In court, you can’t use evidence that was obtained illegally. Here, the only evidence that Sterling was a racist is a tape recording that was illegally made. It would be in admissible.
How can the NBA punish Sterling if they cannot prove in court that he did anything wrong?
Good points, as to what happens in a court of law.
Sterling has been convicted in the “court of public opinion”, and generated bad publicity for the league. But the legal situation is a very different thing.
This could get very interesting if this goes to court.