Althouse: "Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling does not have the authority to stop a $2 billion sale of his team..."

May 30, 2014

"Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling does not have the authority to stop a $2 billion sale of his team..."

".. because he has been determined to be mentally unfit to make decisions related to the family trust..."

Now, there's a clever move in a devious game, right?

35 comments:

Ctmom4 said...: Crazy lik a fox?; 5/30/14, 2:53 PM
etbass said...: A related article in SI.com said Sterling had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the basis for his disqualification to make decisions about sale of his team. Wonder if this finding will ultimately nullify the NBA penalties against him?; 5/30/14, 3:03 PM
bleh said...: I suspected something was amiss with this guy, and as cynical as I am, I have a hard time believing neurologists would stake their reputations to a bogus (but highly publicized) diagnosis. Doctors are corruptible, but this is a hot issue ripe for litigation all around.

But who knows? Maybe Sterling secretly agreed to this diagnosis, to both facilitate the sale AND to have something to complain about later when the NBA approves the sale over his objection because the Sterling family has ousted him. What effect does this have on the June 3 meeting? Wasn't that to record a vote of owners, i.e., whether Sterling should be forced to sell?

Althouse, I have a question: why don't you "preapprove" certain readers to post comments without having to go through a moderator? Once you feel a certain reader is thoughtful and posts in good faith, you can approve the reader to post without moderation. If that reader later becomes abusive, you can relegate the reader to presumptively untrustworthy. I would think such a system would save you time as well by reducing the comments you need to moderate.

Just a thought.; 5/30/14, 3:10 PM
Real American said...: If Sterling has been declared mentally unfit doesn't that change the nature of his statements? If he's some deranged and impaired old man who is saying things without realizing their meaning or impact how can anyone really be mad at him?

In any event, no way Ballmer moves the team to Seattle. That would greatly reduce its value, which largely comes from being in LA.; 5/30/14, 3:15 PM
Charlie said...: He's being punished by being forced to sell the team at a 16,000% profit. What a country!; 5/30/14, 3:26 PM
mccullough said...: If he turns down $2 billion for the second-worst franchise in all of professional sports, then he's crazier than a shit-house rat.

The Lakers aren't even worth $2 billion.; 5/30/14, 3:41 PM
paminwi said...: If the dementia finding stands on May 22 Donald signed over control to his wife. If he has dementia now did he have it on May 22nd? Would that be a legal contract?

Also, the fact that the Clippers have stay in LA will make the new Milwaukee Bucks owners breathe a sigh of relief, at least temporarily. As I understand it, the Milwaukee area has to agree to build a new arena in 3 years or the guys that "bought" the team will be able to sell the team to the NBA. Then, there is interest in moving the team to Seattle because the city would love a franchise again.

The Bucks were a real bargain at $529M.; 5/30/14, 3:47 PM
madAsHell said...: I've always been told that the only diagnosis for Alzheimer's was an autopsy.; 5/30/14, 3:59 PM
Phil 314 said...: He'll hath no fury; 5/30/14, 4:01 PM
John henry said...: When this first became a possibility values in the 500mm range, tops, were being bandied about. I posted a statement by the LA Times that they might be worth 1bn and was called crazy over at the Isthmus.

Seems to me that if Sterling actually tried to stop a sale for $2bn, that would be evidence of mental incompetence.

Was this whole thing some sort of ploy? Or was it real?

Duck Dynasty got castigated for being anti-gay and is doing better than ever.

Ditto Chick-Fil-A. They passed KFC last year in sales and broke into the top ten fast food restaurants in the US. Even though they have:

1) Relatively limited area
2) 1/3 the stores of KFC
3) Are only open 6 days a week.

Yeah, how are those gay boycotts and vilification working out, suckers?

If DD and CFA did not instigate these controversies themselves, they should have.

If they did, I hope their PR firm made millions for their brilliance.

Ditto Sterling. I take back everything bad I said about the woman. I think she and Sterling are geniuses and deserve every penny.

John Henry; 5/30/14, 4:38 PM
Fandor said...: Ann, a (some) question(s)...WHO diagnosed Donald Sterling with Alzheimer's disease? How far has it progressed?
How is it determined, by the court or the "legal controling authority", WHEN Sterling is at the point that he is mentally unfit to make decisions for himself, especially in the case of selling his property?
Just curious, professor.; 5/30/14, 5:00 PM
David said...: Now that is getting even. Wow!; 5/30/14, 5:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Hopefully Seattle gets a team.; 5/30/14, 5:54 PM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: Steve Ballmer will ask Shelly Sterling to indemnify him against any claims from Donald Sterling. The NBA would be well advised to seek a similar indemnification as a condition for approving the sale.

Will Shelly give those indemnifications? Probably mot unless she first a court order in this fitness issue or Donald's signature.

What will Donald want for his signature? A release from the lifetime ban? Courtside seats? A skybox?

A brilliant move would be for Donald to offer to establish a $100M loan fund to provide startup funds for minority entreneuers, provided Magic Johnson puts up a similar sum.

He could also ask other NBA players to join in contributing matching funds. Mark Cuban, how much would you like to donate? Mr. Commissioner?; 5/30/14, 6:55 PM
cassandra lite said...: Back in the USSR.; 5/30/14, 6:58 PM
traditionalguy said...: Donald's lawyer is the one at risk. If the mental incompetence dodge is upheld, then he/she may be the loser.

I hope Donald hires a black woman as his attorney and she beats his wife's game.; 5/30/14, 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...: So the NBA is picking on an Alzheimer's patient? For something he said in private?; 5/30/14, 7:32 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Althouse, I have a question: why don't you "preapprove" certain readers to post comments without having to go through a moderator? Once you feel a certain reader is thoughtful and posts in good faith, you can approve the reader to post without moderation. If that reader later becomes abusive, you can relegate the reader to presumptively untrustworthy. I would think such a system would save you time as well by reducing the comments you need to moderate."

I don't have the software to do it, but it would be great if Blogger added that.; 5/30/14, 10:25 PM
Anonymous said...: Paying $2 bn for the Clippers, Ballmer has a lot more money than sense. It will be amusing to watch as the contracts of the Clippers players expire and negotiations begin for new ones. You can bet the agents of those players will be seeking top dollar. After all, if Ballmer can afford to pay that much for the club, they'll claim, he is rich enough to pay his players a lot more than they're getting now.; 5/30/14, 10:54 PM
Renee said...: @davidjay

Most families are in denial when it comes to the disease.; 5/31/14, 5:17 AM
sykes.1 said...: The bottom line is, he's getting $2 billion for a team he bought for $12.5 million.

And he still owns the building they play in, and the parking lot, and the concession rights and the TV rights.

Balmer is an idiot.; 5/31/14, 6:36 AM
Carol said...: Younger people tend to think all the elderly are demented, especially if the latter control some money or property they covet. Could be anything from a basketball team to a paid off trailer house.; 5/31/14, 7:53 AM
Illuninati said...: After reading V. Stiviano's comments I have to agree that Donald Sterling is probably not operating at 100% efficiency. She sounds more like his caregiver than his mistress albeit a very manipulative caregiver bordering on elder abuse.; 5/31/14, 8:27 AM
SGT Ted said...: Oh, so basically, the NBA is discriminating against someone with a mental condition disability.; 5/31/14, 9:06 AM
Nichevo said...: Like like like. It was obvious from reading the transcript the poor man was non compos mentis. The fact that he should be hung out to dry like this was a shame on everyone who participated. and in my opinion such a diagnosis excuses him from any sort of sanction like that.; 5/31/14, 9:25 AM
William said...: Sterling does seem addled. Maybe the way it works is that some of your faculties remain shrewd and others deteriorate. He surely doesn't know how to pick mistresses, but he knows how to get top dollar......I'd check Ballmer's mental acuity. No wonder Microsoft stayed in the doldrums for ten years under his leadership.; 5/31/14, 12:42 PM
furious_a said...: As long as Crack Emcee gets his cut...; 5/31/14, 1:14 PM
Kirby Olson said...: Everything that's been said so far starting with Sterling's comments on blacks hasn't really been thought through. No one in the NBA is there because of the clarity of their thought process, but this is an endless travesty of poor judgment and hasty thinking, combined with wording that reveals absolutely no care for words. Is that LA? This kind of thing couldn't happen in New York, or in any of the eastern provinces. But then I think - well wait, Silver is from Rye. It's all slipshod thinking - we need a comedy in which slipshod thinking is foregrounded in order to capture this unique event. We still don't know who made the Alzheimer's designation or on what basis they did it.; 5/31/14, 1:20 PM
PB said...: This all seems to have happened pretty darn fast. Things like judgement of incompetence, a quick sale, and imposition of fines by the NBA, without proper hearings by the defendant seem to smack of a rush to judgement. I think both the NBA and Shelly are going to pay. Big.; 5/31/14, 1:58 PM
jr565 said...: That will be hilarious if Lakers fans demand the sale of the team and it ends up going to Seattle. Talk abut a pyyrhic victory. It might work out nice for Seatle though.
But 2 billion dollars? Are they punishing him or rewarding him for his many years of service?; 5/31/14, 2:53 PM
jr565 said...: Paying $2 bn for the Clippers, Ballmer has a lot more money than sense."

They might want to spend a little less on a basketball team and a little more on fixing the Kinect on the X Box One.; 5/31/14, 2:55 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: After all I read about how he was going to be held to account, I guess if he hadn't made racist statements he could sell the team for FIVE billion dollars.; 5/31/14, 3:42 PM
Drago said...: sykes.1: "Balmer is an idiot."

Hardly.

I can't wait to hear what back door "deals" the NBA offered Balmer to ensure Balmer hits his targeted "net" numbers on this transaction.

All in all, it's very smart of the NBA to proceed in this manner.

The league can easily come up with creative ways to ensure Balmer gets what he needs, the $2B pricetag ensures the deal will go thru on the sell side, it's likely to avoid any serious legal challenges (and some "messy" discovery actions), and the league gets to move on quickly.

Win, Win, Win, Win.

Or as Charlie Sheen would say: 'pass the cocaine please'.

Or something to that effect.; 6/1/14, 2:22 AM
jr565 said...: If basketball team owning becomes a profit loss I guess you can start making sexist/racist/homomphobic epithets, and then when there is a call to sell your team you can make a killing.; 6/1/14, 11:35 AM
Kirk Parker said...: BDYNC,

"Althouse, I have a question: why don't you "preapprove" certain readers to post comments without having to go through a moderator?"

Pretty sure Blogger doesn't offer that feature.

Renee,

"Most families are in denial when it comes to the disease [Alzheimers]"

And you know this how exactly?

"Balmer is an idiot."

Yeah. The rest of the world is now finding out what we in IT have known for years and years...; 6/2/14, 12:31 AM