Donald Sterling lashes out as he fights Clippers’ sale

“The NBA continues to thrive and exact its reign of terror in large part from the money it receives from the Fans. The NBA is a band of hypocrites and bullies. They will not stop until someone stands up. They have taken the liberty to desecrate my privacy rights and my right to own property. I have no doubt that they will continue to find new ways to violate my rights and the rights of any person in order to draw attention away from their discriminatory and repulsive conduct.

We have to fight for the rights of all Americans. We have to fight these despicable monsters. THIS IS THE REASON I WILL NOT SELL MY TEAM.”

—Donald Sterling in a statement as to why he is suing to prevent the team’s $2.1 billion to Steve Balmer

In Sterling’s statement he mentions the NBA’s own discriminatory policies that have resulted in lawsuits against the league. One of those, of course, was Elgin Baylor’s suit against Sterling and the Clippers (another was a suit involving the Knicks . . . I cannot think of any others that were made public, but it is all a matter of public record).

Sterling continues to trot out the line that the NBA is violating his free speech rights and his property rights. He is, of course, a little misguided in his analysis. He was free to say what he said, but not free from the consequences. So long as the NBA followed its internal procedures, they are free to revoke his license.

Sterling was deemed incapacitated due to mental illness allowing his wife Shelly to sell the team on behalf of the Sterling Family Trust. It will be hard to convince a judge that $2.1 billion is not just compensation and overturn the sale.

Any moment now, Sterling might change his mind again and drop this suit.

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Photo by Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Spurs defeat Heat 111-92 in Game 3: Instant Reaction and Social Media Recap

0 comments by on 6/10/2014

Matt Zemek: Going into Game 3, no player on either team needed to make a more dramatic improvement than Kawhi Leonard. It was Leonard, after all, whose mature-beyond-his-years performance in the 2013 Finals put the Spurs in position to win at the end of Game 6… and then kept them in Game 7 when the older […]

Spurs score 41 in sizzling 1st Quarter

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Spurs1stQuarterShotChart061014

The San Antonio Spurs set an NBA Finals record by shooting 13 for 15, 86.7 percent, in the first quarter of Tuesday’s Game Three. That totaled 41 points, including this crazy 3-pointer from Manu Ginobili to end the quarter.

As you can see from the shot chart, the Spurs did a lot of their damage right in the paint — 10 of 15 shots at the rim. The Heat defense was opened up by the passing and hot shooting from beyond the arc. San Antonio just put on a clinic.

Just an incredible offensive display. And it has not stopped heading into the second quarter.

 

It is not quite a Finals rematch. But LeBron’s trip to San Antonio will certainly feel like one. Photo by Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Crossover Chronicles Finals Roundtable: Game 3 Adjustments

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The NBA Finals shift to Miami tonight for the next two games (not three!) as the series is tied at one. Game Three winners have historically gone on to win the NBA Finals when the series is tied 1-1, so the tension is high. What will happen next? Let us take you through those answers. […]

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Crossover Chronicles Finals Roundtable: Series shifts to Miami

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The NBA Finals is predictably tied at 1-1 after two games. How we got there is somewhat surprising with LeBron James cramping at the end of Game One and then looking superhuman in Game Two as the Heat won a close game. This series could very easily be 2-0 either way, which sets up an […]

LeBron turned to yoga, Maleficent after Game 1

The difference between cramping at the end of Game One and watching Miami falter in the series opener and the brilliance of a 35-point performance might very well have been a Disney fairy tale?

Say, what?

Needing to clear his mind and kill some time (probably) after Game One, LeBron James ventured out into San Antonio alone and took in the Disney hit Maleficent at a local movie theater.

LeBron James enjoys seeing classic fairy tale movies by himself. Photo via Deadspin.

There is no truth to the rumor that LeBron was looking for a cool place to store his leg. Movie theaters are still respectfully chilly.

According to the Associated Press, James also went with his personal trainer to a yoga studio in San Antonio to get his mind right for Game Two. Whatever he did, it appears to have worked. James was brilliant in Game Two as the Heat tied the series up.

So do not be surprised to see Tim Duncan catching Edge of Tomorrow or Manu Ginobili in line for tickets to X-Men: Days of Future Past in Miami at some point this week.

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J.J. Redick: There was a chance for Clippers strike

0 comments by on 6/9/2014

In the dark days following the Donald Sterling comments, there was a belief that the Clippers might strike and refuse to play a playoff game if action was not taken. These rumors persisted throughout the league as the team had some big decisions to make with little time to make those decisions. Not even all […]

The 5 Safest Bets In Professional Sports

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The safest bets in professional sports, eh? Immediately, you could think of dozens… so there need to be some ground rules here. This list pertains to positive achievements, not failures. Therefore, “the Cleveland Browns not making the Super Bowl” or “the Chicago Cubs not making the World Series” are off the list. The list focuses […]

Photo by Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Four keys to Game Two

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Game Two is tonight. Like in three hours tonight. Many of us are still digesting Game One and the over-heated, cramp-inducing glory that was that first game. Before the storyline of LeBron James took over, what we had was an extremely competitive game with both teams taking turns imposing their will. It was the kind […]

Photo by Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Crossover Chronicles Finals Roundtable: All-NBA Teams

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Earlier this week, the NBA released its all-NBA teams. There were few surprises on the first team with Chris Paul, James Harden, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Joakim Noah. The second and third team had their controversies as well. The Crossover Chronicles staff tackled the surprises ahead of the NBA Finals’ Game Two: Philip Rossman-Reich: Let’s […]

Magic And Larry And Bron And Timmy

0 comments by on 6/7/2014

A long line can be drawn through the entirety of the NBA’s history, from the 1940s to the present day. What the Minneapolis Lakers began in 1949, the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs will develop in the 2014 NBA Finals. * When the history of the NBA is written, the Chicago Bulls and Michael […]

Crossover Chronicles Finals Roundtable: Predictions

0 comments by on 6/6/2014

Everyone at Crossover Chronicles is really excited for this upcoming NBA Finals rematch between the Heat and the Spurs. Game One tips off tonight at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. But there are a lot of questions that need answering beforehand and a lot of storylines to watch. Yesterday we took a look at the […]

Gatorade disclaims LeBron James, no cramping here

The jokes came fast and furious throughout Game One as first AT&T Center’s air conditioning went out (it is working now, according to Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express News) and then that may or may not have caused LeBron James to cramp forcing him to miss the final three and a half minutes of the game as the Heat collapsed and the Spurs took the first game.

James has (unfairly) received a lot of criticism for needing to be carried off the floor. Judging by how James came back into the game tried to go to the rim and finish and his leg just locked up, it just was not possible for him to keep going.

Twitter does not care about rationality however. And when you get corporate sponsors involved, sometimes things like this creep in:

Gatorade has since apologized and re-affirmed its relationship with the Miami Heat. But the tweet is still live and has not been deleted. There is no backing away from the statement behind this.

(more…)

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Photo by Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

NBA Finals Game One Instant Reactions & Social Recap

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The NBA Finals demand a closer look. They also demand instant reactions. After each game of the series, the Crossover Chronicles staff will share their thoughts on the games that will decide the championship. Matt Zemek: The horrible conditions inside the AT&T Center should enable all NBA fans to appreciate what the Lakers and Celtics did […]

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