Sterling's lawyers can put forth a defense pointing out that the exclusion of people based on their skin color has a precedent in the NBA and that based on that precedent, he should not be sanctioned. It can be argued that what Sterling said was meant to be private, but what was done at the party was meant to be a very public act of racial exclusion.
Correct, Sterling can, ironicallt, claim disparate treatment and racial discrimination. He’s a scumbag, but he’s not stupid.
Not only that, by digging in and refusing to accept the penalty, he’s going to force the NBA to sue him. Which makes him the defendent and opens up all sorts of doors to conducting highly invasive discovery.
As an owner, her certainly knows where a lot of bodies are buried, and can point his lasers in the right direction. And can hire an army of PIs to dig out stuff as well.
Given how much dirty laundry he can expose, the NBA and Liberals may very well rue the day they went after him.
AND they really have to be careful with the whole White Privilege/Blacks can’t be Racist thing. Most people, if they’ve even heard of it, haven’t been deeply exposed to it and don’t take it seriously. This could make the old Silent Majority sit up, take notice and drive a major backlash.