L.A. law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips "will no longer represent" banned Clippers Owner Donald Sterling and his wife, Rochelle, because of the couple's "diverging interests from each other and from the team," according to James Rainey of the L.A. TIMES. The conflict "leaves Manatt Partner Robert Platt as chief counsel for the Clippers." Sources said that the shift "sent Donald Sterling scrambling for representation." Sources added that another top L.A. law firm "spurned" Sterling before he landed "under the wing of an old ally, the veteran antitrust lawyer Maxwell M. Blecher." Sterling is "putting his trust" in Blecher, a "contemporary and a lawyer who previously represented him when he fought with the NBA over moving the Clippers" from San Diego to L.A. Blecher also "prevailed in a couple of battles with the NFL," assisting the Raiders and Rams to "surmount objections from the pro football league as they moved to new cities." Blecher was "involved in the Raiders case as the lawyer for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum." He also "successfully represented" late Rams Owner Georgia Frontiere in '95 as she "pushed to move the pro football franchise to St. Louis" (L.A. TIMES, 5/18).
BATTLE ROYALE? In N.Y., Mitch Lawrence wrote Clippers players "want a fairly quick resolution" to the Sterlings' ownership battle. Clippers F Blake Griffin said, "I don't think anybody wants to drag this out -- except for two people" (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 5/17). USA TODAY's Nancy Armour writes a "long and ugly battle" over the Clippers would "hurt everyone," including Sterling. Scrutiny is now "turning to his business dealings, and that fallout has the potential to be far more costly." As much as Sterling "loves a good fight, a protracted battle for the Clippers only keeps him in the spotlight -- and under the microscope." Amour: "Better to sell now than risk additional revelations of unsavory and unseemly behavior" (USA TODAY, 5/19). But in N.Y., Chuck Klosterman wrote under the header, "What Exactly Was Donald Sterling's Offense?" Sterling’s punishment "received almost universal support," but "why?" It was "not simply what he said, nor simply what he believes -- it was the intractable collision of those two things." His words "validated the longstanding perception of his worldview, and that made both problems nonnegotiable" (N.Y. TIMES MAGAZINE, 5/18 issue).
A FINE MESS: The N.Y. Daily News' Frank Isola said he does not think Sterling's legal fight "will be an issue for the players or for free agency" because the players are "so removed from this" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 5/16). ESPN's Jeremy Schaap said the NBA "avoided potentially a nightmare with the Clippers" not reaching the conference finals. But the Boston Globe's Bob Ryan said "just based on all the legalities involved" Sterling will probably still own the Clippers when the season opens next year. Ryan: "The ramifications of the divorce are going to be the No. 1 determinant factor about what happens here" ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 5/18). Clippers coach and Senior VP/Basketball Operations Doc Rivers said that he "had no plans to leave 'as far as I know,'" after the first season of his three-year contract. Rivers: "I’m prepared for somewhat of a messy summer, mentally at least" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/17).
PLAYOFF PAYOFF: ESPN.com's Darren Rovell reported the Clippers "pulled in" an estimated $10.5M from their postseason run, which included seven games at Staples Center. Sources said that the Clippers net approximately $1M "per home playoff game in ticket sales." They also "net $500,000 in ancillary revenue, including concessions and merchandise" (ESPN.com, 5/16).
