Sterling: ‘Am I entitled to one mistake?’

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling says in an interview to be broadcast Monday by CNN that he is “asking for forgiveness” after making racially insensitive remarks that resulted in a lifetime NBA ban and a $2.5 million fine, and roiled the political sphere.

“I’m a good member who made a mistake, and I’m apologizing, and I’m asking for forgiveness,” Sterling told Anderson Cooper, the network reported late Sunday. “Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league; I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? It’s a terrible mistake, and I’ll never do it again.”

{mosads}On an audio recording released by TMZ, Sterling advised a female friend against bringing black guests to Clippers basketball games and chided her for having pictures of African-Americans on her social media account.

“I’m not a racist,” Sterling said in the CNN interview. “I made a terrible mistake. I’m here to apologize.”

President Obama condemned the remarks during a news conference in Malaysia and said they speak for themselves.

“When people — when ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance you don’t really have to do anything, you just let them talk. And that’s what happened here,” Obama said.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) called Sterling’s remarks “reprehensible.”