I personally find Sterling disgusting (my opinion of the rest of the NBA isn’t much higher). But last I checked possession is 9/10ths of the law. Sterling is the rightful owner of the Clippers and violated no laws. Perhaps with the threatening his own lawsuits Sterling is craftily trying to get a higher price for his team.
In the meantime, if people don’t like the fact that he is the rightful owner of the franchise, fans can stop watching the Clippers and paying for tickets. Players and employees can quit the organization . Sponsors can stop advertising. It’s his team and no one should be allowed to confiscate it from him. Property rights trump political correctness.
Problem is all he really “owns” is a revokable license. That’s what a franchise really is, it’s part of a whole. And remember they COULD (won’t want to but it’s possible) contract the team. No sale at all just end the Clippers, it would be a bad move on their part (contraction is a 4 letter word) but it is available.
If the stuff in your second paragraph comes to pass that actually makes it easier for the NBA to force him to sell. Since the move is entirely to protect the value of the league, if one team is losing sponsors and fans and revenue at a serious rate that proves he is a detriment to the league. It IS NOT his team, it’s his revokable license.