Sports
'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.
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.”
‘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
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
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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Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
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Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
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Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
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He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
Thousand-dollar tickets and hundreds of dollars in fees shocked some hopeful Olympic fans this month, but they did not keep LA28 from boasting strong sales in the committee’s first ticket drop.
LA28 announced Thursday that it sold more than 4 million Olympic tickets during the first ticket drop. The private organizing committee will have a second ticket drop in August with “refreshed inventory across all Olympic sports at a range of price points.”
But after the popularity of the first purchasing period, many of the lower-priced tickets have already been scooped up.
LA28 said roughly half of the total 1 million $28 tickets were sold during the locals presale, which was limited to people living near venue cities in Southern California and Oklahoma City.
The average price per Olympic ticket is less than $200, which includes a mandatory 24% service fee, and LA28 said about 75% of all tickets, including final events, will be under $400. The premier seats at high-demand events command more than $1,000 per ticket, but the highest priced categories make up about 5% of the total ticket inventory.
Artistic gymnastics sold out the quickest in Drop 1. Four new Olympic sports — flag football, lacrosse, softball and squash — sold all their available inventory for the first drop. After five days of local presale, global ticket sales opened and drew fans from 85 countries and all 50 states and U.S. territories. The largest international sales came from the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and Japan.
For the first female-majority Olympic Games, LA28 reported that women’s Olympic sessions outsold men’s 93% to 88% during the first drop.
“The response to our initial on-sale was nothing short of historic. Fans from near and far have spoken: the world wants to be part of the LA28 Games,” LA28 chief executive officer Reynold Hoover said in a statement. “The success of Drop 1 is about more than momentum — it reflects LA28’s commitment to delivering a fiscally responsible Games that create a lasting legacy for Los Angeles and its communities.”
Drop 2, which will begin in August, will have additional tickets across all Olympic sports, including those that may have sold out during the first purchasing windows. The registration period for Drop 2 opened Thursday and will continue until July 22. Fans who registered for the first drop of tickets but did not receive a time slot and fans who did not buy their maximum 12 general ticket allotment will automatically be entered into the random lottery Drop 2. The new registration period is only required for anybody who did not sign up for the initial drop.
Fans are still limited to 12 Olympic tickets and up to 12 soccer tickets that don’t count toward the general maximum. There is a four ticket per ceremony limit for the opening and closing ceremony that count toward the 12-ticket maximum, which is cumulative across all LA28 presales and ticket drops.
LA28 will have multiple ticket drops with assigned purchasing time slots before ticket sales move to a first-come, first-served format closer to the Games, which open on July 14, 2028. LA28 began its ticketing process earlier than most other Olympic Games with tickets going on sale more than two years in advance of the opening ceremony. The early timeline has created excitement for the first Summer Olympics in the United States since Atlanta 1996, but also prompted concerns about scheduling. Fans clamored for tickets with little information about which teams or athletes would be competing in most sessions.
Tickets are not refundable, but fans can opt for verified resale when LA28 launches its official resale system in 2027. AXS and Eventim is the official secondary ticket marketplace of the LA28 Games and Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets have also signed on as additional verified resale platforms.
LA28 will have 14 million tickets available for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which would eclipse the record of 12 million tickets sold for the Paris Games. Paris 2024 sold an about 9.5 million tickets for the Olympics, but used a different ticket system than LA28. For Paris, 3.5 million tickets were sold during the first phase, during which fans were required to buy tickets to at least three different sports instead of the option for single-event tickets available during LA28’s Drop 1 process.
Tickets for the 2028 Paralympics, which will be the first in L.A.’s history, will go on sale in 2027. Ticket sales and hospitality are expected to cover about $2.5 billion of LA28’s expected $7.1 billion budget for the first Games in L.A. in more than 40 years.
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An envoy for President Donald Trump has reportedly asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup this summer.
The Financial Times reported the plan is an effort to repair the relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which soured after the former’s comments against Pope Leo XIV regarding the war with Iran.
United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the idea to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
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President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025. (Emilee Chinn/FIFA)
“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament,” Zampolli told the outlet. “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Italy had a chance to be in the World Cup already, but it lost in a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff final.
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Italy became the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after the 4-1 penalty shootout loss earlier this month.
“We still don’t believe it that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters at the time, according to the New York Post.
“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”
While Zampolli told Infantino about his proposed plan, FIFA’s president said Iran “for sure” will play in the World Cup despite the conflict involving the U.S.
Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A game against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium in Tehran March 25, 2025. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” Infantino said during the CNBC Invest in America Forum earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
“We hope that, by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”
Infantino visited the Iranian national team in Turkey, which is where it has its training camp.
All three of Iran’s group stage games are scheduled to be played in the U.S. That remains the case after Iranian government officials suggested to FIFA that their games be moved to Mexico because they could not travel to the U.S.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed FIFA’s rejection of Iran’s request, and it is insisting Iran play where it’s scheduled — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Lumen Field in Seattle. Iran said earlier this month it would only decide on its team’s participation once it heard from FIFA regarding its relocation request.
Iran is scheduled to play at SoFi Stadium against New Zealand June 16 to begin its tournament. It will also play Belgium at the stadium before finishing group play against Mo Salah and Egypt in Seattle June 26.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an international friendly between Mexico and Portugal at Banorte Stadium in Mexico City March 28, 2026. (Antonio Torres/FIFA/Getty Images)
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Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last month that Iran would be welcome to compete in the World Cup as scheduled, though it might not be “appropriate” considering the conflict.
“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” he wrote.
Trump also told Politico, “I really don’t care,” when asked about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Infantino, who has a strong relationship with Trump, said Trump has “reiterated” to him that the U.S. welcomes Iran’s team to compete.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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