The NBA might have breathed a sigh of relief last week when the Los Angeles Clippers were knocked out of the playoffs. The loss allowed the league to temporarily brush aside the embarrassing Donald Sterling fiasco. Sterling was barred for life by Commissioner Adam Silver and threatened with the forced sale of his team after the release of recordings in which he chided a female friend for associating with black people.
But while the Clippers are out, LeBron James is still in. As he tries to win his third consecutive championship with the Miami Heat, his influence is increasing, and his denunciation of Sterling should challenge NBA owners to do all they can to oust him.
James hasn't issued any threats, and he has steered clear of talk about a boycott. But he has said in the most direct manner that Sterling has forfeited his right to own an NBA franchise.
"It doesn't matter, white, black or Hispanic -- all across the races, it's unacceptable," James said immediately after Sterling's racist rants surfaced. "As the commissioner of our league, they have to make a stand. They have to be very aggressive with it. I don't know what it will be, but we can't have that in our league."
James' swift criticism of Sterling emboldened other players to express their displeasure. James' response was a departure from an era when star players, most notably Michael Jordan, refused to become publicly involved in racial and political issues for fear of losing endorsements or alienating a fan base.
Jordan's reported remark that Republicans buy sneakers, too -- his explanation for why he did not publicly support a black candidate seeking to defeat Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina -- became an anthem for neutrality.
James, whose team lost the opening game of the Eastern Conference finals to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, is now the face of the NBA and the voice of opposition to Sterling's continued ownership of the Clippers. It's highly probable that Sterling will still be in control of the team when next season begins. Then what?
Last week, Sports Illustrated reported that Sterling's lawyer told the NBA that Sterling would fight the league's punishment and would not pay a league-issued $2.5 million fine. Under NBA rules, the removal of a team owner requires the assent of 75 percent of the other 29 owners.
Perhaps Clippers players will refuse to take the court; perhaps the NBA will allow players to take a paid sabbatical to avoid having to work for Sterling.
"I don't think that's an ideal situation for us, to start next season with that still going on," the Clippers' Blake Griffin told reporters Friday, a day after the Oklahoma City Thunder ended the Clippers' season.
Griffin added: "Personally, I think the longer it lasts, the worse it's going to be. I think something should happen, and I think it should happen quickly. I think guys need to make decisions."
James should not have to fight alone. The movement to oust Sterling should be an alliance among parties that are often at odds: players, coaches, owners and the commissioner.
Whether he is a racist or merely a fool, Sterling has become a polarizing symbol of bigotry. There is a perception, fair or not, that if you support Sterling, you support his paternalistic attitude toward blacks; if you do not support Sterling, you are on the side of right.
Sterling has presented James with an opportunity to mobilize players around a social issue in a way they have not been mobilized in years. Some critics said it didn't take much courage for James to condemn a man who seemed so clearly out of touch, but James' outspokenness is part of a personal evolution.
Early in his career, James said he wanted to make an impact on society the way Muhammad Ali had. James belongs to a different era and plays a different sport, but it is rare -- in any era and particularly in a team sport -- for a star player to speak out against authority.
• Before going to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, James, asked about human rights violations in China, hinted that he might say something once he arrived there. But the coaching staff and others advised James and the rest of the U.S. players to steer clear of politics.
• In 2010, James suggested that racism played at least a partial role in the criticism of his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for Miami as a free agent.
• Two years ago, James took a photo with his Heat teammates in hooded sweatshirts in an effort to bring awareness to the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla.
Eleven years into his NBA career, James, 29, seems to understand that building a legacy requires courage and commitment, not just knockouts and slam dunks. It means staring down bigots like Sterling regardless of the consequences.
At this juncture of his life, James can lead nearly any charge without fear or concern about retaliation. In the NBA, he is the leader with a vast army waiting.
There is no need to be a shrinking violet.
Sports on 05/19/2014