Donald Sterling's estranged wife, Shelly Sterling, has sold the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for a staggering $2 billion. "I am delighted that we are selling the team to Steve, who will be a terrific owner," Sterling said in a statement. "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."
According to reports, Don was declared mentally unfit to make decisions related to the Sterling Family Trust, which owns the team. That meant Shelly had sole decision-making power for the trust, according to reports. The deal was signed just before midnight Thursday, a source told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. Ballmer must approved by the NBA's office and three-fourths of the league's owners, but it sounds like NBA commissioner Adam Silver is well in the know and fully supports the deal.
Apparently the disgraced real estate billionaire has hinted that he wants to challenge the sale, but things don't look good for him legally.
On Thursday night, Ballmer, who lives in Seattle, said he plans on keeping the team in Los Angeles. Previously the sports-loving techie made a failed bid to buy Sacramento Kings in hopes of moving the team to Washington. "I love basketball," Ballmer said to media. "And I intend to do everything in my power to ensure that the Clippers continue to win -- and win big -- in Los Angeles. 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."
We really didn't expect this to happen so fast! Are you happy about the sale? Let us know.
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