Harrick Report Dismissed as Baseless

A Clipper official reacted with anger to an ESPN report Wednesday that former UCLA and current Rhode Island Coach Jim Harrick will replace Bill Fitch after this season.

“There is absolutely nothing to be gained by responding to rumors, especially one so poorly founded as this one,” said Clipper vice-president of communications Joe Safety. “I don’t know where this got started, but you can be sure that the unnamed source is simply attempting to serve a special interest while mistakenly assuming this is the appropriate way to campaign for a job that does not exist.”

Safety feels that Harrick has an overzealous agent who is trying to force the issue to bring Harrick back home to Los Angeles.

Fitch himself labeled the Harrick speculation as “old news,” and said he was confident there is nothing to it.

Fitch, finishing his fourth season as Clipper coach, has two years left on his contract.

He labeled this season his “most disappointing of all.”

But based on Fitch’s conversation with reporters before Wednesday’s game about his hopes for the upcoming draft and his plans for next season, he certainly doesn’t sound like he plans on going anywhere else.

Nor does he expect to be asked to go.

Harrick was fired by UCLA before the start of the 1996-97 season for lying about an expense report right after it was revealed in The Times that one of his sons had sold a car to Baron Davis’ sister at a time when Davis was being recruited by the senior Harrick.

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Golden State Warrior forward Donyell Marshall is sitting out the rest of the season after fracturing a rib on his right side last week against the Utah Jazz.

TONIGHT

at Portland

* 7:30 PDT

* Channel 9

Site--Rose Garden.

Radio--KEZY-FM (95.9), LITE-FM (92.7).

Records--Clippers 16-64, Trail Blazers 45-34.

Record vs. Portland--0-3.

Update--This will be the final road game for the Clippers who have won only six of their previous 34 away from home. They have lost seven in a row on the road. The Clippers have also lost seven straight against the Trail Blazers, and 12 in a row in Portland, the Clippers’ last win there coming in 1993. The Clippers will play their season finale Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.