Disgraced former Clippers owner Donald Sterling seems to be asking for God’s forgiveness.
The 80-year-old turned heads Sunday when he walked into Praises of Zion Baptist Church in South Los Angeles, a predominantly black church.
The church’s senior pastor, J. Benjamin Harwick, publicly welcomed the accused racist to the service, calling him “Brother Sterling” and asking parishioners to give him a round of applause, according to CBS Los Angeles’ KCAL9.
“We’re not forgetting what he said, but as children of God, we are forgiving,” Harwick said.
The pastor of 58 years said Sterling’s representatives contacted him about visiting the church and they voted.
“I didn’t particularly like what he said, but you know, I know we all sometimes speak before we think,” one parishioner said.
Sterling was apparently pleased with his religious experience, saying, “[It was] beautiful, I loved it,” just before leaving the church.
His beloved team’s sale is pending for a whopping $2 billion, a record-breaking sale for the league. Sterling’s estranged wife, Shelly, negotiated a deal last week with ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer after Sterling turned over his half of the team to her.
A team of NBA owners is set to meet Wednesday to vote on the deal.