Sale Of Los Angeles Clippers To Steve Ballmer May Not Be A Done Deal
The biggest problem for Shelly Sterling and Ballmer is that Donald Sterling is still the owner of the Clippers and he has vowed to fight the sale of the team "to the bloody end" even though he previously sent a letter to the NBA giving his wife authority to sell the team.
Donald Sterling's lawyer Max Blecher says that letter was sent when his client was in a "state of shock" according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. However, Blecher says his client has changed since and is now more like the "Don [he] knew."
In another twist, Shelburne has reported that Shelly Sterling became the sole trustee of the Sterling family trust after Donald Sterling was determined to be "mentally incapacitated" by experts.
In the statement announcing the sale, Shelly Sterling declared that the family trust has sold the team and that she is acting as the sole trustee in making the sale. Donald Sterling is never mentioned.
According to Shelburne, the family trust had rules and guidelines in place about mental incapacitation.
The NBA still has to approve the sale. However, the normally months-long process could be fast-tracked with Ballmer as he was previously vetted by the league when he attempted to purchase the Sacramento Kings.
The swiftness of the NBA throughout this process has constantly forced Donald Sterling to react rather than control the issue. But while Shelly Sterling, Ballmer, and the NBA are moving forward as if this is a done deal, it won't be if Donald Sterling lives up to his promise to fight.
Shelly Sterling and Steve Ballmer say they are prepared if Donald Sterling fights a legal challenge.
One possibility hinted at by Blecher, is that Donald Sterling could argue that he was only temporarily incapacitated due to the stress of the initial charges levied by the NBA and that he is better now.
If that happens, the team will still be his until a judge rules otherwise.