The NBA has confirmed that the league's owners will decide the fate of Donald Sterling in a hearing set for June 3.

Los Angeles Clippers owner Sterling was officially charged with damaging the league on Monday after making racist comments which suggested that he did not want black people attending his team's games.

If 75% of the owners in the NBA vote to sustain the charge, Sterling will then be forced to sell the franchise due to NBA rules.

"Mr Sterling's actions and positions significantly undermine the NBA's efforts to promote diversity and inclusion; damage the NBA's relationship with its fans, harm NBA owners, players and Clippers team personnel, and impair the NBA's relationship with marketing and merchandising partners, as well as with government and community leaders," an NBA statement said.

The charge also relates to Sterling's comments to Anderson Cooper in an interview on CNN earlier this month when he suggested that Magic Johnson did not do enough to help minorities in Los Angeles.