've come a long way, and with that progress comes a price. We're a lot more vigilant and we're a lot less tolerant of different views, and it's not necessarily easy for everybody to adapt or evolve.

"I mean, we're all prejudiced in one way or another. If I see a black kid in a hoodie and it's late at night, I'm walking to the other side of the street. And if on that side of the street, there's a guy that has tattoos all over his face -- white guy, bald head, tattoos everywhere -- I'm walking back to the other side of the street. And the list goes on of stereotypes that we all live up to and are fearful of. So in my businesses, I try not to be hypocritical. I know that I'm not perfect. I know that I live in a glass house, and it's not appropriate for me to throw stones."

This seems like he doesn't feel sterling should be punished as severely as the nba is trying.

"There's no law against stupid," Cuban said when asked how to keep bigotry out of the NBA, according to the Tennessean. "I'm the one guy who says, 'Don't force stupid people to be quiet.' I want to know who the morons are."

Seems like he thinks Sterling should get a chance.

"I'll try to give them a chance to improve themselves, because I think that helping people improve their lives, helping people engage with people they may fear or may not understand, and helping people realize that while we all may have our prejudices and bigotries we have to learn that it's an issue that we have to control, that it's part of my responsibility as an entrepreneur to try to solve it, not just to kick the problem down the road," Cuban said. "Because it does my company no good, it does my customers no good, it does society no good if my response to somebody and their racism and bigotry is to say, 'It's not right for you to be here. Go take your attitude somewhere else.'"

I don't think Cuban is really all that on board with making him sell.

On the night before Silver's announcement of Sterling's lifetime ban, Cuban called Sterling's comments "abhorrent." However, he also said that forcing Sterling to sell the Clippers would be a "very slippery slope."

Cuban pledged his full support of Silver's ruling after the fact, but he had been guarded on his comments on the subject since then until appearing at the GrowCo convention Wednesday, when he reportedly said he hates that he might have to be hypocritical with his vote on the the matter of Sterling.

The point Cuban attempted to make during his videotaped interview with Inc. magazine was the importance of helping people evolve from their prejudices and bigotries.

http://m.espn.go.com/nba/story?storyId=10968237

[jaketwice]

You have to admit it's a VERY slippery slope. ...what if Mark Cuban's protests to the referees are deemed annoying by other owners? What if he loses a popularity contest? Sterling did nothing criminal. He made no public statement. He had a private conversation where he expressed views it was long thought he actually held. He is also 80 years old.

...if I were an NBA owner I would NOT vote in favor of stripping Sterling of his team. Too much risk that I could be stripped of MY team for a similarly private, non-criminal, infraction.

[gpap]

You have to admit it's a VERY slippery slope. ...what if Mark Cuban's protests to the referees are deemed annoying by other owners? What if he loses a popularity contest? Sterling did nothing criminal. He made no public statement. He had a private conversation where he expressed views it was long thought he actually held. He is also 80 years old.

...if I were an NBA owner I would NOT vote in favor of stripping Sterling of his team. Too much risk that I could be stripped of MY team for a similarly private, non-criminal, infraction.

I would. Because if Sterling is not stripped of owning the Clippers, then the players go on strike and it could end up becoming armaggedon for the NBA.

The one who pays the most if that happens?

Us, the fans.

The ones that everyone seems to always forget about.

[D.o.s.]

There's nothing slippery about it. I love Cuban and think he's a fantastic owner, but he's dead wrong on this one.

This isn't about p---ing off the other owners or popularity contests. This is about the threat of the entire NBA workforce refusing to play in the NBA if Sterling remained an NBA owner. A position that's entirely reasonable for them to take, I might add. The owners are acting in the best interest of their business, which is to remove Sterling from the NBA as soon as possible.

edit: posted the same time as gpap. I agree entirely.

[angryguy77]

I think Cuban is worried about having to remain silent on topics that are not quite PC. While sterling is an absolute fool for his beliefs, there are other issues/beliefs that can be supported/not supported based on legit reasoning.

I can see his point.

[saltlover]

Elsewhere in the interview Cuban said that Adam Silver had to get rid of Sterling and he understood why (sponsors, players, fans -- i.e. money).  His point was one a broader one about what forms of racism and prejudice does society tolerate and what forms it doesn't.  It is a form of racism/prejudice to cross the street when you see someone who makes you uncomfortable just on appearance.  And that is an action that a lot more people do.  Cuban is uncomfortable with the Sterling vote because he's honest with himself, and knows that his actions of crossing the street to avoid a black teenager he finds threatening is on the same continuum as Sterling's viewpoint.  He doesn't necessarily think his reaction is the correct one -- in fact, he finds himself imperfect -- but it feels hypocritical to punish Sterling for his offense.

Is Cuban wrong?  I guess that's up to interpretation.  I don't think he's trying to make an argument in favor of Sterling.  To me it seems like he's trying to move the conversation away from blaming Sterling towards people recognizing their own prejudices, of which he admits he is not immune.  And people in this country have such a problem recognizing how their own, often intuitive, reactions towards race that there is value in having that discussion.

[Celtics17]

Really it's all about Sterling's comment. The NBA was on strike a few years ago over salaries and the owners did not get in too much of a rush to avoid that. As sick as his comments were you do have to realize that they were said in what should have been a private conversation. I dont know about anyone else but I sure dont want all of my private conversations being made public. Dont' take this as me sticking up for Sterling as I think his actions are terribly wrong it's just I dont think that private conversations should doom a person either. That being said I do think the NBA is also doing the right thing by ousting him.

[Moranis]

There's nothing slippery about it. I love Cuban and think he's a fantastic owner, but he's dead wrong on this one.

This isn't about p---ing off the other owners or popularity contests. This is about the threat of the entire NBA workforce refusing to play in the NBA if Sterling remained an NBA owner. A position that's entirely reasonable for them to take, I might add. The owners are acting in the best interest of their business, which is to remove Sterling from the NBA as soon as possible.

edit: posted the same time as gpap. I agree entirely.

The players aren't going to strike because there is a racist team owner.  If they were going to do that they would have done so already.  Now sure it will be hard for the Clippers to land free agents, but the Boston Celtics aren't going on strike because Sterling is a racist.  It just isn't going to happen.

[D.o.s.]

There's nothing slippery about it. I love Cuban and think he's a fantastic owner, but he's dead wrong on this one.

This isn't about p---ing off the other owners or popularity contests. This is about the threat of the entire NBA workforce refusing to play in the NBA if Sterling remained an NBA owner. A position that's entirely reasonable for them to take, I might add. The owners are acting in the best interest of their business, which is to remove Sterling from the NBA as soon as possible.

edit: posted the same time as gpap. I agree entirely.

The players aren't going to strike because there is a racist team owner.  If they were going to do that they would have done so already.  Now sure it will be hard for the Clippers to land free agents, but the Boston Celtics aren't going on strike because Sterling is a racist.  It just isn't going to happen.

The players haven't gone on strike because the league office and the rest of the NBA have moved so quickly to excise Sterling. If you don't think that preventing any kind of work stoppage, especially during the playoffs, was exactly what motivated Silver and company to do so, you're not paying attention.

Really it's all about Sterling's comment. The NBA was on strike a few years ago over salaries and the owners did not get in too much of a rush to avoid that. As sick as his comments were you do have to realize that they were said in what should have been a private conversation. I dont know about anyone else but I sure dont want all of my private conversations being made public. Dont' take this as me sticking up for Sterling as I think his actions are terribly wrong it's just I dont think that private conversations should doom a person either. That being said I do think the NBA is also doing the right thing by ousting him.

The owners were the ones that initiated the lockout, not the players. That has zero bearing on the Sterling situation.

[Clench123]

I just hate the generalization here.  No, Mark, we are not ALL racists and prejudice.  I think it's an excuse closet racists use in justifying their racist acts and thoughts. 

Secondly, I don't think there is any equivalence between the black guy in a hoodie and a bald white guy with tattoos in the context of race.  If you change sides of the street when you see a bald white guy with tattoos, you probably changed because you're thinking this is probably one tough or crazy or badass or whatever.  Personally, those are my type of dudes.  But if you change streets because you see a black guy in a hoodie on the street, you probably change because you're thinking THEY rob and steal.  Big difference.

I lost a little respect for Mark Cuban here but in his own words, I want to know who the morons are.

[D.o.s.]

His point is definitely hurt by the poor choice of example, that's for sure.

[celtic -_- pride]

Too be honest I want our clippers pick to maximize it's value. Let the players strike and leave so we get a sweet pick. Let that organization fall a part. Let sterling eventually die and restart from there. The worst thing for the nba is a long annoying legal battle. But hey as a Celtic fan let's get a good pick and have LA's ugly step sister fade out. I say let sterling phase out and then move that franchise to Seattle with new owners bringing back the sonics ! What a great way to turn an ugly sore that will always be remembered for this and replace with a franchise that never Should of been lost. REDEMPTION !

[Clench123]

Too be honest I want our clippers pick to maximize it's value. Let the players strike and leave so we get a sweet pick. Let that organization fall a part. Let sterling eventually die and restart from there. The worst thing for the nba is a long annoying legal battle. But hey as a Celtic fan let's get a good pick and have LA's ugly step sister fade out. I say let sterling phase out and then move that franchise to Seattle with new owners bringing back the sonics ! What a great way to turn an ugly sore that will always be remembered for this and replace with a franchise that never Should of been lost. REDEMPTION !

You are not alone on that end.  If there is any good I want to result from all of these, it's for our clippers' pick to maximize.

[Moranis]

His point is definitely hurt by the poor choice of example, that's for sure.

I'm pretty sure he used black guy in a hoodie because of the Trayvon Martin case, but he also wanted to add in a white guy, so he went with the classic biker gang look.  He just used examples that people would relate to, but that had different races.

As for his larger point, he is absolutely correct and it is why I don't think the owners will vote Sterling out as long as it is sealed ballot.  It is a very dangerous and slippery slope to kick owners out of the league when they have done absolutely nothing wrong except be a racist moron (and it isn't like Sterling's racism is affecting the players he signs, after all most of them are in fact black, and in fact he prefers black athletes from all I have read about him).

[D.o.s.]

His point is definitely hurt by the poor choice of example, that's for sure.

I'm pretty sure he used black guy in a hoodie because of the Trayvon Martin case, but he also wanted to add in a white guy, so he went with the classic biker gang look.  He just used examples that people would relate to, but that had different races.

Right -- the reason that's stupid is because of the false equivalency it creates.

As for his larger point, he is absolutely correct and it is why I don't think the owners will vote Sterling out as long as it is sealed ballot.  It is a very dangerous and slippery slope to kick owners out of the league when they have done absolutely nothing wrong except be a racist moron (and it isn't like Sterling's racism is affecting the players he signs, after all most of them are in fact black, and in fact he prefers black athletes from all I have read about him).

I will bet you exactly one tommy point that Sterling will have been voted out by the time the offseason is over.