A Clippers Sale

For the Los Angeles Clippers, a national nightmare finally appears to be over. On July 28, a probate judge in California ruled that Rochelle “Shelly” Sterling can proceed with the team’s proposed $2 billion sale to ex–Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. (The decision will become official when the judge files his written version.) Her estranged husband, disgraced Clippers owner Donald Sterling–who called his wife a “pig” at one point during the proceedings–tried to block the transaction but to no avail. The judge invoked a section of California law that permits the deal to go forward if and when Sterling makes any appeals.

The ruling is a huge win for the National Basketball Association, which banned Sterling for life, fined him $2.5 million and declared that he must sell the team after recordings of him making racist remarks went public in late April. Star Clippers point guard Chris Paul talked about possibly boycotting games if Sterling were still in charge at the start of next season. At a time when the NBA, whose players are largely African American, is thriving, the league desperately wants to avoid an ongoing racial scandal.

Despite the generous $2 billion price tag for a franchise he purchased for about $12 million in 1981, Sterling has filed other lawsuits and threatened to file more. “I will never, ever, ever sell this team,” Sterling said during his testimony. “And until I die, I will be suing the NBA.”

At this point, however, it’s not really clear what he’s still fighting for.

–SEAN GREGORY