NBA roundup: Reaction mixed to Sterling interview

Former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas said Tuesday that he is willing to forgive embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for his racially insensitive comments.

Meanwhile, Magic Johnson called the situation sad and said he would pray for Sterling after the former Los Angeles Lakers guard was criticized in an interview with CNN that aired Monday night. And Roger Mason Jr., vice president of the NBA Players’ Association, said during an interview on Tuesday with “Jim Rome on Showtime” that Miami Heat forward LeBron James would lead a boycott next season if Sterling were still in place as an owner.

“If it’s not handled by … the start of next season, I don’t see how we’re playing basketball,” Mason said. “I was just in the locker room with LeBron. … Leaders of the teams, they’re all saying the same thing, ‘If this man is still in place, we ain’t playing.'”

In the CNN interview, Sterling said he is not a racist and that he made a mistake with his remarks about African-Americans.

“I’ll be the first to accept ur apology,” wrote Arenas, a three-time NBA All-Star, on Instagram.

Also Tuesday, league spokesman Mike Bass said, the Advisory/Finance committee met via conference call and “reviewed the status of the charge for termination of the Clippers’ ownership. The Committee will reconvene next week.”

—Stan Van Gundy is at or near the top of the wish list for the Detroit Pistons and Golden State Warriors, and each franchise is likely to make a lucrative offer. But according to Yahoo Sports, the Pistons are setting themselves apart by including front-office control.

Detroit fired general manager Joe Dumars and zeroed in on Van Gundy as president and head coach, according to the report.

Van Gundy, 54, would inherit a playoff roster with the Warriors if he opts to replace Mark Jackson. But Jackson was fired amid friction and what he considered an uncomfortable work environment, which could impact Van Gundy’s interest. The Warriors had interest in TNT analyst Steve Kerr, but Kerr and the New York Knicks are getting closer to finalizing a deal, according to the New York Daily News.

—Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin made it clear during a news conference on Tuesday that star guard Kyrie Irving had no input on the firing of coach Mike Brown.

“Any — any — insinuation that Kyrie Irving had anything to do with this decision is patently false,” Griffin said, according to the Plain Dealer. “It’s unfair. He was not consulted on this decision, nor was he consulted on the previous decision. It’s a completely unfair assertion and one that I want everyone to understand very clearly that is not a narrative we are going to go with.”

Griffin said there is no timetable to name a successor to Brown, who had four years left on a $20 million contract.

Alvin Gentry, Vinny Del Negro and Mike D’Antoni have emerged as early potential candidates to replace Brown, according to ESPN.com. Other possibilities include Mark Jackson and George Karl. Griffin also has worked with Steve Kerr, considered the front-runner for the New York Knicks’ vacancy.

—Phoenix Suns guard Archie Goodwin was arrested in his native Arkansas last week and charged with charged with disorderly conduct.

The 19-year-old Goodwin, who completed his rookie season in the NBA last month, was taken into custody outside a skating rink in Little Rock on May 4 after he was told twice by authorities to stop cursing and being aggressive toward another person. He then attempted to break away from a trooper after the arrest, said Arkansas State Police public information officer Bill Sadler.

Goodwin was booked into a Sherwood, Ark., jail. His court date is set for June 3, according to The Arizona Republic.