What the NBA did about 20 years ago in reference to Magic Johnson are far worse than Sterling’s mere words. The NBA allowed Johnson to play in an All-star game after he’d been diagnosed as HIV positive. (Johnson does not have AIDS, but he is HIV positive). This put all players on both teams at risk due to possibility of a blood transfer resulting from a couple of banged heads or elbows going for a rebound or something. Drawing blood isn’t common in NBA games, but it’s not rare either.
Then they force the greatest player in the history of the game to take a few years off for gambling.