Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center in the Lundquist College of Business, was among the professionals sought for his reaction to the recent scandal involving alleged racist comments made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

On Sunday, Swangard was interviewed by the L.A. Daily News for “Inside the Clippers.”

On Monday, Swangard was quoted by The Associated Press in a report on companies ending or suspending their sponsorship deals with the Clippers until the NBA investigation into Sterling was complete. Swangard said that the withdrawal of these sponsorships “could be incredibly damaging to the franchise if things aren’t dealt with quickly.” He noted that many brands were waiting to make a decision until after the NBA’s press conference on Tuesday.

The AP story was picked up by ABC News and quickly spread nationally to publications including NPR, CBS New York and The Huffington Post.

During the NBA’s press conference on Tuesday, Commissioner Adam Silver announced that Sterling would receive a lifetime ban from the NBA and a fine of $2.5 million dollars. Silver also recommended that the owners vote to force Sterling to sell the team.

Following the press conference, Swangard was featured on MSNBC’s The Ed Show and spoke with KCBS News in San Francisco and the Australian Broadcasting Commission's (ABC) The World Today on his reaction to the commissioner’s decision to ban Sterling and the affect that would have on sponsors.

– by Chloe Huckins, Public Affairs Communications intern