Watch: Late Barbara Walters' interview with disgraced Donald Sterling's confidante V. Stiviano which rocked the NBA world

The late Barbara Walters once interviewed V. Stiviano, former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling's confidante, following his disgraceful remarks that were leaked in 2014. The interview was Viviano's first since the scandal broke and Sterling was banned by the NBA.

Walters asked Viviano if she thinks Sterling needs to apologize for making racist comments that were recorded and released to the public.

"Yes, absolutely," Stiviano said. "I think he's highly more traumatized and hurt by the things that he said himself. I think he can't even believe or understand sometimes the thing he says, and I think he's hurt by it. He's hurting right now."

V. Stiviano also told Barbara Walters that she didn't think Donald Sterling was a racist. Stiviano believes that the former LA Clippers owner is a kind man who just grew up at a different time.

"I think Mr. Sterling is from a different generation than I am," Stiviano said. "I think he was brought up to believe these things — segregation, whites and blacks. But through his actions he's shown that he's not a racist. He's shown to be a very generous and kind man."

Stiviano also maintained that she's not having an affair with Sterling. She explained that she is Sterling's personal assistant and treats him as her "father figure." At the time of her interview with Walters, she was in the middle of a legal battle with Sterling's wife, Rochelle Sterling.

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Barbara Walters passes away on Friday at 93

Barbara Walters (Photo: TV Insider)

Legendary journalist and news pioneer Barbara Walters passed away on Friday at age 93. Walters retired from co-hosting "The View" in 2014 before officially retiring from television two years later. Her career spanned over 60 years, starting in 1951 as a writer for WNBT-TV in New York City.

According to Yahoo! Entertainment, Walters was the first woman to co-host "Today" and the second woman to moderate a presidential election. She moderated the debate between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election.

Walters created "The View" in 1997 and went on to co-host the show until 2014. She won 31 Daytime Emmy awards during her career and was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Emmys in 2000.

Walters was born on Sept. 25, 1929 in Boston, Massachussetts. She earned an English degree from Sarah Lawrence College in 1951 and began working that same year. She became a writer for "The Morning Show" on CBS four years later.

In 1961, Walters joined "The Today Show" on NBC and worked her way to the top. She signed a whopping $1 million per year deal to join ABC in 1976 and became the co-anchor of the "ABC Evening News."

In addition to her Emmy Awards, Walters was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1989. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which she received in 2007.