Magic Johnson and his billionaire partners may purchase the Los Angeles Clippers from alleged racist owner Donald Sterling.
"Magic's absolutely interested," an NBA source told Yahoo Sports. Johnson and financial services firm Guggenheim Partners are allegedly ready to buy the team as soon as Sterling decides, or is forced, to sell.
Guggenheim Partners-- which has assets under management of over $210 billion—and Johnson previously joined forces to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers, the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, and part-ownership of the Dayton Dragons, a minor league baseball team.
The NBA is under pressure to remove the Clippers' current owner after an audiotape was released on April 25 of a married Sterling talking to an alleged girlfriend, V. Stiviano.
In the April 9 recording, a man, who may be Donald Sterling, is upset that Stiviano took a picture with NBA legend Magic Johnson, and posted it to her Instagram page.
The man chastised Stiviano for being seen with black people in public.
"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people," he said. "Do you have to?"
He stated that she can have black friends, but should keep the relationships private.
"You can sleep with them. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games."
Sterling had a friendship and business relationship with Magic Johnson, according to the former Lakers star. The person on the audiotape, however, had a different message for Stiviano in regards to Johnson.
"Don't put him [Magic Johnson] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me," he said. "And don't bring him to my games."
An extended audiotape was released on Deadspin on April 27 in which a man, purported to be Sterling, tells Stiviano the material possessions he enables his black NBA players to buy, and describes the treatment of black Jews in Israel.
However, Sterling's representatives questioned the authenticity of the tapes.
"We have heard the tape on TMZ Sports," a statement read. "We do not know if it is legitimate or if it has been altered."
The statement also said that the messages on the recordings are inconsistent with Sterling's convictions.
"Mr. Sterling is emphatic that what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings. It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life."
