Tag Archives: Donald Sterling

Donald Sterling’s attorney responds to latest discrimination lawsuit

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Monday saw yet another discrimination lawsuit filed against Donald Sterling, one that alleges racist and sexist taunts on the part of the Clippers owner.

Represented by Gloria Allred, a woman named Maiko Maya King alleges that after she agreed to work as Sterling’s personal assistant in 2013, “contrary to his agreement to pay her $10,000 a month, Sterling dangled money only if she would have sex with him.”

Bobby Samini, an attorney for Sterling, responded to the allegations Tuesday morning.

“The claim by Ms. King is baseless and ridiculous,” Samini wrote in an email. “She was never employed by Donald Sterling. Her claim was obviously (prompted) by opportunistic motives.”

In 2009, Sterling settled a housing discrimination lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice for $2.725 million.

The 80-year-old is likely on his way out as an NBA franchise owner, though he filed a lawsuit seeking $1 billion in damages against the league on Friday. The NBA still needs to vote approve to approve Steve Ballmer as the Clippers’ new owner after the former Microsoft CEO agreed to buy the team for $2 billion last week.

NBA calls Donald Sterling’s lawsuit “entirely baseless”

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The NBA scoffed at Clippers embattled owner Donald Sterling planning to sue them for $1 billion in damages.

“Mr. Sterling’s lawsuit is predictable, but entirely baseless,” NBA Executive Vice President and General Counsel Rick Buchanan said in a statement to this newspaper. “Among other infirmities, there was no “forced sale” of his team by the NBA – which means his antitrust and conversion claims are completely invalid. Since it was his wife Shelly Sterling, and not the NBA, that has entered into an agreement to sell the Clippers, Mr. Sterling is complaining about a set of facts that doesn’t even exist.”
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Donald Sterling will sue the NBA for $1 billion

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Even as his franchise steps toward a new regime, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling plans to sue the NBA for $1 billion in damages.

Attorney Maxwell Blecher confirmed that his client intends to file suit against the league, as first reported by NBC News. Sterling’s wife, Shelly, agreed Thursday to sell the franchise to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion after reportedly having her husband declared mentally incapacitated. She in turn claimed full control of the Sterling Family Trust, which owns the Clippers.

The league has not yet approved the sale of the Clippers, and is proceeding with a June 3 hearing to oust Donald Sterling. Commissioner Adam Silver has maintained that the preferred outcome is a voluntary sale.

Sterling is seeking damages for the lifetime ban the NBA handed him last month and his termination charges.

Shelly Sterling announces $2 billion sale of Clippers to Steve Ballmer

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Los Angeles Clippers co-owner Shelly Sterling has announced the franchise’s $2 billion sale to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

The record-setting transaction was signed by Ballmer and Sterling Thursday evening, but both parties remained mum until releasing statements late that night.

Shelly Sterling said in the release that she was acting as the sole trustee of the Sterling Family Trust, which owns the Clippers. ESPN reported that experts had recently declared co-owner Donald Sterling to be “mentally incapacitated,” transferring power over the team to Shelly under the rules of the trust.

“I am delighted that we are selling the team to Steve, who will be a terrific owner,” Shelly Sterling said. “We have worked for 33 years to build the Clippers into a premiere NBA franchise. I am confident that Steve will take the team to new levels of success.” Continue reading “Shelly Sterling announces $2 billion sale of Clippers to Steve Ballmer” »

E-Poll: Donald Sterling is the most hated man in America

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Results of a poll released Thursday by E-Poll Market Research identified shamed and lame-duck Clippers owner Donald Sterling as the most hated man in America.
According to a story on ESPN.com, Sterling was disliked by 92 percent of people polled who were familiar with Sterling.
The rest of the top 10 poll in order included Bernie Madoff (90 percent), O.J. Simpson (88 percent), Conrad Murray (Michael Jackson’s doctor, 88 percent), Justin Bieber (86 percent), Phil Spector (83 percent), Aaron Hernandez (Patriots tight end accused of three murders, 81 percent), Michael Lohan (father of Lindsay Lohan, 76 percent), Eliot Spitzer (former New York governor who resigned after being named in prostitution scandal, 73 percent) and Jon Gosselin (reality TV personality, 71 percent).
Sterling has been banned by the NBA for life for his now-infamous racist comments, particularly toward African-Americans.

Clippers bidding deadline passes at 2 p.m. Wednesday

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The deadline to bid on the Los Angeles Clippers passed at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

According to the Sports Business Journal, the bidding term sheet required a $300 million deposit.

Although Donald Sterling’s formal response to the NBA on Tuesday asked that he not be terminated as Clippers owner — followed by his attorney’s vow to ESPN to “fight to the bloody end” — his wife Shelly Sterling is proceeding with a sale.

Her attorney Pierce O’Donnell said in a statement Tuesday night that she is managing the sale of the team with written consent from her husband.

Multiple reports indicate that Donald Sterling had sent another letter to the NBA on May 22, saying that he had empowered Shelly to sell the franchise they have owned since 1981. However, the league has never approved Shelly Sterling as a controlling owner.

The NBA advisory-finance committee also met again on Wednesday via conference call to discuss Donald and Shelly Sterling’s responses to the charge to terminate their ownership of the Clippers.

“These documents, along with the charge, were distributed to the NBA Board of Governors, which will meet on June 3 at 1 p.m. in New York City to hear and vote upon this matter,” league spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement.

A three-fourths majority vote by the board would terminate Sterling’s stake in the team.