“I think [Johnson] should be ashamed of himself,” Sterling told Cooper. “I think he should go into the background. But what does he do for the black people? He doesn’t do anything.”
The interview was meant to be a mea culpa, marking Sterling’s first lengthy statements since racist recordings emerged last month and earned him a lifetime NBA ban. But when the subject turned to Johnson, Sterling turned contentious.
“What kind of a guy goes to every city, has sex with every girl, then he catches HIV. Is that someone we want to respect, and tell our kids about?” Sterling said. “I think he should be ashamed of himself.”