Donald Sterling

Whether or not it's a common practice has nothing to do with whether or not they should actually be allowed to do it.

Uh, it's written into a contractual law that he not only signed but helped shape over the course of his time on the board of governors. The facts are simple, he's been given ample leeway in the past to handle his affairs in court with zero acts on behalf of the commissioner and the NBA. He got busted AGAIN (regardless of whether it was said in private), and it's something that clearly could not just be ignored or swept under the rug.

It's not establishing of some new found precedent, these are rules that are already written into their bylaws and being enforced to their strictest extent. I'd expect nothing less.

At some point you're going to stop arguing things just for the sake of being the regent idiot who tries to side with someone or something who/which is blatantly wrong (in almost all situations). You have this tendency to try and play devil's advocate in every god forsaken argument. It's annoying as pineapple.