Scott Sterling, a Malibu resident and son of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, died of a blockage in his lung caused by injecting narcotics into his system, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office.
Sterling, 32, was found dead in his Malibu apartment on Jan. 1.
It appears Sterling ground up prescription narcotics and injected them into his veins, Assistant Chief Investigator Ed Winter said. The injection resulted in what is known as a pulmonary embolism, or a blockage of an artery in the lungs.
An autopsy also detected the narcotic Oxycodone in Sterling’s system, though it’s not clear whether he ingested the drug orally or whether it was injected intravenously. Sterling had a history of Oxycodone use and was also diabetic, both of which were factors in his death, according to the Coroner’s office.
Local sheriff ’s deputies were called to Sterling’s Malibu Beach Villas apartment just east of the Malibu Pier at 11:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day, where they discovered his unresponsive body. Fire and paramedic crews pronounced the lifelong Malibu resident dead at the scene. Sterling had not been seen for several days prior.
Before his death, Sterling kept a low profile in Malibu. Friends described him as kind, able to “make you feel like he was so happy to see you” and not one who tried to use his name to get ahead. Along with his workout regimen, he frequently visited friends at the sober living home across the street from his Malibu Beach Villas apartment.