It appears that the NBA’s ugly and embarrassing Donald Sterling saga is finally over. Sterling’s estranged wife Shelly won a sweeping court victory that paves the way for a completed sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Judge Michael Levanas of the California Superior Court ruled that Shelly Sterling properly followed the rules of the family trust in removing Donald Sterling as a co-trustee. Levanas didn’t just deliver a soft decision that Donald Sterling’s counsel could block like DeAndre Jordan coming from the backside. On the contrary, Levanas did his best Blake Superior Griffin impression by slamming home what some are calling an “appeal proof” decision for Shelly Sterling. He ruled that the sale of the Clippers could proceed “as if no appeal were pending.”
Donald Sterling’s case was likely hampered by the fact that he initially agreed to allow his wife to facilitate a sale of the team but then later reneged. Judge Levanas also commented that Sterling’s testimony was “often evasive and inconsistent with previous sworn testimony.” That would seem to support the fact that Sterling’s removal from the family trust was warranted.
Commissioner Adam Silver and league executives are likely breathing a big sigh of relief that Donald Sterling’s ouster has been upheld by the courts. Sure, he still has a billion dollar lawsuit pending versus the NBA, but the bigger hit to the league would have been to have the PR nightmare of dealing with sale dispute lingering into the actual season.
Countless players and coaches of color have taken definitive stances against any Sterling ownership of the franchise. The Golden State Warriors players planned to walk off the court and boycott Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs if Silver hadn’t dropped the hammer the night prior. Coach Doc Rivers reportedly stated that he would quit if Sterling still owned the team. LeBron James told teammates and Players Association reps that he was ready to lead a player boycott if Sterling retained ownership of the franchise into the season.
Humor me for a second as I imagine the Clippers would look like if Donald Sterling retained ownership against all odds. As I mentioned, Rivers would walk and no other recent NBA coach would touch that job with a ten foot pole. The Clippers would have to go into the college or retiree ranks to find someone to lead the club. Maybe ESPN analyst Bobby Knight, formerly the most hated man in basketball, would answer the call. I’m not implying that Knight is racist, but he really doesn’t care what other people think and seems to revel in controversy.
Let’s assume the entire Clippers roster would also refuse to play. I’m not sure what type of talent Tea Party University is putting out these days, but I can’t imagine they would fare too well on the hardwood. Plus the team’s new policy of requiring birth certificates before entry would certainly decrease fan support at home games. Sponsorship would be limited to Jimbo’s Used Auto Sales and Better Call Saul. Doesn’t sound too pretty or profitable does it?
Back to reality, with the vehement opposition of players, owners, fans and advertisers, it’s always been a no-win situation for Donald Sterling. He does have one heck of a consolation prize as he’ll walk away with a cool billion before taxes (Shelly will get the other half). I’d say he should just take his money and go enjoy the rest of his life, but it seems that maybe Sterling isn’t playing with a full deck these days. Unless he gets some help, he’s likely to fight until the bitter end.
For the NBA, any end that allows the league to distance itself from the shamed, soon-to-be ex owner is as sweet as can be. For Ballmer, you can bet he’s breathing easy now to know that the $2 billion check can finally go through. The windows in his new office have nothing to do with Microsoft, but they do allow the NBA to see a brighter future for one of its rising franchises.
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