Asclepias
Diamond Member
Really what can they do to him if he refuses to pay?
Nothing.
The NBA was hoping the media blitz and the pleas from people for him to step down quietly would sway him to just disappear. That isn't going to happen.
The biggest problem for the NBA is that they made it seem the issue was settled, when it clearly isn't even close to being settled. They went with the twitter timeline, less than a week from issue to resolution, and did not realize the real world (and especially the legal world) work far slower.
I also have a stinking suspicion that they do not have the votes among the owners to get rid of him. If they had the votes, they would have held it.
They have the votes, they wouldn't have announced he was losing the team without knowing the votes are there. I believe the other 29 owners all gave their support to the commissioner after he announced Sterling's punishment. Just as Sterling has powerful lawyers working for him, so does the NBA including Adam Silver himself.
Not to mention that collectively they have more money than Sterling as well and Sterling will pay court costs in the end.