A cadre of attorneys and a flurry of lawsuits could certainly slow down the NBAs plan to force Donald Sterling to sell the Los Angeles Clippers over his recent racist comments, but legal experts say the league would likely prevail in the end. Packers Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Nike Jersey . And that goes for Sterlings wife, Shelly, who has said shed like to keep her stake in the team even if her husband is ousted. The NBAs constitution, which Donald Sterling signed as controlling owner of the Clippers, gives its board of governors broad latitude in league decisions including who owns the teams. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is pushing for a swift vote against Sterling, which requires a minimum of three-fourths of the other 29 controlling owners to agree. Silver also has imposed a lifetime ban on Sterling and a $2.5 million fine. The ban does not apply to Shelly Sterling. SI.com and ESPN.com, citing unidentified sources, reported Thursday that Sterlings lawyer, antitrust litigator Maxwell Blecher, wrote a letter to Rick Buchanan, the NBAs executive vice-president and general counsel, threatening to sue the league and saying Sterling will not pay the $2.5 million fine. "Sterlings own signature will come back to haunt him," said Michael McCann, founding director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire. "You agree to certain basic understandings. Thats what makes a sports league different from other businesses." The key to the NBAs authority, attorneys say, is Article 13(d) of the leagues constitution. That section says that, whether Sterling intended to or not, an owner cannot "fail or refuse to fulfil" contractual obligations to the NBA "in such a way to affect the Association or its members adversely." Theres plenty of evidence Sterlings comments, revealed in a recorded conversation with a female companion, affected the league adversely. They provoked threats of a player boycott, led sponsors to withdraw support and created a racially charged image problem in the midst of the NBA playoffs that even President Barack Obama remarked upon. If Article 13(d) was violated, the legal experts say the board of governors has solid grounds to force Sterling to sell the team along with any other owners, in this case his wife. As long as the NBA meticulously follows its own constitution and rules regarding the Clippers sale, it will be difficult for Sterling to find a legal theory that would stand up in court, said Daniel Lazaroff, director of the Sports Law Institute at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. "This is not an antitrust issue. This is not a First Amendment issue," Lazaroff said. "Its a question limited to the interpretation of the NBA constitution and bylaws, and whether those terms are met." Another question involves California family law. Its a community property state, meaning spouses jointly own property they acquired while married. The Sterlings were already married when he bought the Clippers in 1981. Although a potential divorce could complicate the Clippers sale, McCann said the couples joint ownership actually works to the NBAs favour because — legally speaking — they are a single entity. So if the NBA forced Donald Sterling to sell, even under a divorce scenario, Shelly Sterling would have to sell, too. They have been married since 1955. "The NBA is well positioned to ultimately prevail," McCann said. For his part, Donald Sterling has repeatedly said he does not want to sell the Clippers. In his recent interview with CNNs Anderson Cooper, he cast doubt on going to court if the NBA governors ultimately do vote to force him out. "People want me to hire a wall of lawyers and them to have to hire a wall of lawyers and go to war," Sterling said on CNN. "I dont think thats the answer." Sterlings longtime attorney, Robert Platt, declined to comment when contacted Wednesday. Shelly Sterlings attorney, Pierce ODonnell, did not respond to email requests for comment from The Associated Press. But he has previously said she wants to remain a passive owner of the Clippers even if her husband is no longer involved. For now, the NBA has installed former Time Warner and Citigroup chairman Dick Parsons to oversee the teams business operations. Parsons said this week that a prolonged legal battle "is in no ones interest." "I would hope we could avoid that," he said. If he is forced out, Sterling still stands to reap a huge financial windfall in a Clippers sale. He bought the team for $12.5 million in 1981, and Forbes magazine recently placed its 2014 value at $575 million, or No. 13 in the NBA. Of course, there would also be a sizable capital gains tax bill for that. _____ Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt Packers Richard Rodgers Camo Jersey . Tony Parker had 33 points and nine assists and San Antonio never trailed in a resounding 116-92 victory over Portland, bullying the younger Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Packers Ha Ha Clinton-Dix White Jersey . Midway through the first round Barao dropped Faber with a hard right hand and pounced on his wounded opponent. As Barao began to unleash a flurry of strikes, Faber turtled on his hands and knees and tucked his arm against the side of his head to protect himself. Dean stopped the fight at 3:42 of the opening round after Barao landed more than a dozen blows to the shoulder, forearm and neck area of the huddled Faber.NATAL, Brazil - Mixed martial arts legend Dan Henderson (30-11) added another chapter to his storied career with a stunning third-round finish of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (22-9). The bout, a rematch of the pairs 2011 "Fight of the Year," served as the headliner of Sundays "UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2," which took place at Ginasio Nelio Dias in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Rua looked crisp in the early going, using a barrage of leg kicks and sharp jabs to keep Henderson at bay and even wobbled him on a few occasions through the first two rounds. But just when the 43-year-old Henderson looked to have nothing left in the tank, he shocked Rua with his patented power right hand, affectionately known to his fans as the "H Bomb." The shot landed flush, rearranging Ruas nose and sending him crashing to the canvas. Henderson followed to the floor, and the follow-up blows forced referee Herb Dean to call off the fight 91 seconds into the third round. The much-needed result snapped a three-fight losing streak for the man most consider the best mixed-martial-artist ever to hail from the U.S. "He definitely dinged me a little," Henderson admitted after the fight. "He rung my bell just a tad in the first round, also, and again in the second. I decided just to be patient. I wasnt very offensive, and that third round I think we both decided to get after it and leave things where we left them the first fight. "Im such a big fan of Shogun and what hes done for the sport and how he represents himself in the sport. So thank you for bringing the best out of me, as well." Along with the win, Henderson earned $100,000 in official UFC "Fight Night" bonuses for taking part in the "Fight of the Night" and being awarded one of the evenings "Performance of the Night" bonuses, as well. Rua also earned $50,000 for taking part in the "Fight of the Night." In the nights co-feature, C.B. Dollaway (14-5) turned in one of the best performances of his career, downing former "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil" winner Cezar Ferreira (3-1) in just 39 seconds. Ferreira looked sharp on his feet early, landing with a power shot in the opening seconds. But Dollaway patently retreated to the fence and avoided follow-ups before unleashing a well-placed right hand that sent Ferreira tumbling to the canvas. Dollaway pounded with additional strikes, and referee Mario Yamasaki called off the fight in the opening minute. "I love fighting down here in Brazil," Dollaway said. "The fans show incredible passion, and it is awesome to see Im starting to develop a small fan base. "I knew if I stuck to my game plan, I could control the fight and finish him, and thats exactly what I did." A battle of lightweight winners of international versions of "The Ultimate Fighter" fell flat, as Norman Parke (19-2-1) and Leonardo Santos (12-3-1) fought to a majority draw. While the bout was lacking in action throughout most of the 15-minute affair, it was an odd point deduction from referee Wernei Cardoso that ultimately led to the draw. Davante Adams Packers Jersey. Cardoso penalized Parke one point for holding on to his opponents shorts as he looked for a takedown in the second round. The call was made just as Parke appeared to be holding the cage in defence of that takedown, but Cardosos decision was made. The result was recorded as a majority draw, 29-27, 28-28 and 28-28, with Santos taking the opening round and Parke the final two on two of the three judges cards. Light heavyweights Fabio Maldonado (21-6) and Gian Villante (11-5) combined for a thrilling three-round contest with an incredible shift in momentum. Villante took control of the action in the early going, utilizing his superior wrestling skills to secure the opening round. He landed a knee flush to Maldonados forehead in the second, opening up a cut that streamed for the remainder of the frame. But the wound only seemed to fuel Maldonado, who suddenly came alive with crisp combinations on the feet. Villante returned to his grappling attack but was too tired to earn a takedown, leaving him to endure Maldonados heavy hands for the remainder of the matchup. Maldonado nearly finished the fight in the final minute, but Villante refused to quit, surviving until the bell. Maldonado was awarded the hard-fought unanimous decision with scores of 29-27, 29-28 and 29-28. "It was a war standing up, but that was after he gave me a hard time on the ground," Maldonado said. "His wrestling is very good, so I knew I had to impose my striking game and avoid the fence. I knew that striking, hed get tired first." In a lightweight contest, Michel Prazeres (18-1) looked dominant in an impressive decision win over a heavily favored Mairbek Taisumov (21-5). Prazeres was in control of the fight from start to finish, with powerful strikes and a strong wrestling game. The contest was marred by a pair of point deductions, as Taisumov repeatedly grabbed the cage in hopes of preventing a takedown. But Prazeres didnt let the stoppage break his rhythm, as he cruised to a unanimous-decision win, 30-25 on all three judges cards. "I only have one thing to say: My team deserves a lot of praise," Prazeres said after the win. "The result speaks for itself. They did an amazing job." The nights first main-card matchup ended in controversy when Brazilian featherweight Rony Jason (14-4) dropped Steven Siler (23-12) with a pair of powerful hooks. While it appeared clear Siler was hurt, he also appeared to be defending as referee Wernei Cardoso stepped in to halt the fight just 77 seconds after it began. Unfortunately for a protesting Siler, the decision had already been made, and Jason was awarded a TKO win. "Im disappointed because it was an incredibly early stoppage by the ref," Siler said after the bout. "I didnt even have time to communicate I was OK because he jumped in so fast. "I got hit, dropped to my back to take a defensive posture and was throwing an upkick to give me some space. And then, all of the sudden, it was over." ' ' '
