Like others who have come forward after the audio of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist comments came out, former Clippers player Tom Chambers didn’t have anything good to say about his former owner.
Chambers, who is now a broadcast analyst for the Phoenix Suns, was drafted by the then-San Diego Clippers in 1981, when Sterling first purchased the team.
“I didn’t know anything about the racist stuff,” Chambers told AZ Central. “He was always slippery, slimy and sleazy about paying people. We had to fight for checks. We had to go to a different hotel every time because he never paid the bill. He was just the cheapest guy I’ve ever come across.”
Chambers was glad that the NBA made the decision to fine Sterling $2.5 million and ban him from the league for life.
Although Chambers never saw any racist behavior from Sterling firsthand, he didn’t get the idea that he cared much for any of his players. He said that Sterling rarely interacted with any players and that the Clippers were the only team in the league to fly coach when traveling.
“It was all about him,” Chambers said. “I don’t think he’s ever willingly written a check. If a coach gets fired by him, they have to go to court to get their money, and then they settle for less. He was bad. Everything he did was about having pretty girls on his arm. He’d promote women but it was self-serving, narcissistic stuff.”
Photo via Twitter/@Hoopmixtape
