Sponsors Leave LA Clippers in their Droves after Owners Controversial Comments

Sponsors are leaving the Los Angeles Clippers in their droves following the controversial comments made by owner, Donald Sterling.

As the condemnation of Sterling and his racially insensitive comments spread Monday, major financial supporters of the NBA franchise announced they were severing ties with the Clippers.

Sponsors that have departed include CarMax, State Farm Insurance, Kia Motors America, airline Virgin America, P. Diddy’s water brand, AQUAHydrate, Red Bull, Yokohama tires and Mercedes-Benz.

AQUAHydrate said in a statement: “In the wake of Donald Sterling’s alleged defamatory and intolerable comments we have decided to suspend our sponsorship with the L.A. Clippers until the NBA completes its investigation. We fully support the players and fans of the L.A. Clippers and wish them the best in the remainder of the playoffs.”

Yokohama also suspended their sponsorship: “Yokohama Tire Corporation does not tolerate discrimination in any fashion. The alleged remarks by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling are completely unacceptable and we find it necessary to immediately suspend our sponsorship of the organization as a result. We will continue to assess the situation and weigh our options. Meanwhile, we wish to express our continued support to the Clippers players and fans.”

Staples Center, home to the Clippers, issued its own statement Monday:

“We are deeply troubled by these disturbing remarks which go against everything we believe in as an organization. We support the players, the coaches, the rest of the team and their fans and we are committed to providing a safe, secure and welcoming environment for everyone” at Tuesday’s Game 5 of the Clippers’ first-round playoff series against the visiting Golden State Warriors. The series is tied at 2-2.

Club finances aren’t made public, so it is not known how much money the loss of sponsorships has cost the Clippers, or the NBA.