Silver's decry marks the beginning, not the end, of Sterling saga

Adam Silver made a name for himself yesterday. The NBA commissioner delivered a Silver-tongued lashing to Los Angeles Clippers owner and noted bigot Donald Sterling, fining him 2.5 million dollars (the maximum allowed under the league's constitution) and banning him for life from any activities related to the Clippers or the NBA.

We rejoiced. Justice had been served. This despicable man had been stripped of one of his prize possessions.

Except he hasn't been — yet.

To truly banish Sterling from the league, the NBA requires 75% of its owners vote to force Sterling to sell the team. While Silver seems confident that he will get the numbers, it seems clear that yesterday was not the triumphant end of an embarrassing moment for the NBA, but the beginning of what could be a long and ugly process to remove Sterling entirely.

The 80-year-old Sterling has apparently declared that the Clippers — who won game 5 of their first-round series with the Golden State Warriors last night to take a 3-2 series lead — are not for sale. While many owners, including the Charlotte Bobcats' Michael Jordan have publicly said that Sterling has no place in their league, Dallas Mavericks owner has called the process of forcing an owner to sell a team a "very, very, very slippery slope."

It's easy to imagine fellow owners wringing their hands nervously. Forcing Sterling to sell against his will sets a precedent, and could end up coming to bite other billionaires' behinds.

I hope you enjoyed yesterday. It was cathartic to see Silver lay down his decry with fire and brimstone and justice. But that was far from the end of what might might turn into a legal battle of biblical proportions, if Sterling decides he doesn't want to sell and 25% of the leagues' owners feel their future may be in jeopardy. Buckle up, because I have a feeling we're just getting started.