The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians is pulling its sponsorship of Los Angeles Clippers home games in response to recorded racist comments attributed to Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
The Chumash Casino Resort has been a sponsor of the LA Clippers for the past four years, according to Chumash media contact Mike Traphagen. As a "presenting sponsor," the Chumash Casino logo is printed on all Clippers home game tickets, and can be seen throughout the Staples Center.
Traphagen wasn't sure how long it would take for the Clippers organization to remove those logos, as the team hosts the next game of the first round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
Here is the statement issued Monday by Vincent Armenta, Tribal Chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians:
“We’ve always been proud supporters of the Los Angeles Clippers, however, the recent statements attributed to the Clippers’ owner have forced us to reconsider our relationship. We remain supportive of the members of the team and we wish them the very best going forward. As a group that has long been marginalized itself, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and the Chumash Casino Resort are especially sensitive to maintaining the dignity of all people. We cannot ignore any statement that causes harm or hurts any group. As a result, we’re withdrawing our sponsorship of the Clippers organization.“