Attorney: Donald Sterling agrees to sell Clippers

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling agreed Wednesday to sign off on selling the team he’s owned for 33 years to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion, bringing the possibility of a resolution to weeks of rumors, uncertainty and looming possibilities for legal action.

Though the agreement had not been officially inked Wednesday afternoon, according to an individual with knowledge of the negotiations who was not authorized to discuss them publicly, Sterling’s attorney, Maxwell Blecher, said he “has made an agreement with the NBA to resolve all their differences.” Sterling gave his consent to a deal that was negotiated by his wife, Shelly Sterling, to sell the team.

Representatives for Shelly Sterling and the NBA declined to comment.

The agreement was an about-face for Donald Sterling, who last week filed a $1 billion suit against the NBA in federal court alleging the league violated his constitutional rights by relying on information from an “illegal” recording that publicized racist remarks he made to a girlfriend.

Sterling’s comments to V. Stiviano included telling her to not bring black people to Clippers games, mentioning Magic Johnson.