Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said that owner Donald Sterling did try and contact him, but the veteran coach decided to pass on talking with him.
Rivers spoke with reporters on Monday and noted he only managed to get 45 minutes of sleep on Saturday once Sterling's racist comments were released online, reports New York Daily News. The coach admitted he "took a pass" on an opportunity to speak with Sterling.
"I don't think right now is the time or the place. So I just took a pass." Rivers added, "I haven't given him the opportunity to explain himself and quite honestly, right now, I don't want him to." He also admitted he hasn't made a decision on whether to return next year.
Rivers said that while the players are upset, the longer they win, the more people will talk about the situation. "The longer we win, the longer we keep talking about this and that's good. That's where I'm at, and I haven't changed from it."
As the league looks into how best to deal with the situation, sponsors for Sterling's team have begun to end or suspend their deals with the Clippers after audio of Sterling making racist comments while talking with his girlfriend were released by TMZ.
Virgin America and CarMax decided to simply call it a day and walk away, while State Farm and Kia decided to only suspend their sponsorships.