What We Learned From Donald Sterling Interview
Disgraced LA Clippers owner did way more than apologize.
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Sterling Does Much More Than Apologize - In his interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday night, disgraced Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling apologized for making racist remarks against African Americans. However Sterling also proceeded to disparage Magic Johnson for having "AIDS" and not doing "anything" to help black people, while also rambling about a Jewish and African American comparison before stating, "Some of the African Americans, they don't want to help anybody." While Sterling did apologize, he also seemingly made matters worse, possibly even breathing new light into it. Here, BET.com points out some of the head-scratching things we learned from the sit-down.(Photo: CNN)
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Insists He’s Not a Racist - Donald Sterling reiterated to Anderson Cooper that he's not a racist. "I'm not a racist," he told Cooper. "I made a terrible, terrible mistake, and I'm here with you today to apologize and to ask for forgiveness for all the people that I've hurt. I've never dreamt that this could happen. It's a terrible, terrible nightmare."(Photo: Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo, File)
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Thinks Lowly of Magic Johnson - After apologizing for making racist remarks against African Americans, Sterling used a significant portion of his CNN interview to denigrate Magic Johnson. "I think [Johnson] should be ashamed of himself," Sterling said. “I think he should go into the background. But what does he do for the black people? He doesn't do anything. "He's got AIDS," Sterling added. "What has he done, big Magic Johnson, what has he done? He acts so holy. He made love to every girl in every city in America, and he had AIDS, and when he had those AIDS, I went to my synagogue and I prayed for him, I hope he could live and be well. I didn't criticize him. I could have. Is he an example for children?" (Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
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Alleges Magic Tried to Help Him - At one point during the interview, Sterling suggests that Johnson called him and advised him to lay low, stating that, "'I know the girl, don't do anything. I'll help you.'" Johnson denied that, telling TMZ on Tuesday that Sterling called him and asked him to sit with him during an interview with Barbara Walters, and that he scoffed at the notion. (Photos from Left: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images, Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
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Claims Jews Help Their Own, African Americans Don’t - After lambasting Johnson, the shamed Clippers owner shifted his sights to African Americans as a whole, making a shocking comparison between Jewish people and blacks. "That's one problem I have," Sterling began to explain. "Jews, when they get successful, they will help their people, and some of the African Americans—maybe I'll get in trouble again—they don't want to help anybody."AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo : Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)
Photo By PhotoRobyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
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