Donald Sterling has changed his mind on the sale. (USATSI)
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As Donald Sterling attempts to continue his lawsuit against the NBA instead of accepting the sale of the Clippers by his wife Shelly Sterling after Sterling was found incompetent by neurologists, SI.com reports that should Sterling continue with his efforts to sue the league, the NBA will move to countersue as part of its legal strategy.
The league will answer Sterling's complaint by August 11, and sources tell SI.com there is a good chance the league will countersue Sterling. The NBA could raise a tortious interference with contractual relations claim, and contend that Sterling has interfered in the business relations of the NBA and one of its franchises by interfering with the sale of the team.
via NBA unfazed by Donald Sterling's lawsuit, could countersue - NBA - Michael McCann - SI.com.
Thursday the AP reported that Sterling has hired four private investigators to "dig up dirt" on David Stern, Adam Silver, and the other NBA owners as part of his lawsuit efforts. The plan, basically, being to risk sufficient enough embarrassment for the league through discovery to force the league to relent or settle.
So now it's a showdown, as both sides wait to see if any of Sterling's efforts will hold up in court even prima facie. But if Sterling continues to go down this road, the NBA is not going to maintain its defensive stance. It's going to go on offense.
Basketball Hot News
Report: Carmelo Anthony leaning towards leaving New York; Chicago, Houston frontrunners
Phil Jackson’s suggestion that Carmelo Anthony take less money to stay in New York so there is flexibility to build a team around him has an obvious counter argument:
If you’re going to take less money to win, why not do that in another city where the parts are already assembled to have a contender? It’s likely why when they met recently Jackson suggests Anthony opt-in for next season, giving Jackson a year to work his plan.
Anthony has said from the start he is opting out and not only that, he’s leaning toward leaving and heading to Chicago or Houston, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
As re-signing with the Knicks continues to fade as his priority, Chicago and Houston have emerged as the clear frontrunners to acquire Anthony, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Anthony’s meeting with Knicks officials on Friday night had little impact on his state of mind, league sources said, because there remain too many uncertainties about how quickly president Phil Jackson can reshape the team into a championship contender.
If winning really is Anthony’s priority (he has said that, but everybody says that) then both of those teams make sense as a fit.
Chicago needs a second reliable shot creator and scoring option next to (a hopefully healthy) Derrick Rose, plus they have a defensive system and a Defensive Player of the Year in Joakim Noah who can help clean up Anthony’s defensive mistakes (he’s worked harder on that end the past couple years, but let’s not pretend ‘Melo is a good defender).
Houston needs a stretch four that will help space the floor, and with Dwight Howard and James Harden the Rockets would have their “big three” put together. They would be contenders, although the West is already full of contenders. The two questions I have about Anthony in Houston: Kevin McHale wants to run and we know how Anthony felt about those Mike D’Antoni offensive principles before, will ‘Melo play in the system? Can Howard, as great a defensive backstop as he is, salvage a defense with Harden and Anthony?
The front offices for both of those teams are working on plans to clear cap space to make Anthony a big, although not max, offer.
There will be other teams trying to get in the mix. Obviously New York is making their pitch. The Lakers are out there, although they are lukewarm on the idea of the Kobe Bryant/Anthony pairing (as they should be).
But it looks more and more like Anthony is ready to move on.
Which really isn’t the worst thing for a Knicks team trying to rebuild.
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