The NAACP said today they are still willing to work with Los Angeles Clippers' owner Donald Sterling despite yanking an offer of a lifetime achievement award over an audio tape containing racist comments that Sterling allegedly made. 
 
 At a news conference today, NAACP Los Angeles president Leon Jenkins said that an audio recording that surfaced this weekend on TMZ, which purportedly had Sterling's voice recorded making racist comments, was "devastating." 
 
 But the organization would be open to talking to Sterling, with whom they've worked for nearly 20 years. 
 
 Catch up on Donald Sterling Scandal Here 
 
 What We Know About V. Stiviano, Woman Accused of Leaking Racist Rant 
 
 "God teaches us to forgive, and the way I look at it, after a sustained period of proof to the African American community that those words don't reflect his heart, I think there's room for forgiveness. I wouldn't be a Christian if I said there wasn't," Jenkins said. 
 
 "We are negotiating with him about giving more moneys to African American students at UCLA, and so we are in preliminary discussions," Jenkins said. He also noted, however, they had not spoken since the scandal broke. 
 
 The news conference was held to discuss the organization's decision to cancel plans to honor to Sterling with a lifetime achievement in the wake of the tape, which allegedly contained an argument between Sterling, 80, and his girlfriend, Vanessa Stiviano, 31, in which the male voice on the recording makes many racist comments. 
 
 The male voice is heard telling Stiviano not to post pictures of herself with black people to Instagram or bring black people to Los Angeles Clippers games, including Magic Johnson. Stiviano's lawyers claim the recording is authentic and contains the voice of Sterling. 
 
 LA Clippers President Andy Roeser said in a statement Saturday the team did not know if the tape is legitimate or has been altered. Roeser said that Donald Sterling told him that Stiviano had previously said she would "get even" for the lawsuit brought by Rochelle Sterling. 
 
 The team released a statement saying, “Mr. Sterling is emphatic that what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings. It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life." 
 
 The recording sent shock waves through the NBA. The Clippers players protested Sterling by wearing their jerseys inside out at a playoff game Sunday, and the league is investigating what actions it may take against Sterling if the voice on the tape is verified to be his. 
 
 The Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP posted on its website over the weekend that it would not give Sterling the Lifetime Achievement award after all. 
 
 Jenkins said that the NAACP had been working closely with Sterling on contributions to the black community in southern California, including creating an endowment at a predominantly black college in the LA area and a scholarship program for black students at UCLA. 
 
 "The mission of the NAACP is to eradicate discrimination and racial hatred in all its forms, and each year our executive board votes on who we decide that we are going to honor," Jenkins said. "Mr. Sterling has given out a tremendous amount of scholarships, he has invited numerous African American kids to summer camps, and his donations are bigger than other sports franchises." 
 
 "That is something that shows that there is a consciousness of the plight of African Americans in this country," Jenkins said. 
 
 Jenkins noted that Sterling had previously been awarded a humanitarian honor from the group and that it would not revoke that. 
 
 In 2009, ESPN Magazine went with Sterling to the awards ceremony for that honor, which the magazine described as Lifetime Achievement Award, though Jenkins denied that term today. The magazine profiled Sterling amid legal allegations by the Justice Department that he discriminated against minorities in housing units he rented. Sterling ultimately settled with the government. 
 
 Jenkins was quoted in the 2009 article saying that Sterling had donated $10,000 to $15,000 in that year alone to the NAACP. 
 
 Sterling is quoted in the story saying about the reporter, "Do you know why they're here? They want to know why the NAACP would give an award to someone with my track record." 
 
 Jenkins said at the press conference today that the NAACP has worked with Sterling for 15 to 20 years and that Jenkins' predecessor nominated Sterling for the 2009 award. ||||| An audio recording purportedly of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist remarks to his girlfriend is being investigated by the NBA. 
 
 Editor's Picks Jackson: Remarks reveal bigger issue Donald Sterling's remarks show that although we'd like to think of sports as a haven from racism, it simply isn't, Scoop Jackson writes. 
 
 More from ESPN.com When it comes to the latest Donald Sterling story, J.A. Adande is surprised at the surprise. If the NBA does anything about it? That would be a surprise, too. 
 
 Keating: Unhinged life of Donald Sterling From 2009: The disastrous tenure of Donald Sterling as Clippers owner runs much deeper than losses, although there are certainly many of those. 2 Related 
 
 In the recording, the man believed to be Sterling questions his girlfriend, V. Stiviano, about her association with minorities. TMZ reports that Stiviano, who is black and Mexican, posted a picture of her with Magic Johnson on Instagram, a photo that has since been removed. 
 
 "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people. Do you have to?" the man believed to be Sterling says. He continues, "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games." 
 
 NBA spokesman Mike Bass issued the following statement: "We are in the process of conducting a full investigation into the audio recording obtained by TMZ. The remarks heard on the recording are disturbing and offensive, but at this time we have no further information." 
 
 The Clippers have opened their own investigation, team president Andy Roeser said in a statement. 
 
 "We have heard the tape on TMZ. We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered," he said. "We do know that the woman on the tape -- who we believe released it to TMZ -- is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family alleging that she embezzled more than $1.8 million, who told Mr. Sterling that she would 'get even.' 
 
 "Mr. Sterling is emphatic that what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings. It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life. He feels terrible that such sentiments are being attributed to him and apologizes to anyone who might have been hurt by them. 
 
 "He is also upset and apologizes for sentiments attributed to him about Earvin Johnson. He has long considered Magic a friend and has only the utmost respect and admiration for him -- both in terms of who he is and what he has achieved. We are investigating this matter." 
 
 Johnson wrote in a series of tweets that he would not attend another Clippers game while Sterling owned the team. 
 
 TMZ reported this morning that Clippers owner Donald Sterling doesn't want me or other African-Americans to come to Clippers games. - Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 26, 2014 
 
 .@cjbycookie and I will never go to a Clippers game again as long as Donald Sterling is the owner. - Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 26, 2014 
 
 In a later tweet he added: 
 
 LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling's comments about African Americans are a black eye for the NBA. - Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 26, 2014 
 
 Reverend Jesse Jackson also weighed in on Sterling's alleged comments. 
 
 "The first burden is upon the commissioner, Adam Silver, to act decisively because we don't want this to drag on throughout the playoffs," the noted civil rights activist said. "Donald Sterling should be banned immediately. The question is for how long. To do otherwise would subject his players to the indignity of working for a racist. 
 
 "And since Donald Sterling doesn't want blacks to go to his games, blacks should not go to his games. And whites who view blacks as equals should not go to his games. Why should the players even play for him when he has stated that their relatives -- their children, their parents, some of their wives -- are not welcome at their games?" 
 
 The Clippers held a 45-minute team meeting Saturday morning regarding the audio. 
 
 Sterling was set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in May. 
 
 The NAACP issued a statement about the remarks. 
 
 "If these allegations are proven true, we are extremely disappointed in Mr. Sterling," Alice Huffman, president of the NAACP California State Conference, said in the release. "Recent remarks like these, and those of Cliven Bundy, remind us that racism is not a footnote of our past, but a reality of our present that we must confront head on. 
 
 "... As the investigation is in progress, we urge the LA Branch of the NAACP to withdraw Donald Sterling from the honoree list at its upcoming Gala. We also suggest that African Americans and Latinos should honor his request and not attend the games." 
 
 Players around the league began reacting as news of the investigation spread. 
 
 "It's a damn shame but a sad reality that we have people in the world who continue to further such ignorance," Lakers star Kobe Bryant told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. "I would not want to play for him." 
 
 Warriors coach Mark Jackson, whose team is playing the Clippers in a first-round playoff series, said he was "disappointed in the comments made." 
 
 It's "unfortunate," he continued. "I believe there's no place in society for those feelings, and it's just sad." 
 
 When asked if he wished the owners would do something, Jackson said, "This is the real world. And I'll go out on a limb and say that the statements that were made, there's other people in this world that feel that way. So let's not be naive." 
 
 Heat star LeBron James summed up his thoughts on the situation: "No room for Donald Sterling in our league." 
 
 "As commissioner of our league, you have to make a stand and you have to be very aggressive with it," James said. "I don't know what it's going to be, but you just can't have that in our league." 
 
 How difficult would it be to play in playoffs with this hanging over your head? 
 
 "I don't know. I've wavered back and forth if I would actually sit out, if our owner came out and said the things that he said," James answered. "I would really have to sit down with my teammates, talk to my family, because at the end of the day, our family and our teammates are way more important than that. And basketball is huge, obviously the playoffs have been unbelievable, and I hate the fact that something like this has to come when the playoffs have been unbelievable. And the game of basketball continues to grow. 
 
 "But there's no room for Donald Sterling in our league. There's no room for him." 
 
 Michael Jordan, the only NBA majority owner who is African American, had no comment at this time, his business manager said. 
 
 Former Clipper Baron Davis took to Twitter to express his thoughts about Sterling. 
 
 That's the way it is...He is honest about what he believes in..Been going on for a long time, Hats off 2 the Team.. 4 playin above it all. - Baron Davis (@Baron_Davis) April 26, 2014 
 
 Last month, CBS reported that Rochelle Sterling, Sterling's wife, filed a lawsuit against Stiviano, alleging she had a sexual affair with her husband. The suit, which states Sterling and Stiviano began their relationship after meeting at the Super Bowl in 2010, asks for a return of all cash, land cars and other items that under California law are the community property of the Sterlings. 
 
 A spokeswoman for the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, Jacky Johnson, said the organization planned to a protest outside Tuesday night's NBA playoff game in Los Angeles. 
 
 Sterling, a real estate mogul, bought the Clippers in 1981. He's been the longest-tenured owner in the NBA since Lakers owner Jerry Buss died last year. 
 
 He has been frequently criticized for his frugal operation of the Clippers, although in recent years he has spent heavily to add stars such as Chris Paul and Doc Rivers, who led the team back to the playoffs in his first season as coach. 
 
 Paul, also the NBPA president, issued a statement. 
 
 "On behalf of the National Basketball Players Association, this is a very serious issue which we will address aggressively," it read. "We have asked [Sacramento] Mayor Kevin Johnson to expand his responsibilities with the NBPA, to determine our response and our next steps. As players, we owe it to our teams and our fans to keep our focus on our game, the playoffs, and a drive to the Finals." 
 
 Donald Sterling is the longest-tenured owner in the NBA since Lakers owner Jerry Buss died last year. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images 
 
 Johnson, for his part, called the comments "reprehensible and unacceptable." He is a former NBA All-Star guard and chairman of a search committee to find a new director for the union. 
 
 Sterling has been involved in several lawsuits over the years, including ones with discrimination accusations. 
 
 In November 2009, Sterling agreed to pay $2.73 million to settle allegations by the government that he refused to rent apartments to Hispanics and blacks and to families with children. The Justice Department sued Sterling in August 2006 for allegations of housing discrimination in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles. 
 
 In March 2011, Sterling won a lawsuit against former Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor when a jury rejected the Hall of Famer's claim of age discrimination and harassment. Baylor, who was 76 at the time, had sought about $2 million after claiming he was forced out of the job he'd held for 22 years. The team said Baylor left on his own and a jury awarded him nothing. 
 
 "Myself and other people of color were subjected to this mentality for over 20 years," Baylor told ESPN. "I both witnessed and experienced it. What he said speaks for itself." 
 
 Sterling is a courtside fixture at home games. He rarely visits the team's locker room at Staples Center, although he made an appearance in December 2012 after the Clippers had won their 11th straight game, when he led an awkward locker room cheer. 
 
 Information from ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard, ESPN.com's Darren Rovell, Michael Wallace and Ethan Sherwood Strauss, ESPNLosAngeles.com's Arash Markazi and The Associated Press was used in this report. ||||| The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Saturday called for a quick response from both the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association over an explosive recording of a man alleged to be Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist remarks. 
 
 “There must be some form of punishment,” Jackson told TMZ on Saturday of the comments that set the Internet alight. “There must be a response and if they don’t respond, there must be picket signs.” 
 
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 The NBA is investigating — and in the process of validating — the recording of a conversation reportedly between Sterling and his girlfriend in which the team owner allegedly warned her not to bring black players to team games. 
 
 NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called the audio recording, first posted by TMZ on Friday, “truly offensive” while Sterling has apologized for “sentiments attributed to him” about Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. 
 
 “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?” the voice in the recording says. 
 
 The man tells his girlfriend, who TMZ identified as V. Stiviano, to not post photos onto Instagram with black people, including Johnson. 
 
 “Don’t put [Johnson] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don’t bring him to my games,” he says. 
 
 Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who also sits as the chairman of the NBPA, in a statement Saturday said he will be leading the group’s response, which he said will play a “very active role in determining how this issue is addressed.” 
 
 “The reported comments made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling are reprehensible and unacceptable,” said Johnson, who also was sworn in as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors earlier this month. 
 
 “There needs to be an immediate investigation and if the reports are true, there needs to be strong and swift action taken,” Johnson said. 
 
 Johnson added that he will be reaching out to the NBA formally “to determine our next steps.” 
 
 Magic Johnson tweeted that he would not attend another Clippers games while Sterling was owner. League MVP LeBron James called on the league to throw Sterling out. 
 
 Chris Paul, who both plays for the Clippers and is the president of the NBPA, also released a statement announcing Kevin Johnson’s expanded role in handling what Paul called a “serious issue” that the group will “address aggressively.” 
 
 “As players, we owe it to our teams and our fans to keep our focus on our game, the playoffs, and a drive to the Finals,” Paul said in a statement. 
 
 The Clippers released a statement questioning the recording’s authenticity as well as its source. 
 
 “We have heard the tape on TMZ. We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered,” a statement by team president, Andy Roeser said. “We do know that the woman on the tape — who we believe released it to TMZ — is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family alleging that she embezzled more than $1.8 million, who told Mr. Sterling that she would ‘get even.’” 
 
 The statement said that the recording is not consistent nor reflects Sterling’s views. 
 
 “It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life,” Roeser said. “He feels terrible that such sentiments are being attributed to him and apologizes to anyone who might have been hurt by them.” 
 
 The statement also said that Sterling is upset and apologizes for the “sentiments attributed to him” about Johnson. 
 
 “He has long considered Magic a friend and has only the utmost respect and admiration for him—both in terms of who he is and what he has achieved,” the statement said.
– The racist and alleged comments of LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling have attracted the wrath of some really big names, including the leader of the free world. "The owner is reported to have said some incredibly offensive racist statements that were published," Obama said today in Malaysia, as per Politico. "When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance you don’t really have to do anything, you just let them talk. And that’s what happened here." But he's far from the only one: Magic Johnson, the target of Sterling's alleged rant, has responded thusly, according to the LA Times: "I will never again set foot in Staples Center when the Clippers are playing. I know where I'm not wanted." Further, "Something has to be done, and if that means him losing the team, then that has to happen. The league has to come down hard and make a statement." Meanwhile, Deadspin has released an extended version of the tape, which now runs 15 minutes. Elsewhere in reaction: Sacramento Mayor and NBPA chairman Kevin Johnson: "The reported comments made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling are reprehensible and unacceptable. There needs to be an immediate investigation and if the reports are true, there needs to be strong and swift action taken." Lebron James: "If the reports are true, it’s unacceptable. It’s unacceptable in our league. It doesn’t matter if you’re white, black, Hispanic, whatever, all across the races. There is no room for Donald Sterling in our league." And an interesting statement from Clippers president Andy Roeser: "We have heard the tape on TMZ. We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered. We do know that the woman on the tape—who we believe released it to TMZ—is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family alleging that she embezzled more than $1.8 million, who told Mr. Sterling that she would 'get even.'" Furthermore: "It is the antithesis of who (Sterling) is, what he believes and how he has lived his life. He feels terrible that such sentiments are being attributed to him and apologizes to anyone who might have been hurt by them."