Since being fired earlier in the year, Mike Dunleavy has not received any of the money owed to him from his guaranteed contract, which reportedly totals upwards to $12 million dollars.
This isn’t exactly new territory for Donald Sterling. The Clippers fired Bill Fitch after the 1997-1998 season and proceeded to pay Fitch only $200,000 of the $4 million dollars owed to him. Fitch of course had to pursue legal action against the Clippers, which led to Sterling giving this deposition (via a story by Peter May in the Boston Globe in January 2003):
Q. Do you have an understanding whether the 1997 contract was guaranteed?
A. No.
Q. Sir, do you have any idea what a guaranteed contract is?
A. No.
Q. None?
A. No . . . I really don’t understand what the – what “guaranteed contracts” mean. I, I’m really not sure exactly what that means with relations to players.
Asked if he understood that coaches get paid if they get fired, subject to certain provisions, Sterling said, simply, “No.”
In Donald Sterling’s world, things like guaranteed contracts simply don’t exist. With that in mind, it must be terribly inconvenient for Sterling to have to pay these coaches who couldn’t live up to his standards. For Sterling, everything is as simple as this: Do a good job, and you get paid. Do a bad job, and you don’t. Of course that’s not how the NBA or most of society operates, but these things matter not to an owner.
And really, it’s hard to see that ever changing. This isn’t just blatant penny pinching here — this is a 77-year old man’s code of beliefs being tested. Sterling believes he shouldn’t have to pay someone who no longer works for him. So he won’t, at least not until someone forces him to.
The Clippers don’t really have a leg to stand on here, but that hardly seems to matter. This is a statement from the top, and it reads loud and clear: Donald Sterling will not pay for something he has already deemed inadequate. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking bathroom renovation or million dollar coaches. Sterling won’t do it.
In his deposition during Fitch’s contract dispute, Sterling was asked if he had known Bill Fitch to lie. He answered “no.” Sterling was then asked the same question about Andy Roeser and Elgin Baylor. His answered remained the same. Finally, Sterling was asked about Bob Weiss, who coached the Clippers during the 1993-1994 season.
Q. How about Bob Weiss? Have you ever known him to lie?
A. I don’t know who he is.
Just a few years prior, Weiss had taken Sterling and the Clippers to court for, you guessed it, refusing to pay out a guaranteed contract.
It’s easy to interpret this situation as the organization slapping Dunleavy in the face. It is not. That slap was delivered with one of the most vindictive press releases in recent memory. That slap was not telling Dunleavy he was fired before releasing the news during a Clippers broadcast. This? This is just an old man sticking to his code. It doesn’t matter if he’s known you for seven years or barely knows your name — if he fired you, he’s not paying you. No way, no how.
So…who wants to come coach the Clippers?
35 Responses
fresh off the presses at 1 am, go DJ thats my DJ! my thoughts are as follows: people see this as consistent with what they deem as a cheapskate in the Don but ALL owners try to pay fired coaches as little as possible if they fire them early, look at Isiah Thomas and Larry Brown before him in NY. these things are almost always settled by arbitration, so let’s not that big of a deal of the Sterling Dunleavy feud. as for the Don, he’s spending money and doing his job for the most part, so basketball ops, coaches and players gotta do their jobs.
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 1:12 am
so did all those other coaches get their money in the end?
D.J. Foster Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 1:28 am
As far as I can tell, yes. Plus 5% interest, according to Steve over at ClipsNation (who has a fantastic article up, by the way)
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 1:21 am
Considering some of the top prospects for the coaching position are current assistant coaches looking to get their first big break as a head coach, I don’t think that will be the problem. If we were going for the likes of Van Gundy or Byron Scott who already have coached and will coach again then the Clippers clearly aren’t their top choice.
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 10:20 am
It’s Lebron’s pick. I’m sure who ever the new coach won’t care about Sterling if he can have Lebron. Agree with Chris above tough. I don’t think Clippers have to have an established coach.
dwight Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Keep dreaming son.
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 10:32 am
Sterling continues to show that he’s an idiot when it comes to fielding a winning pro basketball team. He will always be considered one of the worst, if not the absolute worst, owner in all of pro sports!
craig Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 11:02 am
And because of his reputation, and because they are looking for a new coach and free agent(s), this is the worst possible time for this kind of publicity. DTS has done it again!
Laknights Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Completely agree. Sterling is reason number one many free agents and top tier coaches will not come to Clippers.
No Explanation Needed Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Clipper fans, LA Residents and the boneless NBA… all need to work harder to send this 16th century MEDIEVAL Genius ‘OWNER’ to iceland. Save this team
and save the game.
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 10:54 am
I wouldn’t have paid him either. But it does reflect poorly for sure.
At-will employment Donny….
Laknights Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Not “at will” if you have a contract!
Bongstradamus Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Yea, i was just saying thats the only way he can fire them and not pay. But he did sign a contract and is on the hook. This is the kind of press the team doesnt need.
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Does anyone know if his offspring intend to keep the team once he passes away? It may be 10-15 years, but I’m hoping they will sell it.
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 1:59 pm
david stern should ban him and or take the franchise away from him, stern has to know that he was not as paying fired coaches when they got fired, its bad for the league and city, now we all know why that op free agents dont want to go there and play. http://www.venomsportsgirls.com
No Explanation Needed Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 4:50 pm
YESSSS!
Otherwise LA City Council should bar him from running this franchise in this city.
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Sterling is a dumbass for giving out multi year contracts to these fools who haven’t proven anything. He should only approve 1 year deals. That way he would get what he’s paid for.
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 2:37 pm
I don’t know how Mr. Sterling can expect any reputable coach to come and take this job with his track record of dealing with front office issues. His expectations are lofty yet his attitude and behavior in improving the image of his organization is dismal. If he really wants change and a premier free agent or coach to come to the Clippers, the change has to come from the top starting with Sterling and work all the way down to the rest of club.
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Everyone who works for STERLING should ask for 100% ADVANCE payment. Don’t go to work if he doesn’t.
As if we didn’t need enough material for ‘Sterling jokes’!
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 4:53 pm
You’re being way too kind. Sterling’s “code of beliefs” are being tested? As he brags on the Clippers website, he is an experienced attorney who runs his own law firm. Testifying he doesn’t understand the most basic contract law concepts so he can avoid paying fired employees 5-10 cents on the dollar in the inevitable settlement is not an act of stubbornness. It is not a matter of personal principle to do what you know, as someone with professional expertise and obligations, is impermissible by any objective standard. It is flat out perjury unless he is senile. His statements and conduct violate his professional obligations as an attorney and destroys any integrity he might have as a businessman and lawyer. Sterling should be disbarred immediately either for dishonesty or incompetence, since he has, by his own admission, proved he must be one or the other.
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 6:48 pm
a little fyi, firedunleavy.com is still up. i wonder why it hasnt been taken down
FD Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Still celebrating
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 7:18 pm
i think what happened was that the Donald agreed to pay dunleavy the remaining 4 million dollars over a period of time, 4 million years.
J'Rock Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 9:13 am
thats too funny
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Just pay the man and let’s be done with this.
Posted on April 23rd, 2010 at 1:09 am
About twenty years ago, Danny Ferry was drafted by the Clippers and had a horrified look on his face. He knew where he was going… he refused to play for Sterling and instead, Ron Harper ended up in jail…
Just when I was starting to give Sterling the benefit of the doubt, thinking he had changed, we get this…
What a prick.
No Explanation Needed Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 2:17 pm
NBA should nullify Clippers franchise and bring Supersonics to LA.
Or convert Clippers as an NBDL team based in Bakersfield.
Posted on April 23rd, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Clippers season tkt holders are responsible for all this and more. If they stop renewing their tkts enmasse, Sterling will have no choice but to sell this team.
Let’s start from the basic, cancel your cable subscription with FSN-PT.
Stop clicking on Clippers page on NBA.com
Stop clicking on LATimes.com Clippers link.
Send letters to LA City Council & NBA to outlaw this bed-ridden sickly organization.
Posted on April 23rd, 2010 at 2:23 pm
how bad do you want rid of BD ? Would you trade him to OKC with BG for Green, Maynor, Harden, and Collison ? ESPN says it works. Would this be too stupid ? Or not ?
Bongstradamus Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 3:26 pm
OKC would say no. They have no reason to move Green for BD and they wouldnt want to part with 2 other first round picks for a guy on the wrong side of 30 that is owed as much as BD is owed.
They got Westbrook at the point and Green at the 3. They have a great team and a ton of depth and best of all…they are all cheap.
Presti is too smart to take that deal.
Trading Block Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 5:51 pm
OKC wants to trade Jeff Green. And they want Blake Griffin. Clippers would do it
if they’re willing to take BD garbage. If that’s the price to pay to get GRIFFIN, I guess they’ll.
They can make use of Veteran presence(BD) and they can contend for championship for several seasons to come with Durant, Westbrook and Griffin.
Clippers would be foolish to keep Griffin because his heart & mind reside comfortably somewhere else.
Do it if Harden & Green are included in the package.
Then we should trade Kaman to Pistons for T.PRINCE. Re-sign Craig Smith for a 1 yr deal.
Posted on April 23rd, 2010 at 2:30 pm
The Clippers got Kim Hughes back in their coaching bench.
Posted on April 23rd, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Just a thought. If he resigned as coach in January why should he still get paid the same money? His salary was for both coach and GM. Maybe that’s the angle Donald T and the attorney’s are looking at.
Posted on April 23rd, 2010 at 5:23 pm
The magic number is 77. Sterlings age. He can’t survive much longer, right. And bknowing Kim Hughes is back should have people lining up around the block for season tickets. What a screwed up team.
Posted on April 24th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Question: Did MD resign as coach as reported in the media or was he pushed out? That would have a lot to do with how much of his salary he’s entitled to.
Posted on April 25th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Trackbacks