Sources: Sterling might sue NBA

Banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling isn't going away without a fight.

Sterling's lawyer has informed the NBA that Sterling will not be paying the $2.5 million fine levied on him last month by commissioner Adam Silver, sources confirmed to ESPN.com on Thursday night.

That fine was due this week, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

In a letter sent on Sterling's behalf, attorney Max Blecher also threatened to sue the league if Sterling is not afforded due process.

According to a report on SI.com, the letter was sent Wednesday and asserts that "no punishment is warranted" for Sterling, who was banned for life and fined $2.5 million for racist remarks he made that were published by TMZ. The letter claims that Sterling has not breached the NBA constitution and that his "due process rights" were violated by the league's four-day investigation.

"I'm a good member who made a mistake," Sterling told CNN earlier this week. "Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? It's a terrible mistake, and I'll never do it again."

Sterling's ability to remain owner of the Clippers rests in the hands of the NBA's other 29 owners, who are expected to vote on the matter. A 75 percent majority is needed to oust Sterling. In the interim, the league has made Dick Parsons the CEO of the franchise.

Information from ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne and Darren Rovell was used in this report.