Through a newly leaked recording, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling denies that he is a racist, telling a friend he will not sell the team despite a lifetime ban by the NBA.

In the audio first posted by Radar Online, and later by TMZ, Sterling defends himself against allegations of racism — telling a second party that he is not a racist and pointing to his youth in Boyle Heights as proof.

“I mean, how could you think I’m a racist knowing me all these years?” he tells the man. “How can you be in this business and be a racist? Do you think I tell the coach to get white players? Or to get the best player he can get?”

Sterling also expresses disappointment that no one tried to contact him about the comments leaked nearly two weeks ago, in which he tells female friend V. Stiviano not to associate with African Americans. However, Sterling has cancelled interviews with CNN’s Anderson Cooper and ABC’s Barbara Walters. He also told NBA commissioner Adam Silver that the voice on that original recording was his.

The league is in the process of forcing him to sell the Clippers, but Sterling appears insistent on fighting to keep the franchise.

“You can’t force someone to sell property in America!” he says on the new audio. “I’m a lawyer, that’s my opinion.”

His wife, Shelly Sterling, also told the Los Angeles Times that she will also fight to keep ownership of the team, even as she publicly denounces her husband’s comments.