NBA selling 'We Are One' T-shirts
The NBA and adidas are selling "We Are One" T-shirts with the Los Angeles Clippers' or league's logo on them.
The phrase was first posted on the Clippers' website on Tuesday, the day NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that he was fining owner Donald Sterling the league-maximum $2.5 million and banning him for life for racist comments he made.
The youth-sized "We Are One" shirt is selling for $19.95 on the league's website, while the men's shirt costs $23.95 and women's cut retails for $29.95.
An NBA spokesperson confirmed that all proceeds will go toward anti-discrimination and tolerance organizations, which will also be the beneficiaries of Sterling's fine money.
To use the phrase, the league signed an agreement with We R One, a clothing company out of Washington, D.C., that owns the trademark. Former NBA players Steve Francis, Sam Cassell and Nick Van Exel are partners in the company.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers wrote the "We Are One" phrase on the whiteboard in the locker room before Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors, the team's first game since its owner's comments were published by TMZ.
The NBA also made a "We Are One" TV ad, which aired Tuesday, and the Clippers' official radio broadcaster, KFWB, handed out "We Are One" signs to fans at the Staples Center.
On Saturday, the league said it would appoint a CEO to run the Clippers on a day-to-day basis, even though Sterling's wife, Shelly, co-owns the team and was not sanctioned.
The Clippers play the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night.
