NBA owners meet again to discuss process for forcing Clippers sale

NEW YORK, N.Y. – NBA owners went back to work Wednesday on Commissioner Adam Silver’s desire to end Donald Sterling’s ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers.

The advisory/finance committee held its second conference call in the past two weeks, reviewing the timing and process for forcing Sterling to sell the franchise following his lifetime ban for making racist comments.

League spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement that the committee also discussed the search for a new CEO and got an update on Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum’s visit with Clippers employees. The owners plan to meet again next week.

Minnesota owner Glen Taylor chairs the committee that also includes Miami’s Micky Arison, the Lakers’ Jeanie Buss, Oklahoma City’s Clay Bennett, New York’s James Dolan, Boston’s Wyc Grousbeck, San Antonio’s Peter Holt, Phoenix’s Robert Sarver, Indiana’s Herb Simon and Toronto’s Larry Tanenbaum.

Silver banned Sterling from anything to do with the league or the team, fined him $2.5 million, and said he would urge owners to force Sterling to sell the franchise he has owned since 1981.

That would require Silver or another owner to charge Sterling with violating Article 13 of the NBA’s Constitution and bylaws, which addresses acts that could lead to the termination of ownership. A hearing would then be held and require a three-fourths vote of the board of governors for approval.

If that happens, control of the team would fall to the commissioner. The league may already be planning for that, announcing last week that it was working with the Clippers to appoint a CEO.

Beyond Sterling’s ban, team president Andy Roeser has taken an indefinite leave of absence.