The National Basketball Association has retained Dr. Richard Lapchick, director of UCF’s Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sport, as an independent expert for the recent falling out with Clipper’s owner Donald Sterling.
The NBA has hired Lapchick to analyze the effect that Donald Sterling’s words have had on the league and the NBA is using his report in the charges against Sterling. According to ESPN.com, it was based on Lapchick’s report that the league found that Sterling’s words have been “significantly undermining the NBA’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling from the NBA for life on April 29 and fined him $2.5 million dollars for his racist remarks that were captured on an audio recording.
Sterling has until the end of the day on May 27 to respond to the charges. The NBA board of governors will meet on June 3 and could strip Sterling’s entire ownership group of its rights to control the team.
Dr. Lapchick authors a racial and gender report card for each sports league annually, Lapchick gave the NBA an A+ for its racial hiring practices in 2013.
