On Tuesday, Donald Sterling’s lawyer said Sterling would “fight to the bloody end” against the NBA’s attempts to force him to sell his team. He also said that Sterling “disavowed” anything his wife, Shelly Sterling, is doing to sell the team.
Earlier in the day, Sterling responded to the NBA’s charges against him and called the NBA’s proceedings against him a “sham.” He said forcing him to sell his team was “illegal” and could suppress free speech in the league.
Max Blecher, Sterling’s lawyer, also told ESPN that Sterling was “in a state of shock at first,” but, “now he’s recovering and he’s much more feisty.”
“I don’t know what agreement she has with him, but I’m saying to you today, he disavows anything she’s doing to sell the team,” Blecher told ESPN. “He says ‘It’s my team and I’ll sell it when and if I get around to it.'”
Shelly Sterling’s lawyer had said Sterling gave his wife written permission to sell the team. She has reportedly received at least six officers and hired Bank of America to help her sell the franchise.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has banned Sterling from the league for life for racist remarks he made to V. Stiviano. A hearing has been scheduled for June 3 in which 3/4 of the league’s owners could vote to force Sterling to sell his team.