http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/10852199/challenge-donald-sterling
訝異很多人覺得NBA調查有屁用，
這篇文章應該能幫你解惑
懶得全文翻，就翻些重點
The alleged racist and misogynist rants of Los Angeles Clippers
owner Donald Sterling will test the leadership of new NBA
commissioner Adam Silver. Sterling's apparent misconduct raises
legal questions about Silver's authority and possible punishments
to be assessed against Sterling:
現行NBA條款，Adam Silver的調查能給Sterling如何的懲罰？
Q: Can Silver force Sterling to say whether the voice on the tapes
is his?
問：Silver能強制Sterling回答錄音帶是否是他的聲音嗎？
A: Yes. Under the terms of Paragraph 24(m)(ii) of the
"constitution" that governs the 30 owners of NBA teams and
establishes the authority of the owners' commissioner, Silver can
require Sterling to respond under oath to questions. The
commissioner has "the right to require testimony and the
production of documents and other evidence from any Member." As an
owner, Sterling is a "member" of the NBA. Sterling and his
lawyers could delay answering questions from Silver, but if
Sterling refuses to admit or to deny that it is his voice on the
tapes, he is in violation of the constitution and would face
termination. He has no protection from the U.S. Constitution's
Fifth Amendment guarantee against self-incrimination, because he
is not facing any charge of any crime.
答：可以的。在NBA「憲法」下面，聯盟主席Silver能要求Sterling
回答問題。因為主席有權要在NBA大家庭下的任何一個成員回答諸如此類
的問題。而Sterling因為是球隊老板，所以他是NBA的成員且必須要回答。
他的律師或他自己可以延遲這個過程，但是不能拒絕。一旦拒絕此項要求，
在現行NBA條例下他將面臨直接被停權的問題(termination)。
附帶一提的是，他並沒有美國憲法保護下人民所擁有的緘默權，
因為他並沒有為此事被告。
Q: What penalties can Silver issue?
問：那Silver可以給出哪些懲罰？
A: Under the provisions of the bylaws, Silver has two sets of
powers that he may use. Under either, he can issue a lifetime
suspension and a substantial fine. Under Paragraph 24(l) of the
constitution that was adopted by the NBA owners on Oct. 26, 2005,
he can issue a fine of up to $2.5 million, can suspend an owner
indefinitely and can order the forfeiture of draft picks. This
provision applies to situations that are not covered by specific
rules within the constitution. In another provision, Paragraph
35(A)(c), Silver can issue an indefinite suspension and a fine of
$1 million to any owner who "makes ... a statement having or
designed to have an effect prejudicial or detrimental to the best
interests of basketball." If Silver wants to hammer Sterling, he
can assert that Sterling's statements are so egregious that they
go beyond the misconduct contemplated in Paragraph 35 and allow
Silver to assess the greater penalties found in Paragraph 24.
Sterling can argue that he merely made a statement, but the
statement at a minimum allows a lifetime suspension and a $1
million fine.
根據NBA自訂的規則，Silver有兩個權力他可能運用。
不管用哪一項條例，都牽涉都終身停止Sterling的權利和一大筆罰金。
條例一可以造成2.5百萬鎂的罰金和終生停權，並且取消任何選秀權。
條例二可以做終生停權和一百萬鎂罰鍰。
其中條例一屬於在特殊情況下的特別條例。
條例二則是當成員作出有損籃球運動的事證時。
Q: Is it possible for Silver and the NBA to terminate Sterling's
franchise ownership?
問：Silver或是NBA有可能終止Sterling的球隊擁有權嗎？
A: Yes. Under the terms of Paragraph 13 of the constitution, the
owners can terminate another owner's franchise with a vote of
three-fourths of the NBA Board of Governors, which is composed of
all 30 owners. The power to terminate is limited to things like
gambling and fraud in the application for ownership, but it also
includes a provision for termination when an owner "fails to
fulfill" a "contractual obligation" in "such a way as to affect
the [NBA] or its members adversely." Silver and the owners could
assert that Sterling's statements violated the constitution's
requirements to conduct business on a "reasonable" and "ethical"
level.
答：是的。在規則下當超過3/4以上的NBA老闆投票表决
贊成某球隊老板終止擁有時，就可以。一般而言這類投票被侷限於
當球隊擁有者有賭博或是作假的情事才可以。但是也有特殊條例說
如果該員「無法履行合約義務造成NBA和其成員受到傷害」也可以
作此投票。
Silver和其他老板可能會運用這項條例並且認定Sterling違反了
NBA合理和符合道德標準的水平。
Any owner or Silver can initiate the termination procedure with a
written charge describing the violation. Sterling would have five
days to respond to the charge with a written answer. The
commissioner would then schedule a special meeting of the NBA
Board of Governors within 10 days. Both sides would have a chance
to present their evidence, and then the board would vote. If
three-fourths of the board members vote to terminate, then
Sterling would face termination of his ownership. It would require
a vote of two-thirds of the board to reduce the termination to a
fine. Terminating a franchise would obviously be a drastic remedy,
but the potential of the termination procedure gives Silver and
the other owners vast leverage in any discussion with Sterling
about an involuntary sale of his team.
任何老闆或是Silver自己本人都可以對此作出提案。而Silver
必須在提案的五天內作出回應。並且在十天內招開老板大會。
兩造都可以提出證據，然後就會進行投票。一旦表决結果超過3/4以上的人
投贊成票，Sterling的擁有權就會被終止。
當然中止擁有權會是一個很尖銳的處理方案。然而因為有這項規定，
Silver和其他老板可以利用來要求Sterling自願賣出球隊。
Q: Sterling is notoriously litigious. Can he go to court to stop
Silver from punishing him?
Sterling是個惡名昭彰的訟棍。他可能狀告NBA來停止Silver
對他的懲罰嗎？
A: Not effectively. When Silver issues his punishment to Sterling,
the decision is final. The constitution provides in Paragraph
24(m) that a commissioner's decision shall be "final, binding, and
conclusive" and shall be as final as an award of arbitration. It
is almost impossible to find a judge in the United States judicial
system who would set aside an award of arbitration. Sterling can
file a lawsuit, but he would face a humiliating defeat early in
the process. There is no antitrust theory or principle that would
help him against Silver and the NBA. He could claim an antitrust
violation, for example, if he were trying to move his team to a
different market. But under the terms of the NBA constitution, he
has no chance to succeed in litigation over punishment.
答：這招並不會有效。當Silver對Sterling作出懲戒時，
此懲戒就已經定案。這在NBA條例下有清楚明文規定。
在美國律法下，沒有一條可以干預這類規範。
簡言之，他進入了NBA就要按照NBA的規則玩，法律保護不了他。
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
Sterling毫無疑問是被他玩的女人擺了一道，
不過他之前就在種族歧視言論上算是累犯，到現在還有三條種族歧視官司纏身
所以這次會搞那麼大，即使內容有些鄉民覺得「還好吧」，
是其來有自的。而因為NBA是黑人聯盟（佔大多數），但是只有一個黑人老闆
（老喬），所以更彰顯了一些不對等（即使原因不是種族歧視可以解釋），
會變成一件大事完全不意外。NBA這次也想要利用這個機會作出強硬的表態。
NBA追求全球性和人權平等（多種族，多元(同志議題））這幾年用力甚深，
這次應該不會輕輕放下。