'Clipped' trailer about Donald Sterling's downfall released amid LA Clippers' 2024 playoff run

The Los Angeles Clippers are locked in for the NBA playoffs with hopes of winning the franchise’s first championship with four future Hall of Famers on their roster, but a new trailer released by FX is a grim reminder of what was arguably the darkest time in the team’s history and rocked the NBA entirely. 

On Thursday, FX dropped the trailer for the mini-series called "Clipped," which depicts the Donald Sterling era and the events that led up to his lifetime ban from the league.

"Clipped" stars Laurence Fishburne as Doc Rivers, Ed O’Neill as Donald Sterling, Jacki Weaver as Shelly Sterling, and Cleopatra Coleman as Sterling’s assistant, V. Stiviano. 

The trailer begins with Rivers being introduced as the team’s newest coach and cuts to a scene of Fishburne saying, "The Clippers have never won a championship, ever."

The trailer also alludes to an affair between Sterling and his assistant. 

In real life, Donald Sterling owned the Los Angeles Clippers for 33 years until disaster struck in 2014. 

That spring, the NBA launched an investigation after an audio recording was leaked of him making racist comments. In the trailer, O’Neill recites the line "Don’t bring Black people to my games."

(Getty Images)

Donald Sterling was fined $2.5 million, received a lifetime ban from the NBA, and was forced to sell the team.

"Clipped" will be available for streaming beginning June 4 on Hulu. 

However, Angelenos and sports fans know the real story has a happy ending. 

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made a bid and officially took ownership of the Clippers in Aug. 2014. His energy, kindness and enthusiasm were refreshing after such a vile scandal.

A demonstration against LA Clipper team owner, Donald Sterling, outside of the Staples Center. Earlier in the day, the NBA commissioner decided to oust Donald Sterling as owner of the LA Clippers. (Photo by Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty Images)

Ballmer is frequently seen rooting for the Clippers courtside. He also played a crucial role in ensuring the Clippers would get their own arena, set to open this summer. 

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Watch the trailer for "Clipped" below.