DEANDRE JORDAN TALKS ABOUT THE AWKWARDNESS OF DONALD STERLING'S 'ALL-WHITE' PARTIES: "IT WAS A SHOWCASE OF TALL, BLACK GUYS"
The Donald Sterling era of the Los Angeles Clippers was a strange time in the franchise's colorful history. Under his watch, the team failed to gain any success, and right when they began getting more traction and love from fans with the exciting play of the "Lob City Clippers" of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan, a recorded conversation emerged in which Sterling was heard making racist remarks. This incident not only tarnished the team's reputation but also had a significant impact on the players' morale and performance.
Sterling was an eccentric man. According to DeAndre, one of his eccentricities was his 'All-White' party held each year at his mansion in Malibu. Jordan said he and his teammates found that event not just awkward but deeply uncomfortable, as they felt out of place and under scrutiny.
A gathering of Donald's associates
Jordan shared that the event was an annual gathering of Sterling's friends and business associates. The event mandated that everyone attending must wear white attire save for the Clippers' owner, who wore a black outfit. Every year, the Clippers were invited to the affair. DJ, though, felt a peculiar feeling about the bash.
The atmosphere at the party was electric, with music blasting and people chatting and mingling. But for DeAndre, it felt like something else entirely. As he stood there surrounded by his new teammates, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were not just being put on display but being objectified.
"What it felt like was almost a showcase of…," DeAndre said on Paul George's podcast, his voice trailing off.
"Tall black guys," PG-13 continued.
The athletic 6-foot-11 center added that the event was even more awkward for Blake Griffin, who the Clippers had selected as the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of Oklahoma.
"That's what it felt like. I felt super awkward for a guy like Blake, who we had just drafted number one. He was kind of like he was escorting Blake around the party, introducing him like, 'Oh, meet him. Isn't he tall and handsome? Look at his muscles,'" Jordan narrated. The players' discomfort was palpable, with even Blake expressing his confusion and discomfort at the situation.
Didn't want to be paraded around
DeAndre joked that he was glad his arms had no good muscle definition, as he didn't want to be paraded around like Blake.
"I was kind of glad I didn't have any muscles. I didn't want to be walking around like that. It was awkward, like, 'You flex.' Even Blake was like, 'What the f**k?' It was weird, man. After a while, it was kind of like, 'Y'all don't have to go to that anymore.' We were like, 'Thank you. We appreciate that.' It was a strange time," Jordan continued.
Sterling's time as owner of the Clippers came to a screeching halt at the end of April 2014 when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in a landmark decision, announced that Donald would be banned from the NBA for life and forced to sell the team. This decisive action by the NBA, which was widely praised for its commitment to social justice, marked a turning point in the league's stance on racism in sports. Steve Ballmer eventually purchased the team for $2 billion, ushering in a new era for the Clippers.
2024-06-25T14:42:27Z dg43tfdfdgfd