Donald Sterling Tells Anderson Cooper: 'I Made A Terrible Mistake. I'm Here To Apologize'

Donald Sterling To Anderson Cooper: 'I Made A Terrible Mistake. I'm Here To Apologize'

"I'm a good member who made a mistake and I'm apologizing and I'm asking for forgiveness," stated Donald Sterling in an interview with Anderson Cooper.

Cooper managed to land a sit-down with the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. The interview will air Monday on CNN.

Sterling, who was caught on a recording making racist comments during a conversation with his girlfriend V. Stiviano, told Cooper, "I'm not a racist." He continued, "I made a terrible mistake. I'm here to apologize."

"Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? It's a terrible mistake, and I'll never do it again," said Sterling.

TMZ first broke the news that Cooper nabbed an interview with the embattled NBA team owner. According to the site:

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.

Sterling, who was banned for life from the NBA and fined $2.5 million, said of the league, "If the owners feel I have another chance, then they'll give it to me."

He also explained that he was "emotionally distraught" following the public leak of his conversation. He went on to say, "I caused the problem. I don't know how to correct it."

Earlier, ABC News' Barbara Walters spoke with Sterling's estranged wife Shelly, who said she will "eventually" divorce him. She also weighed in on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's urging the league's Board of Governors to force a sale of the team, telling Walters that she "will fight that decision" in order to keep her 50 percent ownership stake in the team.

For more on the Anderson Cooper/Donald Sterling interview, click over to CNN.

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