The NBA has since apologized to Johnson following Sterling’s interview on CNN, in which many in and outside of the basketball league are not buying, including Sterling’s apology.
(CNN) — NBA legend Magic Johnson said Tuesday he is going to pray for Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who slammed him in an interview with CNN a day earlier for not doing enough for minorities.
“My whole life is devoted to urban America. So, you know I just wish he knew the facts when he’s talking,” Johnson told CNN’s Anderson Cooper exclusively Tuesday. “But he’s a man who’s upset and he’s reaching. He’s reaching. He’s trying to find something that he can grab on to help him save his team. And it’s not going to happen. … I’m a God-fearing man and I’m going to pray for him and hope things work out for him.”
Sterling went on the offensive in his interview with Cooper when Johnson’s name came up, blaming the basketball Hall of Famer for his delay in apologizing for the racist remarks that got him banned from the league.
He slammed the legendary Los Angeles Lakers point guard’s character and his battle with HIV, saying Johnson hasn’t done anything to help others.
“What kind of a guy goes to every city, has sex with every girl, then he catches HIV? Is that someone we want to respect and tell our kids about?” Sterling said in the interview that aired Monday night. “I think he should be ashamed of himself. I think he should go into the background. But what does he do for the black people? He doesn’t do anything.”
Johnson, who led the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA championships, has been a central figure in the controversy since the recording of Sterling speaking with friend V. Stiviano surfaced last month on TMZ.
READ MORE: CNN.com
Article Courtesy of CNN
Picture Courtesy of Elev8
