US: Sterling abandons antitrust battle with NBA

Just days after disgraced Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling filed a questionable antitrust lawsuit against the NBA over the team’s sale, reports say Sterling is now surrendering to the association’s demands.

According to reports, Sterling will agree to a sale of the team and has dropped the lawsuit.

The filing was an odd twist in the scandal, which first began when recordings of Sterling allegedly making racist remarks became public; the NBA responded by banning him for life and demanding that he sell the basketball team.

Following the scandal, Sterling reportedly hired famed antitrust lawyer Maxwell Blecher, hinting at the coming lawsuit. But news of the filing emerged just hours before Sterling’s wife and co-owner of the team reached a tentative deal to sell the Clippers.

Experts wrote off Sterling’s lawsuit as bizarre and without antitrust merit, as the NBA did not force the Clippers’ sale.

Blecher confirmed Wednesday that the lawsuit has been dropped. Sterling’s wife, Shelly Sterling, reached an agreement with former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to offload the team for a record $2 billion. The NBA is reportedly expected to approve of that transaction in the near future.

Full content: USA Today

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