Donald Sterling's team suggests they're moving on from Clippers sale; will focus on other lawsuits

When the 2nd Court of Appeal dismissed Donald Sterling's petition to overturn last month's ruling in Los Angeles Superior Court pertaining to the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers, his legal team was left without much recourse.

With an appeal denied - within 24 hours, no less -  they were more or less out of options, unless they wanted to file a petition with the state Supreme Court, an extreme long shot to succeed.

As such, Sterling's attorneys appear set to shift their focus from one legal matter to the next. In a joint statement, attorneys Max Blecher and Bobby Samini expressed disappointment in the ruling:

He has been deprived from ownership of the Clippers after 33 years without being accorded appellate review of this harsh result.

Nevertheless, we are confident Donald will be completely vindicated in his federal case against the NBA. More importantly, we believe that the 'popular' ruling in the probate matter is a serious blow to the privacy rights for all Americans.

The federal case against the NBA that Sterling's attorneys refer to is an antitrust lawsuit originally filed on behalf of himself and the Sterling Family Trust, of which he is no longer a trustee. Still, he is aiming to recover damages from the league, and antitrust suits are awarded treble damages if victorious. 

Meanwhile, Shelly Sterling has indemnified the league against action, and the league has countersued Donald Sterling, citing "devastating and incalculable harm."

The important thing for basketball fans to remember in the next stage of the legal battle is that Donald Sterling can now only sue for money, but he has no means of ever getting the Clippers back.