Donald Sterling Racist Comments

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver tells us ... making the decision to ban Donald Sterling from the league for life was "very difficult" ... but it's business -- and it had to be done.

Silver was out in NYC yesterday when he began talking to TMZ Sports -- which he says has consistently shocked him.

Donald Sterling may now be saying he disavows anything Shelly Sterling is doing to sell the Clippers ... but TMZ Sports has obtained a letter personally signed by Donald giving Shelly control ... and he sent the letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

In the letter -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- dated May 22, 2014, Sterling's lawyer writes:

"As you know, I have been a long-time attorney for Donald T. Sterling. Mr. Sterling agrees to the sale of his interest in the Los Angeles Clippers."

The letter goes on: "This letter confirms that Donald T. Sterling authorizes Rochelle Sterling to negotiate with the National Basketball Association regarding all issues in connection with a sale of the Los Angeles Clippers team, owned by LAC Basketball Club, Inc."

Below the lawyers signature is Donald Sterling's John Hancock, saying "read and approved."

So ... Sterling's lawyer may now says he's unaware of any deal his client made with Shelly, but Donald did the deed on paper and it was signed, sealed and delivered.

As for Donald, he went to Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills last night -- but when asked about the sale of the team, his lips were sealed.

Shelly Sterling will accept offers this week to buy the Los Angeles Clippers ... and a frontrunner is a group led by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... Shelly met with Ballmer Sunday at her Malibu home, and our sources say his group made "a very competitive offer."

Sources tell us .. Shelly and her lawyer Pierce O'Donnell have put the word out ... they'd like to make a deal THIS WEEK. We're also told NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is aware of what she's doing. O'Donnell would not comment but we're told Shelly and Silver have an open line of communication.

We're told there are several other potential buyers in which Shelly is interested, including:

-- Grant Hill Group (Hill is a former NBA star who teamed up with investment partners)
-- Magic Johnson and the Guggenheim Partners (a financial company based in Chicago)
-- Patrick Soon-Shiong (surgeon turned multi-billionaire businessman)
-- David Geffen and Larry Ellison

Our sources say Oprah Winfrey is no longer in the running.

Shelly Sterling will meet with former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Sunday afternoon ... and the subject of the meeting is selling the Clippers ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The meeting will take place at Shelly's Malibu mansion. TMZ Sports broke the story ... Donald Sterling has surrendered control of the team to Shelly.

We're told Shelly sees the handwriting on the wall -- the NBA wants the team sold -- but she wants to do it on her terms. She and her lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell, have been secretly meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to see if they can reach an agreement whereby Shelly has the right to voluntarily sell the team.

Shelly is taking matters into her own hands. Ballmer -- worth an estimated $20 billion -- has indicated he wants to buy the team. We're told O'Donnell will be present at the meeting.

Donald Sterling is no longer the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Clippers ... TMZ Sports has learned he just surrendered control to his estranged wife, Shelly Sterling, and she is now secretly negotiating with the NBA to sell the team ... ON HER TERMS.

Sources close to the Clippers organization tell us ... Donald made the decision because he saw the handwriting on the wall -- as long as he remained in control, the NBA would order an involuntary sale of the team.

Our sources say Shelly and her lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell, have been secretly meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBA lawyers to "resolve the dispute amicably." We're told Shelly realizes the NBA wants the team sold, but she has significantly more leverage and credibility with the league than Donald. Her end game is simple -- she won't object to the sale, but SHE wants to call the shots.

Cops believe 2 people captured on surveillance video near V. Stiviano's house may be the culprits in the attempted burglary of her home.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... one of Stiviano's neighbors gave this video to cops, showing 2 people traversing the area at the time of the attempted break-in. TMZ independently obtained the video.

We broke the story ... someone broke Stiviano's front window and tried to jimmy another at her L.A. duplex.

Cops are trying to determine the identity of the 2 people. We're told so far ... this is their best lead. The video -- which TMZ acquired with the help of FoxyLux.com -- could help solve the case .

Cops responded to the home of V. Stiviano Monday after someone broke a window and tried to break into her home ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources say ... at around 11:30 AM ... someone broke a window in the front of the house and tried to get in. Stiviano was not home, but her brother and sister were inside the house and heard the commotion.

We're told the would-be burglar tried to jimmy another window but the person was scared off by the people inside.

For some reason ... no one called the cops for hours. The call came in at 2:50 PM ... long after the bad guy left.

Gee ... wonder what they were trying to get?

Donald Sterling has finally found a lawyer who will take his case ... and has fired off a letter to the NBA refusing to pay the $2.5 million fine and threatening to sue ... this according to a new report.

Sterling has hired prominent antitrust litigator Maxwell Blecher, reports SI.com, who has already sent the NBA a letter saying Sterling has done nothing wrong and that "no punishment is warranted."

The report says the letter goes on to say that Sterling will not pay the $2.5 million fine the league levied on him, which is already past due.

Sterling's lawyer, the report claims, says the embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner has not violated any article of the NBA constitution and argues that Sterling's "due process rights" have been violated by the NBA.

Magic Johnson would NEVER, EVER steal the Clippers ... hell no ... because if he WAS gonna steal a franchise, Magic tells us he'd go after the Lakers instead!!!

Magic just called into "TMZ Live" -- and shot down Donald Sterling's allegations that Magic concocted a diabolical scheme to take over the L.A. Clippers after the racist audio surfaced.

"If I'm gonna set somebody up," Magic said ... "It won't be to buy the Clippers, that's for sure. It'll be to buy the Lakers!"

Of course, Magic says he's not a crook or a thief and would NEVER do anything underhanded like steal a team ... but IF he did, he'd aim WAY higher than the Red and Blue.

V. Stiviano has made plenty of mistakes in her life ... but slamming her red Ferrari into the back of a Range Rover this week wasn't one of them -- and TMZ has the video to prove it.

We broke the story ... Stiviano was involved in a fender bender in Beverly Hills Monday afternoon ... and went OFF on the other driver, cussing her out and shouting things like, "You know who you're messing with, motherf*****?"

The other driver told us Stiviano was at fault -- failing to stop as she pulled her Ferrari into a parking lot and slamming into the back of the other driver's Range Rover -- but the video tells a much different story.

In the clip, you can clearly see the Range Rover is actually the one responsible -- REVERSING INTO Stiviano ... and tapping her front fender.

If only Donald Sterling got that much action.

Magic Johnson did NOT call Donald Sterling to lull him into silence after TMZ Sports released the audio ... it was Donald who called Magic ... trying to use him as a prop for a Barbara Walters interview ... sources connected with Magic tell TMZ.

Our sources -- who know exactly what went down -- tell us ... Donald called Magic the Monday after TMZ Sports posted the audio and said he wanted Magic to sit with him for the Walters interview as a show of support. We're told Magic scoffed at Donald and ended the call.

As for Sterling's claim Magic somehow knew Stiviano and this may all have been a plot, our sources say that's a flat out lie ... Magic did NOT know Stiviano from Adam. We're told Magic in NO WAY was scheming to buy the Clippers.

Despite the fact he trashed Magic Johnson and called Anderson Cooper a racist ... there's one man who says he FORGIVES Donald Sterling -- former NBA superstar Gilbert Arenas.

Agent Zero went to Instagram after Sterling's attempted mea culpa on CNN last night for the previous racist comments he made -- and said, "I'll be the first to accept ur apology."

Arenas continued, "As a man who's made a mistake or two in life I know how hard it is to look at your self in the mirror when you let so many ppl down."

"But for anybody who can't and won't accept his apology u need to look in the mirror because were not perfect..forgiveness will destroy racism not more hatred."

Of course, Arenas has been through his share of off-the-court issues -- including a felony gun conviction and illegal possession of fireworks.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says he feels TERRIBLE that Donald Sterling keeps dragging Magic Johnson through the mud ... and has issued an apology to the Lakers legend on behalf of the league.

After Sterling went on CNN and spewed more garbage about Magic -- including saying Magic should be ashamed for catching H.I.V. -- Silver immediately went into damage control mode.

"I just read a transcript of Donald Sterling’s interview with Anderson Cooper," Silver said last night ... "and while Magic Johnson doesn’t need me to, I feel compelled on behalf of the NBA family to apologize to him that he continues to be dragged into this situation and be degraded by such a malicious and personal attack."

Donald Sterling says Magic Johnson is a bad example for the children of L.A. because of what he did to "get A.I.D.S." back in the '90s ... and says he should be ashamed of himself.

Sterling made the comments to Anderson Cooper during his big CNN interview ... saying "To do what [Magic] did and then get A.I.D.S. ... I mean, come on."

For the record, Magic does not have A.I.D.S. -- but was diagnosed H.I.V. positive back in 1991.

Sterling continued his attack on Magic -- saying, "Big Magic Johnson ... what has he done? He's got A.I.D.S."

"What kind of a guy goes to every city and has sex with every girl? Then he catches H.I.V. ... is that someone we wanna respect and tell our kids about? I think he should be ashamed of himself. I think he should go into the background."

Sterling also said he believes Magic tricked him into staying quiet in the days after TMZ Sports published the original audio recording as part of a diabolical plot to take over the Clippers.

Sterling also just called Anderson Cooper a RACIST -- saying, "I think you have more of a plantation mentality than I do ... and I think you're more of a racist than I am."

Sterling didn't explain why he believes Cooper is a racist.

Sterling seems to be in denial about how the players feel about him -- saying they still "love me." He says the media hates him.

V. Stiviano rolled into Beverly Hills Monday afternoon right before rolling the Ferrari Donald Sterling gave her into another car ... TMZ has learned.

Stiviano was driving her red whip behind a black Range Rover when we're told she failed to stop and caused a rear ender. The other driver tells TMZ ... she was wearing her visor at the time of the crash.

We're told V. went insane ... jumping out of the Ferrari and "screaming every obscenity in the book," including, "You know who you're messing with, mother f*****?"

Stiviano told the other driver she had to return the Ferrari ... though she was not specific. As you know by now, the car is one of several vehicles she got courtesy of Donald Sterling.

We're told Stiviano wouldn't ante up her insurance info and had "an assistant" deal with it.

It's pretty incredible ... Donald Sterling goes on the attack against Magic Johnson during his interview with Anderson Cooper.

As you know, a photo of Magic with V. Stiviano that she posted on Instagram was the catalyst for the now-famous recording first posted on TMZ Sports.

Sterling told Cooper he's spoken with Magic twice since the recording became public, and then gratuitously added that Magic has not done enough to help minorities.

But then he went on ... saying Magic was not a good example for the children of L.A.

The interview airs tonight on CNN at 8P.