'Clipped': Does Shelly Sterling still own LA Clippers? Inside the rise and fall of Shelly Sterling's stewardship
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Clipped' is an American sports drama miniseries created by Gina Welch. It is adapted from the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast 'The Sterling Affairs' and will debut on Hulu on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
'Clipped' stars Laurence Fishburne as Doc Rivers, Ed O'Neill as Donald Sterling, Jacki Weaver as Shelly Sterling, Kelly AuCoin as Andy Roeser, and J Alphonse Nicholson as Chris Paul.
The series focuses on the downfall of Los Angeles Clippers owners Donald Sterling and Shelly Sterling, amid the team's quest for a championship under coach Doc Rivers.
Who is Shelly Sterling?
Shelly Sterling, born on September 2, 1934, in Wilmington, California, United States, is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. Her birth name is Rochelle Stein.
She married American businessman Donald Sterling in 1955. Their marriage spanned several decades and was marked by significant public attention, particularly due to their ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers National Basketball Association (NBA) team.
Over the years, Shelly has been involved in various charitable activities and community service initiatives, contributing to numerous causes in the Los Angeles area.
Shelly and Donald share three children: Scott, Chris, and Joanna. Tragically, Scott, their eldest son, died in 2013 at the age of 32 due to a drug overdose.
Inside Shelly and Donald Sterling’s ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers
In 1981, Donald purchased the Clippers, then based in San Diego, for $12.5 million. Shortly thereafter, in 1984, he relocated the team to Los Angeles.
Under the Sterlings' ownership, the Los Angeles Clippers were often overshadowed by their more successful counterparts. However, things changed drastically when Blake Griffin and Chris Paul joined the team. The Los Angeles Clippers achieved a franchise-best record of 57–25, securing the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
However, Shelly and Donald were the owners of the Los Angeles Clippers, a professional basketball franchise of the NBA, from 1981 to 2014.
Donald faced numerous lawsuits and accusations of discriminatory practices in his real estate business. The situation reached a boiling point in 2014 when recordings surfaced of Donald making racist remarks.
TMZ Sports obtained audio recordings of Donald making racist remarks on April 9, 2014. In the recordings, Donald can be heard making derogatory comments about African Americans, including players on the Clippers team.
In the recording, Donald can be heard telling V Stiviano, his companion at the time, that he does not want black people to attend Clippers games or be associated with the team. He expressed disdain for her posting pictures on social media with black people and urged her not to bring them to Clippers games.
He also mentioned Magic Johnson, a beloved former NBA player and prominent figure in the African American community, criticizing Stiviano for associating with him.
Some of Donald's lines from the recording include, "You can sleep with (black people). You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games."
"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?"
The release of these recordings sparked widespread outrage and led to swift action by the NBA. In May 2014, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver imposed a lifetime ban on Donald and fined him $2.5 million.
What actions did Shelly Sterling take?
Shelly played a crucial role in the aftermath of the scandal involving her husband. During this period, she negotiated the sale of the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion, as reported by NBC News.
Attorney Bobby Samini said in a statement to NBC News, "The NBA and Donald Sterling and Shelly Sterling have agreed to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer for $2 billion and various additional benefits."
They also filed a lawsuit seeking $1 billion in damages from the NBA. However, later on, that suit was dropped.
This sale marked the end of the Sterlings' ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers, a tenure that spanned over three decades.
How to stream 'Clipped'?
'Clipped' will be exclusively available for streaming on Hulu from Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
One needs to have Hulu subscription to watch this captivating series. Don't have a Hulu subscription? Woryy not!
The ad-supported Hulu package, which includes commercials, is available for $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year. In comparison, the ad-free package, which offers uninterrupted viewing, is priced at $11.99 per month.
'Clipped' trailer