Menu
Franchises

Rochelle Sterling Pushing For Quick Sale Of Clippers As Donald Promises To Fight

Clippers co-Owner Rochelle Sterling "is mounting a hurried sale of the team ... and could name a prospective new owner by the end of the week," according to a front-page piece by Rainey, Chang & Fenno of the L.A. TIMES. Rochelle Sterling "is trying to sell the Clippers in advance of a Tuesday deadline, when the 30 pro basketball teams will vote on whether to strip control of the team" from both her and Donald Sterling. The "whirlwind series of events suggested a potentially rapid resolution to a scandal that appeared as if it might drag on for months or years, though people close to the NBA cautioned that the sale of the team is far from complete and eventually must be approved by the other owners" (L.A. TIMES, 5/28). In N.Y., Scott Cacciola notes Rochelle Sterling "continued to entertain offers from potential buyers." Her lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell, said, "We’re working furiously to secure a buyer, and we’re working cooperatively with the NBA on the sale process." He reiterated that Donald Sterling "had authorized Rochelle Sterling 'in writing' to negotiate a sale." Donald Sterling’s lawyer Maxwell M. Blecher "objected to that characterization." Blecher said, "He’s not interested in selling. He’s going to fight to the bloody end." O'Donnell said that Rochelle Sterling "had been in regular contact with league officials," including Exec VP/Strategy & CFO Jason Cahilly, who spent the weekend in L.A. (N.Y. TIMES, 5/28). Blecher said, "I don't know what agreement she has with him, but I'm saying to you today, he disavows anything she's doing to sell the team. He says, 'It's my team, and I'll sell it when and if I get around to it.'" Meanwhile, sources said that Rochelle Sterling has set a deadline of this morning "for the first round of bidding on the team." ESPN L.A.'s Ramona Shelburne notes Bank of America yesterday "made bid books with financial information on the team available to potential buyers" (ESPNLA.com, 5/28).

DONALD AIN'T DONE: In L.A., Rainey, Chang & Fenno note a "defiant" Donald Sterling yesterday "lashed out at what he called the league's 'illegal termination process.'" Sterling in a formal response to the NBA said that he "does not have high expectations for the hearing before his fellow owners next week" in N.Y. Sterling's response stated no American court "will enforce the draconian penalties imposed on Mr. Sterling in these circumstances." The response: "We believe that preservation of Mr. Sterling's constitutional rights requires that these sham proceedings be terminated in Mr. Sterling's favor." If NBA owners "vote to terminate the Sterlings' ownership, the league would then conduct the sale of the team on its own." The proceeds "would still go to the couple" (L.A. TIMES, 5/28). USA TODAY's Brent Schrotenboer notes Sterling in his response said that he "will fight the league's move to force him to sell his team and he noted he has received offers" of more than $2.5B for the franchise. The document: "A jealous rant to a lover never intended to be published cannot offend the NBA rules." The league said that Sterling "ran afoul of a morals clause in Article II of its joint venture agreement with him." But Sterling in the response said the provision "is not meant to oversee morals and ethics in the home; it is meant to govern morals and ethics in conducting the sport of professional basketball" (USA TODAY, 5/28).

ALL OR NOTHING: In L.A., Jack Wang notes Sterling in his response "contested each of the league’s charges in the letter, denying that he has violated its constitution" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 5/28). ESPN L.A.'s Shelburne notes Donald Sterling "asks that the proceedings to terminate him at a hearing of the board of governors June 3 be dismissed." Rochelle Sterling "also filed a response to the league's termination charges, reasserting her 50 percent ownership interest in the team and contending that she is being unfairly punished for her husband's actions." Sterling in his response "also questions whether the NBA is 'willing to set a standard that an individual can be punished for voicing a negative opinion.'" The response "specifically references" Magic Owner Rich DeVos, "who, in his words, 'has made highly controversial comments against individuals with HIV/AIDS and generously supports anti-homosexual causes with impugnity'" (ESPNLA.com, 5/28).

THE ROAD AHEAD: In California, Dan Woike writes Donald Sterling with his response "makes it abundantly clear -- in his eyes the NBA is wrong, and he has every right to continue owning the team." He "is going to fight" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 5/28). SI’s Michael McCann, on how he sees the situation playing out for the NBA: “I think we’ll see filings. I think we’ll see a bit of a lull as briefs are drafted and as court hearings are scheduled. I think that’s the most likely outcome. Also, I think there’s a wildcard and that’s Donald Sterling agrees to sell the team” (“The Dan Patrick Show,” 5/28). ESPN’s Darren Rovell said, “I think the NBA would like to do this through Shelly, as long as Donald will not have any percentage of the team. That won’t happen by June 3rd, but if it’s far along, I do believe the NBA would like the process to continue and not start the whole thing over again. They want to get this done as expeditiously as possible” (“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 5/28).

CUBAN STILL CHIMING IN: Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban yesterday said that he "doesn't deal" with other NBA owners. Cuban: "Unless it has to do specifically with basketball, I don't know and I don't care what (the owners) are doing in the rest of their business lives." He added, "Here's something that I think people have completely, absolutely positively wrong: They make it seem like the ownership is kind of a tight-knit group, we're all buddies, we know each other, we hang out. Maybe that's the way it is with the NFL meetings; maybe it is in Major League Baseball, but there's been turnover in the NBA. There's owners I wouldn't know them if I saw them, they were sitting right here in the room." Cuban: "It's not like we're a tight-knit group. I don't think -- I've never gone out to dinner with any owner while they were an owner. ... I've never hung out socially with any of them" (DALLASNEWS.com, 5/27).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2014/05/28/Franchises/Clippers.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2014/05/28/Franchises/Clippers.aspx

CLOSE