On Monday, Donald Sterling was dealt a legal blow by a California Supreme Court judge, who allowed the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers, despite his attempts to stop his estranged wife, Rochelle Sterling. Now, as expected, Sterling has responded, with his attorney vowing to keep the fight going.
As we previously reported, Judge Michael Levanas ruled in favor of Rochelle, who is hoping to sell the team to Steve Ballmer for $2 billion. According to The New York Times, the judge found that Rochelle had properly removed her husband from the family trust, so she can sell the NBA franchise.
“His reaction was very calm,” Sterling attorney Bobby Samini told USA Today when asked to describe his client’s reaction. “Didn't see this as a final battleground. This is one stage of a long war. This is one battle. We had hoped for another result, but this is not the end.”
In fact, Rochelle and her attorneys also showed signs of cautious optimism after Monday’s ruling. There are still two lawsuits to fight, as Sterling is suing Rochelle and Ballmer over allegedly violating corporate law. The other lawsuit is against the NBA, in which Sterling is seeking $1 billion in damages.
“We expect that we're going to continue to get grenades from all directions,” Adam Streisand, Ballmer’s attorney, told USA Today.
Still, this is a major step forward in the case. The Clippers could hopefully be under new ownership by the fall, by the time the season starts. Doc Rivers, the team’s head coach, said that he wouldn’t return if Sterling was still the owner. Sterling has already been banned from all NBA activities.
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