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Do Chris Paul, Blake Griffin know best who should coach Clippers?

"So I wonder, is this decision being made because the players are now calling the shots? Am I off base?"

"No, you're not off base," Sterling said. "This is a players' league, and, unfortunately, if you want to win you have to make the players happy. Don't you think that's true?"

"It's not entirely true. Money is not the only thing that makes them happy," Sterling said. "They want to win, and they want the best opportunity to win. Do they know what the best opportunity to win is? I frankly don't know.

"But if you have special players, and special players think that they know the best opportunity to win, you have to support them."

"I really wanted to keep coaching the Clippers," Del Negro said, and how many people can say that?

He took the high road upon hearing the Clippers had no interest in his returning. But he did veer off slightly when told maybe it was his own players who led to his demise.

"Like any coach, you get your complaints and complainers in players, but I think we had a very good working relationship," he said. "But I think if you let players run your organization, you are behind from the start."

TJ Simers, LA Times

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Baby Bop wrote:Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA 4m
The Clippers have fired Vinny Del Negro, source tells Y!

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Vinny Del Negro packs up belongings and thanks Clippers again

Vinny Del Negro eased into a chair in what was now his former office as the coach of the Clippers.

Del Negro was preparing to pack up his belongings Wednesday, a day after the Clippers had let him go after three years coaching the team. He also had come to say goodbye to the same front office that no longer wanted him as the coach, to chant with the people who helped make his stay fun and to take his coaching staff to lunch.

“It’s definitely disappointing because I’m an all-in person,” Del Negro said. “I give everything in terms of my commitment to the organization. It’s the sweat equity you put into things, the time. It’s the things you go through to develop and grow as a team and organization.

“When you’re not able to see things through the way you want to, that’s disappointing and frustrating. A lot of coaches have gone through it. But I appreciate the opportunity being here with the Clippers.”

“Yeah, I’m going to coach again,” Del Negro said. “I just want to handle this situation the right way and thank all the people and the fans and the organization and the coaches and obviously the players and everyone that’s worked hard to get this franchise to where it is right now. I’ll take a step back. There are a lot of opportunities out there.”

Brad Turner, LA Times