NBA notes: Magic Johnson says Donald Sterling lives in 'stone ages'

Los Angeles • NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson says Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has badly outdated views in his attitudes about minorities and is shockingly ignorant in his views on HIV and AIDS for such a prominent public figure.

"He's living in the stone ages," Johnson said in an interview that aired Tuesday with CNN'S Anderson Cooper, a day after Sterling made his first public comments since racist recordings emerged last month and earned him a lifetime NBA ban. "You can't make those comments about African-Americans and Latinos. You just can't do it."

In Sterling's interview with Cooper, Sterling repeatedly brought up the ex-NBA star's HIV and called him an unfit role model for children.

Johnson mostly avoided lashing back at criticism from Sterling, who at one point cut off Cooper's listing of Johnson's achievements to loudly say "He's got AIDS!" Johnson, who is HIV positive but does not have AIDS, said he was surprised Sterling didn't make the distinction.

"I came out like a man, I told the world," Johnson said of his famous public press conference announcing his retirement. "I didn't blame nobody else. I understood what I did was wrong. And I hope that I was able to help people."

Johnson, who said he has known Sterling since he first came to L.A. to play for the Lakers more than 30 years ago, said he didn't know how he got stuck in the middle of a situation that should have been a personal dispute between Sterling and V. Stiviano.

Also on Tuesday, NBA owners discussed the plans to terminate Sterling's ownership of the Clippers in the third meeting of the advisory/finance committee.

A day after Commissioner Adam Silver repeated his desire to force Sterling to sell quickly, the committee met via conference call. League spokesman Mike Bass says the owners reviewed the status of the charge for termination of the Clippers' ownership and plan to meet again next week.

Source: Van Gundy is Pistons coach/president

A person with knowledge of the details says Stan Van Gundy has agreed to a $35-million, five-year contract to be the Detroit Pistons' coach and president of basketball operations.

Detroit gave Van Gundy the powerful combination of jobs on Tuesday, the person said. The deal was first reported by ESPN.com. The Pistons announced in April that they were not renewing Joe Dumars' contract, ending his 14-year run as president of basketball operations.

Cavaliers' Bennett gets tonsils removed

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Anthony Bennett had his tonsils and adenoids removed to help improve a sleep condition. Bennett, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, underwent successful tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy procedures at the Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday, the team said.