Clippers officially sold!

[insidehoops]

The Los Angeles Clippers officially have a new owner.

Steve Ballmer's bid to purchase the Clippers closed Tuesday after the entry of an order by a California court confirmed the authority of Shelly Sterling to sell the team on behalf of the Sterling Family Trust, the league announced.

Ballmer, the former Microsoft CEO, bid $2 billion for the Clippers in May but wasn't able to complete the sale until Tuesday's written court order affirmed Shelly Sterling's authority to sell the franchise without the consent of her husband, Donald Sterling.

-- ESPN.com

[insidehoops]

The sale of the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion was legally closed Tuesday. Sterling is officially out as the owner after his racially insensitive rewards created a public outcry and forced the NBA to take action to ultimately remove him from a team he had purchased in 1981.

A California court issued an order confirmed that Sterling's wife, Shelly, had the legal right to sell the franchise on behalf of the Sterling Family Trust.

-- Sports Xchange

[insidehoops]

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. "Thus, there is nothing for this court to stay."

-- AP