Sterling talks about Baylor

Clippers owner Donald Sterling hasn't been spotted in his team's locker room at Staples Center much this season. But there he was after their overtime victory over the Knicks on Wednesday night.

He congratulated his players and then spoke for a few minutes with The Times and Beth Harris of Associated Press before his lawyer Robert H. Platt materialized and, very politely, stopped the interview.

Sterling seemed dismayed and somewhat surprised to hear his former GM Elgin Baylor had filed a lawsuit against the Clippers, Sterling and the NBA, among others.

"How long was he with us? Twenty-something years," Sterling said. "I haven't read the complaint, so I don't know. I can't imagine (it) because Elgin has always been very, very close to me.  Every time we go anywhere, we go together. We eat together. We go to games together. But I'll read it.

He did not answer the specifics of the lawsuit and said he hadn't spoken to Baylor since October.

"He's a fabulous person," Sterling said of Baylor. "And he has a fabulous wife. I think there's some mistake. You read it?"

-Lisa Dillman

Comments

[Bobak]

Maybe Sterling should take out an advert in the paper--especially if its in the style of the ubiquitous, aesthetically-challenged real estate ads that are his trademark in the LA Times.

[Jon K.]

Everyone knows that Sterling has been a miser and is probably more responsible for the losing history of the Clippers than anyone else. But, let's be serious, Elgin Baylor is one of the worst GMs in the history of the NBA. No other team would keep a GM on as long as Baylor despite the continuously horrendous nature of his draft picks. I'm not doubting that Sterling is a narcissistic boob, but, come on, if it was as bad as Baylor said it was, why didn't he have the dignity to quit somewhere in the two plus decades he served as Clippers GM?