Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
NBA Investigating L.A. Clippers Owner over Racist Comments; Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
Aired April 27, 2014 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Don Lemon here. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM
I want you to sit back and listen to this. This is going to be an interesting hour. Because we're going to talk about a recording of racist remarks, sparking an uproar in pro-basketball, casting a long shadow over the NBA playoffs, and igniting a new discussion about race that goes far beyond the sports world -- ok.
L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling is at the center of the storm. He's reportedly the voice heard making racist comments in a sometimes heated conversation with his girlfriend. New audio has surfaced just in the past few hours. And this hour, we're going to play long, extended excerpts for you. So sit back and listen.
As this controversy swirls, the Clippers lost today's game. During pre-game warm-ups, they wore their jerseys inside out so the team logo was obscured -- a silent protest no doubt. Sterling did not attend. His wife did. Some are saying that was in bad taste.
The controversy is catching attention at the highest levels. Even President Barack Obama is weighing in. We're going to play those comments for you, as well.
And then there is this -- the Los Angeles NAACP has called off plans to honor Donald Sterling next month with another lifetime achievement award. They gave him one before and another award before that -- one in 2008 and one in 2009.
TMZ Sports obtained these tape recordings, we don't know how. An attorney for Sterling's girlfriend says they are authentic. The Clippers team statement says only that they do not reflect Sterling's views, beliefs or feelings.
Here's an extended excerpt of the voice, purported to be Sterling and his girlfriend, talking about race, respect, culture and photos she posted on social media.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Honey, I'm sorry.
DONALD STERLING, OWNER, L.A. CLIPPERS: I'm sorry too. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope I can change the skin -- the color of my skin.
STERLING: That isn't the issue -- you missed the issue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's the issue?
STERLING: The issue is we don't have to broadcast anything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not broadcasting anything. I don't do anything wrong.
STERLING: Nobody said you did anything wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't do anything wrong. If you ever have any issues it's because people call you and tell you things about me that are not true.
STERLING: You are if you're broadcasting --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not broadcasting anything.
STERLING: And why are you taking pictures with minorities -- why?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's wrong with minorities? What's wrong with black people?
STERLING: Nothing. Nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's wrong with Hispanics?
STERLING: It's like talking to an enemy. There's nothing wrong with minorities. They're fabulous -- fabulous. Because you're an enemy to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?
STERLING: Because you don't understand.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't understand what?
STERLING: Nothing. Nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That racism still is a lie?
STERLING: No but there's a culture.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What culture?
STERLING: People feel certain things. Hispanics feel certain things towards black. Blacks feel certain things for other groups. It's been that way historically and it will always be that way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But it's not that way in my heart and in my mind.
STERLING: But maybe you want to adjust to the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But why if the world doesn't do anything for me and they don't make me happy?
STERLING: You're right. I don't want to argue with you. I don't want to argue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't be racist in my heart.
STERLING: And that's good. I'm living in a culture and I have to live within the culture. So that's the way it is. That's all -- I got it. I got the whole message. You live with your heart.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't -- you're --
STERLING: You can't be flexible. You can't --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am flexible. I understand that that's the way you were raised and that's your culture and I'm respectful and --
(CROSSTALK)
STERLING: Well, why do you have to disrespect them? Those are --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who am I disrespecting?
STERLING: The world before you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why am I disrespecting them?
STERLING: By walking and you're perceived as either a Latina or a white girl. Why can't you be walking publicly with black people? Why? Is there a benefit to you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it a benefit to me. Does it matter if they're white or blue or yellow?
STERLING: I guess that you don't know that. Maybe you're stupid. Maybe you don't know what people think of you.
It does matter, yes. It matters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know that I'm mixed?
STERLING: No, I don't know it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know that I'm mixed.
STERLING: You told me you were going to remove those. You said "Yes, I understand you." I mean you change from day to day. Wow. So painful -- wow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People call you and tell you that I have black people on my Instagram and it bothers you.
STERLING: Yes, it bothers me a lot if you want to -- broadcast that you're associating with black people. Do you have to?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You associate with black people.
STERLING: I'm not you and you're not me. You're supposed to a delicate white or a delicate Latina girl.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm mixed.
STERLING: Ok. Well (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you're in love with me. And I'm black and Mexican whether you like it or not, whether the world accepts it or not. And you're asking me to remove something that's part of me and in my bloodstream because the world thinks different of me and you're afraid of what they're going to see? Because of your upbringing? You want me to have hate towards black people.
STERLING: I don't want you to have hate. That's what people do. They turn things around. I want you to love them, privately. In your whole life, everyday you can be with them, every single day of your life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But not in public?
STERLING: But why publicize and why bring it to my games?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why bring the black people to the games. I --
STERLING: I don't think we need to discuss anymore. It's over. I don't want to talk about it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry that you feel that way.
STERLING: I feel that way so strongly and it may cause our relationship to just break apart. And if it does, it does. It better break apart now than to break apart later.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry that you still have people around you that are full of racism and hate in their hearts. I'm sorry that you're still racist in your heart. I'm sorry that you live in the world that still --
STERLING: How about your whole life. Everyday, you could do whatever you want. You can sleep with them, you can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask is not to promote it and not to bring them to my games.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't bring anyone to the games.
STERLING: Ok, then. There's nothing to argue about.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Plenty of voices, plenty of experts to bring in on this. Paul Callan is our legal analyst -- and don't forget this recording was leaked while a lawsuit is spinning around Donald Sterling. And we're going to have more of that coming up.
Terence Moore is a CNN sports contributor and sports columnist and Brian Claypool is a defense attorney who happens to also be a Clippers season ticketholder.
So Brian, I want to go to you first. This is your team. You love them. You give them a lot of money. What do you think when you hear that recording?
BRIAN CLAYPOOL, ATTORNEY: Don, I would tell you, my heart has been palpitating all day today. I'm outraged by these comments. And two things stand out in those recordings that you just played. Did I hear Donald Sterling say, "I feel like I'm talking to the enemy?" That -- reveals the patent depth of his alleged racism.
You tell me what he's talking about. He's living in a world over here where he is embarrassed if he's associated with black people. He doesn't want his mistress to show a picture of a black person, yet he wants to live in this hypocrisy and make a ton of money and become a billionaire by hiring a black coach, hiring Chris Paul.
Let me tell you real quick, Don, about Chris Paul for example so your viewers can appreciate what these players are going through. I have the privilege of sitting in the same row as Chris Paul's family. Two seats to the left of me are his parents and his wife sits on the end. They are the most adorable, humble people you will ever meet.
His parents still live in North Carolina. They come out from time to time to the games. Chris Paul came from nothing. His grandfather was murdered in a gas station that he ran for years and years. I talked to his dad about this.
Now, you tell me that the owner of the Clippers has even spent a minute to get to know his players to understand that they are human beings and deserve respect and dignity. It's despicable.
LEMON: And one part of the conversation, which we will play later, he says, you know, "I give them money, I give them cars, I give them houses," almost as if he owns them, Brian. And so what you're saying is that maybe he should get to know them personally. I don't know if he is but you don't feel that he has, especially talking about Chris Paul and the kind of person that he is.
CLAYPOOL: Don, you hit the nail on the head. These African-American players for Donald Sterling are simply commodities. He rarely ever goes into the locker room and talks to these players. And in the last hour, you made a great comment, you said something to the effect of, "I would like to hear from Donald Sterling on this." Remember that?
LEMON: Yes.
CLAYPOOL: I will tell you that you're never going to hear from Donald Sterling, because he lives in an insulated world. He will have his posse come out and make the comments for him. He will not man up and come on your show and tell you what he meant.
You tell me if he meant anything other than what was said in those tapes. I don't see what anything he can try to explain can contradict what his intentions were in those tapes.
LEMON: Well, I want to tell you that we are inviting Donald Sterling to come on -- so far no response from Donald Sterling. We also invited the NBA commissioner to come on CNN today. He was not available. So Donald Sterling, you want to say your piece? Come on. You can say it here.
Stay with me, panel. Up next -- more of the audio recording. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: So we're bringing you extended excerpts this hour from the recordings purported to be NBA team owner Donald Sterling. The voice on the recording obtained by TMZ Sports makes racist comments. Here's an extended clip of the voice purported to be Sterling and his girlfriend. They're talking about skin color, race, and photos of her with African-Americans.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
STERLING: Ok, we've got a big problem here. I really don't feel like going anywhere. I don't feel like going to Europe. I don't feel like just going through the whole thing. We've got a big problem.
If you didn't like someone that I was with I would -- stop seeing that person and --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry. I don't have any more friends. What would you like me to do? Remove the skin color out of my skin.
STERLING: Is that a real issue or are you making something up?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean I just don't understand what the issue is.
STERLING: There's nothing wrong with you or your skin color. Why are you saying these things? To upset me?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sweetie -- I'm sorry.
STERLING: I'm so sorry too. We made a giant mistake, both of us. Everything you say to me is so painful. Do I want you to change the color of your skin? You know how to really hurt somebody. Instead of saying, "I understand."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't understand how you can have so much hate towards minorities.
STERLING: I don't have any hate on nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I cannot understand -- STERLING: Why would say --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- how a person like you who's elevated, who's here still feels above the world and you can't even be seen with someone in which is considered of a different skin color.
STERLING: You can be with me all day long and all night long.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't believe that a man who's educated, a man who's a scholar, a man --
STERLING: Well, believe it and stop talking about it. Let's finish our discussion with a period, ok. You're not making any good points. You can't believe this man -- that's all I am. I'm not a good person in your eyes. If I was a good person you wouldn't, "I can't believe, I can't believe that," which are all lies.
I love the --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at all this negativity coming from you.
STERLING: There's no negativity. I love everybody. I'm just saying in lousy (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Instagrams, you don't have to have yourself with -- walking with black people. You don't have to. If you want to, do it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If it's white people, it's ok?
If it was Larry Bird, would it have made a difference?
STERLING: You're just a big fighter. I could see -- who would want to live with a woman like you. Who would want to live with a woman? All you ever wanted to do was fight. You're a born fighter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry that you're mad.
STERLING: You have the worst mouth.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why are you so angry, Honey? What's wrong?
STERLING: Why did you bring up Larry Bird? What does he have to do with it? You can walk all night long with yours sisters or your family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I saw someone I admire -- I admire Magic Johnson.
STERLING: Ok, good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry.
STERLING: Ok.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's made a lot of changes for his community, for the world, for the people, for the minorities -- he's helped a lot of people. STERLING: Why are you forcing this down my throat? I'm finished talking to you. I have nothing more to say.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I took a picture with someone I admire.
STERLING: Good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He happens to be black and I'm sorry.
STERLING: I think the fact that you admire him -- I've known him well and he should be admired. And I'm just saying that it's too bad you can't admire privately and during your entire (EXPLETIVE DELETED), your whole life admire him, bring him here, feed, (EXPLETIVE DELETED) him -- I don't care.
You can do anything. But don't put him on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games -- ok.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't -- I've never brought -- I don't know him personally.
STERLING: Please leave me along. Please, please?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry. Is there anything that I can do to make you feel better?
STERLING: No, you could never make me feel better. You're just a fighter and want to fight.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEMON: Paul Callan is here, Terence Moore, Brian Claypool and joining us now as well is sports agent David Sugarman. It's hard to listen to. It's just unfathomable that someone would even -- that could even come out of somebody else's mouth, Terence.
Several former NBA stars are calling for Sterling's head on a platter, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson -- of course, he talked about there -- Charles Barkley . Is that going to happen? What difference is this going to make in the league?
TERENCE MOORE, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, I mean he's gone. There's just too much is out there. And you look at Adam Silver, who is the new NBA commissioner. He wants to make his mark. This is his first big test, and he's going to do it.
I want to tell you something else, Don, that nobody is talking about that is very much -- should be of concern to all Clipper fans and all NBA fans. I've known Doc Rivers for over 30 years, and Doc Rivers says what he means and he means what he says. And Doc is very upset. Before the game today, he talked about how all of this would affect his team in this game, which it did. They lost by 21 points. He said after the game, that usually when you go home, it's a safe haven. He said that's not the case right now. But here's the biggest thing that Doc Rivers said today that people should take note. He's saying now that he doesn't even know whether or not he's going to be back next year with the Clippers. He's thinking about making this one and done with them, and just taking off.
So, you know, that tells you right off the bat how serious this is, when you have somebody like Doc Rivers talking about getting out of the situation, because he doesn't like the things that he's hearing from his owner.
LEMON: Yes. David Sugarman, you're nodding your head in agreement. Apparently you know Doc Rivers or at least know of, you know, of his character.
DAVID SUGARMAN, SPORTS AGENT: I know of his character. You know, you feel bad about Doc Rivers. You feel bad for the kids. When I'm talking about the kids, I'm speaking of the athletes on the squad. I mean it's a black eye not only for the NBA but it's a black eye for the entire country, the entire world. It's pretty disgusting what we all just heard.
LEMON: Is it surprising to you as you represent NBA players, correct?
SUGARMAN: Correct.
LEMON: Is this surprising to you coming from an owner? Be honest.
SUGARMAN: Racism is all over the world. I'm surprised -- I'm surprised to hear it to this degree. I've never heard anything like this ever.
LEMON: But you're not shocked that some people can be so insulated, live in such a world where they -- they don't understand that this guy is a walking controversy. He's a walking conflict.
SUGARMAN: It's not his first time.
LEMON: Contradiction.
SUGARMAN: And it's not his first time.
LEMON: Yes.
SUGARMAN: I mean Magic spoke about this, and there's another player that he's been involved with a lawsuit. I mean he's racist. He's racist.
LEMON: But do players have an option? Why would they want to play -- obviously they make a lot of money, and they're doing what they love. But if you know about this guy's character, then what is that for you as an agent? Do you say listen, you should know this before you go there? Is that not even part of it?
SUGARMAN: No, I think now it's definitely going to be part of it right. I mean if there are kids that are coming out of college -- we have a draft here in New York June 26. There are kids that are going to do workouts for the Los Angeles Clippers, that their entire life has been basketball and their one shot to go into the NBA. It's not their decision. If they get drafted to go to the Clippers and he's still owner of this team, what are they going to do? What are the kids going to do?
LEMON: Yes. Paul Callan, you've been patiently sitting. Thank you very much. Let's get to the legal angle of this. California is a two-party state meaning you're supposed to notify someone if you're recording them -- right. She did not do that. Was he set up?
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, he certainly was set up. She would look to be the prime suspect to doing that. If she recorded it in California, she's violated criminal law and she could face charges herself. However, we've seen this happen in the past. It won't stop the evidence from being used in a lawsuit or by the NBA investigation if they're going to suspend or fine the owner of the Clippers.
LEMON: Talk more about the legal angle with Paul Callan and the rest of our panel. Stay with us here. Our conversation continues right after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't rally have to do anything, you just let them talk. That's what happened here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So we are talking extensively about the controversy surrounding L.A. Clippers, Donald Sterling. A recorded conversation surfaced allegedly of Sterling and his girlfriend in which the man's voice makes racist remarks.
Here's a portion of the recording. This one was obtained by sports Website, Deadspin.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
STERLING: It's the world. You go to Israel, the blacks are just treated like dogs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So do you have to treat them like that too?
STERLING: The white Jews -- there's white Jews and black Jews, do you understand?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And are the black Jews, less than the white Jews.
STERLING: 100 percent, 50, 150 --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And is that right. STERLING: It isn't a question. We don't evaluate what's right and wrong, we live in a society. We live in a culture. We have to live within that culture.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEMON: I want to bring in now my panel. Brian, you hear the voice of supposedly Donald Sterling talking about living within a culture. What do you think he means by that -- American society, the NBA, Los Angeles culture, what is he talking about?
CLAYPOOL: He's worried about one thing, his image. That's all he's worried about. Donald Sterling, over and above the owner of the Clippers, is a big time business guy. He owns a ton of properties throughout Los Angeles. He makes a lot of money that way, too. So he's only worried about his image.
That's what he was talking about earlier with these Instagrams and people are calling him up. Why is your mistress with Magic Johnson? He's more worried about that than he is getting to know his players.
But here's another thing Don, I wanted to mention briefly. I realized over the last few minutes why I'm so angry about this. I've been a die-hard Clipper fan and a season ticketholder for a decade.
And I have been conflicted for years because I've known in the background, Don, that this has happened. That some of this has been going on through the lawsuits that's he's fought, even the lawsuit with Elgin Baylor. He was -- Elgin Baylor was an African-American who's the general manager for years. He sued Donald Sterling. He lost.
But it made me wonder, is the owner racist? Am I paying somebody who is racist? And I was struggling with that. Now when I hear this, these tapes, I am actually sick in my stomach because I'm financially supporting a man who is this reprehensible. It's very troubling.
LEMON: It has to be -- it has to be infuriating. It's infuriating to a lot of people, especially if you have a connection to the team and a personal one.
Terence, you know, a moment ago we heard President Barack Obama, he weighed in on these alleged comments. Does that speak to the gravity of these recordings and what it represents about the culture, about America?
MOORE: I mean no question about that. But Bon, I want to point something out. The most unfortunate thing here is, this is sort of letting a lot of people off the hook, because people are acting as if, in general, that this is a highly unusual situation.
And I tell you something, having been a professional sports journalist for 40 years, I can tell you numerous times where I've talked through the years with owners, managers, coaches, who said things that were borderline racist or flat-out racist. They didn't see I was going to print, they knew I wasn't going to print. I've heard owners -- famous owners call black players "colored", to me. So if they're using the word colored to me, you can imagine what they're saying to other people behind the scenes.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: David Sugarman is here who is a sports agent.
You're nodding your head in agreement again.
SUGARMAN: Yes, I mean, there are -- you know, there are people that use the N word in the locker room. Right? It goes around and these are kids that are throwing this -- this word around that shouldn't be said period. But when you see, you know, people of that stature that should be leading by example, that are just flat-out ignorant.
LEMON: Yes. Paul, when I get to you, it will be in the next segment. I want to think about this. I want to -- just give the players an out to renegotiate their contract and we'll talk about that legal angle.
But amid all the controversy, the L.A. Clippers took to the court today for a playoff basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, and they lost by 21 points. Adding to their distractions, head coach Doc Rivers said before the game that he is not sure if he will be back with the team next year. Not what you want to hear when you're about to take the court.
CNN's Stephanie Elam is standing by for us outside that arena.
So, Stephanie, you know, I hear the Clippers staged a silent protest before the game.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Don, and it seemed very concerted. It seemed like it was a team effort on the side of the Clippers, but they took the court during warm-ups and they all took off their sweatshirts off and they dropped them in the middle of the court.
LEMON: You're fine, that's just background from the tape. Go ahead, Stephanie. Continue.
ELAM: OK. It was really loud. I thought you were taking it live. I'm sorry. But anyway, they took off all of their sweatshirts and they dropped them in the middle of the court, and that was part of it. And then they all had on red T-shirts underneath and they were inside out backwards with the logo against their chest. Sort of putting out the message that look, we know things are wrong, but we have a playoff game to play. This is our focus.
And you would have to imagine, Don, that it's a difficult predicament to be in. Most of the players are black men, so to have to deal with this distraction coming from within your own camp is also a really big hurdle to get over. On top of it, they are not playing at home, they are playing here in Oakland, and there were a lot of Warriors fans who were out there, making it known, cheering.
It's a playoffs game, it's what you would expect. Also dealing with the distraction coming from having to put out statements. Because remember, Chris Paul, who is the president of the Players Association, plays for the Clippers. So he is dealing with this on multiple levels.
After the game, we were standing out there as the fans were coming out, pretty much just the sea of yellow coming out of the coliseum, and watching them come out here while we had our camera up, we saw some people who were back there chanting, "We are not racist." So the Warriors fans very aware of the controversy and also putting the message out there.
And one other thing I can tell you, Don, is we talked to one fan from L.A. He said he's a fan of all L.A. sports. He says he wouldn't boycott, he was a black man, I will put it out there because of the story. And he said that this is something about the players. He's here to support them. If they don't boycott, he's not boycotting. He says that he does think that Sterling needs to go, but he's here to support the players because they're in a really hard place to be.
LEMON: Yes. Yes, it is tough. And, you know, we've spoken about this, Stephanie, the internal conflict of, you know, being a black player and having to go out there, that you've worked for this all your life, but then this guy says -- these idiotic, racist things, reportedly, allegedly, and so then you have -- you got all that.
Thank you, Stephanie Elam. Appreciate your reporting.
Our panel isn't going anywhere.
Up next, more of that recording allegedly of Clippers owner Donald Sterling. The sound you'll hear comparing white and black Jews.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: So, Kevin Johnson, the former NBA player, current mayor of Sacramento and adviser to the NBA Players Union, commented on the allegations against Clippers owner Donald Sterling just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR KEVIN JOHNSON, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: There's absolutely no place in the NBA family for ignorance, intolerance, reprehensible comments that are unacceptable and not fitting for what this league is all about.
I will tell you, I've talked to a lot of owners. And this is a very delicate situation. There is nobody, there's no one that believes that these actions and these comments, if found true, are acceptable and fitting of anything that this NBA represents and stands for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: We want to tell you this. That Johnson made five command demands on behalf of the players. And here they are. One, players want to ensure Sterling does not attend any game for the Clippers or any other team for the rest of the playoffs, calling it an enormous distraction. Two, they want a full accounting of prior accusations of racism against Sterling and an explanation of why those were never punished by the NBA.
Three, they want to know what kind of punishment Sterling will face if the accusations are found to be true. Four, they want to make sure the commissioner will work with the union during the investigation. And five, they want to make sure the commissioner carries out this process quickly so the focus can return to the playoffs.
I want to play this for you now. This recording allegedly of Donald Sterling telling his girlfriend, don't bring black people to Clippers games. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD STERLING, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS OWNER: Well then, if you don't feel -- don't come to my games. Don't bring black people and don't come.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know that you have a whole team that's black, that plays for you?
STERLING: You just -- do I know? I support them and give them food and clothes and cars and houses. Who gives it to them? Does someone else give it to them? Do I know that I have -- who makes the game? Do I make the game or do they make the game? Is there 30 owners that --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going not going to bring --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: But they make you very rich.
Joining our panel to discuss now, audio expert Paul Ginsberg, who has analyzed sounds for the FBI, the CIA and Homeland Security.
And, Paul, how can audio experts determine whether this is Sterling's voice?
PAUL GINSBERG, FORENSIC AUDIO EXPERT: OK. We need a true exemplar, and preferably one in which he's stating the same words or phrases, and really what I would want is something that's recorded in the same location, by the same kind of equipment. They both had reverberation. I would say that they were both at the same place. And this was live exchange not a telephone conversation.
LEMON: You can alter anything. But is it easy -- how -- you can alter anything. Listening to it, though, as an expert, just the cursory listening, what do you think?
GINSBERG: It sounds continuous to me. However, in any investigation that I do in my lab, I always ask for the original, as well as the original machine.
LEMON: So when it is -- once it's authenticated, is it like DNA, is it 100 percent?
GINSBERG: Close.
LEMON: Close. OK.
Paul Callan, let's talk about the legal angle here. Remember we said California is a two-party state. Again, this is according to TMZ Sports. It is saying that Donald Sterling was aware he was being taped during the conversation that was posted in TMZ.
What he's saying is that she would tell him that he was being recorded because he would often forget what he had said. She was basically his archivist, right? Or archivist, however you want to say it. She would regularly play the tapes back to him because he would forget what he said. And at the beginning of the tape he says, a source connected to it with this, tells TMZ Sports the four conversations lasted approximately an hour. We're told she insisted it's clear that Sterling at the beginning of the conversation was being recorded. Does this change?
CALLAN: Yes, this changes things considerably. California is one of I think about 12 states where both parties --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: If it's true.
CALLAN: If it's true. Both parties have to consent to the recording of a confidential conversation. But obviously if he's aware that the recording is being made, that's arguably the consent. So that would mean this would not be criminal conduct, and frankly, for a lot of reasons, maybe a lot of people would be happy if it's not criminal conduct because then the contents can be used for all purposes and all proceedings.
LEMON: OK. So you saw the players wearing their jerseys inside out before a pre-game warm-up. You saw the black wrist bands on the left wrist, I believe. Is this an out for them? Can they renegotiate?
CALLAN: It's a very interesting question. And I've been doing some research on it this afternoon. It's not clear that it is, and I'll tell you why. If you have an abusive boss or you're subjected to harassment in the workplace, as a general rule, your first line of defense is you go to the company and you say, I want an investigation done, I want something done about this. So the Clippers' organization would say, well, we were unaware of this.
The players never complained directly of it, and the fact that he's use thing sort of language in a private conversation with his alleged girlfriend doesn't really impact the players directly. That's the argument that would be used against them if they tried to terminate their contracts. I think it would probably, in a court of law, be a pretty good argument. So I don't think they'll be able to terminate contracts just based on this taped conversation.
LEMON: I want to get everyone in here as usual. You know, I don't have all the time in the world so you can give me 20 seconds.
Terence, starting -- you heard what Kevin Johnson said, he wants some specific things to happen. He means business.
MOORE: Yes. And let me point this out to you, too. Marge Schott, sort of the poster child for racism when it comes to owners. She started owning the Cincinnati Reds in 1984, '85. She was there until to the late 1990s. She had two prominent black players, Dave Parker and Barry Larker, the Hall of Famer. OK, this is during the period which you referred to her black players as million dollar N's. My point is, they still won the 1990 World Series.
LEMON: Right. Brian, it's emotional for you. What do you want to see happen? You heard what Mr. Johnson said. He said listen, they mean business.
CLAYPOOL: Well, taking Paul's comment one step further, he's right. This has -- this has been reported to the HR of the Clippers. Under California law, what HR has to do for the Clippers now is fire Donald Sterling. Because if they don't fire Donald Sterling, then all of his players are living in a hostile work environment within the L.A. Clippers' organization.
So you have two options to summit up, Don. Number one, the NBA needs to kick Donald Sterling out of the league. Or number two, follow employment law in California. It's reported to HR of the Clippers and they now have a legal obligation to remove him as the owner of the Clippers. Let's keep Doc Rivers in town, keep Chris Paul in town, and let's not lose the Clippers, please.
LEMON: David Sugarman?
SUGARMAN: Sterling has got to go, there's no -- there's no question about it. There's no doubt in my mind. I'm representing these players. I know they're not happy about it, we're not happy about it. And in order for that organization to be saved, he's got -- he's got to go.
LEMON: And how long do you think it will take them to authenticate this, Paul? Do you think -- because he hasn't come out yet and said this is not me.
CALLAN: No, he has not denied it, but I'd say after a few days we should have an answer.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, everyone. Appreciate all of your expertise.
Up next, we're following a major weather threat. Millions of people facing the possibility of tornadoes right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: A tornado captured on the ground just a short time ago in Kansas. I want you to take a look at this. A twister hit the ground in Pleasanton, Kansas. That's about 70 miles south of Kansas City. This video was taken by storm chaser Tim Perrington. Severe storms are intensifying across much of the U.S.
Our meteorologist Jennifer Gray keeping a close watch of it all.
Jennifer, what do you have?
JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Don, these are fierce and they're not letting up any time soon. In fact we have more tornado warnings to tell you about. A lot of these are firing up right along that Kansas-Missouri state line, and they are definitely dangerous.
I'm going to show you just a couple of these. You can see this one right around center. In fact they're moving to the northeast at about 40 miles per hour. And they're going to continue to push through the northeast through all of these towns right in its path. You can see center Nevada, about 20,000 people in the path of that one. And then as you go down to the south, zoom in on that one, Jasper County, Lawrence County, and this one is in effect until 7:15 Central Time.
We also have a couple of tornado warnings currently in effect in Mississippi. And so these are just as dangerous, heading to the northeast about 40 miles per hour. This one is in effect until 7:00 for Tate and Tunica, and then we also have another one, you can see a little bit of rotation indicated by the Doppler. And this one is in effect until 7:30, as well.
So, Don, very dangerous situation going on across the country. We still have that high risk of tornado development anywhere across the south and that extends all the way up into Missouri and points north.
LEMON: Jennifer Gray, thank you. Appreciate that.
A new plan in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the place where everyone is looking may be changing.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The hunt for Malaysia Flight 370 entering a new phase. We just learned that the Bluefin underwater drone is now on a different mission outside the search zone. And just a short time ago it finished scanning the search zone, the yellow area that you see right there in the center of your screen. No clues were found, nothing.
And Australian officials say the Bluefin is now scouring areas adjacent to the search zone. It may head north where a different ping was heard weeks ago, plus a new aerial search will begin after bad weather scrapped earlier plans.
Up to nine military aircraft, 12 ships are set to help in Monday's search.
So with me now is ocean explorer, Fabien Cousteau, and forensic audio expert Paul Ginsberg is back with me who has analyzed black box recordings.
So, Fabien, why don't we have better technology for deep water ocean searches? FABIEN COUSTEAU, OCEAN ENGINEER: It's very simple. There hasn't been the funding for it. And unfortunately, the technology that we have is very sparse.
LEMON: And that's it, just a simple answer as that.
COUSTEAU: The technology exists. We don't have the money for it.
LEMON: But because of this, you think that will help?
COUSTEAU: If there's more funding?
LEMON: Yes.
COUSTEAU: Yes, I think --
LEMON: Do you think it will help more funding now that people have -- sort of -- are aware that we don't have the capacity to do it.
COUSTEAU: I hate to spin it that way but unfortunately I think you might be right.
LEMON: Yes.
Paul, you know, if you were leading the search, what is the best equipment? Do you think the Bluefin is the best equipment and what is the best audio equipment that we should be using in this search? In the underwater search?
GINSBERG: Well, there are a few different parts here. First is to locate the pingers. 100 percent certainty. And the second then of course is to use sonar to eliminate any doubt as to where we are looking for the aircraft, for the black boxes. We have -- we have the equipment. We have to make sure that we use it properly.
My professor said 90 percent planning, 10 percent work. It's true. You have to know, you have to have an idea of what you're looking for, what frequency is it going to come in on through that amount of water and to see that you have that proper signature.
LEMON: Fabien, you know, the Bluefin's mission failed inside that search zone, now they are looking nearby. Is this the smartest move or do you think they need to stop, rethink the Bluefin's limits?
COUSTEAU: Very complex question. I think the Bluefin didn't fail, it did what it had to do but it didn't find anything. I think the information is disparate, it's all over the place, and unless we know exactly where to look, the Bluefin is going to continue to do what it's doing.
LEMON: If the Flight 370, if they completely reboot, right, what audio evidence do you think that they should focus on first, Paul?
GINSBERG: Well, we have no more pingers. That's exhausted. So we have to go back and see what exactly is definite factual information, what is subjective or conjecture based upon faulty data? I wish I had been there on the ship gathering the data in front of that laptop.
LEMON: It has been said that they should go and put in pingers that are similar to Flight 370. To try to -- Mary Schiavo has said that a lot. And the question is, have they done that? And you -- you know, you've said all along that --
(CROSSTALK)
GINSBERG: They need a handbook of references. In other words, put pingers in the water in different areas, different depths, and make a catalog, a handbook, of what is received. Does the frequency shift from 37.5 to 33? Does it waiver? What are the amplitude variations, the period frequency. They need that as a reference.
LEMON: Fabien, Paul has said that they need to sit down in a room and find out what they have and what they don't have and regroup. Do you agree with that?
COUSTEAU: I absolutely do. You know, the information is coming from different sources. It's not necessarily meshing well together. And people have different parts of that information, and therefore, there is chaos.
LEMON: Chaos. So what do you think is going to happen next week with this report, quickly?
GINSBERG: I think it's going to be vague. I think it's just going to be a statement of what they have done, but I don't think that we're going to find too many results.
LEMON: Thank you, Fabien. Thank you, Paul. Appreciate it.
I'm Don Lemon. Make sure you stay with CNN and CNN.com for the very latest on everything that we have reported here tonight.
And up next, "ANTHONY BOURDAIN, PARTS UNKNOWN, LAS VEGAS." At 9:00 Eastern, it's a premiere of "PARTS UNKNOWN, LYON, FRANCE." That's followed at 10:00 Eastern by the premier of Morgan Spurlock, "INSIDE MAN: PETS".
Thanks for watching, everyone. I'll see you next week. Good night.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
