[caption id=”attachment_85351″ align=”aligncenter” width=”2297″] (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Donald Sterling’s attempt to block the $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers was overruled Monday by a California judge.
The Clippers are being sold by Sterling’s wife to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
The case was brought to court after Sterling’s wife, Shelly, tried to remove her husband from the trust that owns the team. She did so after doctors declared her husband mentally unable to manage the ownership of the team.
The judge’s ruling is tentative for now. Both sides have 10 days to bring forth any objections before a written ruling is declared.
According to USA Today, provision 1310(b) in the trust laws of California “allows Shelly Sterling to proceed with the sale of the team ‘as if no appeal were pending.'”
Monday’s ruling brings closure to what has been nearly a four-month saga. Sterling was banned from the National Basketball Association (NBA) in April after TMZ released a tape with racial remarks he made to his then-girlfriend.
“I can’t believe it’s over. I feel good,” Shelly Sterling told reporters following the ruling.
The NBA also expressed relief in the judge’s ruling.
“We are pleased that the court has affirmed Shelly Sterling’s right to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer,” said Mike Bass, an NBA executive vice president. “We look forward to the transaction closing as soon as possible.”
Ballmer has set an Aug. 15 deadline for his completion of buying the Clippers.
Watch the CBS report of the ruling below:
