the worst injury of his 12-year career in early September.

LOS ANGELES -- A trial will be held next month to determine whether Donald Sterling, who opposes his estranged wifes planned sale of the Los Angeles Clippers, was properly removed as an administrator for the family trust that owns the team. A probate court judge in Los Angeles Wednesday denied Shelly Sterlings urgent request to confirm her authority as sole administrator of The Sterling Family Trust so that she can unilaterally proceed with a $2 billion sale of the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Instead, the judge agreed to an expedited hearing because of looming sales deadlines. The development is the latest in a legal tug-of-war following the NBAs decision to ban Donald Sterling for life after racist remarks to a girlfriend were recorded and publicized. Donald Sterling is fighting the decision and suing the league for $1 billion. The league has contended the comments were bad for business and damaged both the Clippers and the NBA. The four-day trial was granted exceptionally quickly and will begin July 7. The deadline for the sale is July 15, which also is the date the NBAs owners hope to vote on whether they will approve the sale. Court filings Wednesday indicated the NBA has set a hard deadline of Sept. 15. If the sale isnt completed then, the league will undertake proceedings to seize and sell the team on its own. Donald Sterlings lawyer, Bobby Samini, left the courthouse without comment after a clerk announced the trial schedule. Neither Sterling was present. "I just want to resolve this as quickly as possible," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told The Associated Press on Wednesday in Miami at an NBA Cares event. The crux of the case will centre on the question of whether the 80-year-old Donald Sterling is mentally competent to be a co-trustee of The Sterling Family Trust, which gives him the authority to determine the teams future. According to the trusts terms, he can be ruled "mentally incapacitated" after being evaluated by two doctors, said Pierce ODonnell, Shelly Sterlings attorney. Shelly Sterling activated that clause in negotiating what would be a record-breaking deal with Ballmer as sole trustee. But Donald Sterling challenged the removal in a letter sent Monday to his wifes attorney said "any attempt to remove me as a Trustee of the Sterling Trust is invalid and illegal. Furthermore, any assertion that I am incapacitated... is false and without merit." According to court documents, two doctors examined Donald Sterling in May and concluded that he suffers from "mild cognitive impairment consistent with early Alzheimers Disease" or some other forms of brain disease after examining brain scans and having him undergo other tests. "In my opinion he is substantially unable to manage his finances and resist fraud and undue influence, and is no longer competent to act as trustee of his trust," concluded Dr. James E. Spar, who is affiliated with the division of geriatric psychiatry at UCLA. Sterling voluntarily went to the doctors at the request of his wife, according to a person with knowledge of the proceedings who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details publicly. A third doctor reviewed the two doctors findings as well as Sterlings brain scans and concurred with their conclusions that he "lacks the capacity to function as trustee." Donald Sterlings attorney, Maxwell Blecher, contested the doctors findings in remarks Tuesday to The Associated Press. "Anybody at his age level on a brain scan would probably show some impairment. But that doesnt mean you forget where your car keys are and youre incompetent," Blecher said. "There isnt the slightest evidence hes incapable of managing his affairs." Donald Sterling said in a statement that hes not just fighting for the Clippers but taking a stand against the NBA, which he called "a band of hypocrites and bullies" and "despicable monsters" who want "to take away our privacy rights and freedom of speech." "As Ive said previously, if Donald chooses to litigate against us, so be it," Silver said. "So its going to take longer than we had hoped for this transaction to close, but itll get done ultimately. Its just a question of time." Ballmers attorney, Adam Streisand, said he was pleased with the trial schedule and "confident that after the trial the court is going to bless this transaction." The NBAs general counsel, Rick Buchanan, warned in a court papers that if the judge didnt confirm Shelly Sterlings sole trusteeship and if her deal with Ballmer "is not promptly consummated, there will be substantial harm" to the Clippers, the NBA and even The Sterling Family Trust -- the last of which would be responsible for the NBAs costs related to the legal proceedings that result. Buchanan said a recent independent survey of more than 500 Clippers fans found the majority would be less likely to support the team if Donald Sterling remained its owner. Buchanan said thousands of NBA fans worldwide have contacted the league directly or via social media to say theyre hurt or embarrassed by his views and arent sure theyll continue supporting the league and its teams. He also cited NBA player worries about the impact for the team with the upcoming NBA draft. "Mr. Sterlings continued ownership is damaging the Clippers and NBAs relationships with existing and potential business partners and licenses," Buchanan wrote. He said nearly all of the Clippers local sponsors have terminated or suspended their relationships with the team, including Adidas, Commerce Casino and Hotel, Red Bull, Mandalay Bay Hotel, Virgin America and Mercedes. Shelly Sterlings court bid aims to have a judge confirm her authority as sole trustee to ensure the Ballmer sale moves forward. Blecher said that a representative for Donald Sterling would be at any hearing, and that the next step is to have other doctors evaluate Donald Sterling. "I have no doubt at the end of the day the court is not going to say hes incompetent," Blecher said. "Thats a very high burden in the probate court -- otherwise people would get their sisters and wife and brother-in-laws and everybody declared incompetent." ------ AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report. 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Wood beat Cincinnati for the first time in his career, repeatedly pitching out of threats for seven innings, and Chicago stalled the Reds week-long surge with a 2-0 victory Monday night.INDIANAPOLIS - Colts linebacker Robert Mathis has taken down the Gone Fishin sign from inside his locker and is getting settled into his two new jobs a€” full-time rehab patient, part-time assistant coach.The 33-year-old defending NFL sacks champion knows it will be a long, arduous journey back.Mathis missed the first four games this season for violating the leagues performance-enhancing substance policy and now will miss the remaining 12 after tearing his left Achilles tendon during a workout in Atlanta while he was away from the team. Team doctors, Mathis said, have told him a full recovery will take six months from the injury.Ill be back faster, he said in his first public comments since the injury. I like to think Im a fast healer.Mathis only said he was injured doing a workout routine that he has been doing for years.He also has a penchant for defying the odds.When the Colts traded up to get the former Alabama A&M star in the fifth round of the 2003 draft, critics said he was too small to hold up in the league. Instead, he emerged as a perennial Pro Bowl defensive end opposite longtime friend and teammate Dwight Freeney. He proved the critics wrong again when he became just as effective a pass rusher after moving to outside linebacker in 2012.When Freeney left for San Diego after the 2012 season, many of the doubters figured Mathis numbers would drop. But Mathis set a franchise record with a leaague-leading 19 1/2 sacks to become the first winner of the Deacon Jones Award.ddddddddddddNot much has gone right on the football field since. The Colts were ousted by longtime rival New England in last years playoffs. Mathis found out about his suspension in May, and sustained the worst injury of his 12-year career in early September.Mathis returned from the suspension Monday and has been seen getting around in a protective walking boot, watching practice from the sideline and helping mentor younger teammates.Theres some things that hes told me, that hes told the young guys, its actually very good, defensive co-ordinator Greg Manusky said Not everybody is Robert, but Im saying from the standpoint of he understands pass rush, he understands how to practice to pass rush, and, number two, during the game he knows how to pass rush.But the Colts (2-2) clearly believe their best pass-rusher will return to his usually menacing ways.On Monday, the team announced it had agreed to a one-year contract extension with the franchises career sacks leader, a move that could keep Mathis in town through the 2016 season.And Mathis intends to live up to his end of the deal.They love me. I love them, Mathis said. Like I said, they have a respect for what Ive done here. Theres no secret that I love being here, so its just a win-win situation.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '