Oprah Winfrey Among Celebs Considering Purchase Of Clippers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Los Angeles Clippers could soon need a new owner, and celebrities are lining up for a potential piece of the pie.
And now this bombshell: CBS News has confirmed that Oprah Winfrey is considering a purchase of the franchise with business magnates David Geffen and Larry Ellison.
ESPN was first to report the possible Oprah bid.
She's just the latest to hop on board. Other household names have publicly declared interest in a stake, including boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., actor Matt Damon, and rap moguls Dr. Dre and Diddy.
Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned for life and fined $2.5 million on Tuesday for racist remarks made during a conversation with girlfriend V. Stiviano. A firestorm ensued after the recordings were released by TMZ and Deadspin.
"It feels like a plantation mentality in the 21st century, in 2014. It just doesn't fit," Winfrey said Tuesday on "CBS This Morning."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said during a press conference Tuesday he would do everything in his power to make sure Sterling is forced to sell the team. The other NBA owners are expected to line up behind Silver when the matter comes to a vote, and many have already voiced their support of a full Sterling exile.
"They'd have huge legal hurdles," legal analyst Jack Ford told CBS News. "It'd be tough to go into a court of law and say we're going to force him to give up his property, what he owns, because of his comments."
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