LAS VEGAS — Floyd Mayweather confirmed on Wednesday his interest in acquiring an ownership stake in the Clippers should the franchise come up for sale. But he called disgraced Clippers owner Donald Sterling “a great guy,” adding, “he told me I could come to as many games as I wanted to come to.”
Mayweather made it clear he wasn’t defending the racist comments attributed to Sterling that drew a lifetime ban and a $2.5 million fine from NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday. Yet, the unbeaten boxer, who defends his WBC welterweight championship against Marcos “El Chino” Maidana at the MGM Garden Arena Saturday night, added he had nothing bad to say about Sterling.
“He’s always been nice to me,” Mayweather said following a press conference to promote his pay-per-view bout with the hard-punching Argentinian. “He’s always been respectful to me. Every time I sat with Donald Sterling, he told me I could come to as many games as I wanted to come to. He’s respectful and he’s a nice guy. He never said anything racist toward me. With the thing that he said, that’s for God to forgive him and hopefully he can have a change of heart.”
Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs) will earn more than $30 million for defending his WBC welterweight against Maidana (34-3, 31 KOs) in the third fight of a six-bout $200 million contract he signed with Showtime. Despite the long-term deal Mayweather, 37, hinted hard on Wednesday this could be his last bout. He talked about settling down and getting married.
“I can’t say what’s going to happen with my future,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s going to be my last fight or not. If I feel like walking away, I’ll walk away.”
While his future as a boxer might be uncertain, Mayweather insisted he’s serious about exploring the possibility of owning the Clippers and planned to meet with his manager Al Haymon later Wednesday to discuss the matter.
“I’m sitting down with Al today and talk and see what we come up with,” Mayweather said.
He isn’t the only boxer to express an interest in buying a piece of the basketball franchise should Sterling be forced to sell. Oscar De La Hoya issued a statement late Tuesday saying: “I will bring a different perspective to the NBA in general and the Clippers in particular.”
That prompted Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions who is feuding with De La Hoya, to open Wednesday’s press conference by announcing, “Maybe we should start a poll? Who wants to buy the Clippers?”
Sterling bought the Clippers for $12.5 million in 1981, but the franchise is now worth an estimated $575 million, according to Forbes.
Mayweather’s net worth is estimated at $170 million. He earned $85 million in 2012, according to Forbes, and will earn close to $90 million this year after cashing a check for more than $30 million for fighting Maidana.