National Basketball Association

UCLA rejects $3 million kidney research gift from Sterling

Published Apr. 30, 2014 8:49 a.m. ET

foxsports

UCLA has rejected a $3 million kidney research gift from Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was given a lifetime ban and a $2.5 million fine by the NBA for making racially insensitive comments.

The school also decided to refund $425,000 Sterling had already donated. UCLA released a statement regarding the decision.

"Mr. Sterling's divisive and hurtful comments demonstrate that he does not share UCLA's core values as a public university that fosters diversity, inclusion and respect. For those reasons, UCLA has decided to return Mr. Sterling's initial payment of $425,000 and reject the remainder of a $3 million pledge he recently made to support basic kidney research by the UCLA Division of Nephrology. UCLA has received numerous inquiries about an advertisement in Sunday's Los Angeles Times falsely suggesting that it was UCLA publicly thanking him for the gift. The ad was placed by Mr. Sterling, not the university."

This 1/2 page THANK YOU Donald Sterling Ad was in this morning's print edition of the LA Times. #BadTiming pic.twitter.com/XgOmS37KeH
— David Singer (@DavidSingerESPN) April 28, 2014