Donald Sterling Racist Comments

Atlanta Hawks owner Bruce Levenson abruptly announced he's selling the team because he's guilty of sending an email so racist ... it would make Donald Sterling cringe.

Levenson admits he sent the email to team execs back in 2012, urging them to get more suburban white fans at games. He then laid out all the problems with the current fan base, listing the following:

- it's 70 pct black
- the cheerleaders are black
- the music is hip hop
- at the bars it's 90 pct black
- there are few fathers and sons at the games
- the concerts [after games] are either hip hop or gospel

Levenson continued in the email ... "My theory is that the black crowd scared away the whites and there are simply not enough affluent black fans to build a significant season ticket base." He also complained that he's told team execs, "I want some white cheerleaders ... I have even bitched that the kiss cam is too black."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says Levenson copped to the email in July -- about 2 months after Donald Sterling was banned -- and immediately informed the league he would sell the team.

Despite the fact he called her a "pig" in open court ... despite the fact he's STILL suing her ... Donald Sterling got together with estranged wife Shelly to celebrate their 60th anniversary on the beach ... and TMZ Sports has the shocking photo.

The two put their insanely nasty war on hold last weekend -- and bathed their bodies in the sun at the Balboa Bay resort in Newport Beach.

Multiple sources connected to the couple tell us they decided to get together to celebrate their 60th anniversary ... but they still consider themselves very much estranged.

As one source put it, "It looks weird from the outside ... but it's just the way they are."

Sure, Donald trashed the hell out of Shelly for the past couple of months ... but at the end of the day, his bank account is up $2 BILLION.

V. Stiviano has just filed new legal docs in her war with Shelly Sterling -- claiming she NEVER slept with Donald Sterling ... 'cause he's into men and she was his beard.

TMZ Sports has obtained the lawsuit -- which Stiviano filed in response to Shelly's allegations that V. accepted cars and property from Donald that he didn't have the authority to give her.

In the new docs, Stiviano argues that the items in question were given to her in exchange for being Donald's "beard" -- and she insists Shelly knew about it.

Stiviano states ... she was "not ever a sexual partner of Donald T. Sterling" and "believes that [Sterling] is a homosexual and enjoys sexual acts and or sexual congress with males."

In the legal doc, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Stiviano says Shelly was "acutely aware of [Donald's] sexual orientation and condoned same as well as acknowledged and approved [Donald's] gifts of money [to Stiviano]."

Stiviano also says the gifts she received were NOT community property -- but rather Donald's separate property.

Stiviano is also suing Shelly and Donald for defamation -- claiming they slandered her in the media by calling her a thief and saying she embezzled money and property from Donald. She's demanding no less than $10 MILLION.

We reached out to Donald's camp -- so far, no word back.

Story developing ...

Here's a photo of the new L.A. Clippers owner in a public photo with TWO black people.

Take THAT Donald Sterling!

Steve Ballmer hit up the L.A. Dodgers game with Magic Johnson and Clippers President Doc Rivers last night.

It's interesting ... considering it was a photo featuring Magic Johnson that led to Donald Sterling's downfall ... when he blasted V. Stiviano for posting a photo of Magic on social media.

In audio posted on TMZ Sports, Sterling screamed at Stiviano for being seen in public with black guys and told her not to bring any black people to his games.

Earlier this week, Sterling himself admitted -- "I'm finished. I'm over."

Yup.

For the first time in months, Donald Sterling seems to have his feet planted firmly in reality -- with the ousted Clippers owner telling TMZ Sports, "I'm finished. I'm over."

Sterling was out in Beverly Hills over the weekend when our photog walked up to him and ask about the latest with the Clippers saga -- and that's when Donald shooed our guy away saying, "I'm finished. I'm over."

It's an interesting comment -- considering on Wednesday, the judge denied Donald's last-ditch effort to block the sale of the Clips to Steve Ballmer.

Magic Johnson says he has "no ill-feelings" toward Donald Sterling -- but he sure as hell flashed a HUUUUGE smile when asked how he felt about the Clippers getting a new owner.

Johnson was at a Lakers news conference in L.A. yesterday when he was asked about the court ruling that will allow Shelly Sterling to sell the Clips to Steve Ballmer.

"What’s my reaction to the Sterling ruling? What do you think my reaction to the Sterling thing is? [flashes big smile] Do you see this? I don’t think you see this. I don’t have anything bad to say about him right now."

Boom.

But ... being the classy guy that he is, Magic continued -- "I’ve said already that I’m praying for the man. But it’s a great day for Clipper fans, for this city. Ballmer is going to be an exciting owner, and a good owner for the Clippers."

Magic says he's got to give credit to Shelly -- explaining, "This was tough for her" ... but insisted, "I have no ill-feelings toward Donald."

In case you forgot, Donald's initial racist rant was all about Magic -- when he blasted V. Stiviano for posting a photo on Instagram with the NBA legend ... which Donald disapproved of because Magic is black.

Donald then went on to trash Magic on CNN -- saying Johnson should be ashamed of himself for contracting the HIV virus.

Even then, Magic simply said he was praying for Sterling.

Donald Sterling is now willing to talk about selling the team over which he's waging legal war ... because he just met with Steve Ballmer to talk about the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Ballmer went to Sterling's Beverly Hills estate Monday at 3 PM, along with Shelly Sterling's lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell ... who brokered the $2 billion deal.

Sources tell TMZ Sports ... Donald has softened his position and is now considering signing off on the sale ... in no small part because his lawyers have told him he's going to lose his court case.

Our sources say Donald himself requested the meeting.

The always charming Donald Sterling called his wife a PIG in open court moments ago ... because, well, that's the kind of guy he is.

Shelly Sterling was stepping down from the stand ... where she testified that she still loves Donald and only called for a medical evaluation for him because she was afraid he suffered a recent stroke.

But as she got off the stand and made her way toward Donald, the curmudgeon lashed out ... saying, "Stay away from me you pig!"

The judge told Donald to calm down.

In what seemed like a response to Shelly's testimony about Donald possibly having a stroke -- Donald also told his estranged wife, "How can you say that?!"

4:50 PM PT -- The hearing is over ... and Donald was his usual unlikable self in the court room.

During the hearing, he trashed his wife Shelly ... saying, "It’s ludicrous to think she could run a corporation. She’s beautiful, but she can’t run anything”

He also called Shelly's lawyer a "smart ass."

Donald told the court he believes he could strike a BETTER deal than Shelly for the Clippers -- saying he could fetch between $2.5 and $5 billion for the team.

Cue the band ... Donald Sterling is finally in court to "face the music" in a Los Angeles courtroom.

Sterling snuck into the courthouse -- dodging reporters and photogs outside -- and took a seat for his trial to determine who gets to sell the Clippers.

Shelly Sterling is also in court. She did not hide as she silently walked into court earlier this morning.

Donald is expected to testify today ... after skipping day one of the trial. Shelly's attorney had called Donald out and claimed he was "on the run."

Stay tuned ...

Donald Sterling's trial is set to begin any minute in L.A. ... and the disgraced Clippers owner has not arrived -- and now, Shelly Sterling's lawyer says he believes Donald is "on the run."

Shelly's attorney Bert Fields just arrived to L.A. County Superior Court and after trashing Donald's "sham" motion to move the case to federal court ... said he believes Sterling is in hiding.

"I even understand he left town," Fields said ... "That's the kind of guy he is. He's willing to do anything rather than face the music."

Fields added, "But he's ultimately gonna have to face it ... as Joe Louis once said, 'He can run but he can't hide.'"

Donald Sterling says he's tracked down a doctor who thinks his mind is in perfect working order -- and he wants the doc to testify during the trial ... or else he'll suffer "grave" injury.

Sterling just filed new court docs in his legal war with his estranged wife Shelly -- begging the judge to postpone the start of the Clippers trial so he can bring in a neurologist who will tell the judge Donald is NOT mentally incapacitated.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Donald says Dr. Jeffrey Cummings -- Director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health -- will vouch for him ... but will be out of town and unable to testify in court until after July 20th.

Sterling says Shelly's assertion that the Clippers deal must close by July 15th (the end of Steve Ballmer's escape clause) ... is complete B.S.

Sterling says the only deadline that should matter to the court is September 15th -- the day the NBA says it will seize the team and sell it in a public auction if a deal isn't closed.

Donald claims if he is not allowed to use Dr. Cummings to prove his mental competency ... he will risk "grave and irreparable injury insofar as his defense will be impaired and his assets will be subject to distribution without his consent."

Donald Sterling knew full well he was being tested for Alzheimer's when a doctor examined him last month ... but it's unclear if Donald knew his control over the L.A. Clippers was on the line.

TMZ Sports has obtained a letter written by the examining doctor to Shelly Sterling's lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell. According to the letter, the doc met Donald at his house on May 22. Shelly was also present.

After the exam the doctor concluded Donald's mind was impaired by the disease, to the point he was "at risk of making potentially serious errors of judgment, impulse control, and recall in the management of his finances and his trust."

Here's what's murky. It's unclear if Donald knew he was being examined for the purpose of determining if he should be stripped of control over the team. The doctor explains Sterling had previously been examined by a doctor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who concluded he had Alzheimer's, and the doctor was there for a second opinion.

The doctor writes, "I asked him if he knew why I was there, and he said, 'I think so.'"

12:08 PM PT -- Submitting the voice mails in court didn't help Shelly's case -- the judge just rejected her request for an injunction against Donald and his attorneys.

Donald Sterling went NUCLEAR on one of the psychiatrists who performed medical tests on him recently ... leaving the guy a NASTY voice mail ... cursing him out and calling him a "tramp."

TMZ Sports has obtained a recording of the voice mail Donald left for Dr. James Spar -- in which he explodes at the doctor, who had determined he was mentally incompetent:

"I'm not incompetent, YOU'RE F**KING INCOMPETENT ... you stupid f**king doctor!!!"

During the rant, Sterling vows to call UCLA and have the doctor fired immediately.

Sterling left a second voice mail -- for the other psychiatrist who evaluated him -- and ripped her too:

"You released my medical records of my head to a law firm without my permission. And you came in and you purported to examine me and you never told me anything about it."

Sterling continued, "You're nothing but a fraud and liar and a cheat and I'm gonna see that you lose your license ... and I'm suing you for conspiracy!"

As we previously reported, both doctors submitted their evaluations of Sterling saying he is "suffering from cognitive impairment, secondary to primary dementia, Alzheimer's disease" and is unfit to run the business affairs of the L.A. Clippers.

Donald Sterling has taken his "Black People Love Me" tour up a notch -- last night he dined out with a lovely African-American woman ... and left in an SUV with a license plate that read BLAKT07.

As DS rolled away from Monty's in Woodland Hills (The Valley) ... our camera guy asked a burning question on everyone's mind: What does Mr. Sterling prefer ... Aunt Jemima or Eggos???

As TMZ has previously reported, Sterling has been seen all over town with black people ... including earlier this week when he hit up celeb hot spot Mr. Chow with MULTIPLE attractive black women.

This time, Sterling was with just one woman ... and one ironically plated SUV (which appears to be a rental). Just classic.

Shelly Sterling's lawyer ran to court this morning ... pleading with the judge to validate her deal to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer, and warning of dire consequences if the deal falls apart.

In Shelly's legal docs -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- she says there's no way a better deal could be found. She points out the sale price for the Clippers is more than 3 times the price of the recently-sold Milwaukee Bucks.

But Shelly is worried, because Donald is now fighting her over the sale. She says if the deal isn't iron clad by Sept. 15 ... "substantial irreparable harm ... will result." She says if that happens the NBA will likely seize the team and conduct a public auction, which will then lower the sale price.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- Ballmer has an escape clause to get out of the deal if Shelly and Donald become embroiled in a legal dispute over her authority to sell.

Shelly's lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell, wants the judge to simply validate the terms of a private agreement between Shelly and Donald -- an agreement that says if 2 neurologists determine either one of them is "incapacitated," then that person would lose all power over the team. And as we reported, that's exactly what happened with Donald last month.

Donald Sterling has released a statement explaining why he is once again suing the NBA ... unleashing some harsh words for the league and its commissioner, Adam Silver.