Elgin Baylor told ESPN he spent more than two decades working for Donald Sterling because of limited opportunities afforded to former black players and the need to provide for his family.
The Hall of Famer Baylor served 22 years as general manager of the L.A. Clippers before a dispute with Sterling ended with him filing a race and age discrimination suit against the recently banned owner.
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced in April that the league's longest tenured owner was being banned for life and hit with a $2.5 million fine after a video of him admonishing a girlfriend "not to bring black people to my games" was made public.
"Why? Because in the first place, at the time I was probably only like the second black to be given the position of general manager," Baylor said of his decision to work for Sterling. "There were not a lot of jobs available for black players, and like everybody else I had a family to take care, and at that time it was the best thing I could get to do was that particular job."
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As for the 81-year-old Sterling's current plight, Baylor added "you know what, with Donald let me say this, and there's not very much I want to say about Donald. I worked there, it's forgotten, it's basically over, but I mean nothing Donald does surprises me. I'm not surprised by anything he says or does."
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