Donald Sterling: Magic Johnson isn't 'a good example for the children of Los Angeles'

Donald Sterling says he "made a terrible mistake" and describes himself as "distraught" since his racist comments, made in private to a female friend, became public.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling for life and is encouraging the other 29 owners to force Sterling to sell the Los Angeles Clippers, a team he has owned for more than 30 years.

Sterling sat down with CNN's Anderson Cooper in his first interview since Silver's ruling, in which he was also fined $2.5 million. The interview will air Monday evening.

In excerpts revealed on Monday morning, Sterling said he had spoken to Magic Johnson twice since the comments became public but said he didn't think Johnson was a "good example for the children of Los Angeles."

"Well if I said anything wrong I'm sorry," he said. "He's a good person and he ... what am I going to say .. has he done everything he could do to help minorities? I don't think so. I'll say it. I'll say it. He's great, I just don't think he's a good example for the children of Los Angeles."

Sterling said he wanted to keep ownership of the Clippers and still seemed hopeful that the rest of the NBA owners wouldn't force him to sell.

"The people that are going to decide my fate I think are not the media and not the players but the NBA," he said. "The owners. If the owners feel I deserve another chance then they'll give it to me."

If they do force him to sell, Sterling said he wouldn't fight it.

"If I fight with my partners what at the end of the road, what do i benefit?" he said. "And especially at my age, if they fight with me and they spend millions and I spend millions. Let's say I win or they win, I just don't know if that's important."

The 80-year-old said he believed he was set up by V. Stiviano, the female friend heard on the recording of his racist comments.

"When I listen to that tape, I don't even know how I can say words like that. ... I don't know why the girl had me say those things," he told Cooper, according to excerpts posted on CNN's website Monday.

Cooper asked him if he believed he was set up.

"Well yes, I was baited," Sterling said. "I mean, that's not the way I talk. I don't talk about people for one thing, ever. I talk about ideas and other things. I don't talk about people."

According to the excerpts posted on the website, Sterling said he's still unsure who released the recording but implied he believed it was Stiviano.

"I don't know. An 80-year-old man is kind of foolish, and I'm kind of foolish. I thought she liked me and really cared for me," he said of Stiviano. "I guess being 51 years older than her, I was deluding myself. ... I just wish I could ask her why, and if she was just setting me up."