Baron Davis on a recent podcast shared his experience working under his former boss Donald Sterling. He was sacked from his position as the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014 when TMZ exposed him for his racial discrimination. When Davis arrived for his first season in 2008, the media person told him “Hey no matter what he say to you bro don’t pay attention to him. He don’t mean what he say.”
Since that day and until the season ended Davis had issues with Sterling. After the season, the 2x NBA All-Star decided to take a trip to Africa. “What do I know about racism,” he says speaking of his reason. The homely feeling there made him see racial discrimination in a different light, bringing a shift in him. He thus spoke to his friend and decided to give back to society.
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“Whatever y’all need whatever y’all want me to do just tell me what to do and I’m near. Wherever I’m at y’all at.” He reveals he realized what racism was and recognized his goal as a ‘black dude in America vs Africa’. This led him to communicate the instance with those around and continue with offering help. In doing so, he also understood Sterling’s indiscriminative behavior and said ” What I realized was he’s not racist bro he’s just a hate everybody’s.” Davis spoke on the podcast 7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony & Kid Mero.
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https://x.com/7PMinBrooklyn/status/1793612845273231774
He spoke about it because according to him Sterling was a ‘delusional and dysfunctional’ human being and had no understanding of how to talk to people. “You ain’t even smart enough to be racist homie… you paid me the most that you paid anybody. You don’t want to have a conversation with me like hey all right man.” Davis only stayed with the Clippers for one personal reason.
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Baron Davis found reasons to stay
Baron Davis explained why he didn’t leave the Clippers after the first season. He was attending and taking care of his unwell grandmother during that time and Los Angeles was his hometown, where he grew up to love basketball. His then 87-year-old grandmother had been a guiding figure in his life. It was due to her insistence that Davis first enrolled at a private school, which eventually led him to successful basketball endeavors.
Given that she had been his guardian throughout his life, Davis wished to stay by her and tend during her final years. He even paid tribute to his grandparents by choosing to wear No.85 for the Cavaliers; the number was the street his grandparents stayed on in Los Angeles.
However, during her final days, in Feb 2011, the former point-guard was traded off to Cleveland Cavaliers when he was due another two years and $28 million. A few days in, Lela Nicholson, his grandmother passed away. “It’s a number I’ll always go out and give my heart and soul for,” he said on his choice of number. Call it the lucky charm, for Davis went on to have a good run with the team and helped them to multiple regular season wins when they were floating on the bottom of the table.
