When former LA Dodgers veteran Tommy Lasorda's lunatic comment on ex- LA Clippers owner's girlfriend caused uproar

In May 2014, the late Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda disparaged ex-LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling's former girlfriend, V Stiviano.

Lasorda's current situation can be linked back to a sequence of events that began with Donald Sterling's racist remarks. It appears that in April 2014, a recording of Sterling making controversial comments about the African-American community was leaked by TMZ, a tabloid news outlet owned by Fox Corporation.

His response came after his ex-girlfriend posted a picture on Instagram, featuring NBA icon Magic Johnson. Sterling, in the recorded audio tape, said:

“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. You can sleep with (black people). You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to bring them to my games”

Next, the former Clippers owner's statements caused a massive stir in the sports world.

In an interesting turn of events, with the ongoing chaos, the late LA Dodgers veteran Tommy Lasorda made controversial comments about Sterling's former girlfriend, V Stiviano. Lasorda said of his relationship with Sterling to the Florida TV station:

“I’ve been a friend of that guy for 30 years. It doesn’t surprise me, and he shouldn’t have said it. He just hurt himself by talking too much and doing things that he shouldn’t be doing.”

He added:

"I don't wish that girl any bad luck. But I hope she gets hit with a car."

Similar to Sterling, Lasorda also faced significant criticism online for his irresponsible statement.

However, the consequences for Donald Sterling were more severe. He was compelled to sell the Los Angeles Clippers and was fined $2.5 million by the league.

Ultimately, due to his offensive comments that fueled racial bias, Sterling was also banned from the NBA for life.

Tommy Lasorda died of cardiac arrest in 2021

World Series - Boston Red Sox v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game Three: LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Former Los Angeles Dodgers player and manager Tommy Lasorda throws the ceremonial first pitch prior to Game Three of the 2018 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eugene Garcia - Pool/Getty Images)

Tommy Lasorda had an illustrious career in MLB that spanned several teams. He began his playing career with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 and 1955 before moving on to play for the Kansas City Athletics in 1956. After his playing days, Lasorda transitioned into coaching and managing.

He served as a coach for the Dodgers from 1973 to 1976, and eventually became the team's manager. During his managerial tenure, he led the Dodgers to two World Series championships and received the Manager of the Year award in the National League (NL) twice.

Sadly, on January 7, 2021, Tommy Lasorda passed away at the age of 93 after experiencing sudden cardiac arrest at his home. In honor of his legacy, various prominent buildings in Los Angeles, such as City Hall, Staples Center, and Banc of California Stadium, were illuminated in blue as a tribute to his contributions to the city and the sport of baseball.