http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-simers-20100817,0,3417993.column If you had one question to ask Donald Sterling, what would it be? "Why do you run your own picture so much in advertisements in the L.A. Times?" Sterling's response: "I like the way I look.'' Get news and stories direct from our Sports desk to your inbox with our daily L.A. Sports Connection newsletter. Sign up ? And so it went Monday at the Clippers' practice facility, Sterling of good cheer for an owner of such a failing organization and taking on all questions while the team unveiled new uniforms since they don't have any new players to showcase. The lightweight uniform with holes in it, seemingly tailor-made for the Clippers although everyone in the league will have them, was fitted to a mannequin with its head cut off — reminding everyone of Baron Davis running the Clippers' offense, Davis wearing No. 5 this season because No. 1 never did fit. A couple of months ago this was going to be the summer of all summers for the Clippers, a fresh start, a chance to hire a new coach, $17 million in cap space to go after LeBron or other big names like him and make a huge splash. And so they signed Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes. Or, as Sterling put it, "If I really called the shots we wouldn't have signed Gomes and what's the other guy's name? "You know, they told me if we built a new practice facility we'd attract all the top players in the game," Sterling adds. "I guess I should have doubled the size of this place." He's no different than most Clippers fans. "I swear to you, I never heard of these guys," Sterling says, "but what if the coach says he wants them?" The new coach is Vinny Del Negro, confident and cocky at first like all the other Clippers coaches who have come and gone, Del Negro saying he did a great job in Chicago and Sterling saying he's been told by the Bulls' owner that Del Negro was his favorite guy. So how come the guy was fired after two years? "I really like the coach," says Sterling, Del Negro standing across from him, "but then I guess I've said that every time I've hired a new coach." In addition to hiring the Bulls' reject, as the summer of all summers go, this one smelled from the outset, inexplicably Sterling and Mike Dunleavy locked in a dispute over what he was owed after Dunleavy's departure. Same old Clippers. Sterling says he can't understand why LeBron didn't listen more intently to the Clippers' overtures, which included $100 million and unstated things being done by Staples Center to enhance the L.A. invite. But picture LeBron sitting there, free agency yet to begin, and reports out of Los Angeles the Clippers are pinching pennies and embroiled in a public dispute with their former coach and last two GMs. "If you resign from The Times, what rights do you have?" Sterling says. "The lawyers say [Dunleavy] quit." He says the NBA deals in litigation every day, missing the point the Clippers cannot afford such messy nonsense when trying to rehab a horrendous reputation. --

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