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Los Angeles • Donald Sterling's latest effort to block the $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was rejected Wednesday by a California appeals court.
The 2nd District Court of Appeal issued a brief order Wednesday saying it couldn't halt a sale that had been completed.
"The evidence before this court indicates the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers to Steven Ballmer has closed," the court wrote.
Even if the sale hadn't closed, the three judges said the former owner failed to show he was harmed enough to get a temporary stay.
Ballmer sealed the deal Tuesday after a probate judge cleared the way for Sterling's estranged wife to sell the team. The Los Angeles Superior Court judge said Shelly Sterling could complete the sale she negotiated after removing her husband of 58 years from the family trust that owned the team because of questions about his mental competence.
At the time she negotiated the record price for an NBA team the league was threatening to seize the team and auction it after banning Donald Sterling for life for making derogatory remarks about blacks.
Oden to face October trial on battery charges
Former NBA No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden is free to leave Indiana while he awaits trial on charges he punched his ex-girlfriend in the face as long as he remains on GPS monitoring, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Marion County Superior Court Judge Steven Rubick entered a routine not guilty plea on behalf of Oden and scheduled the free agent center's trial for Oct. 22. Oden is charged with battery resulting in serious bodily injury and two misdemeanor battery counts.
The 26-year-old was arrested at his mother's Indianapolis home last Thursday and released from jail later that day.