LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterlings team of lawyers has hired four private investigation firms to dig up dirt on the NBAs former and
current commissioners and its 29 other owners, said a person familiar with
Sterlings legal strategy.
Jason Garrison Lightning Jersey . Investigators were given a six-figure budget over the next 30 days to examine
the leagues finances, allegations of previous discriminatory conduct and
compensation to past Commissioner David Stern and current Commissioner Adam
Silver, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday night on
condition of anonymity. The person wasnt authorized to talk publicly. The person
said the investigators also are looking into whether other owners made any
off-colour jokes, or racist or sexist remarks. "The gloves are off, as they
say," the person said. "Have them dig up all the dirt they can find." The
80-year-old Sterling is suing the NBA for $1 billion in federal court after the
league tried to oust him as Clippers owner for making racist remarks to a
girlfriend that were recorded and publicized. Silver fined him $2.5 million and
banned him for life. The suit alleges the league violated Sterlings
constitutional rights by relying on information from an "illegal" recording. It
also said the league committed a breach of contract by fining Sterling and that
it violated antitrust laws by trying to force a sale. Sterlings attorneys also
will be facing off with his wifes attorneys in probate court during a four-day
hearing scheduled for July. The probate court hearing centres on whether Shelly
Sterling had the right to unilaterally negotiate a $2 billion deal to sell the
Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Shelly Sterlings attorney,
Pierce ODonnell, said she made the deal as the sole administrator of The
Sterling Family Trust, which owns the team, after two doctors determined her
estranged husband was mentally "incapacitated." Donald Sterling is fighting that
conclusion and her authority to sell. The person who spoke to the AP said Donald
Sterling reluctantly agreed to hire private investigators after this weeks legal
proceedings in probate court. The NBA submitted a legal filing Wednesday urging
a judge to confirm Shelly Sterlings authority to sell the team. "He realized
these guys will literally go to any low to get this sold," the person said.
"Even if it gets (him) nothing other than exposing all these guys and shaking up
the league and seeing a change in the leadership of the league, itll be worth it
to him." The firms will be engaged in an "audition" of sorts, the individual
said: "Whoever delivers the best (material) is going to stay on for the next
round and it might be all four of them...29 owners is not a small undertaking."
Matt Cullen Penguins Jersey . Tokarski, a somewhat controversial choice -- with his 10 games of NHL experience and all --
to replace an injured Carey Price in Game Two had a night to remember, turning
back a Rangers team that was dominating play from the get-go, outshooting the
Canadiens 14-4 in the first period and 37-25 overall.
Derick Brassard Rangers Jersey . Behind the talents of rookie Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames will look to keep pace Thursday
night when they face the Minnesota Wild in the second of a six-game
homestand.LOS ANGELES -- Dustin Brown stood on a flatbed truck and raised the
big silver trophy above his head once again. The air in downtown Los Angeles
filled with a blizzard of silver-and-black confetti. The Los Angeles Kings are
Stanley Cup champions for the first time, and a celebration 45 years in the
making certainly appeared to be worth the wait. The Kings rode double-decker
buses and flatbed trucks in a parade through the city centre, moving slowly up
Figueroa Street past thousands of roaring fans. Brown and playoff MVP
Jonathan Quick then raised the Cup outside Staples Center, where the Kings
completed their 16-4 rampage through the post-season on Monday night by
eliminating the New Jersey Devils. "It was more than you could ever expect,"
forward Dustin Penner said. "Its one of those moments you want to live over and
over again. Its amazing to hear all the support, and to put faces to the cheers
weve heard all year." The Kings gathered inside the arena for a packed rally,
with fans waving towels and giving repeated standing ovations to every speaker.
Coach Darryl Sutter even pumped up the fans with a series of joyously
out-of-character fist pumps, and forward Anze Kopitar riled them up even more.
"Its too much fun not to win it again, so lets go get it," Kopitar said. Quick,
the Conn Smythe Trophy winner, then cracked up the crowd with profane praise of
his teammates in a ceremony running live on local television. But even amid the
pomp and profanity of a major party, the Kings affection for each other broke
through. "Just to see the looks on their faces after they won it is something
Ill remember for the rest of my life," said Sutter, the midseason replacement
who revitalized the Kings season. "Its just awesome, awesome, awesome." The
Kings will have all summer to absorb what they accomplished this spring, but the
superlatives are remarkable. Los Angeles is the first No. 8 seed to win the
Stanley Cup, and only one modern NHL team did it in fewer games. The Kings took
a 3-0 lead in all four of their playoff series -- also an NHL first. Los Angeles
never played an elimination game, only getting stretched even to Game 6 once,
and only trailed for about 184 minutes in the entire post-season. The Kings
finished third in the Pacific Division, albeit only two points behind winner
Phoenix, and didnt clinch a playoff berth until right before their 81st game.
They were the NHLs lowest-scoring team for most of the regular season before
getting it together in late February around the time Jeff Carter arrived in a
trade with Columbus. "I dont think we really had the season we expected of
ourselves, and I dont think we were aan eight seed," said defenceman
Rob Scuderi, still sporting black stitches in his nose and upper lip after New
Jerseys Steve Bernier slammed him headfirst into the boards in Game 6, resulting
in a five-minute power play in which the Kings scored three goals and
essentially wrapped up the Cup.
Alexei Kovalev Canadiens Jersey. The Stanley Cup has already made an extensive tour of Los Angeles, starting at a Hermosa
Beach pub just a few hours after the Kings claimed it. The Cup was in Browns
backyard Tuesday morning, where his two oldest sons drank chocolate milk out of
the bowl while wearing their Spider-Man pyjamas. After appearances on "The
Tonight Show" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Tuesday, the Cup made its way on
Wednesday to Dodger Stadium, where the Dodgers and Angels posed with the Kings
for a remarkable photo before every hockey player threw out a first pitch. On
Wednesday night, the Cup ended up at a popular stage show in Hollywoods historic
Roosevelt Hotel, where David Beckham and Chuck Liddell joined in the
celebration. "It feels great," said Kopitar, the playoffs scoring co-leader with
linemate Brown. "You want to have parades every year. Its going to be tough, but
we think we have the team to do it." The Kings are uniformly excited theyve got
a strong chance of defending their title next season with much the same roster.
General manager Dean Lombardi, who lost his voice in the post-Cup celebrations
and couldnt speak to the rally crowd, already has signed most of Los Angeles key
contributors for at least one more year, with only forwards Penner, Jarret Stoll
and Colin Fraser headed for unrestricted free agency. "Id say its pretty good,"
Penner said of his chances of returning to Los Angeles. "I want to be back. ...
Im pretty sure Dean is good at math." Penner rebounded from a dismal regular
season for a strong playoff run with linemates Mike Richards and Carter, scoring
the overtime goal in the victory that clinched the Kings second Western
Conference championship. The power forward is now a two-time NHL champion after
winning the Cup with Anaheim in 2007, and his experience after that title has
affected how he views his impending free agency. Penner signed a five-year,
$21.25 million offer sheet with Edmonton in the ensuing off-season, and the
furious Ducks didnt match it. Penner got his money, but missed his teammates
while struggling through dismal seasons with the Oilers, who traded him to Los
Angeles last season. "I ended up leaving (Anaheim), and you want to be a part of
that -- coming into a building as the champs," Penner said. "Weve got a good
thing going here, and I love it."
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