Sterling is responding aggressively by filing a lawsuit. Not just any suit, but Sterling is claiming 1.7 billion in damages!
Sterling’s legal team is suing on the grounds that the fine is excessive given the questionable acquisition of the recording, the ban is illegal given his status as franchise owner, and that the blackballing tactics the NBA is employing to get Sterling to sell the team are akin to modern day extortion.
Sterling’s legal team said,
“No one approves of what our client said on that recording. There’s no denying that. But it was recorded in the comfort of his own home and later obtained and publicized illegally. Not to mention, the mafia tactics the league is using to try to muscle Mr. Sterling out of his rightfully owned franchise are highly illegal and even unconstitutional. We have no doubt that our client will be exonerated when it is all said and done.”
Sterling does that. Files big lawsuits with huge numbers. But of course he’s not filed anything yet. He’s just hoping to head off the action of the owners. They are basing the ban and sale on the agreement that the owners signed, which does give the commissioner and a 3/4ths vote of the owners such recourse.
If Sterlings team can demonstrate that the call was a set up that the League was in on, then that is certainly illegal and Sterling has a great case.
Otherwise, he simply has a case. If it came down to it, he could win or lose. But again, right now he’s simply trying to discourage a unified vote on forcing a sale.