NBC News and other outlets report that Donald Sterling will sue the NBA for $1 billion in damages on the grounds that the league does not have the right to ban him for life or fine him. Meanwhile, Sterling’s wife Shelly is moving to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on the grounds that her 80-year-old husband is “mentally incapacitated,” a claim that was fleshed out earlier today by TMZ’s report that Sterling has Alzheimer’s:
We’re told earlier this month Donald agreed to an examination by 2 prominent neurologists. He underwent extensive tests, including a CT and PET scan. We’re told both doctors diagnosed Donald with Alzheimer’s and concluded he may have had the disease for as long as 5 years. The doctors both concluded he did not have the ability to conduct the business of the team.
Longtime NBA reporter David Aldridge says that Donald Sterling’s lawyer rejects the assertion that he is suffering from mental deteroriation:
To put this all together: Shelly Sterling is selling the Clippers and says she controls all the proceeds because Donald Sterling, who has been banned for life from the NBA, has Alzheimer’s. Donald Sterling says he does not have Alzheimer’s, that the NBA does not have any justification for punishing him, and that Shelly Sterling does not have the right to sell the Clippers. The forecast in southern California calls for litigation.
