U.S. Appeals Court Refuses to Dismiss NBA Suit Against Clipper Move to L.A.

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court has refused to block a trial of the National Basketball Assn.’s suit over last year’s move of the San Diego Clippers to Los Angeles.

In a decision made public Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a request by the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, a defendant in the suit, to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction.

The NBA sued the Clippers and the Coliseum Commission last year after the team moved without seeking approval of the league’s board of governors, as required by an NBA bylaw. The NBA has asked a federal judge in San Diego to declare its rule valid under antitrust laws. The association is also seeking damages.