Not surprisingly, it appears that some sponsors of the Los Angeles Clippers no longer wish to be associated with the team or its owner, Donald Sterling. Multiple companies have reportedly pulled out from their deals with Sterling’s Clippers after the owner’s racism was brought to light by leaked audio recordings of a recent conversation he had with his girlfriend.
Car-Max – the used car retailer that has been a nine-year sponsor for the Clips – became the first company to officially end their relationship with the team. A rep for the company released the following statement through TMZ Sports:
“CarMax finds the statements attributed to the Clippers’ owner completely unacceptable.”
“These views directly conflict with CarMax’s culture of respect for all individuals. While we have been a proud Clippers sponsor for 9 years and support the team, fans and community, these statements necessitate that CarMax end its sponsorship.”
Virgin America and State Farm also reportedly dropped their sponsorship of the Clippers on Monday, while Red Bull and KIA have decided to suspend their advertising and sponsorship activations with the team.
The decisions have big implications for State Farm and KIA, in particular. One of the insurance company’s most recognizable advertising campaigns surrounds Clippers point guard, Chris Paul, while KIA’s most notable spokesperson is Clipper’s forward Blake Griffin.
It certainly wouldn’t be surprising if more sponsors decide to end their relationship with the team amidst the controversy, and one would think the more supporters the team loses turns into more pressure to force Sterling out of the NBA.
