You can't put the blame for this at the feet of Sterling

Gee, why do these things keep happening to the Clippers?

I know what you're thinking, but they didn't lose Elton Brand because owner Donald T. Sterling couldn't be reached or wouldn't come up with the money.

It looks as if they lost Brand because he wanted out, which came as a shock since he always seemed true Clippers red, white and blue.

On the other hand, Brand was a Clipper for seven seasons so even if it was the best time in their history, think how many bad days he saw as opposed to good days.

Losing Corey Maggette the same day makes it a bigger story, but the Clippers knew he was gone a long time ago and had no intention of keeping him.

With Brand, on the other hand, they had every intention of keeping him and were stunned to find out he was gone.

How it got to that point is a mystery. Brand had helped talk Baron Davis into signing with the Clippers, saying he would take less money to make it happen.

Technically, Brand took a bigger offer from the 76ers, $82 million to the Clippers' $75 million. However, with Sterling giving his basketball people a blank check, the Clippers were going to dump enough players to get to $81 million.

That offer was never relayed to Brand. The Clippers say at the end, agent David Falk stopped returning their calls.

Whether the imperious Falk, who once represented Michael Jordan, did this for revenge or just because it felt good is a mystery. He did once vow to get the Clippers for not taking his client, Mike Bibby, with the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft.

Instead, the Clippers took Michael Olowokandi so maybe Falk had a point.

Falk was reportedly actually going around saying, "Revenge on the Clippers." However, Falk said that about every team in the NBA so that probably wasn't it.

The Clippers had a bigger problem than Brand's agent. It was Brand.

Once he opted out of his Clippers contract, everything changed. Whether that was Falk's influence or that Brand was impressed by the 76ers, he now seemed to be looking for a way to leave rather than a way to stay. Brand was slow in returning calls to Clippers officials. Whenever they made an offer, Falk would take it back to the 76ers.

For those who know Brand, questioning his sincerity is like refusing to stand for "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Nevertheless, there is another Brand who surfaces occasionally, the wily one who tells you what you want to hear. Clippers officials who revered him noted that if Brand wanted to be here, he was making them work awfully hard to make it happen.