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Former Clippers Star Compares Robert Sarver to Donald Sterling

Having played for the LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns, this player weighed in on the Sarver situation

Joey Linn

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY
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Having played for the LA Clippers in 2014 when Donald Sterling was banned for life, recently retired NBA star Jamal Crawford weighed in on the Robert Sarver situation. In a Tweet that simply said "Sterling 2.0" Crawford made his message clear.

During an appearance on ESPN, NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio said the league's players are "absolutely" calling for Sarver to be banned. This came in response to Adam Silver's statement that Sarver's behavior did not rise to the level necessary to warrant expulsion from the league.

Having established a zero-tolerance precedent with Donald Sterling in 2014, Silver's unwillingness to uphold that in that case of Robert Sarver has understandably received widespread criticism. With pressure being applied from current and former players, along with sponsors, perhaps Silver will rethink his decision.

Having seen the Sterling scandal up close, Jamal Crawford feels as if the Sarver case is comparable. Silver attempted to separate the two cases as "wholly" different; however, the public information regarding Sarver's conduct contradicts this.

While the two cases are not identical, they each include behavior that have no place in the NBA. Silver made that clear in 2014, and people around the league rightfully want him to uphold that precedent. With additional pressure from the NBPA coming in on Friday, it will be interesting to see if the league rethinks their initial punishment.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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