Clippers owner’s peers now in control of his fate

NBA commissioner Adam Silver did his job with a historic lifetime ban of Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

Now it’s in the owner’s hands.

Silver said at Tuesday’s news conference he needs just three-quarters of the vote from the 30 Board of Governor’s to oust Sterling as Clippers owner. Ron Klempner, acting director of the Players Association, predicts Silver will be pleased to see a unanimous statement following the revelation of Sterling’s racist comments on audio tape.

“The league likes to make very strong statements in these things,’’ Klempner told The Post after participating in a rally at City Hall in Los Angeles. “I don’t think they’re going to get [just] 75 percent of the vote. I think they’re going to get 100 percent.’’

Several teams, including the Knicks and Nets, issued supportive statements from their owners after the Silver press conference in which the new commish banned Sterling for life from Clippers-related activities and said he will “urge’’ the Board of Governors to force him to sell. Some owners took to Twitter to applaud Silver.

In Dolan’s statement, he applauded Silver for “condemning this ignorance,” calling Sterling’s comments “disgusting.’’

“I have been in touch with the NBA and fully support Commissioner Silver’s decision,’’ Dolan stated. “I applaud Adam for acting quickly and decisively in appropriately addressing these disgusting and offensive comments. This kind of behavior has no place in basketball, or anywhere else, and we as a league must stand together in condemning this ignorance.”

In a general statement, the Nets said: “Today’s announcement by Commissioner Silver sends a strong message that racism and discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in the NBA family. The Nets organization welcomes and fully supports the decision and remains committed to tolerance and respect for all. We can all be proud that the reaction throughout the NBA — from players, management, ownership and fans — has been unequivocal and united in condemning the scourge of racism.’’

Owner Mikhail Prokhorov was not quoted.

Sterling told Fox News contributor Jim Gray before Silver’s announcement “the team is not for sale’’ and “he’s not selling the team.’’

The NBA constitution has language that states the Board of Governors can expel an owner with 75-percent of the vote. Sterling could sue, which could delay matters, according to a legal source. Silver also hasn’t imposed any sanctions on Sterling’s wife Shelly, who is involved heavily with the Clippers.

“I will urge the Board of Governors to exercise its authority to force a sale of the team and will do everything in my power to ensure that that happens,’’ Silver said. “The owners have the authority subject to three-quarters vote of the ownership group, of the partners, to remove him as an owner.

“I fully expect to get the support I need from the other NBA owners to remove him.”

Silver said “the lifetime ban’’ is “independent of forcing a sale of the team.’’

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Monday he wasn’t sure about forcing Sterling to sell.

“I think you’ve got to be very, very careful when you start making blanket statements about what people say and think, as opposed to what they do,” Cuban said. “It’s a very, very slippery slope.”

But Cuban appeared to backtrack Wednesday, tweeting support of Silver’s sanctions “100 percent.’’

Michael Jordan, owner of the Bobcats, said in a statement Silver “sent a powerful message that there can be zero tolerance for racism and hatred in the NBA. I’m confident that the league, our players and our fans will move on from this stronger and more unified.”

New Orleans owner Tom Benson stated he’s in on Silver’s recommendation of forcing a sale: “In light of the serious matter facing our league, a matter that transcends sports, the New Orleans Pelicans fully support the decisions made by Adam Silver and will fully support his recommendations moving forward.”