Attorneys for the estranged wife of banned NBA owner Donald Sterling are scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday, seeking to be granted an emergency order of protection against the 80-year-old former Clippers owner after he allegedly threatened and harassed his ex over the pending sale of the franchise.

Just days before the pair are set to square off in a probate court hearing (July 7-10) to determine if Shelly Sterling's $2 billion sale of the team to tech guru Steve Ballmer should be upheld, ESPN reported attorneys for Shelly Sterling insisted this week "Donald Sterling and his lawyers have "threatened and intimidated witnesses" who may be called on to testify in the proceedings.

Donald Sterling banned for life

The website adds Shelly Sterling has now sought an "expeditious court ruling on her authority to sell" the team prior to the Sept. 15 deadline imposed by the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver.

Once the league's longest tenured owner, Sterling was banned for life from the league and fined the maximum $2.5 million earlier this year after a video tape of him admonishing girlfriend V. Stiviano "not to bring black people," including NBA legend Magic Johnson, to his games was made public.

Marques Johnson claims Donald Sterling tried to ruin him

Not long after that, Donald Sterling was determined to suffer from a form of dementia after being medically evaluated by at least two neurologists, paving the way for Shelly Sterling to become sole trustee of the family's NBA holdings and move forward with her deal to sell to Ballmer.