Judge rules in favor of Shelly Sterling on all counts, Los Angeles Clippers will be sold

Since Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling was recorded making racist remarks, there has been a dark cloud above the franchise.

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The team thought about sitting out playoff games (they did not and instead defeated the Golden State Warriors in seven games in the first before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games in the Western Conference semifinals) and wanted to do whatever they could to remove Donald Sterling from power. The NBA took immediate action as well – they banned Donald Sterling from the league for life and issued him a fine of $2.5 million.

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer stepped up and agreed to buy the Clippers for $2 billion and the NBA approved the deal after Donald Sterling’s wife, Shelly Sterling, agreed to sell the team. Donald Sterling, however, wouldn’t go down without a fight and actually took the case to court.

According to Nathan Fenno of The Los Angeles Times and Andrew Brandt of ESPN.com, the judge has ruled in favor of Shelly Sterling on all counts, paving the way for Ballmer to finalize the purchase of the team.

The Clippers’ players had been discussing a potential boycott of the season if Donald Sterling had remained in control of the team. Head coach and president Doc Rivers, star point guard Chris Paul and forward Matt Barnes have all publicly discussed a potential discussed sitting out the season if he were still the owner, but it looks like they won’t be happening now. Instead, the Clippers will likely enter the season with a clear head and focus on their ultimate goal of winning a title.