Chaney Says Talk Wasn’t About Job

Don Chaney, interim coach of the Clippers, said Tuesday that his status for next season was not the subject of a 65-minute meeting with Clipper owner Donald T. Sterling after Monday night’s loss to Portland.

Chaney said that he and Sterling sorted out what is wrong with the Clippers’ recent play, which probably explains why the meeting lasted so long.

“We discussed where the team is headed, and how badly they played,” Chaney said. “It didn’t have anything to do with me personally. I think an owner has a right to have a discussion with a coach about the players. (Sterling) was a little upset, and I appreciate his concern.”

Sterling was not available for comment and normally does not grant interviews. Monday’s visit to the Clipper locker room was the first by Sterling this season, although he made regular visits there when the Clippers were based in San Diego.

Neither Clipper General Manager Carl Scheer nor President Alan Rothenberg was included in the meeting. Scheer said he wasn’t aware of the meeting until Tuesday morning.

“It was a shock to me,” Scheer said late Tuesday morning. “I was out running with a friend, and he told me he read it in the paper. I stopped right there on 26th Street (in Santa Monica) and couldn’t believe what my friend told me.”

After talking with Sterling Tuesday afternoon, Scheer said: “It basically was a boring conversation that Chaney, Sterling and I have all the time. I talked to Don (Chaney), too, and he said there was no ranting or raving. Just an exchange of views.”

Scheer, reiterating that no decision on a new coach will be made until the season ends, said that Sterling has been disturbed by the Clippers’ poor play the last two months. Scheer said Sterling was particularly upset during the final stages of Monday’s 21-point loss to Portland at the Sports Arena, which dropped the Clippers’ record to 25-48.

In another development, the Chicago Bulls fired General Manager Rod Thorn Tuesday, fueling speculation that Scheer would jump to the Bulls when his Clipper contract expires after the season.

Jerry Reinsdorf, new owner of the Bulls, then hired Jerry Krause as director of player personnel and is planning to hire a marketing director. Krause is a former Bull scout who also has been a scout for the Chicago White Sox, the baseball team owned by Reinsdorf. Larry Levy, an associate of Reinsdorf, is reportedly in line for the marketing job.

“I was not contacted by the Bulls, and I did not solicit myself for a job with Chicago,” Scheer said.