FX's new show "Clipped" chronicles the Lob City Clippers under its dysfunctional owner Donald Sterling.
How accurate is that portrayal?
The show is based on ESPN 30 for 30's podcast "The Sterling Affairs," incorporating much of the reporting from renowned journalist Ramona Shelburne. But it does take some creative liberties from time to time.
Here's how much each episode stuck to the facts. Warning: Spoilers ahead.
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Clipped Episode 1: Separating fact from fiction
Claim: V. Stiviano recorded Donald Sterling's conversations with his consent
True.
Shelburne details how Stiviano recorded her conversations with Sterling for years. He was aware of the recordings and agreed to them because he’d been forgetting things he said to her, and the tapes were a way of reminding him.
Most of the recordings were mundane in nature. Some were explosive. The recordings portrayed in "Clipped" are for the most part verbatim of conversations that Sterling actually had.
Claim: Donald Sterling was renowned as a cheap owner
True.
"Clipped" opens with a scene of Doc Rivers having to settle for a deli platter instead of fancier options at his introductory lunch. Later, he and JJ Redick commiserate about Sterling's cheap reputation.
Sterling had many such instances of being cheap. His former coach Don Casey told Shelburne of cost-cutting at things like Clipper parties. "Plastic cups like this size, so you can’t drink too much wine. Okay. Little hot dogs with sticks in them, I mean this guy’s a multimillionaire," he told Shelburne.
Some of the crazier things that Sterling did to save money were to play part of a season without a head coach, deny medical coverage to employees and try to convince coach Paul Silas to double as the athletic trainer in order to save money.
Claim: Doc Rivers brought JJ Redick to Los Angeles, Donald Sterling tried to nix the deal because Redick was white and Rivers almost quit
This is all true.
It's not clear if Sterling originally thought Redick was Black, but he did try to cancel the deal because of Redick's race.
Rivers has since spoken about the incident on TNT, as transcribed by NBC Sports' Kurt Helin.
“I think he was going to sign with Minnesota, I literally talk J.J. out of it, ‘Come play with me. Come play with the Clippers with Chris Paul and DJ and Blake [Griffin], you’d be a great fit.'… The free agent signing is done, J.J. agrees, I jump on a plane, I fly back to Orlando and I get a call from Andy Roeser, and he says, ‘the deal’s off.’ I say, ‘What do you mean the deal’s off?’ 'Donald doesn’t like white players.'"
Rivers did indeed threaten to quit, and Sterling changed his mind a few hours later.
Claim: Donald Sterling had White parties where he showed off his players
True.
The Sterlings were famous for their White parties where everyone wore white except for Donald, who wore black. They used it as a summer party to kick off the basketball season. Sterling would hire what he called "hostesses," but Shelburne classified them as "glorified call girls, there to look good and entertain the male guests."
"It was like, definitely not the same type of looking crowd as we are," former Clipper Quentin Richardson told Shelburne.
"You just wanted to be someplace else," announcer Ralph Lawler said.
Claim: Blake Griffin and Chris Paul did not get along
The relationship between the two stars was complicated. They certainly weren't the best of friends off the court, but the level of animosity between the two may not have been as strong as portrayed on the show.
Paul and Griffin did have disagreements about who should be the leader of the Clippers. Griffin admitted that Paul "demands a lot out of his teammates," which could be a challenge.
The two seem to be on better terms now. Paul has since stated that he didn't appreciate Griffin as much as he should have, and Griffin says that the two are on good terms, calling the conflict "a narrative" and a non-story.
Claim: Donald Sterling hated Magic Johnson, told V. Stiviano not to take pictures with minorities
As outrageous as Sterling's comments seem, they are verbatim of what was recorded on his leaked tapes.
"Clipped" does a great job both with the portrayal and the fallout from the tapes. Stiviano did attend a Dodgers game and post a picture on Instagram with Johnson. And Sterling's comments were exactly as depicted.
Sterling did have a more complicated relationship with Magic than what was shown. He alternated between showing respect for Magic and continually attacking him for his HIV diagnosis. Part of that anger stemmed from Magic's refusal to help get Sterling out of his self-created mess.
Claim: Donald Sterling brought people into the Clippers' locker room while they were changing
This is not only true, but it happened far more often than depicted in "Clipped."
Sterling would regularly bring guests into the Clippers' locker room while players were changing. Richardson spoke of it to Shelburne.
"And out of nowhere, here he comes. He rolls in, he’s got his entourage with him like, women, men. Sometimes it could be more than 10 people, He comes in and obviously, when the owner comes in everybody’s going to kind of stop, turn around, give him the proper attention. But it’s like, people literally coming in and out of the shower, towels on, half not dressed, half, you know what I’m saying, naked and stuff like that."
Richardson's teammate, Darius Miles, remembered the incidents as well.
"He come in with his group of people and it was just like, 'Look how beautiful my players is. Look how beautiful you guys is. And you doing so well. Aren’t they beautiful?' to the people that he with and, you know, stuff like that."
Older Clippers recalled similar incidents, including veteran Olden Polynice, who played for the team during two separate stints.
Claim: Donald Sterling bought V. Stiviano cars and a $1.8 million duplex
The truth is even more outlandish than the show presents.
Shelly Sterling alleged that Stiviano received a $240,000 Ferrari, Range Rover, two Bentleys and a $1.8 million duplex. Sterling also paid Stiviano $250,000 for her work.
Claim: V. Stiviano got sued for the gifts that she received
True.
Shelly Sterling filed a lawsuit to try and recover the gifts from Stiviano. In her lawsuit, she alleged that half of the money from the gifts belonged to her, therefore she was not entitled to those gifts.
Stiviano was eventually ordered by the courts to return the cars and duplex.
Clipped Episode 2: Separating fact from fiction
Claim: V. Stiviano shoplifted goods from stores
True.
While Stiviano was never convicted of stealing from a department store while with Sterling, she does have a criminal record including two incidents of petty theft.
Stiviano has also been arrested for felony burglary, possession of a controlled substance and a DUI, according to TMZ.
Claim: Chris Paul had to do everything in multiples of 3, JJ Redick needed a baked potato before games
Unclear.
There is nothing out there corroborating the "Clipped" claim that Paul had to take sips of water three at a time or do other things in multiples of 3.
Redick was an extremely meticulous player with the Clippers. He scheduled out his days to the minute. He ate the exact same dinner of roasted chicken, baked potato, asparagus or broccoli and a cup of coffee at exactly 4:30 p.m., according to a profile written by Scott Cacciola of the New York Times.
Redick also would eat the same type of granola bar with five minutes left until tipoff that he said "tastes like cardboard at this point."
Claim: Elgin Baylor left the Clippers on bad terms
True.
Baylor, a Hall of Fame player, worked for the Clippers for 22 years before being let go. He sued the Clippers in 2009, alleging age discrimination and claiming that Sterling was a racist.
Baylor lost that case but looked redeemed after the Sterling tapes came out.
MORE: Elgin Baylor on Donald Sterling: 'Justice has been served'
Claim: V. Stiviano leaked the Sterling tape to TMZ
The depiction in "Clipped" of how Stiviano used the recordings is very accurate.
Shelburne details how Stiviano first leaked the tapes to a Clippers staffer after she was refused parking and tickets for a game at the behest of Shelly. From there, Andy Roeser informed Shelly, who learned of the tapes for the first time.
Stiviano later leaked the tapes to TMZ, who gave notice to the Clippers and NBA that they would be publishing them. The Clippers did nothing pre-emptively to damage control, Doc Rivers really did think it was a sex tape initially and the events played out almost exactly as they were shown in Episode 2.
Claim: V. Stiviano and Donald Sterling's relationship was not intimate
It's unclear if Stiviano and Sterling ever had sex, but Sterling did admit to hiring prostitutes in crude remarks during a 2003 sworn deposition.
“It was purely sex for money, money for sex, sex for money, money for sex … I was paying her. It was in exchange for sex. It wasn’t a gift. I wasn’t giving her money without her performing something for me. And if it wasn’t good, I wouldn’t give her anything. It was money for sex. How can you say it was a gift? If a man has an affair with a prostitute, is that a gift? It is not a gift.”
Neither of them have discussed that aspect of their relationship.
