The Golden State Warriors were seriously considering boycotting Game 4 of the 2014 playoffs if the Los Angeles Clippers chose to do so, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
The Donald Sterling racist tapes were released before Game 4. The Clippers were thinking about boycotting the game, and it looks like the Warriors were right there with them.
. @ramonashelburne on @ESPNLosAngeles on Donald Sterling tapes released before Game 4 (1/2) – "I had a sense of it of the time, but didn’t know how much the Warriors were right there with the Clippers. Jermaine O’Neale, Steph Curry, Andre Iguodala felt that if the Clippers…"
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) August 19, 2019
. @ramonashelburne on @ESPNLosAngeles on Sterling tapes released before Game 4 (2/2) – "…decided they wanted to boycott, the Warriors were going to boycott right with them. They would’ve all walked off the court. After that, nobody knows what would’ve happened."#Clippers
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) August 19, 2019
The Warriors won Game 4, but the Clippers won the series, 4-3.
Donald Sterling was banned from the NBA and forced to sell the Clippers. Steve Ballmer, who was the chief executive officer of Microsoft at the time, bought the Clippers.
That would have been a historic event had Game 4 of that series not been played. If you recall, the Clippers players took off their warm ups pregame and wore only a red t-shirt. They didn't want anything to do with the word “Clippers” that day.
Luckily for LAC, it has moved on from that incident. Ballmer is one of the best owners in sports and he's turned the organization around in a short of time. The franchise signed Kawhi Leonard this summer and acquired Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Both the Lakers and Clips are title contenders at the same time for the first time ever. Basketball in Los Angeles is going to be fun next season.
Follow Us
Subscribe