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Donald Sterling Calls NBA 'Reign of Terror' Under Adam Silver

Wife of banned owner attempts to banish husband's $1 billion lawsuit against league.

The Donald Sterling saga just won’t go away. On top of refusing to approve the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers and continuing with his $1 billion lawsuit against the NBA, the banned owner is also unleashing a smear campaign against league commissioner Adam Silver.

In a statement released Tuesday, and obtained by CBS Sports amongst other media outlets, Sterling writes that the NBA is “incompetent, inexperienced and angry,” “a band of hypocrites and bullies,” and that “we have to fight these despicable monsters.”

“If the NBA is sincere about their approach, Adam Silver needs to publicly examine the NBA’s own conduct and the conduct of each and every owner,” Sterling writes in one portion of the letter. “For now, it seems Adam Silver is content with focusing his energy on violating my rights, attempting to take my property, and signing autographs for TMZ. Maybe once the dust settles, he will have some time to focus on the NBA’s own transgressions.”

Sterling goes on to call the NBA a “reign of terror,” before ending the letter saying: “We have to fight for the rights of all Americans. We have to fight these despicable monsters. THIS IS THE REASON I WILL NOT SELL MY TEAM.”

Just last week, Sterling approved of wife Shelly Sterling’s $2 billion sale of the Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and vowed that he wouldn’t pursue any further legal action. On Tuesday, though, Sterling had a change of heart and said he has decided to follow through with his $1 billion lawsuit against the NBA after all, thus his scathing statement.

Sterling’s latest action has prompted Shelly and her lawyers to seek an emergency order from a California probate court on Wednesday morning for an expedited hearing to resolve this situation, sources told ESPN.

Shelly Sterling sold the Clippers to Ballmer after two neurologists deemed her estranged husband “mentally incapacitated.”

During halftime of Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night, Silver commented that “this is really now a dispute between the Sterlings.” He also expressed regret that Sterling was once again taking the spotlight away from an exciting NBA Finals, in which the San Antonio Spurs torched the Miami Heat for 71 points on a Finals-record 75.8 percent shooting in the first half, before cruising to victory in Game 3. 

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(Photo: UPI/Jim Ruymen /LANDOV)

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