"I think he was going to sign with Minnesota, I literally talk JJ out of it, 'Come play with me. Come play with the Clippers with
Chris Paul and DJ and Blake [Griffin], you'd be a great fit.'… The free agent signing is done, JJ agrees, I jump on a plane, I fly back to Orlando, and I get a call from Andy Roeser, and he says, 'the deal's off.' I say, 'what do you mean the deal's off?'
"'Donald doesn't like white players.'"
"I said, 'excuse me?' 'Donald Sterling said no.' I said, 'well, we've already agreed.' I'm in the garage at the Orlando Airport, Ernie, I get a call from Coach K, who is upset because of JJ I get a call from JJ's agent, I think it was Arn Tellem [Ed. note: It was] who screaming at me.
"So I call Donald Sterling, and I think this was three weeks to a month into the job, I'm not sure but right in that area, me and Donald are having a 'conversation.' It made [a screaming, cussing argument with Doc's then coach Pat Riley years before] look meek. So, by the very end of the conversation, I quit. I said, "Well, I quit' [Immitating a screaming Sterling] 'You're not gonna quit.' 'I quit.' 'You're not gonna quit.'…
"I said, 'I'm not gonna let you ruin my reputation. Not gonna happen. It will never happen.' And Donald goes in, 'Oh, just trust me, I have this great reputation around the league.' And I was screaming, 'No, I have the reputation around the league, you don't. I will not coach another day if this deal doesn't go through.' I hang up, and I remember going home and telling Chris [Paul], 'I think I don't have a job.'…
"Three hours later I get a call from Andy Roeser who says, 'Hey man, deal's done, Donald's all in.' Didn't say why, didn't say anything, just he changed his mind."