I'm not saying I agree with his views, but I completely disagree with anyone being punished for something they said in private, especially when they've been illegally recorded. It's not a crime to have certain beliefs or feelings towards another race, and it's certainly not a crime to express those beliefs, but the way this country is going, it soon will be.

[No, it's not a crime to express your beliefs (no matter how ignorant they may be). It's also illegal to be recorded. Sterling is free to sue the person who made the recordings, but the NBA isn't a court of law. What the NBA does have is certain rules to fit the organization. He broke those rules and now he has to face the consequences. If he wants to yell that ignorant garbage from the rooftops, he's free to. But the NBA and its sponsors are not forced to put up with it and the First Amendment doesn't make it a law that they have to.

I think Adam Silver and the NBA did an outstanding thing by banning this prick. No one is forcing him to sell his team, but I imagine he'll have to or the value will plummet. I'm sure the guy from Duck Dynasty would sponsor him, but that's about it.

So speaking hypothetically, say your wife or girlfriend secretly recorded you in your home bashing your boss or the company you work for. You guys broke up, and then she sent the recording to them, resulting in you getting fired. You would be perfectly okay with that? I highly doubt it.

Again, while I don't support the guy's view and realize he's probably a royal asshole, I don't feel someone should be punished for something they've said in private, should what was said become public without their consent. I think there should be protections put in place for situations like this.

I find it highly ironic that an employer can't punish or discriminate based on someone's faith, but can punish indiscriminately for someone's personal opinions. It makes no sense.

That's a little different. If I'm bashing that particular boss for being a terrible person or because I just don't like him, that's one thing. If he's of a different race and I'm throwing out racial slurs, then yes, I deserve to be fired. Of course my hypothetical self wouldn't be okay with it, but I would absolutely deserve it.

Again, the NBA isn't a court of law. If Sterling has an issue with the recording, he'll have to sue the person who made them. However, the NBA is a business and they (rightfully so) do not want someone like Sterling to be apart of their organization.

It's hard to sympathize with Sterling. He should learn from Michael Richards' mistake.

It's not different. Both are something you said in private, not intended to be heard by anyone in the public. No crime committed in either case.

Totally two different scenarios. Michael Richards' went off in public directly at members of the race he was insulting. Sterling was illegally recorded in private by someone he trusted.

How is this so different? Michael Richards was shown to be a racist and his career has suffered for it. Sterling has been shown to be a racist and his career is suffering for it.

I'm pretty sure I explained how. Richards was in public. Sterling was in private. One should expect a severe backlash when presenting a racist tirade to the world as Richards did by doing it in public. However, Sterling's comments were never meant to be heard by anyone outside his home.

You guys seem to be ignoring the simple point I'm trying to make. I'm not defending or condemning racism. I'm simply saying there should be protections in place when one's right to privacy is blatantly violated with an illegal recording by a third party. Without, this opens up a huge door for employers, schools, etc. to punish people for something said or done in the privacy of their homes.

I think he's no doubt a racist. But when you consider how old he is, you have to feel sorry for the people of his generation.