Donald Sterling scandal leaves Clippers in an impossible position

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about what it is going to be like," Paul said. "Our fans have been amazing all season long, and obviously I hope that

Phil Taylor | Apr 27, 2014

Donald Sterling scandal leaves Clippers in an impossible position /

With plenty to distract them before the game, the Clippers were routed by the Warriors in Game 4. — With plenty to distract them before the game, the Clippers were routed by the Warriors in Game 4 :: D. Ross Cameron/ZumaPress.com

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about what it is going to be like," Paul said. "Our fans have been amazing all season long, and obviously I hope that it will be the same." But sadly, the one thing that seems certain for the Clippers is that for the forseeable future, nothing will be quite the same.

Published Apr 27, 2014

PHIL TAYLOR

Senior writer, Sports Illustrated Sports Illustrated senior writer Phil Taylor has covered a variety of sports in his more than two decades with the magazine, including pro and college basketball as well as college football. He has written The Hot Button column for SI.com and frequently writes the magazine's Point After column, for which he won a National Headliner Award in 2012. During his years as the magazine's lead NBA writer, Taylor profiled many of the league's stars. Among his most memorable stories were a piece on Michael Jordan's return from baseball to the NBA and an in-depth profile of reclusive Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton. Some of the historic sports events he has covered include the earthquake-struck 1989 World Series at Candlestick Park, Chris Webber's infamous timeout in the 1993 NCAA tournament title game and Jordan's epic "flu-game" in the 1997 NBA Finals. Prior to joining SI, Taylor began his career at the Miami Herald, where he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for feature writing. He has also written for the San Jose Mercury News and the now-defunct sports daily, The National. Born in Flushing, N.Y. and raised on Long Island, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College in 1982 and a Masters in communications from Stanford University in 1983. Taylor and his wife, who have three children, live in northern California.