The NBA has a storied history. It's one of the few professional sporting leagues in the world whose evolution has mirrored the progression of society, equality, politics and social advancement. As a result, the league has churned out not only all-time great basketball players but cultural icons. Players that were impactful within their community, players that used their voice for the voiceless, players that single-handedly changed the culture of a whole generation. Looking back, these guys are considered heroes in the basketball world.
However, the league's history is not all sunshine and rainbows. For as many role models the Association has had, there have been as many villains over the years. Few have been as notorious as Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling , widely considered one of the worst figures in professional sports.
The stories are as egregious as you might suspect. They're controversial, strange and sometimes downright disgusting. Sterling left a black mark on the NBA during his tenure, and he also left his former players with stories they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
One of those former players is Quentin Richardson , who labels his time with the Clippers the most bizarre of his career.
"People ask us about Sterling all the time, looking for crazy stories. But honestly, he wasn't really around like that. Every once in a while, he would pop into the locker room outta nowhere with all his old-a-s friends wearing mink coats and s—t. We'd be buck-naked, changing, and he'd say wild-a-s stuff, like, 'Look at these boys! Look at my beautiful boys!' And we'd just be shooting each other looks like, 'Yo! Duh fuuuuuuu — k?'" he recalled in Darius Miles' column for The Players Tribune.
Sterling owned the Clippers for 33 years. He bought the team, then the San Diego Clippers, in 1981 and was forced to sell the franchise in 2014. He sold for $2 billion. Yes, a pretty penny, but not enough to save him from destroying his reputation forever.
The sale was a result of Sterling being banned for life from the Association, following a public release of recordings containing racist remarks. The NBA's Board of Governors initiated a forced sale, which held up despite the legal battle Sterling put up.
His firing opened the floodgates. Steadily, 33 years of misconduct started to make its way to the mainstream media. Former employees were brave enough to come forward and speak out. Former players such as Richardson and Miles , especially once they were out of the league, felt there was no retribution on the cards if they now told their story.
What's abundantly clear is that Sterling's behaviour was out of order for the owner of a professional team, but for the longest time, individuals were too scared to come forward and share what was transpiring. It might seem hard to comprehend, given how long his tenure was, but for NBA players, especially those with generational wealth at stake, turning a blind eye or keeping quiet was the best way to provide for their families and stay in the league.
From the outside looking in, it's obvious that the Clippers were operating under one of the more chaotic leadership teams in the world, but the extent of its unprofessionalism is hard to fathom.
Sterling was evidently an uncomfortable presence to be around when he ventured into the locker room with his friends and, for whatever reason, made their way to the showers. Astonishingly, this wasn't the first recount of a shower incident either, with Sterling reportedly bringing in women to ogle at the players from time to time.
He wasn't there every night, but when he was, it couldn't have been more uneasy. The players would brush it off and continue about their night, but looking back, it's clear that suspect behavior was happening.
The Clippers ultimately became contenders in the early 2010s, but their culture and shortcomings were always in question. No one has definitively confirmed that it was due to what was happening behind the scenes, but it's entirely plausible that it affected the on-court product.
In Miles' note to his fans, he goes on to discuss how the Clippers team he was part of was talented and young — and it's hard to argue with him. Despite the chaos surrounding the franchise, they had a promising core: Miles, Richardson, Lamar Odom and Elton Brand . Each went on to build a solid NBA career, but like many Clippers supporters over the years, it's hard not to wonder what might have happened if that group had developed together under different circumstances.
Even the 2014 squad, which boasted the likes of Chris Paul , Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan , played under Sterling's stewardship, and always felt like they were on the cusp of doing something special. However, they never made it to the Western Conference finals, let alone the NBA Finals.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
