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Donald Sterling to Anderson Cooper: 'I made a terrible mistake'

Disgraced Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling says he was "baited" into making racist remarks captured on an audio recording.

By Kate Stanton
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling sits court side with his estranged wife, Rochelle Sterling. UPI/Jim Ruymen/file photo
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling sits court side with his estranged wife, Rochelle Sterling. UPI/Jim Ruymen/file photo | License Photo

NEW YORK, May 11 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling recently sat down with CNN's Anderson Cooper for his first on-air interview since he was caught making racist remarks on tape.

In the interview, set to air Monday, Sterling apologized for his comments about African Americans, but maintained that he was set up by his girlfriend V. Stiviano.

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"I don't know why the girl had me say those things," he told Cooper. I was baited. I mean, that's not the way I talk. I don't talk about people for one thing, ever. I talk about ideas and other things. I don't talk about people."

"I'm not a racist," Sterling added. "I made a terrible, terrible mistake. And I'm here with you today to apologize and to ask for forgiveness for all the people that I've hurt."

Last month, TMZ and Deadspin published audio recordings of Sterling chastising Stiviano for taking photos with black athletes, including Magic Johnson, and posting them to her Instagram account.

Sterling, 80, received a lifetime ban from the NBA, which will also consider forcing him to sell the Clippers, a team he has owned since 1981.

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He also promised never to repeat his "one mistake."

"Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? It's a terrible mistake, and I'll never do it again," Sterling said.

RadarOnline published another audio recording last week, in which Sterling appears to claim that he made racist comments because he was jealous of his girlfriend's relationship with black people.

"I'm jealous that she's with other black guys. I want her. So what the hell. Can I in private tell her, 'I don't want you to be with anybody?' Am I a person? Do I have freedom of speech?" he allegedly said.

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