I’ve spent an unfortunate amount of time reading about the Donald Sterling racism scandal this last week. I love the NBA, and it was the train wreck I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) avoid for several days.
I don’t need to sum up the sordid details or events, but all within reach of a news broadcast heard something about it. The NBA banned a franchise owner without precedent, right in the middle of an extremely exciting round of playoff games.
Right before I started writing, I was reading an article by one of my favorite NBA writers. His topic: Donald Sterling. While the insights were unique, and the writing clever, I felt disappointed by the content. Furthermore, I felt ashamed that I read the whole thing.
Does anyone else find it disturbing how gleefully we dance on graves and spit on corpses? Admittedly, Sterling is not the sort of person I want my children to be like. By most evidence, and I don’t know him personally, his habits and demeanor are repulsive. But it seems nobody is satisfied with simply having him gone. Now that the NBA has banned him for life, scores of writers and broadcasters have taken to the news wires to further vilify, humiliate, and scourge Sterling.
What satisfaction can we possible get from this? I’m including myself in this condemnation; after all, I just spent half my lunch break reading another chapter of Sterling’s ongoing character assassination.
Similarly, we all come in contact with people we find repulsive, mean, or just downright villainous. When people like that are exposed, removed, or move on, we’re justified in feeling relief. Instead of jumping on the bandwagon, isn’t it more satisfying to take the high road and just be glad that things are improving?
Lest anyone get the wrong idea, I’m not defending Sterling (his comments or his character), I’m not weighing in on Commissioner Silver’s ruling, and I’m not condemning writers or newspeople. However, we always have the choice to take the high road. We can choose to be our very best, and encourage others to do the same.
Examining Leadership 