Clippers GM Dunleavy learns of firing online

Peter Vecsey

For those of you not on the Toenail Clippers' e-mail list, permit me to recap Mike Dunleavy's unforeseen capsizing late Monday afternoon.

LA severed heads with its general manager (and used-to-be coach) the media way -- by modem. Too bad Dunleavy didn't get team president Andy Roeser's text message to please call the office until long after the fact.

"I learned I'd been fired from the Internet," Dunleavy told me later that night. "I was all set to scout the ACC Tournament [in Greensboro] and had spent a few hours at the club playing some golf and doing other things. When I came out of the clubhouse and turned on my phone my message box was full."

AP

CLIPPED HIS WINGS: Mike Dunleavy didn't know he'd been fired as the Clippers' general manager until he saw it on the Internet.

Dunleavy never saw the end to nearly seven seasons coming. Nothing had been implied by owner Donald Sterling or Roeser that gave him cause to pause. Despite another infertile season (currently 25-40), there was nothing negative in the franchise's immediate future.

Well endowed youth had been assembled and under contract for the next few seasons. Chris Kaman, Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon and this June's plum draft pick, as well as plenty of cap room, should be more than enough to attract a choice free agent this summer depending on how he feels about playing with Baron Davis.

"I'm stunned. I thought we were in really solid position," said Dunleavy, whose first call was to Sterling. "I wanted to ask him what happened. When he didn't pick up I basically just thanked him for the opportunity. That was pretty much it."

My goal since I began covering the pros is, just once, to make NBA minimum. So, while I think Dunleavy's demise as GM is unjustified, it's a stretch to feel slightly sorry for someone who has about $5.7 million of Sterling's severance coming over the next 15 months.

Fortunately, Dunleavy won't have to sponge off his oldest son.

In a stroke of irony, guess who the Toe Nail Clippers, on a five-game slide (average margin of defeat 20-plus), play tonight? The team coached by Larry Brown; the Bobcat bench jockey who briefly coached the Clips in the early '90s to a pair of playoff parties (4-6) in consecutive seasons when he was renowned as Tinsel Town Brown.

According to a Sports Illustrated report, he's interested/angling to return. Given the chance, Sterling would probably love to have him back. Supposedly, that's why Dunleavy got the bum's rush. And, really, who loves remakes more than Hollywood? But here's the analgesic rub with that theory.

If Brown honestly were on the Clips' Radar Range, then there should have been no hurry to dismiss Dunleavy. After all, Brown is under contract with Charlotte. Even if he became free, it's not as if the Clippers would be bidding against anyone for Brown's services.

Granted, Brown is doing an excellent job (32-31). Still, at this juncture, even he couldn't concoct another gentleman caller. Then, there's the issue of Next Town and his less-than-lovely relationship with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

If the Clips have any intentions of savoring the creamed corn of the free-agent crop, they'd be wise to recall the rankling days of yesteryear. While playing for Larry Bronze in the Greece Olympics, LBJ and Wade (Carmelo Anthony, too) weren't exactly charmed by his bedside manner.

In fact, I'm told the three pin-ups were so fed up with Brown's negativity they were set to bolt the Queen Mary where Team USA was housed, and return to the States -- charter jets were on the runway -- until a Nike sneaker power-broker reasoned them back to reality.

For whatever it's worth, Brown has assured his posse he'll remain with Jordan as long as the Bobcats' new majority owner can stand his incessant demand for personnel change.

Now, if the Clippers have their wandering eyes on Phil Jackson -- available to go down the hall until I hear otherwise -- then we have something here.

I've broached the prospect of Jackson before and I refuse to take "no" for an answer until he -- not Jeanie Buss -- gives me grounds to think otherwise. One thing's for sure: LeBron can see how well playing for him worked out for Jordan and Kobe.

Should Jackson not be in the Clips' crosshairs, then your guess is as good as mine which magnet management is leaning toward. Screw it! Why not just ask Elgin Baylor to drop his suit, name his price and be done with it.

Secaucus just ain't the same without him.

peter.vecsey@nypost.com