sterling saga

A Probate Court Upheld Shelly Sterling’s Right to Sell the L.A. Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling attends the NBA playoff game between the Clippers and the Golden State Warriors on April 21, 2014 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The NBA banned Sterling for life for 'deeply offensive and harmful' racist comments that sparked a national firestorm. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver hit Sterling with every penalty at his disposal, fining him a maximum $2.5 million dollars and calling on other owners to force him to sell his team.
Photo: Robyn BeckAFP/Getty Images

Looks like the L.A. Clippers will soon be property of ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer after all. A probate judge ruled Monday that Don Sterling can’t stop his estranged wife, Shelly, from selling the team for a pretty penny — $2 billion, to be exact — because she acted properly in removing him as co-trustee of the Sterling Family Trust. Once Judge Michael Levanas files a written ruling, Shelly Sterling won’t even have to wait for her husband’s appeal to go through.

Shelly Sterling Wins Right to Sell L.A. Clippers