Donald Sterling attends service at black church

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Monday, June 2, 2014
Embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling attended services at Praises of Zion Baptist Church in South Los Angeles Sunday, June 1, 2014.
Embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling attended services at Praises of Zion Baptist Church in South Los Angeles Sunday, June 1, 2014.
KABC

LOS ANGELES -- Donald Sterling, whose racist remarks in a recording triggered the fight over ownership of Los Angeles Clippers, attended a predominantly black church service in South Los Angeles on Sunday.

Sterling told KNBC-TV he went to Praises of Zion Missionary Baptist Church to support the church and said the service was "beautiful."

The station said the church's pastor met Sterling recently and invited him to worship with the congregation. Sterling received a warm welcome, and Pastor J. Benjamin Hardwick told him the congregation was praying for him.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver fined Sterling $2.5 million, banned him from the league and started the process to end his ownership of the Clippers after an audio recording of Sterling disparaging blacks became public in April.