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Shelly Sterling To Remain 'Owner Emeritus' As Part Of Clippers Deal
One of the conditions in the $2 billion deal that will transfer ownership of the Clippers to Steve Ballmer (barring any more litigation from Donald Sterling) is that Shelly Sterling will remain as "owner emeritus."
Another provision of the deal would be the creation of a foundation under the Clippers to serve "the poor, minorities, and battered spouses" of which Sterling would be co-executive director with Ballmer, reports the LA Times. Sterling would sell her 50% stake of the team (that she owned with her husband), but wanted to remain associated with the team, telling Barbara Walters in an interview last month that the team was a "legacy to [her] family."
The as-yet-to-be-named foundation aims to serve the same people that her husband Donald was caught on tape making horrendous comments about. While it's certainly doing a lot more than making an appearance at a church in South L.A., it seems like yet another cynical ploy by a Sterling to get their name back into the good graces of the public. We know what you've said before, Shelly.
Although the Clippers hope to turn a new page with the eventual sale to Steve Ballmer, this has shades of the Dodgers sale, where previous embattled owner Frank McCourt retained an ownership stake in the parking lots around Dodger Stadium.
Sheesh, these people will never go away.
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