Story highlights Warriors coach: Players talked of boycott prior to Sterling decision 
 
 NBA bans Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life, fines him $2.5 million for racist remarks 
 
 Sterling admitted making reviled comments first heard on TMZ, the NBA commissioner says 
 
 Adam Silver urges owners to vote to "force" Sterling to sell his team 
 
 The NBA's commissioner came down hard Tuesday on Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, ordering him out of his team's business and pushing to force him to sell over racist remarks that caused a firestorm since becoming public days ago. 
 
 Adam Silver detailed Sterling's punishment of a lifetime ban and $2.5 million fine -- the "maximum amount" allowed per league guidelines -- at a press conference eight hours before Sterling's Clippers were to tip off in the fifth game of a tightly contested first-round playoff series with the Golden State Warriors. 
 
 Silver's decision was met with immediate support from NBA owners, players and others connected to the league who have been calling for swift, firm punishment ever since TMZ posted audio featuring the incendiary comments. 
 
 "I hope that every bigot in this country sees what happened to Mr. Sterling and recognizes that if he can fall, so can you," Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA All-Star who was tasked with leading the NBA players union's efforts on this matter. 
 
 Under the lifetime ban, Sterling is prohibited from attending NBA games or practices, stepping foot inside any Clippers' facility, taking part in business or personnel decisions, or having a role in league activities such as attending NBA Board of Governors meetings. 
 
 Silver -- who succeeded longtime NBA leader David Stern in February -- also insisted he will do "everything in my power" to compel the NBA Board of Governors to "force a sale" of the Clippers. The commissioner said "I fully expect" to get the needed three-quarters of the league's owners -- meaning at least 23 -- to back the move, though Sterling could fight any such move in court. 
 
 If Sterling does sell the team, he stands to profit considerably: He bought the Clippers for $12 million in 1981, and the team is now worth $575 million, according to Forbes magazine. And he'd likely have plenty of suitors: Among them is Hollywood mogul David Geffen, who spokeswoman Priscila Giraldo says is "interested" in buying the team. 
 
 Rather than water cooler discussions of exciting NBA playoff action, people are talking about racist remarks by a team owner, said Gabe Feldman, head of Tulane University's sports law program. 
 
 Estimating the team may be worth closer to $1 billion, Feldman added, "He may get a lot of money from the sale, but I think it will allow the NBA to shift their focus." 
 
 That's what Clippers coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday night, commending Silver as "fantastic" for making "a decision that really was the right one." While the players aren't rejoicing, they are breathing easier knowing what happened earlier in the day, he said. 
 
 "They were just happy that it was a resolution," Rivers said, expressing hope that playing the game will be a "safe haven" for all involved. "... We're all in a better place because of this." 
 
 Clippers: 'Now the healing process begins' 
 
 The inflammatory sentiments Silver referred to came packaged in a 10-minute recording that TMZ said occurred during an April 9 conversation between Sterling and girlfriend V. Stiviano 
 
 On the recording, a man and woman argue about photos posted to Instagram in which she appears with African-Americans. The man says he doesn't want the woman bringing any black people to games with her. 
 
 The sports website Deadspin on Sunday posted five additional minutes of what it said was part of the same audio recording. 
 
 Neither website has said how it obtained the recordings; Stiviano's lawyer's office said Sunday that she didn't release them to TMZ, while stating they are legitimate. 
 
 On Saturday, Clippers President Andy Roeser suggested the audio was aimed at "getting even" with Sterling over a lawsuit. 
 
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 Rochelle Sterling filed a lawsuit last month against Stiviano, who she said was having an affair with her husband and accusing Stiviano of going after extremely wealthy older men. 
 
 Roeser said that the offensive comments are "not consistent with, nor does it reflect (Sterling's) views, beliefs or feelings." Moreover, he cast doubt as to whether Sterling had made them, stating: "We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered." 
 
 Silver expressed no such doubts Tuesday, saying the Clippers owner "acknowledged it was his voice on the tape." Asked whether the owner expressed any remorse, the commissioner said, "Mr. Sterling has not expressed those views directly to me." 
 
 Moments after Silver's press conference concluded, the Clippers struck a different tone. 
 
 "We wholeheartedly support and embrace the decision by the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver today," the team said. "Now the healing process begins." 
 
 Silver says he shares sponsors' 'outrage' 
 
 There is no question that Sterling rightfully owns the Clippers. Some observers question how comments, made privately, could serve as grounds for such punishment, including possibly forcing him to sell the team. 
 
 Yet while there's no precedent in the NBA, there is in other sports. In the 1990s, Major League Baseball repeatedly suspended Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott over racist and other controversial comments, and she ultimately sold the franchise. 
 
 Silver said Tuesday he'd "let the lawyers" address specifics, while stating flatly, "We have the authority to act as I've recommended." 
 
 Feldman said some owners might be wary of setting a precedent in which anyone can be voted out "just based on something they don't like, whether it was said privately or just said publicly." That view notwithstanding, NBA owners universally backed Silver's judgment in statements Tuesday. 
 
 If the owners follow through on the commissioner's recommendation to force him to sell, Sterling could fight back in the courts. But should he file a lawsuit, CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin says his chances of success seem "basically zero." 
 
 Sterling so far hasn't had found support in the court of public opinion, especially among past and present players. 
 
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 Donald Sterling with girlfriend V. Stiviano. 
 
 Members of his own team, the Clippers, debated boycotting their playoff game Saturday with the Warriors, according to coach Rivers. They decided against it, instead opting to stage a silent protest by removing their warmup shirts bearing team logos to reveal red T-shirts worn inside out, with the logos hidden. 
 
 Silver said he talked to Rivers, Clippers star point guard Chris Paul (who is also the players union president) and other players prior to reaching his decision Tuesday morning. 
 
 Dollars talked, too, to ramp up the pressure for Silver to act. 
 
 Over a dozen companies -- including State Farm, Virgin America, CarMax and Red Bull -- halted their sponsorships with the Clippers over the remarks, CNN Money reported 
 
 Speaking Tuesday, the commissioner said he shares these companies "outrage," adding "it will take some time" to get things right. 
 
 "I can understand how upset they are, and I'll do my best to bring them back into the NBA family," Silver said. 
 
 For some, his decision to ban Sterling was enough. Both Adidas and Samsung announced later Tuesday that they had renewed their "partnerships" in the wake of the owner's public punishment. 
 
 Warriors coach Mark Jackson, who a day earlier urged fans to boycott Tuesday's game and said there was "a real discussion among the players" to do the same so long as Sterling remained in charge, thinks Silver gave everyone enough reason now to come out to a game. 
 
 "I thought he was absolutely incredible ... with the way that he took control of the moment," Jackson said of the commissioner before his team's playoff showdown in Los Angeles. "... It was exactly what the doctor ordered." 
 
 Magic Johnson: Players are 'very happy and satisfied' 
 
 One man thrust into the controversy -- seemingly out of the blue -- was NBA great Magic Johnson. In the TMZ recording, the man seems mad about a photo the woman posted to Instagram with Johnson. 
 
 "In your lousy f**ing Instagrams, you don't have to have yourself with -- walking with black people," the man says. 
 
 "If it's white people, it's OK?" she responds. "If it was Larry Bird, would it make a difference?" 
 
 Bird was Johnson's chief rival when Bird's Boston Celtics and Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers ruled the NBA. 
 
 "I've known (Magic Johnson) well, and he should be admired. ... I'm just saying that it's too bad you can't admire him privately," the man on the recording says. "Admire him, bring him here, feed him, f**k him, but don't put (Magic) on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games." 
 
 After the audio went public, Johnson -- who, since retiring from basketball, has become a successful businessman and part owner of baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers -- expressed dismay and insisted he'd never attend a Clippers game so long as Sterling was the owner. 
 
 Johnson offered a very different tune Tuesday, commending Silver for exhibiting "great leadership" in saying he and others "are very happy and satisfied." 
 
 "I wish I was in LA, I would be at the Clipper game tonight!" he tweeted. ||||| LOS ANGELES -- Rochelle Sterling, the estranged wife of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, attended the team's 113-103 playoff win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night after asking coach Doc Rivers if he would be fine with her attending. 
 
 Flanked by a handful of bodyguards, Rochelle Sterling, normally a courtside fixture at Clippers games, watched from a suite and quickly left the arena with her security detail as soon as the game was over. Rochelle -- or Shelly, as she's more commonly known -- sat courtside Sunday in Oakland for Game 4 of the Clippers' first-round series against the Warriors in the wake of racist comments made by her husband to girlfriend V. Stiviano that were posted by TMZ on Friday. 
 
 The Clippers lead the best-of-seven series 3-2. 
 
 "It's a tough one for Shelly, really," Rivers said. "She didn't do anything wrong. You have compassion for her. I kept hearing about the girlfriend, and Shelly's the wife. You know what I mean? I talked to her today, and she's been through as much as anyone as well. 
 
 "She asked if she could come, which I thought was a very nice gesture, and she just wanted the players to know that she loved them and she told me to tell them. I thought, why not?" 
 
 On Tuesday, Donald Sterling was banned for life by the NBA and fined $2.5 million in response to racist comments the league determined he made in recorded conversations. Commissioner Adam Silver also said he will try to force the controversial owner to sell the franchise. 
 
 Rivers said he didn't believe the sale or transfer of the franchise would lead to Rochelle Sterling becoming owner of the team. 
 
 "I don't know, it doesn't sound like it to be honest," Rivers said. "And I think she knows that but she still wanted to be here. I don't know if that's right or wrong, but I thought it was right." 
 
 Editor's Picks Keating: Sterling got repeated passes In throwing Donald Sterling out of the NBA for life, commissioner Adam Silver is appropriately exercising his powers as broadly as his job description will allow. But what took the league so long, Peter Keating asks. 
 
 Many Clippers players have gotten to know Rochelle Sterling during their time with the team and didn't have an issue with her being at the game. 
 
 "Coach talked about it in our locker room how I'm sure it's been tough on her also," Chris Paul said. "She came to our game to support us in Golden State, and for us it's tough, but I can't imagine how tough it is for that family, so we'll let them get through that. I think the biggest thing for us is getting back to basketball and doing what we love." 
 
 Rochelle Sterling didn't talk to the media Tuesday but tried to distance herself from her husband when she spoke to ESPN on Sunday. 
 
 "I don't condone those statements and I don't believe in them," she said. "I'm not a racist. Never have been, never will be. The team is the most important thing to my family." 
 
 Paul said he was nervous about what fan reaction would be for Game 5 but became emotional when he and the team ran out to a sold-out crowd, most wearing black, chanting, "We are one!" 
 
 "When we ran out for warm-ups, it was one of the most emotional things I've ever been a part of," Paul said. "We have a tough locker [room] and all of us are tough, but it almost brought a tear to your eyes to feel the support from our fans. It was seriously amazing running out for warm-ups and seeing all the people lined up, to see our fans. In Golden State, I said I wasn't sure what we would come back to, but it was emotional, it was very emotional, and I can't thank the fans that came out to support us enough." 
 
 Paul and Blake Griffin didn't comment on the Sterling controversy publicly before Tuesday, choosing to let Rivers speak on the team's behalf. After the game, both players said they were happy with Silver's decision and to have the ability to move forward. 
 
 "Adam did react swiftly, and it was a great day for everyone," Paul said. "We're happy about moving forward. ... We didn't know until we got out of shootaround, but it seemed like a burden was lifted off of everybody and we could get back to playing basketball." 
 
 Griffin expected the league would come down hard on Sterling but acknowledged that he was surprised Sterling was given a lifetime ban and would be forced to sell the team, subject to a vote of the league's other owners. 
 
 "I had faith that the commissioner and the NBA were going to take some action but I honestly didn't think it was going to be as big as it was," Griffin said. "But I think it definitely made sense and it was the right thing." ||||| Eighty-five days. 
 
 That's the extent of the grace period before Adam Silver -- the NBA's rookie commissioner, who started Feb. 1 -- was plunged into his first crisis. 
 
 The scope and furor of the scandal brought on by the racist comments made allegedly by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is such that Silver is already facing what's being described as a defining moment for both his own tenure and the league. 
 
 What happens next? 
 
 Once an investigation into the authenticity of the tapes implicating Sterling is completed, Silver says he'll use his "broad powers" to assess a "range of sanctions" against Sterling. After conversations with high-level league sources possessing knowledge of the issues Silver is considering, ESPN.com offers the following Q&A;, examining where things stand as the Clippers return to Los Angeles for Tuesday's Game 5 of their first-round playoff series with the Golden State Warriors. 
 
 Q: What are Silver's specific and immediate options for sanctioning Sterling? 
 
 A: The NBA is not going to try to snatch Sterling's team away from him before Game 5. Not that quickly. 
 
 The league might never have the gumption to try that step, thanks to the various legal hurdles that stand in the way of the course that seething Clippers players and coaches are hoping for. 
 
 A lengthy suspension for Sterling is believed to be the ceiling on Silver's authority in the short term, and only when the NBA's official investigation is complete. That includes the complicated process of confirming that the male voice on the recordings obtained and distributed by TMZ is indeed Sterling's. 
 
 The NBA's bylaws are not made public, but sources with knowledge of the secret constitution say Silver does possess the equivalent of a "best interests of the game" clause he can invoke to suspend owners for detrimental conduct even though they theoretically employ him. Two NBA owners held in much higher regard than Sterling -- Minnesota's Glen Taylor (under-the-table contract with former No. 1 overall pick Joe Smith) and the Los Angeles Lakers' Jerry Buss (charged with driving under the influence) -- were suspended when David Stern was in charge. 
 
 Most insiders, as the weekend unfolded, thus expected Silver to pursue an indefinite suspension of Sterling from league activity that would also include a substantial fine of up to $1 million, with the corresponding hope that the pressure on and outrage toward Sterling that's piling up daily as a result of this scandal will ultimately convince him that selling the team is the only sensible recourse. 
 
 Of course, since there's no telling how long it might take the famously stubborn Sterling to reach that point, Silver has little alternative but to focus on the league's initial aim of removing the 80-year-old from the day-to-day operations of the Clippers. It's also believed any suspension would include Sterling's removal from the NBA's Board of Governors, ensuring that he has no say in league matters during such a ban. 
 
 Yet a suspension of any length is bound to be blasted as insufficient in numerous corners, given the widespread, rising anger at Sterling's alleged comments, with the Clippers' locker room serving as the epicenter of the fury. 
 
 Another primary goal, as conveyed Sunday by National Basketball Players Association adviser (and Sacramento mayor) Kevin Johnson at a halftime news conference in Oakland during Game 4, is taking the strongest possible action as quickly as possible in hopes of shifting the media's focus back toward the ongoing playoffs. 
 
 Q: Sterling has had ample time since the story first broke to come out and tell the world that it's not his voice on the tape. Isn't that all the confirmation the NBA needs? 
 
 A: No. Far from it. 
 
 Silver made it clear in his Saturday night remarks to the media in Memphis that Sterling, like anyone in the NBA family, must receive the full benefits of "due process" before Silver can issue any ruling. 
 
 Step 1 on that front, both in fairness to Sterling and to insulate the league against future lawsuits, is determining whether the tapes are authentic recordings of Sterling or if they were doctored in a way to change the context of the racist statements made. Step 2 would be to interview Sterling to ask him to explain himself. 
 
 It's believed that the NBA would also like to interview the woman heard in the recordings, identified as V. Stiviano. The woman's attorney, Mac Nehoray, did not directly respond to an inquiry from ESPN about whether his client was cooperating with the NBA. 
 
 But Nehoray said in a statement on Sunday that the audio tapes released Friday night by TMZ are "in fact legitimate" and come from a 15-minute segment of an approximately one-hour audio recording of Sterling and Stiviano. He asserts that Stiviano did not release the tape to any news media. 
 
 Nehoray also said Sunday that, because of the recent civil litigation brought by Sterling's wife, Rochelle Sterling, against his client, she would have no further comments on the matter. In addition to liability in the civil case, Stiviano also could be subject to legal action for recording Sterling without his knowledge, which is illegal in the state of California, although it is not yet known who made the recordings or how these unknowns will affect the NBA's investigation. (Some legal experts maintain that because of California law, basing any punishment on the recordings could prove problematic if Sterling retaliates with legal action.) 
 
 How the NBA goes about determining the authenticity of the tapes, as well as the context in which they were made, could likewise prove difficult without the cooperation of Stiviano, or an admission from Sterling, because the original recordings are in TMZ's hands. A statement from Clippers president Andy Roeser released Saturday implied that Sterling might have been set up to make such comments, or that the tapes might have been doctored. The statement did not directly dispute that it was Sterling's voice on the recordings, except to say that "what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings." 
 
 Yet one league insider insisted to ESPN.com that Sterling is indeed "on his way out if the tape is legit," despite all of the tricky variables to consider. 
 
 "Maybe he will be managed out over time, but it could be abrupt," the source said. "The alleged statements are indefensible from the standpoint of the commissioner, players, owners and many fans. Sterling may seek to negotiate, but he has little or no leverage because he will become a pariah. 
 
 "Some people are arguing that his statements were private and that he was set up by his girlfriend. This may be true, but it misses the point that the NBA can't and won't associate with a known racist." 
 
 That would be the same NBA, of course, that has always championed its own diversity, and in February welcomed back Brooklyn's Jason Collins, the first active openly gay player in the history of North America's four major team sports. 
 
 Not up for argument is the fact the league office regards the investigation as absolutely key, because any punishment Silver delivers could later become an element of a legal or civil case involving the league. It could also wind up as part of the civil case alleging that Stiviano embezzled more than $1.8 million. 
 
 Q: If Sterling is suspended, who runs the Clippers? 
 
 A: The Clippers' plan in the event of Sterling's death, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, has been for Sterling's wife, Rochelle, to take over as majority owner. 
 
 Rochelle -- or Shelly, as she's more commonly known -- is a regular at Clippers games and well-known and liked among other owners. She even accompanied her husband to the April 17 Board of Governors meeting in New York, according to sources. 
 
 Donald Sterling's son-in-law, Eric Miller, meanwhile, has been working in the team's front offices for the past few years and, as ESPN.com reported early last season, is being groomed to be the franchise's day-to-day voice on ownership matters. An accountant by trade, Miller currently holds the title of Clippers director of basketball administration, and he works closely with team vice president of basketball operations Gary Sacks. 
 
 The problem with all of the above is that coach Doc Rivers and his players, sources close to the situation say, want and expect more drastic change than that. Such is the anger within the Clippers' locker room, according to sources, that the response to Sterling maintaining ownership for any length of time -- even from a distance -- is sure to be negative, to put it charitably. 
 
 Will players start asking out of the team? Would Rivers, who's finishing up his maiden season as the Clippers' coach and team president at an annual salary of $7 million, consent to come back next season under those conditions? 
 
 "Don't know yet," Rivers told reporters Sunday. "I'm just going to leave it at that." 
 
 Rochelle Sterling sat courtside at the Clippers-Warriors game Sunday in Oakland, Calif., and declined to be interviewed on camera. She told ESPN/ABC sideline reporter Lisa Salters that she does not believe in or condone the comments heard on the recordings, but it must be noted that Rochelle Sterling was also named in the housing discrimination lawsuit that Donald Sterling ultimately settled with the Department of Justice for nearly $3 million in 2009. 
 
 Q. Why do we keep hearing that the NBA can't force Sterling to sell the team like it did with Cleveland's Ted Stepien in the 1980s? 
 
 A: This is a different time. Franchise values have skyrocketed to levels they didn't dare dream of in Stepien's time. 
 
 And the Clippers, like it or not, are Sterling's private property, prompting numerous sources to say this week that mandating a sale would be virtually impossible. 
 
 Sterling's status as Clippers owner is similar to that of a franchisee in that he has the right to use NBA logos and be a part of the league. But it's considered highly unlikely Silver and his fellow owners would be willing to attempt to revoke his rights as a franchise owner because of the legal ramifications of such a bold decision. 
 
 There are other owners and league officials, sources stressed to ESPN.com throughout the weekend, who have wanted Sterling out of the league for years in the wake of all of the off-court allegations he's faced during the past decade. But Sterling's famously litigious history suggests that they could bank on a costly lawsuit in reply. One example: A theoretical antitrust suit from Sterling against the NBA could conceivably allege that he is being forced to sell the Clippers at less-than-market value, because prospective buyers know Sterling has no choice but to sell, with the commissioner and Sterling's ownership rivals trying to push him out. 
 
 The league insider who earlier asserted that Sterling will eventually be managed out of the NBA, Marge Schott-style, if the tapes are authenticated, said: "But there's less than 1 in a 100 million odds they attempt to make him sell." 
 
 Sources say that the only two known violations that would allow the NBA to force an owner to sell his team are gambling-related offenses or the sort of deep financial problems witnessed in New Orleans with George Shinn. 
 
 In Schott's case, she was repeatedly fined and suspended for making racist comments against both African-Americans and Jews. But she stepped down as majority owner of the Cincinnati Reds only when the Reds' limited owners were poised to vote her out. 
 
 Angelenos will recall former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, who was effectively managed out of control of the team by Major League Baseball. MLB commissioner Bud Selig, however, would appear to have a much more favorable path than Silver has now. 
 
 McCourt consistently threatened baseball with legal action if it attempted to force him out, but he was ultimately forced to sell when he became insolvent and no longer had the means to operate the team. The NBA assumed operating control of the New Orleans Hornets under similar circumstances in December 2010, when Shinn could no longer meet payroll, but the Clippers are a booming franchise that would quite possibly command in excess of $1 billion on the open market if Sterling -- whose lifelong mantra is that he never sells anything -- put the team up for bidding. 
 
 McCourt ultimately argued that he would have been able to operate the Dodgers if MLB had not blocked a lucrative television-rights deal with Fox. The threat of legal action against MLB led to an unprecedented private sale of the team through the financial services firm Blackstone Advisory Partners in which McCourt -- not the league or McCourt's fellow owners -- had final approval over what turned out to be a record sale of $2.15 billion to a group led by Magic Johnson. 
 
 Yet the only apparent play available to the NBA would seem to be suspending Sterling and then trying to wear him down to the point he gives in and agrees to sell the Clippers for a massive windfall. Sterling purchased the franchise in 1981 for a reported $12.5 million, but this is a league in which the small-market Milwaukee Bucks, in desperate need of a new, modern arena, were just sold for $550 million. 
 
 Q: What do Sterling's fellow owners really think about this mess? 
 
 A: They're under fire, too. The league's owners are facing the same questions, along with the retired Stern, posed by Johnson on behalf of the union Sunday: Why wasn't Sterling punished for any of his previous transgressions? 
 
 Stern's well-chronicled and longstanding commitment to social justice makes it difficult to believe he didn't want to do more. The working assumption in league circles has been that Sterling repeatedly dodged serious discipline because sordid accusations, court wrangles with former coaches and employees over money, and other assorted out-of-court settlements don't equate to convictions, and because Sterling didn't otherwise overtly break any league rules. 
 
 But now Sterling's peers want action. A handful of them, in the wake of what suddenly ranks as Sterling's most public scandal, have already taken the unusual step of publicly expressing their dismay with the league's senior owner, from old-guard veterans such as San Antonio's Peter Holt and Miami's Micky Arison to relative newcomers such as Sacramento's Vivek Ranadive. 
 
 "If @TMZ recording is true," Ranadive tweeted Saturday night, "we must have zero tolerance. Fully support commish Silver @NBA." 
 
 Then Ranadive added Sunday: "I was shocked. Those are shameful, reprehensible words. And if they are authenticated then I believe we should have zero tolerance, and I have full faith that the commissioner will do the right thing." 
 
 Charlotte's Michael Jordan on Sunday issued the lengthiest statement from any rival owner to date, which caused quite a stir given his historical reluctance to speak out on such issues when he was winning six championships as the league's on-court king. 
 
 "I look at this from two different perspectives -- as a current owner and former player," Jordan wrote. "As an owner, I'm obviously disgusted that a fellow team owner could hold such sickening and offensive views. I'm confident that Adam Silver will make a full investigation and take appropriate action quickly. As a former player, I'm completely outraged. There is no room in the NBA -- or anywhere else -- for the kind of racism and hatred that Mr. Sterling allegedly expressed. I am appalled that this type of ignorance still exists within our country and at the highest levels of our sport. In a league where the majority of players are African-American, we cannot and must not tolerate discrimination at any level." 
 
 Behind the scenes, sources say, there is even louder dismay from Sterling's peers, especially from the new-school owners who are paying such increasingly high prices for franchises -- and are worrying how much damage this is doing to the league's brand. 
 
 The owners are also aware of how upset and indignant players throughout the league are. Any show of support for Sterling by an owner or the league, any shred of leniency, will be noticed by every player in the league, not just the fuming Clippers. 
 
 "I'm sure the NBA will come down hard on [Sterling]," one source close to the situation said. "It wouldn't surprise me if we never see him again [at an NBA game]."
– "It was almost like everybody wanted to exhale tonight, and it was good," LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers said last night when the team soared to a 113-103 victory over the Golden State Warriors just hours after the NBA banned owner Donald Sterling for life over racist remarks. With the cloud of controversy lifted, the Clippers "played as if on wings, flying around with hustle and heart" before ecstatic fans who gave a standing ovation when two fans wearing T-shirts with Sterling's face crossed out appeared on the video screen, writes Bill Plaschke at the Los Angeles Times. More: If the NBA hadn't chucked Sterling, the game would never have happened, because both teams had planned to walk off the court in protest moments before it was supposed to begin, Sports Illustrated reveals. "It was a real option," says Warriors coach Mark Jackson. V. Stiviano, the woman Sterling was recorded making racist remarks to, is "saddened" by the owner's lifetime ban and is "devastated" that the recording was released, her lawyer tells the Los Angeles Times. He says that his client wasn't Sterling's girlfriend and never had a romantic relationship with him. The lawyer says she was hired as an "archivist"—an archivist who received $1.8 million in gifts from Sterling, according to a lawsuit filed by his wife of more than 50 years. What now for Sterling? NBA Commissioner Adam Silver plans to push him to sell the team, and fellow team owners appear willing to follow the recommendation to force him out. He could fight back in the courts, but his chances of success are "basically zero," a CNN legal analyst says. If he does sell, it will be for a huge profit: He bought the team for $12 million in 1981 and it is now valued at $575 million, though some experts believe it could sell for closer to $1 billion.