Richard Parsons, the former chief executive officer of Time Warner and ex-chairman of Citigroup, has been picked to operate the Los Angeles Clippers in the wake of the Donald Sterling uproar, David Aldridge of NBA News reported.
Parsons will oversee the Clippers’ business affairs pending the appointment of a replacement owner for the Los Angeles basketball team. The NBA is in the process of moving Sterling out as owner of the Clippers, action that follows the posting and airing of audio on TMZ last month in which Sterling is heard making racist remarks.
Aldridge reported:
The league settled on Parsons in the last few days, with the 66-year-old executive’s background at the highest levels of the business world making him a favored choice for the position. The league announced last week that Clippers president Andy Roeser would be taking an indefinite leave of absence to clear room for the new CEO, which the NBA believes is necessary to bring “stability” to the team in the wake of Sterling’s remarks.
The NBA banned Sterling from involvement in the league for life, Commissioner Adam Silver announced on April 29. TMZ and NBC News, rushing to be first with the news, bobbled details of the decision.
Parsons, whose appointment takes effect immediately, is a senior advisor at Providence Equity Partners and serves on the board of the Commission on Presidential Debates, according to a NBA press release. The release quotes Parsons:
“Like most Americans, I have been deeply troubled by the pain the Clippers’ team, fans and partners have endured,” said Parsons. “A lifelong fan of the NBA, I am firmly committed to the values and principles it is defending, and I completely support Adam’s leadership in navigating the challenges facing the team and the league.
Parsons played on the University of Hawaii basketball team before attending Albany Law School and earning a law degree in 1971.
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