LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling apologises for racist comments

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has reportedly apologised for his racist comments that were captured on tape, for which he has been banned for life from the NBA, saying that the comments had been a 'terrible mistake'.

In his first public comments since being banned by the NBA, Sterling said that he is not a racist and his girlfriend V. Stiviano had 'baited' him into making the racist comments, which were captured on tape.

According to CBS News, Sterling said that he loves the basketball league, his partners and also believes that he is entitled to one mistake after more than three decades of owning a team in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Sterling's apologies reportedly come nearly two weeks after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned the LA Clippers' owner for his comments, fined him 2.5 million-dollars and urged the other league owners to force him to sell the team.

Sterling said that he waited to make a public apology because he had been 'emotionally distraught' and did not know how to correct is mistake.

Sterling said that when he listens to that tape he does not even know how he could say such words, and cannot understand why Stiviano had made him say those things.