TMZ Sports - Page 50

Donald Sterling's wife has apparently flip-flopped again ... hitting up the Clippers game by herself last night after the league BANNED her estranged husband FOR LIFE.

Shelly Sterling was escorted in and out of the Staples Center in L.A. -- by an official (who happened to be black btw) ... and cheered on the team Donald Sterling has been banned from associating with.

It's almost like she's thumbing her nose at Donald by going to the game, since he's not allowed anywhere near the arena.

It's an odd move by Shelly ... considering earlier in the week, she went to dinner with Donald and seemed to have his back -- screaming that he was NOT racist.

But days before that, she blasted him in the media ... claiming Donald's racist comments humiliated the family.

So, the question ... does Shelly have Donald's back or not??

It's too damn late for Donald Sterling to change his racist ways ... so says Lakers superstar Nick Young who tells TMZ Sports, it doesn't matter because he's gonna die soon anyway.

Young was out in L.A. yesterday when he told us, "The man is 90 years old. He's stuck in his ways. He ain't movin, he ain't changing. That's Django ... Django unchained."

He added, "He only got a few years left. He can go out as a villain."

Here's the moral dilemma ... you're a charity and a really bad guy -- aka Donald Sterling --- has given you a TON of money ... Do you now give it back?

We canvassed some of the recipients of Sterling's generosity ... and some feel it's dirty money ... while others say a buck's a buck.

-- A Place Called Home -- a program for high-risk teens -- got a $100,000 donation from Sterling, doled out in $10K yearly installments. The charity has received $30K, which it will NOT return, but it is REJECTING the $70K balance.

-- Temple of the Arts -- It's keeping Sterling's $10K donation.

-- L.A. Union Rescue Mission -- It's been receiving $10K a year. They're keeping the cash, telling TMZ, "We take money from all kinds of bad people all the time."

-- Goodwill of So. Cal. -- It got a $100,000 donation from Sterling, doled out over 10 years. It has received $20K so far and it's giving all the money back and not accepting the balance.

-- American Diabetes Ass'n -- Sterling donated $25K. It's keeping the loot, telling us, "The sad reality is that without donations like Mr. Sterling's, we can't help the people that we do."

As we previously reported ... Sterling pledged $3 MIL to UCLA for kidney research with $425K up front. The school is returning the $425K and refusing to accept the rest.

Donald Sterling should change his name ... get on a plane ... and LEAVE the United States for good -- at least, that's the advice he's getting from "Dirty Jobs" star Mike Rowe.

He may have been joking ... or not ... but Mike raises a good question -- what does Donald Sterling do now??

As Rowe points out, he does have the resources and the money to live out the rest of his days in another country where no one knows who he is ... but then again, he's old and stubborn.

Does he stay in L.A. and try to rebuild his image? Or self-imposed exile?

UCLA is saying thanks but no thanks to Donald Sterling's $3 million pledge ... saying essentially its dirty money and they don't want it.

Sterling gifted $3 mil to the school, with an initial check for $425,000. The money was earmarked for kidney research.

And get this. The ad (above) that was placed in Sunday's L.A. Times is a "thank you" from UCLA to Donald and Shelly Sterling. UCLA claims the ad was placed by Donald Sterling, NOT the university.

A defiant Donald Sterling just said he would NOT sell the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sterling told Fox News' Jim Gray the team was NOT for sale. Gray said on Fox News he spoke with Sterling just before NBA Commish Adam Silver banned Sterling for life.

Silver said in his news conference ... if 3/4 of the NBA owners get on board they can force Sterling to sell the team. If that happens it looks like Sterling may well go to legal war.

It sounds like it may come to that.

Once again, there's a place you can go ... if you wanna hear the "Y.M.C.A." ... because the singer from the Village People is UNBANNING the Clippers from playing his song, now that Donald Sterling is out.

Victor Willis -- aka "The Cop" -- previously told TMZ Sports he would NOT allow the team to play his song at home games as long as Sterling was in charge of the squad.

But now that Donald is persona non grata with the NBA, Willis says he's rescinding the ban ... effective immediately.

He tweeted, "YMCA ban lifted! I'll get my people right on it. Feel like leading a celebratory 'YMCA dance' tonight @LAClippers game. Go Adam!"

NBA Commish Adam Silver made the announcement Tuesday ... saying the NBA will also fine Sterling $2.5 million ... and insists, "I will do everything in my power" to "force" Sterling to sell the Clippers.

Silver says he does not know if Sterling will fight the lifetime ban -- but says he has the full support of the NBA owners.

"I fully expect to get the support I need from the other NBA owners to remove him," Silver said.

Silver says he spoke to several players, coaches and owners before deciding on the lifetime ban.

As for the ban, Sterling will not be allowed to attend any NBA games or practices ever again ... and will not be permitted inside any team facilities.

The $2.5 million fine will be donated to anti-discrimination and tolerance efforts.

Silver says the ban will only pertain to Donald -- and not to his family members.

During the news conference, Silver said he was "personally outraged" by Sterling's comments.

Silver says ... during the investigation, Sterling confirmed he made the racist comments.

Silver noted, "The hateful opinions are those of Mr. Sterling. The views expressed by Mr. Sterling are deeply offensive and harmful."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Sterling told V. Stiviano he did not want her to bring black people to Clippers games, including Magic Johnson.

Magic has tweeted that he is "very happy and satisfied" with Silver's decision.

State Farm -- one of the Clippers' biggest sponsors -- tells TMZ Sports they're happy Donald Sterling has been banned for life ... but they're not ready to get back into business with the Clips ... yet.

We broke the story ... State Farm decided to "take a pause" in its relationship with the Clippers in the wake of the Sterling audio.

So, we reached out to the insurance titan today to see if SF would rekindle things with the team now that Sterling is gone for good -- and they told us, they need more time before running back to the blue and red.

"At this time, we are continuing the pause of our sponsorship of the Clippers organization as we evaluate this ongoing situation," a rep tells us.

State Farm notes they "applaud and support" Adam Silver's decision -- say they're especially proud of the way State Farm spokesperson Chris Paul has handled himself over the past few days.

The L.A. Clippers organization made a huge statement on its official website in the wake of the announcement that Donald Sterling is banned for life from the NBA ... saying simply, "We Are One."

Unclear who made the decision to post the message on the team website, since Sterling is no longer calling the shots.

It's not just the sponsors, now a famous L.A. clothing store says it's done with the Clippers too -- pulling all team merchandise off the shelves as long as Donald Sterling owns the team.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Kitson LA has decided to stop selling Clips items, effective immediately -- telling us, "We love our LA teams – the fans, the players, and the franchise -- but we cannot support the sale of an item that leads to Donald Sterling profiting in any way."

Donald Sterling's wife got REALLY close with her husband's alleged mistress back in 2011 ... before Shelly suspected anything ... and TMZ Sports has the photo to prove it.

Peyton Manning walked the line with a bigtime country singer this weekend -- belting out a Johnny Cash classic at a charity event ... and it was all caught on video.

The Denver Broncos quarterback was at his Celebration of Caring Gala in Indianapolis on Saturday -- when country star Jake Owen called him on stage to sing "Folsom Prison Blues."

Manning sang like a champ -- and even got an ovation at the end.

Oprah Winfrey just came out firing at Donald Sterling -- telling TMZ Sports, "We're off the plantation! The plantation days are over!"

The Big O just broke her silence on the Sterling situation while leaving CBS in NYC -- and told us the ideal resolution would be for Magic Johnson to take over the Clips ... "That would be really cool."

But despite the impact of the Sterling story -- and the fact President Obama even weighed in -- Oprah says it's not the biggest story of her lifetime ... that distinction goes to ANOTHER big case involving a huge sports star.

An Irish MMA fighter went to the beach this week ... and SAVED A BABY DOLPHIN ... and the whole rescue was caught on camera.

Cathal Pendred -- who was on "The Ultimate Fighter 19" -- was out in Co Clare, Ireland earlier this week when he stumbled across an injured dolphin swimming near the sand.

Pendred says he approached the injured animal and did what he could to save it ... picking it up, carrying into deeper water ... and releasing it back into the ocean.

Cathal later tweeted, "'I just spent an hour in the sea at Doonbeg trying to save a baby dolphin. He was very hurt but alive and well now!"

Unfortunately, the story has a tragic ending ... Pendred later tweeted, "Sad news: The Irish Whale & Dolphin Group have said that the young dolphin washed up in Doonbeg again last night. I tried my best."