Steve Ballmer officially became the new owner of the Los Angeles Clippers in a record $2 billion sale that ousted Donald Sterling as the NBA’s longest-tenured owner.
Sterling bought the team in 1981 for $12 million and presided over decades of losing seasons before engaging in a fierce legal battle with his estranged wife to hold on to his most prized asset.
The team said the sale closed after a Los Angeles court confirmed the authority of Shelly Sterling, on behalf of the Sterling Family Trust, to sell the franchise to the former Microsoft CEO.
The NBA Board of Governors had previously approved the sale – which brought an end to the bizarre drama began in April when a recording surfaced of Donald Sterling scolding his girlfriend for bringing black men to Clippers games. The audio spurred the NBA to ban Sterling for life and fine him $2.5 million.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.