By Associated  Press Reporter Donald Sterling has lost his bid to halt the sale of his basketball team the Los Angeles Clippers. In a preliminary ruling today in an LA court, Judge Michael Levanas ruled that his wife Shelly Sterling has full control of the family trust that owns the team - paving the way for a $2 billion sale to ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. In court, the judge said that 'Shelly clearly had the authoritiy to transfer the shares' of the team and dismissed the claims of her disgraced husband who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and therefore unable to manage his affairs.
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Donald Sterling has failed to stop the record $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers
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Judge Michael Levanas said the deal, brokered by Sterling's estranged wife, Shelly Sterling can go ahead
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The team will be sold to former Microsoft Corp chief executive Steve Ballmer
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Bitter Donald Sterling is suing the NBA, league Commissioner Adam Silver and his wife, claiming the team was illegally taken from him
The @placeholder moved quickly to ban Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million.