2003: Sterling's tenants file a federal lawsuit, claiming "numerous discriminatory statements and housing practices."
2005: Sterling settles the 2003 lawsuit, paying about $5 million in legal fees, plus an undisclosed (probably huge) settlement.
2006: The Department of Justice sues Sterling for housing discrimination after he speaks against renting to Latino and African American tenants.
2009: Sterling settles the 2006 lawsuit for about $3 million. Elgin Baylor, the Clippers general manager from 1986 to 2008, files a civil lawsuit for wrongful termination. He says Sterling has a "vision of a Southern plantation type structure" for the Clippers, in which "poor black kids from the South [are] playing for a white coach." Baylor also claims Sterling brings African American women into the locker room, saying "Look at those beautiful black bodies."
2011: Baylor drops racial discrimination suit.
March 2011: Clippers run an advertisement in which Sterling says the team is honored to celebrate Black History Month. Some fans are offended because Black History Month is February, believe Sterling is disrespectful.
2012: Former Clippers player Baron Davis says Sterling's heckling made it difficult for him to come to work.
April 9, 2014: Sterling's girlfriend, Vanessa Stiviano, records their conversations, in which Sterling tells Stiviano not to bring black friends to Clippers games, or post photos of her with black people (including NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson) on Instagram.
April 25, 2014: TMZ releases tapes of Donald Sterling making racist those remarks.
April 27, 2014: During warmup for a playoff game, Clippers wear uniforms inside out in protest.
April 28, 2014: NAACP revokes Sterling's lifetime achievement award and returns donation Sterling made. Donald Trump and Alex Jones defend Sterling. Sponsors begin leaving Clippers.;
April 29, 2014: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver bans Sterling for life. Fines Sterling $2.5 million, the maximum fine allowed. Says owners will vote to remove Sterling as owner and force a sale of the team on June 3rd. Stiviano's lawyer says she is "very saddened" by the NBA's decision. Rush Limbaugh develops Sterling conspiracy theory.
May 1, 2014: Los Angeles NAACP president Leon Jenkins resigns, seemingly over Sterling's lifetime achievement award.
May 2, 2014: Stiviano says she had "very many" conversations with Sterling like the one obtained by TMZ. News reports say Sterling is battling cancer.
May 3, 2014: Stiviano says Sterling isn't racist.
May 6, 2014: Andy Roeser, Clippers President, resigns.
May 8, 2014: Shelly Sterling, Donald Sterling's estranged wife, says she will fight to keep her half of the team. The Clippers are owned by the Sterling Family Trust, of which she owns half according to California state law. Radar Online issues a second recording, presumably made by Sterling, where he denies being a racist.
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