Ten years ago, an ambitious young woman named V. Stiviano leaked private conversations between herself and L.A.
Clippers owner Donald Sterling to TMZ and chaos ensued. Sterling’s incredibly racist remarks — specifically that he didn’t want his assistant (and probable mistress) Stiviano to bring “Black people” to his games — resulted in him getting permanently banned from the NBA. It was an ugly chapter in basketball history that forced the sports’ fans, players, and coaches to confront the deep-rooted racism festering under the game’s surface.
However, something else happened when Stiviano leaked the tapes: she became something of a star. Tabloids were obsessed with the fame-hungry Stiviano, who initially posed for odd paparazzi shots. When the heat became too much, she resorted to wearing a visor that covered her entire face, but it only drew more attention.
And a sit-down interview with iconic ABC journalist Barbara Walters resulted in one of the most baffling and viral clips of the last decade because Stiviano referred to herself as Sterling’s “right arm hand man” and his “silly rabbit.” FX’s new limited series Clipped , based on the shit ESPN 30 for 30 podcast “The Sterling Affairs,” explores this scandalous saga. Ed O’Neill plays the notorious Donald Sterling, Jacki Weaver takes the role of his tenacious wife Shelly, and Laurence Fishburne plays the Clipper’s new, beleaguered coach, Doc Rivers.
However, all eyes will probably be on Aus.
