When it’s something that simply will not happen you’re not talking principle you’re talking strawman.
The league won’t want him selling for dirt cheap, that devalues the other franchises, the most recent sale always sets the basis for the next one, so if Sterling’s price is too low that costs the next guy to sell money. They (the league that is, because they had to take it over) sold the Hornets for $338 million, and that was a broke franchise with no audience to speak of in a small city. The Clippers will probably sell for closer to half a billion, big city, big audience, good TV contract. Actually if Sterling really wants to make the league suffer he’ll go out of his way to only get low-ball offers the league won’t approve of. That’d give Silver migraines.
So let’s see if we can come to an agreement here regarding what can and cannot be done fairly:
1) The NBA has the right NOT to associate their name with you because of what you did.
2) The NBA can pressure you to sell your team, but you are not legally obligated to succumb to their pressure.
As a result, you can’t associate the Clippers with the NBA even if you still own the team ( just like a McDonald’s franchisee cannot use the name of McDonald if they for any moral reason, refuse to be associated with you ).
3) Because of #2 above, what options do you have?