Union: LeBron Won't Play If Sterling Still Owns The Clippers Next Year

After the Donald Sterling tape was leaked last month, NBA commissioner Adam Silver took swift action, fining the Los Angeles Clippers owner a $2.5 million fine and laying a lifetime ban on him, and other franchise owners lined up to vote him out. But as of right now, today, Sterling is still the owner of the Clippers. LeBron James, the league's biggest star, apparently thinks that's a problem.

In a teaser for tonight's episode of Jim Rome on Showtime, Rome interviews Roger Mason, Jr., vice president of the National Basketball Players Association.

"So like LeBron, your guy LeBron," Rome says to Mason. "You think he would not play if Sterling were still in there when the season started."

"I was just in the locker room three or four days ago. LeBron and I talked about this. He ain't playing," Mason said, hitting the table in time with his words, "if Sterling is still the owner."

That seems pretty straightfoward. The problem is that although he's banned, Sterling could tie up the effort to take the Clippers from him in court for months or even years. And if he does that... well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens.

[ Slam]