Clippers owner bows out

Sterling's lawyer Maxwell Blecher said on Wednesday that Sterling had agreed to sell the team and that he would not proceed with a lawsuit against the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Sterling was banned from the NBA over racially charged remarks he made to a girlfriend that were subsequently leaked to the media in a recording in April. Sterling had claimed the NBA had violated his constitutional rights in relying on information in an illegal recording in making its decision. The 80-year-old had been trying to claim $1 billion (735 million euros) in damages against the sporting body.

Sterling also dropped breach of contract proceedings against the NBA for a $2.5 million fine, as well as breaching antitrust laws by trying to force a sale.

Blecher said Sterling had: "made an agreement with the NBA to resolve all their differences" and as co-owner has given his consent to a deal that was negotiated by his wife.

'Ready to move on'

On the business side, Sterling agreed to sign off on the record $2-billion deal to sell the team to former Microsoft CEO, Steven Ballmer.

Shelly Sterling, owner Donald Sterling's wife, said last Thursday that she had signed a contract for the sale of the team by The Sterling Family Trust to Ballmer. Donald Sterling, however, still had to give his final agreement as a 50 percent owner. The deal must still be presented to the NBA for approval.

On Tuesday, Sterling had told Los Angeles television channel NBC4 that he was ready to move on and was content with the deal struck by his wife.

In the comments that were made public, Sterling berated then-girlfriend V. Stiviano for associating with black people and urged her not to bring minorities along to Clippers' games. The subsequent outrage was widely deemed to have made his position untenable, particularly in a sport where the majority of players are black.

rc/jlw (AP, AFP, Reuters)