Clippers owner under investigation for alleged racist comments on tape

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua/Sun) -- Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is under investigation by the NBA for allegedly making racist comments, league officials said on Saturday.

A 10-minute audio recording was posted on celebrity news site TMZ.com late on Friday, a taped conversation between Sterling and his girlfriend. In the recording, Sterling allegedly told his girlfriend not to post photographs of herself with black people and not to bring African-Americans to Clippers games.

The recording was widely criticized.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league will start with determining the authenticity of the recording and its context as quick as possible.

Sterling has agreed not to attend his team's playoff game on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors, Silver said.

If the content of the tape is true, the commissioner said a range of sanctions was possible.

In 2009, Sterling paid 2.7 million U.S. dollars to settle a case brought by the U.S. Justice Department which accused him of housing discrimination against blacks and Hispanics.