Intro:

The NBA named Dick Parsons - a former Citigroup chairman and former Time Warner chairman and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) - as interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

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Hours before they faced the Oklahoma City Thunder in game three of their Western Conference semi-final series, the Los Angeles Clippers were given a new CEO.

The NBA chose Dick Parsons to take over the franchise while the league tries to force owner Donald Sterling to sell it following his lifetime ban for making racist remarks.

With Sterling banned from anything to do with the team or league, and team President Andy Roeser on an indefinite leave of absence, the league and Clippers worked together to find someone to lead the organisation along with coach Doc Rivers and now Parsons will represent the franchise in owners meetings while the league tries to work out the team's ownership situation.

A three-fourths vote of owners is required to force Sterling to sell the team he has owned since 1981.

His estranged wife, Shelly, wants to keep her 50 per cent ownership stake in the team, her lawyer said on Thursday, and Silver said so far the ban only applies to Donald Sterling.