Los Angeles Clippers

Sources connected to V. Stiviano tell us ... she insists Donald Sterling is NOT her boyfriend ... saying their relationship is -- and always was -- strictly professional.

Things are about to get real serious for the NBA ... Al Sharpton tells TMZ Sports he's planning on contacting the NBA's major advertisers to get them to pull their sponsorship if the league does not suspend Donald Sterling ASAP.

Sharpton spoke to our photog Sunday afternoon at LaGuardia Airport, where he called on the NBA to take immediate action against Sterling ... since the Clippers owner has not denied making the racist remarks published by TMZ Sports.

Sharpton used very pointed language, saying, "What is there to investigate? He should be suspended immediately. Let's quit stalling, let's quit copping out, NBA. Let him go."

The Rev was clear ... if something significant isn't done TODAY, he's going to start putting pressure on advertisers to pull their money.


Donald Sterling's wife came out swinging ... saying she does NOT share the racist views of her husband.

Shelly Sterling says "Our family is devastated by the racist comments made by my estranged husband. My children and I do not share these despicable views or prejudices."

Shelly goes on ... "We will not let one man's small-mindedness poison the spirit of the fans and accomplishments of the team in the city we love."

And Shelly says, "We are doing everything in our power to stand by and support our Clippers team."

Shelly was at Sunday's playoff game and is flying back with the team tonight. Donald, on the other hand, was persona non grata at the game.

It's worth noting ... Shelly has been estranged from Donald for years. She retained attorney Laura Wasser several months ago to file a civil lawsuit against Donald's GF V. Stiviano. Wasser is a top divorce lawyer, so it seems divorce is imminent.

Young man, there IS need to feel down ... because the cop from Village People says he's BANNING the L.A. Clippers from playing "Y.M.C.A." at home games ... thanks to Donald Sterling.

Victor Willis -- who reportedly owns the rights to the song -- is furious ... saying, "Sterling, you're banned from playing "Y.M.C.A." or any of my music @LAClippers games. And I mean it!"

Victor's rep tells us the singer is dead serious about the ban -- and will be sending an official notice to Donald Sterling first thing tomorrow morning.

So, in conclusion ... you can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal, but you CAN'T do whatever you feel.

V. Stiviano has finally surfaced ... strutting her stuff in front of news cameras outside of her L.A. home ... with her face hidden behind a weird visor mask thingy.

Stiviano -- the woman on the receiving end of Donald Sterling's racist rant -- decided to take her dog for a walk while an ABC7 camera crew was rolling.

She did not seem put off by the cameras ... but ultimately didn't say a word -- simply talking on her cell phone while walking back and forth in a short skirt and a funky top.

2:29 PM PT -- Shelly just spoke with a sideline reporter at the game (off-camera) ... and was adamant she is NOT a racist.

Donald Sterling might not be welcome at the Clippers game, but his estranged wife is -- in fact, TMZ Sports has learned Shelly Sterling is even traveling with the team.

Sources connected with the Clippers tell us ... Shelly is still involved with the Clippers organization -- and is well-liked and respected by the players.

Chris Paul says he spoke with several Clippers teammates about boycotting today's game ... and would have been down if that's what the team wanted -- but they ultimately decided against it.

A field reporter for ABC says she spoke with Paul before the game and the Clippers star said the team decided playing tonight would be the best thing they could do.

The L.A. Clippers took a public stand TOGETHER against Donald Sterling when they stepped on the court for today's playoff game ... starting with throwing their Clippers warm-up jackets in a pile at center court.

The team has also decided to wear their warm up shirts INSIDE OUT ... hiding the Clippers logo.

As for the players on the court, they're all sporting the regular jerseys ... right-side-out ... along with black wristbands and black socks ... to symbolize their disdain for Sterling.

The audio recordings of Clippers owner Donald Sterling are "legitimate" and roughly 1 hour in length ... lawyers for Sterling's then-girlfriend V. Stiviano tell TMZ Sports.

Mac E. Nehoray -- of the Nehoray Legal Group -- has issued a statement saying, "My firm represents Ms. V Stiviano who is a named defendant in a civil action brought by Rochelle H. Sterling in the Central Civil Superior Court, County of Los Angeles."

"This office understands that the currently released audio tape of approximately 15 minutes is a portion of approximately one (1) hour of overall audio recording of Mr. Donald T. Sterling and Ms. Stiviano, and is in fact legitimate."

"Ms. Stiviano did not release the tape(s) to any news media."

L.A. Dodgers superstar Matt Kemp has just spoken out about being mentioned in the new Donald Sterling recording ... saying it would be "tough" for him to attend Clippers games as long as Sterling owns the team.

As we previously reported, Sterling can be heard instructing his girlfriend to remove a photo of Kemp from her Instagram account because Sterling doesn't believe she should be seen with a black guy in public.

Moments ago, Kemp addressed the situation to the media saying, "Racism is kind of old."

Donald Sterling was AWARE he was being taped during the conversation that was posted on TMZ
Sports, in which the L.A. Clippers owner went on a racial rant ... so claims the woman who taped him.

A source connected with V. Stiviano tells TMZ Sports ... the full conversation lasted approximately 1 hour. We're told Stiviano insists it was clear to Sterling at the beginning of the conversation he was being recorded.

LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers just told TMZ Sports ... his players will not be wearing anything symbolic to protest Donald Sterling's racist comments.

More Donald Sterling audio has been released ... this time, you can hear the Clippers' owner explaining that he doesn't think he's racist because he puts food on the tables of his his black employees.

The audio -- just released on Deadspin -- appears to pick up where the clip published on TMZ Sports leaves off ... with Sterling's girlfriend V. Stiviano challenging him on April 9th about why she can't post photos of black people on her Instagram page.

GF: "I don't understand, I don't see your views. I wasn't raised the way you were raised."

Sterling: "Well then, if you don't feel -- don't come to my games. Don't bring black people, and don't come."

GF: "Do you know that you have a whole team that's black, that plays for you?"

Sterling: "You just, do I know? I support them and give them food, and clothes, and cars, and houses. Who gives it to them? Does someone else give it to them? Do I know that I have—Who makes the game? Do I make the game, or do they make the game? Is there 30 owners, that created the league?"

Sterling also objects when Stiviano compares his attitude toward black people to the Holocaust.

During the conversation, Stiviano says she didn't remove a photo of L.A. Dodgers star Matt Kemp from her Instagram page because he's mixed race and light-skinned and she thought Sterling would be OK with it.

She was wrong.

Sterling also threatens to replace Stiviano with another girl in his life for not getting behind his world views on race.

Seems the Clippers won't be taking Jesse Jackson's advice about wearing a symbolic armband when they take the court to play the Warriors today -- with one of the coaches telling us, "Why would we?"

Clippers assistant coach Kevin Eastman was leaving the team hotel in San Francisco on the way to the playoff game moments ago when we asked if the team was planning on wearing something like an armband to show their disapproval of Donald Sterling's racist comments.

Eastman only shot back 3 words -- "Why would we?"

There have been rumors that the team has contemplated wearing armbands, black socks or even patches on their uniforms to express their disdain ... but with Eastman's comments, it seems unlikely.

Former L.A. Clippers player Cuttino Mobley says he doesn't hate team owner Donald Sterling -- he actually feels sorry for the guy.

Mobley tells TMZ Sports ... he might actually understand where Sterling's hateful comments come from ... and he's not angry about it -- he feels pity for Sterling for going through life feeling that way.

"I feel bad for him ... being such an older person and still thinking like that in 2014."

And while Mobley says he never saw or heard Sterling do anything racist or offensive around him, he notes ..."If theres smoke in the city everywhere he goes when it comes to this type of situation, obviously, he's the one starting the fire."

Clippers games just got a lot less fabulous ... 'cause Magic Johnson's son EJ Johnson is joining his dad's boycott until team owner Donald Sterling steps down.

The "Rich Kids of Beverly Hills" star was rushing into 1 Oak Sunday night in Hollywood when he told our photog he's on team dad on the subject of the Donald Sterling audio.

As we previously reported ... NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says Sterling has agreed he won't go to the Clipper's playoff game today.