Culver City Observer -

After NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Tuesday morning the voice on the racial rant alleged to be Clippers owner Donald Sterling is indeed Sterling the commissioner took action.

Sterling has received a lifetime ban from the NBA and fined $2.5 million. He will not be permitted to attend Clipper games or practices or appear in the team's offices.

Silver also said the league will attempt to convince Sterling to sell the team.

This is Silver's first major action since he recently succeeded Commissioner David Stern, who held the job for 30 years.

To be determined is how the Clippers will carry on. With the recent turmoil Coach Doc Rivers said he hasn't decided whether to coach the team next season.

The announcement was made at a New York press conference, with Silver coming through on his promise to take action before tonight's Game 5 of the Clippers' opening round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors.

In recent days response to Sterling's alleged racial comments have been heard from all walks of life, including President Obama, who said ignorant people say ignorant things.

Most NBA owners favor strong sanctions against Sterling, the most interesting one coming from Leslie Alexander of the Houston Rockets.

Alexander favors Commissioner Silver declaring all Clipper players free agents after the season.

With that, he figures, if the league doesn't have the authority to make Sterling sell they can significantly weaken his franchise.

On Oprah Winfrey's Tuesday morning show on CBS she said Sterling's words sound like a plantation mentality in the 21st century.