Donald Sterling's Wife Shelly Wants His Lifetime NBA Ban Rescinded

Shelly Sterling, the wife of former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, wants the NBA to end the lifetime ban given to her husband after his racist comments were caught on tape, which led the league to force the sale of the Clippers organization. 

On Thursday, James Rainey of NBC News passed along comments from Shelly Sterling with the two-year anniversary of the sale set to arrive next week on May 29.

"I couldn't understand the severity of the ban. It just seemed a little bit out of line," she said. "I have talked to [the NBA] several times and I don't know what they will do. Maybe they will and maybe they won't [lift the ban]. Maybe it takes a little bit more time."

In April 2014, TMZ Sports published audio of a conversation between Donald Sterling and female acquaintance V. Stiviano. He criticized her decision to "broadcast" the fact she was hanging out with black people, including Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson.

"You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want," Sterling said. "The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games."

NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced later that month Sterling was banned for life from having any association with the league, would be fined $2.5 million and, following approval from the other owners, he would have to sell the franchise.

"We stand together in condemning Mr. Sterling's views. They simply have no place in the NBA," Silver said at the time.

Steve Ballmer, who previously served as the chief executive officer of Microsoft, went on to purchase the Clippers from the Sterling family for $2 billion.

The NBC News report noted Donald Sterling has changed his tune after calling the league "a band of hypocrites and bullies" during the backlash for his comments. He told Rainey it's a "great league" and referred to Silver as "a wonderful leader."

Sterling said he still watches Clippers games on television while his wife attends in person as part of the sale agreement. He's happy with the current state of his life following the controversy.

"I am as happy as I have ever been. I am as comfortable as I have ever been," he told NBC News. "And I don't want to do anything to disturb that."

His wife and attorney Pierce O'Donnell have been in contact with NBA chief counsel Richard Buchanan about the potential of removing the ban. The status of those conversations is unclear, though.