FX's "Clipped" is a dramatized limited series that revisits the 2014 scandal involving former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling's racist remarks caught on tape, leading to his lifetime ban from the NBA and the forced sale of the team.
The Guardian praises "Clipped" as a "solid-gold winner that turns Sterling's mess into compelling television."
Billed as the " scandalous story of L.A.'s other basketball team," the series contrasts Sterling with the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss. It also explores Sterling's relationships with his wife Shelly and assistant V. Stiviano, whose recording of his remarks sparked the controversy.
It takes a wider look, beyond the immediate scandal, touching on athlete activism, and suggesting links to subsequent NBA activism following George Floyd's murder. Some critics argued the limited series format fails to provide the necessary rich context present in the original story.
Sterling is portrayed as objectifying his mostly Black players in front of wealthy friends, and the Clippers' near-boycott of their playoff run due to the scandal.
Ed O'Neill as Sterling, Laurence Fishburne, Jacki Weaver, and Cleopatra Coleman deliver strong performances.
"Clipped" is streaming on Hulu.
Sources: Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, CNN, USA Today, NPR, The New York Times, HuffPost, CBS News, For The Win (USA Today), Andscape, EX Bulletin, Variety.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
