Donald Sterling Racist Comments

Donald Sterling has been REJECTED by at least 8 big law firms in his quest to sue the NBA ... we're told because they think he's toxic and would piss off their existing clients.

Multiple sources in the legal world tell TMZ ... Sterling has reached out to a number of extremely large, prestigious firms, both in L.A. and San Francisco, looking for representation ... but none were receptive.

Our sources say partners in the firms feel representing Sterling would alienate both their African American clients and corporate clients that are hyper-sensitive to controversy.

One source closely connected with Sterling tells TMZ ... it's especially galling for the Clippers owner, because a number of partners in these firms have called him from time to time asking for favors, including tickets to games.

Barbara Walters may have gotten the mistress and the wife, but Anderson Cooper got the grand prize Sunday ... a sit down with Donald Sterling ... TMZ has learned.

Cooper flew in to Los Angeles this morning, checked into his hotel, and made a bee-line to Sterling's Beverly Hills house, where the interview went down.

Before the interview, Sterling met with his lawyer, who was not present during the interview with Cooper. The interview will air Monday night on "Anderson Cooper 360."

TMZ shot video of Anderson leaving the house after the interview, but he was mum.

Our sources say Sterling has been champing at the bit to publicly defend himself against racism allegations after TMZ Sports posted the now famous recording.

Donald Sterling believes V. Stiviano is a calculating viper who pretended to care for him while she set out to destroy him ... that's the upshot of what Sterling told Anderson Cooper.

Cooper, who scored the interview Sunday at Sterling's Bev Hills home, asked the suspended Clippers owner if he felt she set him up. He said, "Well yes, I was baited. I mean that's not the way I talk."

Sterling claims he's not a racist ... never been one. He says he feels used by Stiviano: "I don't know, an 80-year-old man is kind of foolish, and I'm kind of foolish. I thought she liked me and really cared for me. I guess being 51 years older than her, I was deluding myself."

Sterling also said of the Clippers players, "They are clippers and they're mine and I'm theirs. That's how I feel."

Shelly Sterling says she will file for divorce from Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling "eventually" ... telling Barbara Walters she has signed papers before ... just never filed them.

In an interview scheduled to air later on Sunday, Sterling says she has not followed through with the divorce yet on the advice of her financial advisors.

Four of V. Stiviano's friends are ready to spill about the woman at the center of the Donald Sterling scandal -- and even they think she's 100% guilty ... of golddigging.

The four girls -- including former "American Idol" contestant Asia'h Epperson (in the black) -- were in L.A. today ... and made it clear they're not thrilled with V.'s actions.

Our guy hammered them on V.'s criminal past to see if they know her by any of her numerous alias'. Check their reaction ... they're as confused about Vanessa Mariamonica Maria Stiviano as the rest of us.

Also kinda funny ... V. hangs with women as ethnically ambiguous as she is.

Donald Sterling is telling friends ... he only made racist comments to V. Stiviano because he thought it would persuade her to have sex with him ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Shelly Sterling will take legal action against the NBA if she doesn't have control over her interest in the event of a forced sale of the team. But her lawyer says she is adamant ... the NBA has no right to strip her of her 50% ownership, because "she's an innocent victim."

Sources connected with the Sterling family tell us ... Shelly is actually more involved in the team than Donald Sterling, and she would definitely wants to remain an owner, even if Donald is forced out.

Shelly's lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell, tells TMZ Sports, he is currently in talks with the NBA in an effort to avoid a family sale. O'Donnell is demanding that the NBA allow her to retain her 50% interest. O'Donnell has explained to NBA honchos, Shelly and Donald have led separate lives for years, living miles away from each other, and they do not share the same views.

O'Donnell says, "She's done nothing wrong. She's an innocent spouse," adding, "Shelly loves the team and she will resist any effort to strip her involuntarily of her ownership interest."

Donald Sterling has broken his silence in a recent phone conversation in which he angrily and adamantly says, "I'm not a racist."

The conversation, which we're told was recorded without Sterling's knowledge and posted on Radar Online, is between Sterling and a friend who questioned him about the audio posted on TMZ Sports.

During the conversation, Sterling said ...

-- "It breaks my heart that Magic Johnson, a guy that I respect so much, wouldn’t stand up and say, ‘Well let’s get the facts. Let’s get him and talk to him.’ Nobody tried. Nobody!”

-- "Do you think I told the coach to get white players? Or to get the best player he can get?"

When asked about the NBA trying to force a sale of the Clippers, Sterling responded ... "You can't force somebody to sell property in America. I'm a lawyer. That's my opinion."

Donald Sterling is finally expressing remorse about the racist comments that got him banned from the NBA ... this according to former L.A. Kings owner Bruce McNall who says Donald told him he feels "terrible" during a phone call a few days ago.

McNall was out in Malibu on Wednesday and told us he's been friends with Sterling for years -- and had a conversation with the disgraced L.A. Clippers owner just the other day.

"Oh man, when I talked to him ... he felt terrible," McNall says.

"I mean he was like 'What an idiot I am. I don't know what I was thinking or doing."

V. Stiviano might wanna stay away from the Dodger Stadium parking lot ... because Tommy Lasorda says he strongly believes she deserves to BE HIT BY A CAR!!!

There are benefits to taking a photo with someone who disgusts you ... just ask the model who snapped a shot with Donald Sterling over the weekend ... because ever since the pic went public, her career is BLOWING UP!!!

Jasmine Tosh Stewart tells TMZ ... she's been contacted by three different modeling agencies ever since TMZ Sports posted the photo she took with Sterling at the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills ... right after he blew off his interview with Barbara Walters.

Jasmine says she's gained a thousand followers on Instagram and seen traffic to her blog double in the last few days. She admits she has Sterling to thank for her new-found attention and is quick to say how nice he was to take the photo with her.

That said, Jasmine tells us, "I still think he's a racist."

V. Stiviano -- who is currently under investigation for extortion -- is no stranger to the criminal justice system. She's been arrested for at least 4 crimes and has used 5 aliases, and she's a true chameleon, changing her race from crime to crime.

2002 -- Stiviano was arrested by LAPD for petty theft. The official documents -- obtained by TMZ -- show she was a 5'4" 128 lb Hispanic woman named Vanessa Maria Perez. She was convicted and placed on probation.

2004 -- Stiviano was arrested by Santa Monica PD for another petty theft and felony burglary. Her name was Vanessa Maria Perez (same as the first) but this time she's taller and thinner -- a 5'8" 115 lb Hispanic woman.

2010 -- Stiviano was arrested by LAPD for possession of a controlled substance -- a felony. This time she's Vanessa Maria Perez again, but she's black, weighing in at 5'7" and 125 lbs.

2012 -- Stiviano was busted by CHP for DUI. This time she was booked as Monica Gallegos, a 5'7" 110 lb black woman. We don't know the disposition.

In addition to Vanness Maria Perez and Monica Gallegos, court records show she also used the names Maria Valdez, Maria Vanessa Perez and Mariamonica Perez Gallegos. She's currently going by V. Stiviano.

V. Stiviano is under criminal investigation for allegedly extorting Donald Sterling by demanding money in return for keeping more audio recordings secret ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a senior investigator for the L.A. County D.A.'s Bureau of Investigation contacted Shelly Sterling Tuesday ... asking for an interview in connection with the extortion investigation.

Donald Sterling gave an interview last week ... telling a magazine, "I wish I had just paid her off."

TMZ Sports first reported ... Stiviano claims to have 100 plus hours of recordings of conversations between her and Sterling.

Stiviano's people told us a week ago ... Sterling called her after we posted the audio ... asking her, "How can we make this go away?" We have since learned it was NOT Sterling who initiated the call -- it was Stiviano.

And we've learned the investigation is also focusing on whether Stiviano illegally recorded Sterling ... recording private conversations without the consent of all parties is a crime in California.

Donald Sterling didn't just alienate the L.A. Clippers, some of his tenants are up in arms ... like Ray J .... who is packin' up and movin' out in protest.

Our photog spotted Ray J at LAX on Monday with his adorable dog Boogotti ... who by the way TMZ helped find last month when he ran off.

Ray J went off on D.S. ... cursing him and vowing to unload two units he rents and sublets to other tenants ... saying there's no room for racism.

Arsenio Hall says he's trying to raise $1 BILLION to buy the L.A. Clippers ... and last night he got his first REAL donation ... a wad of cash from Katt Williams.

While Arsenio's campaign might be a joke, the wad of cash Katt gave to Arsenio was not -- sources tell us he gave Hall $1,100 in $100 bills ... and did NOT ask for it back when the cameras turned off.

Disgraced Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been battling cancer for several years, TMZ has confirmed.

Sterling's cancer medication, believed to be for prostate cancer, is what has caused his face to look puffy in recent years, says the New York Post. One source told the paper, "They thought he would die two years ago."

Clippers players were unaware of Sterling's alleged condition. Blake Griffin told reporters after last night's loss to the Golden State Warriors, "If that is true, my thoughts and prayers are with him. Nobody deserves to go through something like that."