Now that Donald Sterling has been handed a lifetime suspension by the NBA, at least one high profile sponsor has come forward with an offer to resume their partnership with the Clippers, albeit with a rather large caveat. TMZ is reporting that the Yokohama Tire Corporation would be willing to sponsor the Clippers once again, so long as the club donates half of its 2014 playoff sponsorship funds to a charity or charities of their choosing.
One day after Donald Sterling’s banishment from the NBA, a rep for Yokohama tells TMZ Sports they are ready to resume their sponsorship — but ONLY if half of the 2014 NBA playoff sponsorship funds are “earmarked to a charity instead of the organization.”
It’s unclear which charities will benefit from the tire funds — but we’re told they will be organizations focusing on anti-discrimination and tolerance efforts.
Not the best deal for L.A., but something is better than nothing. Expect the other 13 corporations who pulled their sponsorship from the Clippers to offer something similar, should the team take Yokohama up on their offer.