By Tonte Davies
If you think you have seen the last of Steve Ballmer’s quirky and riotous behaviour, you have to think again. The erstwhile Microsoft CEO, whose bid for NBA franchise Los Angeles Clippers raised eyebrows last weekend, is said to be accepted by Shelly Sterling. The wife of Donald Sterling, ousted owner of the franchise, accepted the bid under authority as the sole trustee of the Sterling Family Trust. Estimated at $2 billion, the bid is widely regarded as the biggest in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
A statement released by Mrs. Sterling confirmed an agreement between her and Ballmer: “I am delighted that we are selling the team to Steve, who will be a terrific owner.” The statement goes on to say: “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.” At this point, it seems apparent not even Donald Sterling can stop the deal from going through.
On his part, Steve Ballmer is quoted in a statement as saying: “I love basketball. And I intend to do everything in my power to ensure that the Clippers continue to win – and win big – in Los Angeles. The statement continues: “L.A. is one of the world’s great cities – a city that embraces inclusiveness, in exactly the same way that the NBA and I embrace inclusiveness. I am confident that the Clippers will in the coming years become an even bigger part of the community.”
Though the sale must be approved by the NBA to go forward with the requirement of Donald Sterling’s signature as 50 percent owner, there is a twist of fate, however. Donald Sterling bought the franchise in 1981 for $12.5 million. Mr. Sterling had initially authorized his wife Shelly to negotiate sale of the team. Sterling’s lawyer Bobby Samini however came on CNN on Thursday 29th May to say something otherwise. Samini says “Sterling is not selling the team. That’s his position. He’s not going to sell.”
Mr. Sterling’s is been closely watched to what his next move might be like in a game of chess. This is because lawyer of Donald Sterling said on CNN last Thursday that Shelly Sterling does not have authority to sell without her husband’s “legal blessings.” Currently, the 80 year old real estate magnate has sued the NBA following his wife’s agreement to sell the team. Donald Sterling is seeking damages in the region of $1 billion adding that the NBA violated his rights.
The embattled owner of LA Clippers was banned from the sport for life following uproar over his racist comments. He was also fined $2.5 million with moves by the NBA to strip him of ownership of the team. Reactions to Sterling’s purported lawsuit is described as “predictable but entirely baseless” by the NBA’s Rick Buchanan, executive vice president and general counsel. “Among other infirmities, there was no ‘forced sale’ of his team by the NBA — which means his antitrust and conversion claims are completely invalid.”