With the Donald Sterling saga still ongoing, Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul acknowledged he discussed with coach Doc Rivers the possibility of the whole team sitting out if Sterling is still the owner when the season starts in October.
Sterling vowed to fight the sale of his franchise in the courts for however long he could, and his latest batch of lawsuits proves he intends to make good on his word. He's currently arguing in California probate court the legality of his wife selling the team to billionaire Steve Ballmer, and the trial appears unlikely to conclude any time soon.
With Sterling still at the helm of the Clippers franchise, the players appear to be weighing their options for what to do if ownership hasn't changed by the start of the season. Paul, the de facto leader of the team, told ESPN it was "unacceptable" that Sterling hasn't yet been removed and the players, along with Rivers, would consider boycotting the season if there wasn't a new owner by October.
"That's something me and Doc are both talking about," Paul told ESPN on Thursday. "Something has to happen, and something needs to happen soon -- sooner rather than later. ... We're all going to talk about it. We're all definitely going to talk about it. Doc, Blake [Griffin], DJ [DeAndre Jordan]. It's unacceptable."
Clippers interim CEO Dick Parsons testified in court Thursday that Rivers told him on multiple occasions he wouldn't want to continue with the team if Sterling remains the owner. If Rivers were to leave, Parsons contended it would start a domino effect that would ultimately cause the franchise to unravel.
"If Doc were to leave, that would be a disaster," Parsons said, via ESPN. "Doc is the father figure of the team. Chris [Paul] is the on-court captain of the team. But Doc is really the guy who leads the effort. He's the coach, the grown-up, he's a man of character and ability -- not just in a basketball sense, but in the ability to connect with people and gain their trust.
"The team believes in him and admires and loves him. If he were to bail, with all the other circumstances, it would accelerate the death spiral."
