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 Sterling's comments undermined the NBA's efforts to promote
diversity and inclusion; damaged its relationship with fans; harmed
NBA owners, players and Clippers personnel, and impaired the
league's relationship with marketing and merchandising partners, as
well as with government and community leaders, the league said in a
statement.
Those acts provide grounds for Sterling's termination under several
provisions of the NBA Constitution and related agreements, the NBA
said.
Sterling was banned for life by league commissioner Adam Silver last
month and threatened with the forced sale after an audio recording
surfaced of a conversation in which he berated a female friend for
publicly associating with black people.
Sterling, who has owned the Clippers since 1981, has until May 27 to
respond and has the right to appear and make a presentation at the
special meeting of the NBA Board of Governors.
If the 30-member board sustains the charge by a three-quarters vote,
all ownership interests in the Clippers will be terminated and the
team will be sold.
Sterling's attorney has told the NBA his client had done nothing
wrong and would not pay a league-issued $2.5 million fine. He also
threatened to take legal action against the league.
The uproar began after the team owner told a female friend, V.
Stiviano, in a conversation that was recorded not to bring blacks to
Clippers games.
Sterling specifically mentioned Magic Johnson and then criticized
the NBA Hall of Famer again as a poor role model during a subsequent
interview with CNN.
Sterling's wife, Shelly, who has co-owned the team with her husband
from the start, said in an interview with ABC News that she would
fight any attempt to force her to sell.
The NBA responded by saying that, under the league's constitution,
the interests of all other owners of a team come to an end when the
controlling owner's stake is terminated.
[to top of second column] |
Shelly Sterling's lawyers
released a statement on Monday saying they saw no reason why she
should be forced to sell.
"We have just received the voluminous charges and are beginning the
process of carefully reviewing them," the statement read.
"Based on our initial assessment, we continue to believe there is no
lawful basis for stripping Shelly Sterling of her 50 percent
ownership interest in the Clippers.
"She is the innocent estranged spouse. We also continue to hope that
we can resolve this dispute with the NBA for the good of all
constituencies.”
The Clippers were eliminated from the second round of the NBA
playoffs last Thursday by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Richard Parsons, a former Time Warner chief executive and chairman,
has been installed by the league as the team's chief executive.
(Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Gene Cherry)
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