Donald Sterling to give control of Clippers to estranged wife Shelly

Donald Sterling, who was banned for life from the NBA for his racist comments that were caught on tape when he was speaking to his girlfriend, has handed over control of the Los Angeles Clippers to his estranged wife, media reports said Friday.

The NBA could vote to take the team from Sterling on June 3. Giving control of the team to his wife could prevent that, or at least give the family more control over how the sale proceeds.

Celebrity website TMZ, citing unnamed sources, reported that Sterling transferred control of the basketball team to his wife, Rochelle "Shelly" Sterling, and that she is negotiating with the NBA to sell the Clippers on her terms. ABC News also reported the transfer of control, citing a source close to the team.

An attorney for Shelly Sterling and representatives from the Clippers could not immediately be reached for comment.

"We continue to follow the process set forth in the NBA constitution regarding termination of the current ownership interests in the Los Angeles Clippers, and are proceeding toward a hearing on this matter on June 3," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement. Bass would not confirm the ABC or TMZ reports.

Donald Sterling was banned for life by league commissioner Adam Silver and threatened with the forced sale of the Clippers, after an audio recording surfaced last month of a conversation in which he berated his girlfriend for publicly associating with black people.

The NBA began the formal process of seizing the Clippers from Sterling on Monday, notifying him of the specific charges against him in a document that said his comments had damaged the league's relationship with players, sponsors and fans.

In a statement titled "Summary of Sterling Termination Charge" posted online Monday night, the NBA also said Sterling had lied to the league during its investigation into his comments and destroyed evidence it was seeking in the investigation.

Al Jazeera and wire services