82.1 F
San Fernando
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
Array

Clippers Sale to Ballmer Closes

The sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has closed, the National Basketball Association announced Tuesday. The close of the $2 billion purchase officially ends the three-decade ownership of the Sterling Family Trust – and the saga that began when Donald Sterling made racist comments that were recorded by his female companion V. Stiviano and publicized on April 25. Ballmer told NBA.com that he will support the team’s growth through his ownership. “Clipper fans are so amazing. They have remained fiercely loyal to our franchise through some extraordinary times. I will be hard core in giving the team, our great coach, staff and players the support they need to do their best work on the court,” he told NBA.com NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling, in addition to fining him $2.5 million, on April 29 following an uproar over the comments. Sterling’s wife then engineered the sale of the team to Ballmer a month later after psychiatrists found Sterling was mentally incompetent, giving Shelly Sterling control of the trust. Sterling fought back in court seeking to overturn the finding and also filed a separate lawsuit seeking damages from his wife, the NBA and Silver. L.A. Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas all but ended the ordeal with a July 28 decision that sided with Shelly Sterling, saying she negotiated a fair deal and had the right to remove her husband from control of the trust. Under the ruling, Donald Sterling was prohibited from delaying the deal with Ballmer. The close of the deal was applauded in statements on Tuesday by Clippers players Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, as well as head coach Doc Rivers. “This is an amazing new day in Clippers history,” Rivers said. “I couldn’t be more excited to work together with Steve as we continue to build a first-class, championship organization. I am already inspired by Steve’s passion for the game, his love of competition and desire to win the right way and I know our players and fans are going to be inspired as well.” On Monday, the NBA filed a countersuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles seeking damages related to Sterling’s comments and legal fight.

Featured Articles

Related Articles