Sterling files a new lawsuit amid Clippers collapse fear
‘Disaster if owner stays’
LOS ANGELES, July 23, (Agencies): Embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling filed a new lawsuit Tuesday as testimony continued in a probate trial on the validity of a $2 billion deal to sell the NBA team.
A mess that began in April when recordings of Sterling making racist comments to his would-be girlfriend led to his being banned from the NBA for life by league commissioner Adam Silver, lingers on — even as an August 15 deadline approaches to complete the deal, or risk having the offer withdrawn.
The league began proceedings to strip ownership from Sterling before he gave wife Shelly the power to make a sales deal. She struck a $2 billion pact with former Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer, only to have Sterling file a lawsuit challenging the validity of the forced sale.
The new lawsuit by Sterling claims Shelly Sterling, the NBA and Silver defrauded him when they moved to sell the Clippers to Ballmer and he seeks an injunction to halt the sale as well as unspecified damages.
Donald Sterling claims his decision last month to take apart the family trust kept his wife from making any move to sell the Clippers and that his wife’s moves to have him declared mentally incompetent relied on fraud and breach of contract and inflicted emotional distress upon Sterling, already reviled by many Clippers fans, sponsors and employees for his remarks.
Sterling also has a pending federal antitrust lawsuit claiming the NBA treated sterling differently than other owners, with Sterling having said he thinks he can win as much as $9 billion in damages in federal court.
Meanwhile, Coach Doc Rivers has said he’ll resign from the Los Angeles Clippers if Donald Sterling remains the owner, the interim CEO testified, saying such a move would be a “disaster” for the franchise.
“If Mr Sterling continues as owner, he does not want to continue as coach,” Richard Parsons said in court on Tuesday, recounting recent conversations with Rivers.
His testimony was a rare foray into the basketball side of the Clippers at a probate-court trial that has focused on the narrow question of whether Sterling’s wife, Shelly, can sell the team for $2 billion to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer as the NBA looks to force Donald Sterling from the league over racist statements.
Shelly Sterling was scheduled to return to the stand on Wednesday as the final witness, with the two sides returning for closing arguments next week.
Parsons, a former chief executive at Time Warner and Citigroup who took over leadership of the Clippers in May during the media blitz surrounding the banishment of Sterling, said under questioning by Ballmer’s lawyer that the departure of Rivers would “accelerate the death spiral” of the Clippers.
“If Doc were to leave, that would be a disaster,” Parsons said. “Doc is the father figure, the one who leads.”
Team representatives said Rivers had no comment on the testimony.
Parsons said he fears there would also be an exodus of key players, including team captain Chris Paul, who heads the NBA players union.
The judge stopped Parsons from giving an account of his conversations with Paul when an NBA lawyer objected over privacy issues.
Parsons said corporate sponsors and season ticket holders would likely be the next to leave.