Rumor: NBA Wants Magic to Buy Clippers?

Despite the nationwide horror show of anger and vitriol over the alleged comments of Los Angeles Clippers owner and grade-A douchebag Donald Sterling, there’s a big leap from delivering his reported racist rant to the NBA forcing Sterling out of their ownership ranks.

Don’t misunderstand — the NBA would absolutely LOVE to rid themselves of the cancer that is the longest-tenured owner in the league.  After more than 30 years of trouble stemming from allegations of racist hiring and housing practices, federal investigations and just plain old ineptitude at owning and running an NBA franchise, commissioner Adam Silver and company would enjoy nothing more than seeing Sterling exiled from their billionaire boys’ club forever.

But even facing the avalanche of public opinion that Sterling should be bounced out of the league, that’s easier said than done. 

Bottom line — Sterling owns the team.  And the NBA is gonna have to jump through some amazing hoops to change that, especially if Sterling doesn’t want to sell.  And there’s three decades of evidence that Sterling will sell his beloved Clippers when someone pries them from his cold, dead fingers.

Either way, Yahoo Sports NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski is floating an interesting premise, one that would undoubtedly bring a smile to fans of the league, the Clippers and just plain-old karmic justice: let Magic Johnson buy the Clippers.

Wojnarowski reports — in a story rereported by Crave sports site NESN — that according to an unnamed source, Johnson and his cadre of investors would be “absolutely interested” in buying the listing Clip ship should Sterling be forced from the helm.

According to Wojnarowski’s source, “this is 100% Magic’s plan.” 

In addition to being the alleged lightning rod that triggered Sterling’s taped diatribe at his young girlfriend, Magic Johnson is more than able to pull off such a maneuver. A very successful businessman in his post-NBA career, Magic owned a 4.5% stake in the Lakers before selling in 2010 — and he’s the face of the Guggenheim Partners ownership group that bought the L.A. Dodgers in 2012.

Again — we’re more than a few steps early in the process of eventually seeing the Clippers up for sale.  But it’s impossible not to take some pleasure in Wojnarowski’s theory: the universally beloved Magic swooping in to take control of the most criminally mismanaged franchise in the modern history of professional sports.  All while avenging the bold-faced racism he was directly subjected to as the focal point of Sterling’s ridiculous comments?

Win-win, NBA…make it happen.