LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling has now sat down with Anderson Cooper for a tell-all interview admitting that he made a "mistake" when he went on a racist rant to V Stiviano, and now says that he's "sorry".
In the interview, which he gave just one week after reportedly blowing off Barbara Walters, the NBA owner, who has been banned from the game for life has given his reasons why he shouldn't be forced to sell the team.
Disgraced LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling has sat down with Anderson Cooper (Facebook/Anderson Cooper 360)
Talking to Cooper he said: "I'm a good member who made a mistake and I'm apologizing and I'm asking for forgiveness."
Sterling continued: "Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? It's a terrible mistake, and I'll never do it again."
It's unclear whether Sterling intends to fight the NBA about his ownership rights of the Clippers but the 80-year-old says that the scandal has left him "emotionally distraught".
"I caused the problem. I don't know how to correct it," he admits.
Over his particularly harsh comments about Magic Johnson, whose photo with V Stiviano reportedly caused the billionaire's horrendous rant, Sterling says that he's already spoken to the former NBA player.
According to Sterling, he said: "If I said anything wrong, I'm sorry."
But Sterling isn't a fan of Johnson, as he said: "He's a good person. I mean, what am I going to say? Has he done everything he can do to help minorities? I don't think so."
The billionaire then added: "But I'll say it, he's great. But I don't think he's a good example for the children of Los Angeles."
During the interview, it appears that Sterling feels set up to make the comments about black people.
"When I listen to that tape, I don't even know how I can say words like that … I don't know why the girl had me say those things," he said, adding, "I mean, that's not the way I talk."
Sterling feels used by Stiviano, who has been pictured with a team of people around her, as he said: "An 80-year-old man is kind of foolish, and I'm kind of foolish. I thought she liked me and really cared for me. I guess being 51 years older than her, I was deluding myself."
In the interview, which will air on Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN later today (May 12), he continued: "I'm not a racist. I made a terrible, terrible mistake. And I'm here with you today to apologize and to ask for forgiveness for all the people that I've hurt."
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