One of the ugliest chapters in NBA history continues. This time around, it’s a blend of violent accusations and legal attempts at revenge that bring the most commonly hated figure in the NBA into the spotlight.
It’s just another day in the Donald Sterling saga.
Sterling is all but out as the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. He’s been given a lifetime ban that very few people across the league have opposed. Nevertheless, his fight to bring the association to what he believes is justice rages on.
According to David Aldridge of NBA.com, Adam Silver will reinstate the termination hearing against Sterling if he’s determined to be mentally fit.
The NBA will reinstate the owner termination hearing against Donald Sterling if Sterling is successful in convincing a probate court that he is mentally fit to remain owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, according to sources.
The latest turn in this seemingly endless soap opera came as Sterling’s wife, Shelly Sterling, plans to go to court in Los Angeles on Wednesday morning at 8:30 to try and get an expedited probate hearing before a judge seeking affirmation that Shelly Sterling acted legally and properly late last month in determining that Donald Sterling was mentally incapacitated, and thus unable to continue his role as co-trustee of the Sterling Family Trust, which owns the Clippers and other properties that the Sterlings have acquired over the years.
Sterling’s attorney, Maxwell Blecher, said Tuesday that his client would challenge the finding that Shelly Sterling is the trust’s sole trustee, but said he would not be taking legal action against his wife.
For what it’s worth, California property laws state that, if a business is acquired during the course of a marriage, it thus belongs to both spouses. Sterling was married to his wife, Shelly, at the time of acquiring the San Diego Clippers.
That point will be raised throughout this process.
When questioned about his intentions in his legal pursuit, Sterling was brash. Rather than serving as an apologetic figure, Sterling continued to play the role of a victim.
Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times reports that Sterling’s latest target is the NBA itself.
“The NBA is a band of hypocrites and bullies,” Sterling said in Tuesday’s statement released through attorney Bobby Samini. “They will not stop until someone stands up. They have taken the liberty to desecrate my private rights and my right to own property. I have no doubt that they will continue to find new ways to violate my rights and the rights of any other person in order to draw attention away from their own discriminatory and repulsive conduct.
“We have to fight for the rights of all Americans. We have to fight these despicable monsters.”
Choice words from a man who requested that his mistress not bring non-white people to see his former team in action. A team thats players are 85.7 percent black.
A team thats coaching staff includes Doc Rivers, Tyronn Lue, Alvin Gentry and Armond Hill, amongst others who are not of Sterling’s preferred race or skin color.
Nevertheless, it’s Sterling’s belief that it’s not he who is a despicable monster, but the league. His basis is that, mere months after this country was up-in-arms about the Edward Snowden debacle, a violation of his privacy is being blatantly ignored by the masses.
More specifically, by the league.
The reality is, Steve Ballmer already had his $2 billion bid to acquire the Los Angeles Clippers approved. Sterling has already tarnished his reputation and legacy, if his basketball and housing decisions over the past 30 years hadn’t done so already.
One day, this will all be behind the NBA. A day that the league collectively longs for.
Byron Scott Interviews for Lakers Coaching Job Again
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most storied and recognizable organizations in the world of sports. From its 16 championships to its slew of Hall of Famers, Los Angeles and its fan base are accustomed to experiencing magnificent levels of success.
That makes the current Lakers predicament quite difficult to evaluate.
The Lakers are entering something of a rebuilding period with significant cap space, the No. 7 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and two hefty contracts in Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. Neither player is guaranteed to play a single game in 2014-15, although Bryant is expected to be back after missing most of 2013-14.
According to Chris Broussard of ESPN Los Angeles, Byron Scott could fill one of the most significant voids of all: that of the new head coach.
Scott met with vice president of player personnel Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak. Thus far, he is the only candidate to be interviewed twice by the Lakers.
While Scott is a clear front-runner, sources said talks have not escalated to the point where the sides are discussing contractual terms.
With the Mike D’Antoni era behind them, L.A. is looking to a name that’s far more popular in Laker Land.
Scott, 53, played for the Lakers from 1983 to 1993, and then again in 1996-97. For most of his years in Los Angeles, he played shooting guard on the storied “Showtime” Lakers teams that yielded him three NBA championship rings.
With that history established, Scott would instantly be more warmly welcomed than D’Antoni. That’s not hard to accomplish considering D’Antoni was controversially selected over Los Angeles legend Phil Jackson.
The question is, can Scott live up to the pressure of being the head coach of the Lakers?
Scott was the 2008 NBA Head Coach of the Year award winner as the leader of the New Orleans Hornets. He also led the New Jersey Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2001-02 and 2002-03, respectively, losing to the Lakers in the former campaign.
Unfortunately, those three years of glory are the extent of his success.
Scott’s teams have missed the playoffs in seven of his 11 full seasons as a head coach. He failed to make the postseason in all three of his seasons at the helm of the Cleveland Cavaliers and has been fired mid-season on two separate occasions.
While Scott’s track record may be rocky, he is an incredibly popular face in Los Angeles. He would command respect in the locker room as a man who has experienced reasonable success as a head coach and even more glory as a Lakers player.
Two interviews in, Scott is a front-runner to be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Denver Moving Draft Picks?
The NBA Finals may be all over your television screens—and rightfully so—but it’s the upcoming Draft that’s starting to generate the most intriguing headlines. Teams are beginning to weigh their options and legitimately consider the possibility of a draft-day deal.
Per Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, the Denver Nuggets could be moving the No. 11 pick.
The Nuggets have already taken — and made — their fair share of trade phone calls concerning their draft pick weeks ahead of the NBA draft.
“We’ve had a lot of conversations about a ton of different things — picks, trades. We’re pretty active right now,” Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly said.
The Nuggets own the 11th selection in the June 26 draft. It’s their highest draft position since 2003, when they took Carmelo Anthony at No. 3.
Denver quietly avoided the draft lottery by making the playoffs in 10 straight seasons from 2003-04 to 2012-13. 2013-14 marked the first time since the season before the Carmelo Anthony era that the Nuggets were on the outside-looking-in.
At No. 11, Denver is in a position of power in terms of trade talks.
It may be outside of the Top 10, but the No. 11 pick is one of intrigue. While nothing is guaranteed, the position has netted reigning Rookie of the Year award winner Michael Carter-Williams and star shooting guard Klay Thompson in two of the past three drafts.
With a number of teams approaching the annual selection process without a first-round pick and others in need of better position—whether that means trading up or down—Denver has the right to a quality asking price.
Players who could be available at that point include international star Dario Saric, college legend Doug McDermott and guards Gary Harris, Zach LaVine and Nik Stauskas, amongst others. With the inevitable slip of a high-profile prospect, Denver is in the perfect spot to make noise.
The question is, will the Nuggets hold onto the pick? Or will Denver be the first domino to fall on a day known for an overwhelming number of trades?
In just over two weeks, we’ll find out.