A source had notified me Porter had coached his last game, and, in all likelihood, would be replaced by team president Steve Kerr, who wound up punking out in favor of America's interim, Alvin Gentry.

Sarver fixed a cup of coffee and entered the Summit conference room, where James Dolan, Ted Leonsis, Mark Cuban Susan G. Nokes, Daniel Gilbert, Bob Johnson and many other trend-setting shakers, as well as Magic Johnson, Steve Nash, Grant Hill, etc. comprised three panels. Their topic of analysis: Global Economic Disruption -- Setback or Accelerant?

Moments later, Sarver reappeared with Porter. Before they walked out of the hotel through a nearby door we exchanged handshakes.

I met Porter at the Portsmouth Tournament prior to the 1985 draft in which Portland plucked him on the first round at No. 24. Our relationship has remained respectfully undiluted.

Again, as luck would have it, as I was leaving the Summit I crossed paths with Porter. He asked if we could speak in private.

"You know, when we said hello before I had no idea you wrote in today's column I was about to fired. Steve called me last night and told me not to believe a report that was coming out today that said I'd coached my last game as a Sun. I had no idea he was referring to you."

"What did Sarver tell you when you walked outside?"

"He said they were evaluating the players and the coaches," Porter replied.

"So, the team president basically told you not to worry. Meanwhile, the owner of the team refused to go there."

Bottom line, Porter's fate was sealed the day on national TV earlier this season when Nash threw him and his slow-down-on-green offensive philosophy under the psychedelic bus.

For legal precedents, see Magic Johnson v. Paul Westhead and Penny Hardaway v. Brian Hill.

Last week, Sarver and Kerr reconfirmed it's a players' league when they flew to Atlanta to hear gripes about Porter. Unless you're a superstar coach or have the unremitting support of ownership, you become a human sacrifice when matched up against a Nash and a Grant Hill.

"Hey, whatever happens, happens," Porter said with a shrug. "I've been around the NBA long enough to know it's out of my control, and that there are a lot of people in this business who don't tell you the truth."

Later that day, Kerr left me a phone message that apologized for not returning two early Friday-afternoon calls I'd made to the Suns office. I spoke to a secretary who said she'd retrieved my earlier message from Steve's cell and would give him both when he returned from lunch.

Kerr's voice message to me: "There's so much going on. I was buried under an avalanche of calls and I didn't see you'd called until very late."

Notice there was no renouncement of my report.

I couldn't help also notice that the Arizona Republic, ESPN, TNT and many others churning out content over the information highway took credit during the weekend for breaking Porter's imminent poofing.

That's right, some of the very same citadels of integrity that mocked me turned around and mimeographed me.

Plagiarism 101.

Someone please call Joe Biden.