“I would like to reiterate how disappointed I am in the comments attributed to [Sterling] and I can’t even begin to tell you how upset I am and our players are.”
Doc Rivers, head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, issued a statement Monday, regarding Donald Sterling's alleged racist remarks.
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times / MCT
Doc Rivers, the head coach and senior vice president of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Clippers, broke his silence Monday on the alleged racist remarks made by team owner Donald Sterling.
"I would like to reiterate how disappointed I am in the comments attributed to [Donald Sterling] and I can't even begin to tell you how upset I am and our players are,' said Rivers.
"Today, I had a meeting with the members of our organization," he said. "When you are around all these people, you realize they are just as upset and embarrassed by the situation and it does not reflect who they really are."
The statement by the head coach comes on the same day the majority of the team's sponsors either ended or suspended ties with the Clippers.
Rivers continued and had a message for the fans, as well.
"We want to make the right decisions here. We're doing our very best to try and do that. We know that fans are in a dilemma as well. We want them to cheer for their players and their team. It will always be their players and their team. From the fans that I have heard from, that's how they feel," he said.
Rivers said Sterling reached out via a phone call, but the head coach declined to speak with him, according to USA Today.
"I would like to reiterate how disappointed I am in the comments attributed to [Donald Sterling] and I can't even begin to tell you how upset I am and our players are. Today, I had a meeting with the members of our organization. When you are around all these people, you realize they are just as upset and embarrassed by the situation and it does not reflect who they really are. That was what I got from all of them. They are now a part of this and they are upset at this. But, they are all going to hang in there and so are we — I can tell you that as a group and as a team. From our fans' standpoint, I want to say that they have been amazing, I can tell you that. We need unbelievable support right now from other people and I'm hoping we get that. My hope is that whatever the fans do, it is as one. I think that is what we all should do.
"We want to make the right decisions here. We're doing our very best to try and do that. We know that fans are in a dilemma as well. We want them to cheer for their players and their team. It will always be their players and their team. From the fans that I have heard from, that's how they feel. 'This is my team. These are my players that I'm cheering for and that's not going to change.' I hope STAPLES Center is packed and people are cheering for the players. The players are now in the middle of this, and they have to deal with it.
"We are all trying to figure out everything as it goes and just do our best and we hope that it is the right answer. I'm still going to do my best and do what I think is best for the team and for everybody in this case. It is very difficult because there are so many emotions in this. This is a very emotional subject, this is personal.
"My belief is that the longer we keep winning, the more we talk about this. I believe that is good. If we want to make a statement — I believe that is how we have to do it. I think that is the right way to do it, but that doesn't mean we still don't wrestle with it every day and every moment. That is the difficult part.
"We are all doing our best here. Our players are doing their best. There are a lot of people involved in this. From one man's comments, a lot of people have been affected and the conversations that we're all having do need to be had."
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