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Donald Sterling's lawyers pleased by combative testimony

David Leon Moore and Josh Peter, USA TODAY Sports 10:57 p.m. EDT July 8, 2014

LOS ANGELES -- Donald Sterling began testifying Tuesday at the probate trial vs. his estranged wife Shelly -- and it was not a pretty scene for the roughly one hour he was on the stand.

Sterling almost immediately in response to questions by Shelly's attorneys, said: "What kind of question is that? I'm talking about your question, all of them. I'm sure they will improve."

Matters were not helped by 85-year-old lawyer Bert Fields being hard to hear, and 80-year-old Donald Sterling a little hard of hearing.

Donald, still more combatively, went on. "Do you rely on CNN for your information?"

At that, Judge Michael Levanas, smiling, said: "Anybody here from CNN?"

Again in response to a question from Fields, Sterling said: "I don't talk to the NBA. I don't talk to your firm. I just talk to my lawyers."

The trial will continue Wednesday, with Donald Sterling back on the stand and back facing questioning from Fields. Sterling is arguing that his wife, who had him removed as co-trustee after two doctors examined him in May and concluded he is mentally incapacitated, could not unilaterally sell the team on behalf of the Sterling Family Trust because he revoked the trust on June 9.

Outside the courthouse after the session, Fields told news media: "All of you now know what Donald Sterling is. ... The more and more and more he gives the more you guys saw the real Donald Sterling."

Sterling almost immediately in response to questions by Shelly's attorneys, said: "What kind of question is that? I'm talking about your question, all of them. I'm sure they will improve."

LOL

An 80 year old lawyer questioning an 85 year old witness.

"Eh?" "What?" "What did you ask?" "What did you answer?"

Matters were not helped by 85-year-old lawyer Bert Fields being hard to hear, and 80-year-old Donald Sterling a little hard of hearing.

Donald, still more combatively, went on. "Do you rely on CNN for your information?"

At that, Judge Michael Levanas, smiling, said: "Anybody here from CNN?"

LOL

Again in response to a question from Fields, Sterling said: "I don't talk to the NBA. I don't talk to your firm. I just talk to my lawyers."

In LA. Show Time of a different kind.

Grumpy Old Men

On Wednesday, he blasted the NBA as "the worst corporation in America," saying he would never willingly sell the team and that he would fight the league in court as long as it takes.

"I will never, ever, ever sell this team," Sterling said. "And until I did, I will be suing the NBA."

The old goat is not someone you want fighting you in court.

LOS ANGELES -- The Clippers moved on from months of ugliness Tuesday, with Steve Ballmer officially becoming the team's new owner in a record US$2 billion sale that ousted Donald Sterling as the NBA's longest-tenured owner.

Sterling bought the team in 1981 for $12 million and presided over decades of losing seasons before engaging in a fierce legal battle with his estranged wife to hold on to his most prized asset.

The team said the sale closed after a Los Angeles court confirmed the authority of Shelly Sterling, on behalf of the Sterling Family Trust, to sell the franchise to the former Microsoft CEO.

The NBA Board of Governors had previously approved the sale.

"Really excited -- in a pretty hardcore way -- to continue the path to making the Clippers a better and better basketball team, and a better and better citizen of the Los Angeles community," Ballmer told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

The bizarre drama began in April when a recording surfaced of Donald Sterling scolding his girlfriend for bringing black men to Clippers games. The audio spurred the NBA to ban Sterling for life and fine him $2.5 million.

Sterling was apologetic after the audio recording went viral, but his mea culpa backfired when he criticized Lakers great Magic Johnson, who had been photographed with Sterling's girlfriend, as a bad role model for kids because he had HIV. The 80-year-old real estate mogul was roundly condemned from locker rooms to the Oval Office, where President Barack Obama called Sterling's remarks "incredibly offensive racist statements."

With the NBA threatening to seize the team and auction it, Sterling initially gave his wife of 58 years permission to negotiate a sale but then refused to sign the Ballmer deal. He said he would sue the league instead and then revoked the trust, which his lawyers said effectively killed the deal.

Shelly Sterling removed Donald as a trustee after doctors found he had symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

Adam Streisand, Ballmer's lawyer, said Tuesday that Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas signed the order authorizing the sale even if Donald Sterling's attorneys filed an appeal.

He said even if Donald Sterling seeks an emergency order directing the judge to vacate his order, the lawyer is confident an appellate court would agree that Levanas made the correct decision.

Donald Sterling's lawyers weren't immediately available to comment.

The sale ends some troubling concerns that had surrounded the team in recent months.

Doc Rivers would possibly have quit as coach if Sterling remained the owner, interim CEO Richard Parsons had testified. All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who also is president of the Players Association, might have sat out and convinced other players to join him. Sponsors who already started to flee after the Donald Sterling recording was released might have stayed away for good.

None of that appears to be a problem with Ballmer taking over what could be a powerhouse team next season. By agreeing to the record purchase price, he's already proven he's willing to spend in contrast to the famously frugal Sterling, long regarded as the worst owner in the NBA.

"The topic of conversation with Doc earlier was to focus in on what does it take and how can I help support him in achieving our mutual mission and in a pretty intense way continue to improve, be tenacious," Ballmer said. "If we do all that, good things will come our way."

Ballmer was nearly an NBA owner last year before owners chose to keep the Kings in Sacramento, rather than allow them to be sold to a group that included Ballmer and moved to Seattle.

Now he's got his own team to share with his wife and three sons.

"We're a family that likes basketball," he told the AP.

Does the sale prohibit a move? I gotta wonder if he would like to move them up to the teamless Seattle. They are in the midst of an environmental assessment approval for a new arena which will probably come in November. At some point, someone is going to want to have tenants in a new Arena and that means NBA and NHL.