While I respect Sterling’s right to make or not make racist remarks as a part of the freedom of speech, I do not respect the fact that America has to be subjected to the hate that comes from those kinds of remarks. The only way to change the behavior of those in power is to take away that power. In this case, it is money, the playoff bonuses and the basketball related income that Sterling will get from the hard work of several black people in his organization.
Whether or not I listen to basketball games on NBA.com is probably a moot point, so my boycotting the Association would be a purely symbolic gesture since I do not attend games or buy merchandise. However, by boycotting the NBA, I will be freeing up time to spend with friends and family, to spend reading and writing or to spend listening to Pandora and waiting for them to upload Rachel Zevita to my playlist.
I cannot control what people do with their freedom of speech. I cannot control whether or not the Golden State Warriors are going to boycott the game. I cannot control what other fans will choose to do in light of Sterling’s alleged comments. All I can do is control my reaction. Maybe, we should just all shrug and chalk it up to the Clippers being the Clippers. After all, they have been bad for so long, getting good was bound to bring out a different ridiculous side of Sterling.