Sterling Sues Former Coach

VANCOUVER, Canada — Clipper owner Donald Sterling is at it again.

Sterling has filed a lawsuit in L.A. Superior Court against former coach Bill Fitch for breach of contract. The suit alleges that Fitch failed to seek employment after the Clippers fired him in April 1998.

The suit alleges that Fitch, who was to be paid if fired, had to mitigate payment amounts by looking for work. Fitch was 63 at the time of the firing.

The Clippers claim to have paid Fitch $1.19 million since he was fired. The suit also claimed that Fitch engaged in a “coercive” contract negotiation in 1997 after the team appeared in the NBA playoffs. The Clippers gave Fitch a new contract that ran through June 2000, though the team fired him in 1998 after a 17-65 season.