Doc Rivers was unaware of preliminary move to oust Donald Sterling

OAKLAND -- Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said he had been unaware that a group of NBA owners had started the process to remove Donald Sterling from ownership of the team.

“No reaction,” Rivers said Thursday when informed that the league announced an advisory/finance committee had unanimously agreed to “move forward as expeditiously as possible” to expel Sterling. “You’re not surprised by that, so that’s good for them. I think there’s a lot of work to be done in that area and I’m just going to try to stay out of that area.”

The vote by the NBA’s 10-member advisory/finance committee was a precursor to a full vote of league owners. The committee is expected to meet again next week, though it’s unclear when a full vote to terminate Sterling’s ownership might take place.

The expulsion of Sterling would require a three-fourths vote — or 22 of 30 owners — to trigger a forced sale. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday he was confident he had the support of the owners he needed to oust Sterling after league investigators verified the voice on a recording making offensive comments about blacks belonged to Sterling.

Silver also fined Sterling $2.5 million and issued a lifetime ban from any involvement with the team. Rivers said he did not think Sterling’s wife, Rochelle, would attend Game 6 of the Clippers’ first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night at Oracle Arena.