Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer became the new owner of the NBA 's Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday , concluding a public saga in which the league expelled one of the prior co-owners for racist comments . The sale marks the end of co-ownership by billionaire Donald Sterling , who was ousted from the NBA and then battled his estranged wife , Shelly , in a California probate court over control of the couple 's trust , which owned the franchise . Sterling , 80 , lost that legal battle when the probate judge ruled the deal by Shelly Sterling to sell the Clippers to Ballmer could move forward . Sterling bought the Clippers in 1981 for about $ 12 million and was the longest-tenured owner in the NBA . The negotiated $ 2 billion sale price is a record for any professional sports franchise in North America . Ballmer , 58 , was ranked No . 35 this year on Forbes ' annual world 's billionaires list and has a net worth of $ 20 billion . Ballmer , players and coach Doc Rivers will meet fans Monday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles during the Clippers Fan Festival . `` I am humbled and honored to be the new owner of the Los Angeles Clippers , '' Ballmer said in a statement . `` Clipper fans are so amazing . They have remained fiercely loyal to our franchise through some extraordinary times . I will be hard core in giving the team , our great coach , staff and players the support they need to do their best work on the court . '' Who is Steve Ballmer ? In April , Sterling came under fire for making racist remarks against African-Americans in comments to his companion V. Stiviano . The recorded conversation was published online . In response , the NBA banned Sterling for life , fined him the maximum $ 2.5 million and moved toward terminating the Sterlings ' ownership rights in the franchise . Under the sale , Ballmer agreed to give Shelly Sterling the title of `` owner emeritus '' of the team , allowing her to retain a connection to the franchise . `` I am thrilled that the Clippers now have such a wonderful new owner , '' Shelly Sterling said . `` I am confident that Steve will bring the city a championship team in the very near future . ... I can not wait for the new season to begin . '' The sale of the Clippers closed after `` the entry of an order by a California court confirming the authority of Shelly Sterling , on behalf of the Sterling Family Trust , to sell the team , '' the NBA said Tuesday . `` The NBA Board of Governors previously approved the sale and Ballmer is now the Clippers Governor , '' the basketball league said . Pierce O'Donnell , an attorney for Shelly Sterling , said Tuesday evening that he had filed court papers opposing Donald Sterling 's petition to an appeals court to direct the probate judge to vacate his order . He said the issue was moot because the family trust had received the $ 2 billion already . `` Donald Sterling 's petitions are patently frivolous , '' he said . Ballmer 's attorney , Adam Streisand , agreed the legal move would fail . `` I 'm confident the appellate court will agree ( California probate Judge Michael ) Levanas made the correct decision , and it 's all academic now , because we already have a new owner of the Clippers , '' Streisand said . Sterling and his attorneys could n't be immediately reached for comment . On Ballmer 's behalf , Streisand devised a legal strategy in probate court using `` a provision so rarely invoked that most probate attorneys were unaware of its existence before the Sterling case , '' his law firm said . That provision , called Section 1310 ( b ) , `` authorizes the probate court to make an order to permit a trustee to carry out a transaction even if the court 's decision is appealed to a higher court if delay would cause irreparable injury or loss , '' Streisand 's law firm said . `` When Ballmer contacted Streisand about the deal , Streisand says within 60 seconds he told Ballmer about 1310 ( b ) and then presented the plan to lawyers for Shelly Sterling , '' the firm said . Shelly Sterling was able to negotiate a sale to Ballmer for $ 2 billion because her husband had OK 'd in a letter her effort to negotiate with a buyer . But Donald Sterling later opposed a sale of the team , saying the purported letter authorized only a negotiation , not a formal sale . Shelly Sterling became the sole trustee of the couple 's trust in May after two doctors determined that Donald Sterling was mentally incapacitated . He was diagnosed with early Alzheimer 's or another brain disease . Sterling challenged his wife 's takeover of the trust , but Levanas ruled in Shelly Sterling 's favor , saying she acted properly in removing her husband from the trust that owned the NBA team . The judge further ruled that the sale could go forward regardless of appeals by Donald Sterling . Sterling has sued the league for $ 1 billion , claiming antitrust violations in its handling of the matter . He also is suing his wife and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver , seeking monetary damages in civil court . Court documents filed by Sterling 's attorneys call the potential deal `` unlawful '' and `` fraudulent '' and ask for an injunction to block the sale . How Ballmer 's $ 2 billion Clippers deal could pay off .
Shelly Sterling 's attorney says Ballmer should n't be able to contest sale . Former the Los Angeles Clippers CEO Ballmer is new owner of Microsoft . `` I will be hard core '' in supporting team , Ballmer says . Sterling caused an uproar when he made racist remarks in an audio recording in Tuesday .