Date of Clippers sale

[insidehoops]

Commissioner Adam Silver expects the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer to be approved by NBA owners by mid-July at the latest.

[insidehoops]

Silver also said before Game 2 of the NBA Finals that there is ''absolutely no possibility'' of rescinding the lifetime ban or $2.5 million fine he handed down to Sterling following his racist remarks.

Silver said he spoke with Sterling shortly after delivering his punishments and found him to be ''distraught'' but ''not remorseful at that time.''

Sterling's attorneys had eventually indicated to the league that he would drop his fight and work with his estranged wife to finish off the record $2 billion sale to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Sterling may be changing his mind now, but Silver doesn't seem concerned.

-- AP

[insidehoops]

A Los Angeles County probate judge has scheduled a four-day trial for July 7-10 to determine whether Los Angeles Clippers co-owner Donald Sterling was properly removed as a trustee from the Sterling Family Trust, which agreed to sell the franchise to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on May 29 for a record $2 billion.

The lawyers for Shelly Sterling, who assumed the role of sole trustee and negotiated the sale with Ballmer after two neurologists determined Donald Sterling was mentally incapacitated and no longer able to conduct his own legal and business affairs, requested an expedited hearing so that the sale could be approved by the NBA Board of Governors by July 15 and closed by September 15, as outlined in the purchase agreement. Both Ballmer and Shelly Sterling have agreed to a grace period that allows for board approval by September 15.

-- ESPN.com