NBA | Legendary Seattle U. player Elgin Baylor is out as Clippers executive

LOS ANGELES — Elgin Baylor is out as vice president of basketball operations with the Los Angeles Clippers, and coach Mike Dunleavy will assume Baylor's responsibilities as general manager.

Dunleavy said Baylor, a Hall of Fame player, had decided to resign after spending 23 years as an executive with the team.

Baylor, 74, indicated in a brief telephone interview with the Los Angeles Times that the split was less than amicable.

"There is a dispute, and on the advice of my attorney they did not want me to discuss it," Baylor said. "That's all I can say."

Baylor would not say whether he retired, resigned or was fired.

Baylor was a standout at Seattle University before playing for the Lakers' NBA franchise, first in Minneapolis and mostly in Los Angeles, from 1958 to 1971. The 6-foot-5 forward averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds as a pro.

Baylor became vice president of basketball operations for the Clippers in 1986. He was voted the league's executive of the year after the 2005-06 season.

"We greatly appreciate Elgin's efforts during his time with the Clippers, and we wish him the very best," said Donald T. Sterling, Clippers owner and chairman of the board, in a statement.

The Clippers also announced Neil Olshey, the team's director of player personnel, will be elevated to the position of assistant general manager.

"In Mike and Neil, we're fortunate to already have talented people in place to make this transition a seamless one," Clippers president Andy Roeser said. "Going forward, we have high expectations for our team. From a basketball standpoint, these are the people we're counting on to make those expectations a reality."

Dunleavy, about to start his sixth season as coach of the Clippers, has had dual roles before; he was the coach and vice president of basketball operations with the Milwaukee Bucks from 1992 to 1996.

"About a week or 10 days ago, I was approached by the team about being named the general manager," Dunleavy told The Associated Press. "The sense was there was a chance that Elgin might resign. Basically, they were trying to figure it out as soon as possible. They had made Elgin a couple different offers about going forward, and he had until Monday to make a decision on it.

"Today, Andy Roeser came to me and said they were going to go forward with this, that Elgin had resigned, and they were going to name me the general manager and Neil Olshey the assistant general manager."

Woman pleads not guilty

to stalking Lakers' Walton

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — A woman has been charged with stalking Lakers forward Luke Walton.

Stacy Elizabeth Beshear of El Segundo, Calif., was arrested Sept. 18 after she pulled up to his car and pretended to fire gunshots at him with her hand, police said.

The 34-year-old Beshear has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor count of stalking. A Nov. 6 trial date has been set in the case. She faces up to a year in county jail if convicted.

Walton said Beshear has been harassing him since late last year. He told The Orange County Register she waited outside his Manhattan Beach home numerous times and wrote on his car with a marker after he declined to sign an autograph.

"When she pulled up to my house and started yelling at me after she fired a fake gun at me, I couldn't help but to start yelling back at her," Walton said. "She was in my driveway. But when we were interacting, I could tell by the stuff she was saying that she's not all there in the head — which makes me feel bad for her.

"At the same time, most people who go on killing sprees are people who aren't all there in the head."

Notes

• Center Greg Oden scored 13 points in less than 20 minutes as host Portland, in its exhibition opener, routed Sacramento 110-81. Ex-Ohio State standout Oden, the first player drafted in 2007, sat out last season because of knee surgery.

Martell Webster, a Seattle Prep graduate, led the Trail Blazers with 15 points. All-Star Brandon Roy, a former standout for Garfield High School in Seattle and the Washington Huskies, scored 14.

• Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison reportedly strained his right knee in a 108-82 exhibition loss at Dallas.

• Lakers coach Phil Jackson, 63, missed the team's 99-90 exhibition loss to the Utah Jazz because of soreness and swelling in his lower legs. Assistant coach Kurt Rambis guided the team.

• Forward Chris Wilcox of the Oklahoma City Thunder, formerly the Sonics franchise, on the move from Seattle: "It's definitely tough trying to move from one city to another at the last minute, but at the same time it's a learning experience for everybody. Hopefully it doesn't have to happen again, and guys can stay focused."