Players respond with a big victory

from any association with the Clippers organization or the NBA and said he can’t attend any NBA games or practices. Sterling can’t be present at any Clippers facilities and he can’t participate in any business or player personnel decisions involving the team.

Silver also fined Sterling $2.5 million and will urge the Board of Governors to use its authority to force Sterling to sell the team.

Sterling ’s downfall came when his voice was heard on an audio recording telling a friend he was upset she posted a picture on Instagram of herself next to Lakers legend Magic Johnson.

Silver said Sterling admitted that he was the person on the recording.

“In response to today’s ruling by the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver, my teammates and I are in agreement with this decision,” Paul said.

The Clippers had “We Are One” on the team’s website surrounded in black. Eleven other NBA teams had the same slogan on their websites as a sign of unity.

All of the Clippers’ team personnel wore black for solidarity, and they did so with Sterling ’s wife, Shelly, being at the game.

“She asked if she could come, which I thought was a very nice gesture,” Rivers said. “She told me to tell them [the players] that she loved them.”

With Sterling gone, Andy Roeser, the Clippers’ president and NBA alternate governor, will continue to run the day-to-day business op- erations and Rivers, who also is the senior vice president of basketball operations, will continue to run the basketball side.

“He made a decision today that had to be made,” Rivers said about Silver. “I don’t think this is something we rejoice in or anything like that. I told the players about the decision and I think they were just happy that there was a resolution and it’s over.”