President Obama weighed in on the alleged comments made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling in an audio recording after being asked about it Sunday in Malaysia.
Obama, who is on a diplomatic mission, was asked about the Sterling recording while holding a press conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. He responded by calling Sterling “ignorant.”
“When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don’t really have to do anything, you just let them talk. That’s what happened here,” the President said via CNN.
Obama also reportedly said Sterling’s alleged comments are an example of how “the United States continues to wrestle with the legacy of race and slavery and segregation.
“That’s still there, the vestiges of discrimination. We’ve made enormous strides, but you’re going to continue to see this percolate up every so often.”
While the NBA is taking a measured approach in addressing the situation — Commissioner Adam Silver said the league is investigating the authenticity and context of the recording — the President is coming right out and saying how he feels.
Though the league is giving Sterling due process in the matter, the public sentiment is pretty much unanimous in its feelings of anger and disgust towards the Clippers owner. President Obama’s comments are a reflection of this reaction.
