Los Angeles Clippers owners Donald Sterling and his wife Rochelle Stein watch the Clippers play the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of their NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The NBA continues to wait for embattled Clippers owner Donald Sterling and his legal counsel to formally respond to its charges of termination. Sterling has until midnight EST on Tuesday to respond to the charges that entailed a life-time ban and a $2.5 million fine for making racially disparaging remarks on an audio tape.
Under Article 14 of the NBA Constitution, the league will consider such inaction “an admission by said Member or Owner of the total validity of the charges as presented.” In addition to Sterling’s remarks made on an audio tape to a female companion named V. Stiviano, the NBA is also holding Sterling’s recent remarks to CNN in which he made more disparaging remarks both about Magic Johnson and African Americans as additional charges. The NBA has also made unspecified charges that Sterling has destroyed and tampered with evidence.
Should Sterling fail to respond, the NBA still plans to hold a hearing on June 3 in which the Board of Governors meeting to vote on his ouster, according to a league source familiar with the situation. But the source also added such inaction could entice the owners representing the league’s Board of Governors to call for Sterling’s dismissal before the hearing.
At the hearing, both Donald and Shelly Sterling will be entitled to present their arguments and have their respective lawyers represent them. But the Sterlings have been informed that the NBA will not accept a scenario where either of them sells the Clippers while still retaining any interest of the team, according to a league source familiar with the discussions. The NBA is amenable to Donald’s attempt to transfer ownership to Shelly only if she will sell 100 percent of the team.
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