In a day and age in which sports docudramas are plenty, the latest one announced will be reliving one of the more controversial periods in NBA history.
“The Sterling Affairs.”
The infamous last name needs no introduction or preface. The project got the nod from FX and will be based on the Donald Sterling era of Los Angeles Clippers basketball—and its unsettling end.
Sterling was banned for life from the NBA by commissioner Adam Silver during the 2014 playoffs and fined $2.5 million dollars following racist remarks that he made during a phone conversation with ex-girlfriend V. Stiviano.
FX has ordered THE STERLING AFFAIRS, starring Laurence Fishburne as Doc Rivers, about "the downfall of Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling amid the team’s drive to win a championship."
— Kate Feldman (@kateefeldman) April 4, 2022
The Lob City Clippers, headlined by Doc Rivers, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, played through the investigation as they battled to keep their postseason alive. They have all spoken publicly about Sterling since his dismissal.
Here’s Doc:
“Within weeks of taking the job, I knew I was in trouble.”@DocRivers opens up about his time coaching under former owner Donald Sterling and details how the LA Clippers locker room came together to make a stand. #NBATogether pic.twitter.com/hVhbzQmP5y
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 19, 2020
And DeAndre:
"We played for each other… We weren’t going to splinter during that time.”@DeAndre reflects on the Clippers’ protest of Donald Sterling back in 2014 ➡️ https://t.co/kaMnpIpSgK pic.twitter.com/CTJOC7hDR6
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 29, 2020
Blake had an interesting story to tell, and so did the “Knuckleheads” Clippers.
“We were his race horses, or show horses.”
"The Sterling Affairs,” which examines former Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, his rags-to-riches rise and his ultimate downfall, debuts tomorrow.
via The Undefeated + @30for30 Podcasts pic.twitter.com/ZYcUT8I0Ki
— Andscape (@andscape) August 19, 2019
.@QRich, @21BlackKing and @Corey_Maggette share what it was like to play on Donald Sterling’s Clippers.
Full video: https://t.co/QtAj5FXkgX pic.twitter.com/7LwZhxhSUo
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) December 13, 2018
According to Variety’s Joe Otterson, the six-episode event will draw from ESPN’s 30 For 30 podcast of the same name with Ramona Shelburne—the veteran ESPN reporter who hosted the podcast—serving as executive producer. Rembert Browne, previously of Grantland and New York Magazine will also serve as a producer.
