Report: Donald Sterling declared 'mentally incapacitated', Shelly Sterling becomes sole trustee
With Thursday's reported agreement for a sale of the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, many were left to wonder what would come next in the process, as Donald Sterling loomed as a threat to the proceedings.
That may no longer be a concern, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
Espn has learned that experts had declared Donald Sterling mentally incapacitated, leaving Shelly as sole trustee & power to sell the team
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) May 30, 2014
The Sterling Family Trust had rules & guidelines about mental incapacitation. Very recently, Donald was found by experts to be incapacitated
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) May 30, 2014
Said differently, experts have deemed Donald Sterling unfit to handle the family trust, which owns the Los Angeles Clippers. As such, Shelly Sterling becomes the sole trustee, which has allowed her - along with previously written permission from Donald, which he later disavowed - to sell the team.
The sale, as detailed in the story linked above, has been sent directly to the NBA for approval, and the sale does not require Donald Sterling's signature.
His first legal recourse would now reportedly be to contest Shelly Sterling getting sole power of the trust, not a move against the NBA.
The league has a Board of Governors hearing scheduled for June 3 that was originally set to deal with the audio recordings of Donald Sterling making racist remarks, which led to his being banned from the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver recommending the owners vote to remove him as owner of the Clippers. It is unclear at present if that hearing can now be cancelled or if it will be repurposed to approve Ballmer as an owner.