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'Clipped': The real story about Donald Sterling, V. Stiviano and the Clippers

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'Clipped': The real story about Donald Sterling, V. Stiviano and the Clippers

A media-obsessed woman who wore visors and roller skates. An octogenarian billionaire with memory problems. An NBA team that nearly boycotted their playoff run.

They’re among the people and events depicted in FX’s “Clipped: The Scandalous Story of L.A.’s Other Basketball Team.” The limited series, now streaming on Hulu, follows the real-life scandal that erupted in 2014 after a voice recording of billionaire Donald Sterling and his mistress V. Stiviano was released by TMZ. In the recording, Sterling is heard telling Stiviano not to associate with Black people, including NBA superstar Magic Johnson, with whom Stiviano had been photographed before posting the image on Instagram. The outcry that ensued eventually led to Sterling receiving a lifetime ban from the NBA, forcing him to sell the Los Angeles Clippers, the team he co-owned with his wife, Shelly.

“Clipped” stars Ed O’Neill as Donald Sterling, Jacki Weaver as Shelly Sterling, Cleopatra Coleman as Stiviano and Laurence Fishburne as Doc Rivers, head coach of the Clippers and former NBA all-star point guard who played for the team in the ’90s. Last month, creator and showrunner Gina Welch spoke to The Times’ Greg Braxton about adapting events for the series: “We want this show to be fun and entertaining, but also want to make sure we are measuring and keeping alive the tragedy of the story and all it represents.”

“Clipped” uses the ESPN “30 for 30” podcast series “The Sterling Affairs” as the basis for the story.

But what actually happened when the recording was leaked? Who were the people involved? And what was the reaction to Sterling’s comments? The Times reported on the scandal extensively as it happened and the fallout that ensued. Here is a look at some of our key coverage about Sterling, Stiviano and the Clippers.

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When the recording leaked

‘NBA investigates alleged racist remarks by Clippers’ Donald Sterling’

TMZ published the story about the tape at 10 p.m. on April 25, 2014, a Friday night. On Saturday, The Times published an initial news report by Ben Bolch, which said that the NBA was conducting an investigation because of “an audio recording that allegedly captures Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist statements in the course of an argument with a friend.”

‘Clippers owner Donald Sterling in firestorm over alleged racist remarks’

Later that day, Bolch wrote more extensively about the fallout from the tape. The Clippers were in the first round of the playoffs, having completed one of their best seasons, and the tape was released on the eve of Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors. According to the story, “Players considered wearing black socks or armbands in protest during Sunday’s game but worried about being viewed as radical. Center DeAndre Jordan posted a black rectangle on his Instagram account and tweeted a link to his more than 426,000 followers. Rivers said the idea of boycotting a game was raised but quickly dismissed.”

‘Anger toward Donald Sterling spreads through social media’

Outrage over Sterling’s comments ignited social media, where the hashtags #BoycottClippers and #Donald Sterling proliferated. Snoop Dogg, director Adam McKay and other prominent figures joined the chorus more. The racist comments “united hard-core basketball fans and sports neophytes, celebrities and everyday people, young and old in their condemnation of the 80-year-old Sterling.”

The people involved

‘Donald Sterling built an empire and an image; words were his undoing’

Who was Donald Sterling? In this article, written by Nathan Fenno, Kim Christensen and James Rainey, we get a picture of a lawyer and real estate mogul people described as eccentric, who “always lived in his own world”: “Sterling had worked hard to create his own reality, spending millions on newspaper ads promoting his real estate empire, his charity work and himself — even as his Clippers were perennial losers and he was accused in lawsuits of discriminating against minority tenants whose rent payments helped make him rich.”

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‘Sterling’s wife describes alleged mistress as gold digger in lawsuit’

An article by Bettina Boxall detailed a lawsuit filed by Shelly Sterling against Stiviano, which outlined the affair and gifts that Donald Sterling gave his mistress. Shelly Sterling alleged that Donald bought Stiviano “a 2012 Ferrari, two Bentleys and a 2013 Range Rover, worth a total of more than $500,0000” and he also gave “$1.8 million to buy a duplex on West 4th Street near the Beverly Center last December” along with “$240,000 for upkeep and living expenses.” The suit states that the gifts were made without Shelly Sterling’s knowledge or consent, and she was seeking their return along with compensatory damages.

‘The women in Donald Sterling’s life’

This story by Harriet Ryan and Victoria Kim further details the lawsuit between Shelly Sterling and Stiviano while explaining who the women are and how they were connected to Donald Sterling. Stiviano met Donald Sterling at a Super Bowl party in 2010 and said “she never had a sexual relationship” with the billionaire, who underwrote her lifestyle. As for the relationship between the Sterlings, they’re described as “dedicated business partners who worked hand in hand to amass a real estate fortune during their 59-year marriage. On a personal level though, theirs was not a storybook union.”

‘Donald Sterling sanctioned: Adam Silver moves to eject Clippers owner’

At the time the scandal unfolded, Adam Silver had been the NBA commissioner for less than three months. His decision to issue Sterling a lifetime ban from the NBA, which had to be approved by three-quarters of the league’s owners, eventually led to the sale of the team. Silver handed down a $2.5 million fine, the maximum allowed, and the punishment also meant “the 80-year-old Sterling cannot attend any NBA games or practices and is not allowed to inhabit any Clippers facility or participate in any business or player personnel decision involving the team.”

‘Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wins Clippers bidding war for $2 billion’

On May 29, 2014, Steve Ballmer put in the winning bid for the Los Angeles NBA franchise. According to the article by Rainey, “The sale price would be almost four times the previous NBA franchise high: the $550 million paid earlier this month for the Milwaukee Bucks. It is the second highest price ever paid for a sports team in North America. The Dodgers sold in 2012 for $2.1 billion.”

Bonus viewing: The TV interviews

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Barbara Walters interview with V. Stiviano

Stiviano spoke to Barbara Walters on the ABC News program “20/20” about the recording and her relationship with Donald Sterling. Yes, she did describe herself as his best friend, confidante and “silly rabbit.”

Shelly Sterling also speaks to Walters

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Days later, Shelly Sterling spoke to Walters, telling the news anchor that she was “shocked” by what her husband said and that he should apologize. Sterling also revealed that she thought he had the beginnings of dementia and said she planned to divorce him (they’re still married to this day). Walters asked Sterling if she thought Donald Sterling was racist, to which she replied, “I have never heard him say racial things … But as far as a racist, I don’t really think he is a racist.”

Donald Sterling on ‘Anderson Cooper 360’

Sterling sat down for an interview with Anderson Cooper 10 days after Stiviano’s interview with Walters. His most notable statements came when he said, “I’m not a racist” and he wanted to “apologize and ask for forgiveness for all the people I have hurt.” But then Cooper asked Sterling about Magic Johnson’s comments on the scandal, in which Sterling said he “was hurt, but that it doesn’t matter,” before proceeding to say that Johnson “made love to every girl in every city in America and he had AIDS.” (Johnson is HIV-positive and does not have AIDS.)

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Indy 500: Counting Down The 10 Best Finishes In Race History

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Indy 500: Counting Down The 10 Best Finishes In Race History

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The best Indianapolis 500 finish could be subjective, depending on which driver a fan was rooting for to win.

It certainly is in the eye of the beholder.

So take this list for what it’s worth. One view of the 10 best finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Of course, it skews to more recent decades when the runs have come a little faster and the finishes have had a tendency to be a little closer.

We’ll add one each day to this list of fantastic finishes ahead of the 110th running of the Indy 500 on May 24 (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

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10. Ericsson outduels O’Ward (2022)

After a red flag, Marcus Ericsson held off Pato O’Ward in a two-lap shootout. The shootout didn’t last two laps, though, as there was a crash on the final lap behind them. Ericsson had a comfortable lead when the red flag came out for a crash with four laps to go, a situation where in past Indianapolis 500 races, they likely would have ended the race under caution with Ericsson as the winner.

9. Foyt survives chaos (1967)

How does a driver who wins by two laps end up on this list? It’s because the win nearly didn’t happen on the last lap. A big crash with cars and debris littering the frontstretch just ahead of Foyt as he came to the checkered flag forced him to navigate through the wreckage for the win.

8. Sato can’t catch Franchitti (2012)

This was one of those finishes where the leader holds on for the win, but boy did the leader have to hold on. Takuma Sato tried to pass Dario Franchitti early on the final lap but to no avail and Franchitti sped off for the victory. This was one of those Indy 500s that made you hold your breath all the way to the checkered flag.

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UCLA softball pummels South Carolina to advance to NCAA super regional

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UCLA softball pummels South Carolina to advance to NCAA super regional

No. 8 UCLA stuck with right-hander Taylor Tinsley throughout the Los Angeles Regional and that faith in the senior paid off.

During the Bruins’ NCAA tournament opener at Easton Stadium, Tinsley gave up 10 runs before her teammates rallied for a walk-off win. She returned less than 24 hours to pitch against South Carolina, giving up two earned runs in a victory. Tinsley was back in the circle Sunday afternoon, yielding one run in UCLA’s 15-1 victory over the Gamecocks to advance to the super regionals.

“I am proud of Taylor’s resiliency, the ability to do whatever she can to help this team,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “She got stronger through the weekend. I am proud of that.”

Tinsley and her teammates will host Central Florida in a super regional that begins Friday.

“I feel good,” Tinsley said after pitching three key games in three days. “I could have gone more innings if needed.”

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South Carolina right-hander Jori Heard gave up only one hit through two innings, keeping UCLA’s potent bats relatively quiet. The Gamecocks had runners on first and second with two outs in the second, but Tinsley escaped the inning with a pop-up to left field.

The Bruins got on the board first with a two-run home run from left fielder Rylee Slimp in the third inning. The Bruins followed it up by loading the bases with no outs in the fifth for right fielder Megan Grant.

Grant cooked up a grand slam to make it 6-0. She has 40 home runs, extending her hold on the NCAA single-season home run record. Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells trails Grant with 37 homers.

“Its just incredible because I am blessed to be able to say the number 40,” Grant said.

South Carolina broke through on an RBI single from left fielder Quincee Lilio to cut UCLA’s lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning after being held to just one hit since the first inning. The Gamecocks couldn’t cash in the rest of the way.

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The Bruins resumed scoring in the sixth inning, with the bases loaded and Grant at bat again. Fans at Easton Stadium anticipated another grand slam, holding up their cellphones hoping to catch some magic. Grant served up a two-run RBI single to expand the lead 8-1.

Jordan Woolery added to the scoring with a two-run RBI double down the left-field line, and Kaniya Bragg hit a home run to left-center field. Soo-jin Berry put a bow on the win with one more home run.

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Pro wrestling star learns what ‘land of opportunity’ means in US as he details journey from Italy to America

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Pro wrestling star learns what ‘land of opportunity’ means in US as he details journey from Italy to America

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Cristiano Argento has been tearing up opponents in the ring for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) as he worked his way up the ladder to get a few shots at some gold.

But the path to get to one of the most prestigious pro wrestling companies in the U.S. was long and a path that not many wrestlers have taken.

Argento was born and raised in Osimo, Italy – a town of about 35,000 people located on the east side of the country closer to the Adriatic Sea. He told Fox News Digital he started training in a ring at a boxing gym before he got started on the independent scene in Italy. He wrestled in Germany, Sweden, France and Denmark before he came to the realization that, to become a professional wrestler, he needed to make his way to the United States.

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Cristiano Argento performs in the National Wrestling Alliance (Instagram)

He first worked his way to Canada to get trained by pro wrestling legend Lance Storm. He moved to Canada, leaving most of his friends and family behind and without a firm grasp on the English language.

“At the time, my English was horrible. I didn’t speak any English at all,” he said. “But I was with my friend, Stefano, he came with me and he translated everything for me. I probably missed 50% of the knowledge that Lance Storm was giving to us because I was unable to understand. I was only given a recap and everything I was able to see. I’m sure if I was doing it now with a proper knowledge of English, it would have been a different scenario.

“Eventually, I moved back to Italy after the training and I said, OK, now, I want to go to the U.S. So, I studied English more properly, and eventually I got my first work visa that was in Texas. I was in Houston for a short period of time. I trained with Booker T at Reality of Wrestling. I got on his show, which was my debut in the U.S. That was awesome. I eventually got a new work visa in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I currently live since 2017. Since then, my wrestling career, thankfully, kept growing, growing, growing and growing until now wrestling for the NWA. One of the bigger promotions in the U.S.”

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Argento said that his family thought he was “nuts” for chasing his pro wrestling dream.

He said they were more concerned about his well-being given that he was half-way around the world without anyone he knew by his side in case something went sideways.

“My family, friends, everybody was like why do you want to move to the opposite side of the world not knowing the language, not knowing anybody, by yourself, to try to become a professional wrestler? And I was like, well, we have one life, I love, and that’s what I’m gonna do,” he told Fox News Digital. “Eventually, my family was really supportive. But when I first said, ‘Hey, mom and dad, I want to do that.’ They looked at me like, ‘Are you nuts? Are you drunk or something? What are you talking about?’ And I said, no that’s what I want to do. And they knew I loved this sport because in Italy I was traveling around Europe, spending time in Canada training, so they started to understand slowly that’s what I want to do with my life. They were proud of me.

Cristiano Argento works out in the gym. (Instagram)

“They’re still proud of me. I think more like the fact that you’re gonna try that, that it’s hard than more like you’re gonna leave us. The fact like, oh, my son is gonna go on the opposite side of the world for a six-hour time difference and we’re gonna see him maybe, when, like, I don’t know. Not often. I think it was more that. And for me too, it was really hard. It was heartbreaking not being able to see my family every day or every month. Like once a year if I’m lucky. I think that was the biggest part for them because of concern or that I was here by myself and if I have any issue or any problem, I didn’t have nobody. So they were scared. Like, you get sick, if you have a problem, anything, and they’re not being able to be here next to me. But they were really supportive since day one.”

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Argento is living out his dream in the U.S. He suggested that the moniker of the U.S. being the “land of opportunity” wasn’t far from what is preached in movies and literature – it was the real thing.

“I was inspired by people who came to the U.S. and made it big,” Argento told Fox News Digital. “The U.S. was always like the land of opportunity. That’s how they sell it to us and this is what it is. I feel like, in myself, that was true because anything I tried to do so far I was able to reach a lot more than if I wasn’t here. I’m not yet where I’d like to be but I see like there’s so many opportunities in this country. Not just in wrestling but like in any business to reach the goal. I’m really happy of the choices I did here.

National Wrestling Alliance star Cristiano Argento poses in Times Square in New York. (Instagram)

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“But my big inspirations were big-time actors who moved to the country, who didn’t know English, with no money, no support system. I had one dream, I have to go right there to make it happen and I’m gonna go and do it and I’m gonna make it happen. So those people were always the biggest inspiration even if it wasn’t in wrestling, just how they handled their passion, how they pursued their dream without being scared of anything, how far you are, how alone by yourself … You don’t know the language, you’re like, let’s go, let’s do it.”

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Outside of the NWA, Argento has performed for the International Wrestling Cartel, Enjoy Wrestling and Exodus Pro Wrestling this year.

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