Shelly Sterling owns 50 percent of the team, which she plans to hold onto even as the NBA explores ways to force her estranged husband out of the league.
© Danny Moloshok / Reuters / Reuters
Shelly Sterling doesn't want to sell the Los Angeles Clippers.
Sterling, the wife of disgraced billionaire and Clippers owner Donald Sterling, owns half the team via a family trust. Her husband owns the other half and a source close to Shelly told BuzzFeed Thursday that she wants to keep her share — and only her share — of the Clippers.
The source also said the couple has been estranged for about one year and that Shelly was "aghast" at Donald's racist comments. The Associated Press reported the couple is considering divorce.
When asked if Shelly would fight efforts to force a sale, the source said she hopes to avoid "armageddon" and "brinksmanship." The AP quoted her attorney Pierce O'Donnell as saying she would not "agree to a forced or involuntary seizure of her interest."
Shelly does not have any official duties with the team, but is an "avid fan" who has been spotted at recent games. The source denied reports that the NBA had pressured Shelly not to attend future games, saying she plans to be on the sidelines during Friday's game.
Shelly's also supported the decision to place Clippers President Andy Roeser on indefinite leave and to seek a new a new CEO, the source said.