NAACP Drops Honor for NBA Owner Accused of Racist Remarks

The Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP has canceled plans to present a lifetime achievement award to Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling amid the firestorm over racist comments attributed to him, the Los Angeles Times and ESPN write.

Mr. Sterling was to be honored by the civil rights group at a May 15 banquet. It would have been the second NAACP lifetime achievement award bestowed on the NBA owner, who is known in Los Angeles for holding benefits for organizations that serve the needy, including charities focused on Latinos and African Americans, but who has also been dogged by past accusations of bigotry.

An audiotape that became public last week features a man purported to be Mr. Sterling questioning a female friend about associating with black people and asking her “not to bring them to my games.” The Clippers released a statement saying the team does not yet know if the man in the recording is Mr. Sterling but that the remarks do not reflect his “views, beliefs, or feelings.”