David Stern warned the former Sonics owner that sticking with the lawsuit would become "very expensive" for the Starbucks CEO.
Schultz said in his declaration that when he learned on June 23 of the potential settlement between the city of Seattle and the franchise, he told his lawyers that he could not support that settlement "because my primary objective was to secure an NBA team in Seattle, and that objective was not adequately insured by that settlement."
Schultz said Stern tried to contact him on July 24. He said it was the first contact he'd had with Stern since Schultz, the chairman and president of Starbucks Coffee Co., filed his lawsuit in April.
A day later, Schultz said the commissioner "told me he wanted 'to hear it from the horse's mouth' why I was not joining in the city's settlement and dismissing my lawsuit."
Schultz said Stern told him "that if I did not join in the settlement ... I should realize that it will become very expensive for me and my partners, and he implied that I should reconsider my position."
Schultz said he then told Stern the settlement did not contain strong enough assurances about the NBA locating a team in Seattle and that Stern told him "the NBA would offer no further assurances in that regard."