nba.202nba.news,
Kemp says Sonics' lack of consideration led to trade demand
SEATTLE (Aug 4, 1997 - 16:21 EDT) -- Shawn Kemp says it wasn't just
money, but lack of consideration from the Seattle SuperSonics that led
him to demand that he be traded.
The team went free-agent shopping last year without factoring his
needs into the equation, Kemp told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in
an interview.
"They knew what was going on," the All-Star power forward said. "They
knew the salary cap was going to be involved the following year. ...
When they signed guys to contracts, they knew what they were doing to
me. I think they knew I was going to ask for a trade then."
"I'm not that special that they should have done something in
particular," he also said. "But what I would have done is taken care
of the person who took care of me. I guess they did what they were
supposed to do from their standpoint. But they knew what would
happen."
Kemp was unhappy when the Sonics signed center Jim McIlvaine last
summer to a seven-year, $35 million contract and became more upset as
McIlvaine's playing time decreased during the season.
Soon after the Sonics were eliminated in the second round of the
playoffs, Kemp demanded a trade. Under his contract, which runs
through 2003 and cannot be altered before Oct. 8, he is scheduled to
make $3.6 million in 1997-98.
But money isn't the main issue, Kemp said.
"I play for respect. I don't play for dollars or else I would ask for
money every year," he said. "... But when money gets involved in the
situation, that's when it goes sour. And that's what has happened
here."
Kemp has not talked to team officials since he demanded in May that he
be traded, and said he sees no reason to change that stance.
"I'm not going to put myself in a position to go over there and be
negotiating with those people," he said. "That doesn't make sense. It
doesn't make sense to say I'm not going to play for Seattle, and go
back there and play.
"When I come out and say I'm not going to play there, that's the
honest-to-God truth."
And if the Sonics don't make a trade?
"Come October, the first of November, let them don't trade me and let
them see what happens," he said. "It's not right for me to threaten
people and say Shawn Kemp's going to go and do this or that. I'm not
going to threaten anybody.
"What I'm going to say is come October, come November, December,
January, February, March, April, May, June, let them see where Shawn
Kemp will be."
Kemp said his eight years in Seattle "have been great."
But, he said, "I don't want any money from them. I want to go. I'm
ready to go. I'm excited to go.
"And they should be excited on getting another guy in here and getting
their team together."
nba.203nba.news,
Iverson to enter innocent plea, expresses regret to fans
PHILADELPHIA (Aug 5, 1997 - 16:15 EDT) -- Allen Iverson will plead
innocent to a drug charge, and he expressed regret Tuesday that the
weekend incident showed poor judgment.
In a statement from his lawyers, the Philadelphia 76ers star picked up
on a theme emphasized repeatedly Monday by top team officials who were
angry with the NBA rookie of the year.
"Mr. Iverson would like to express to his fans, and especially his
young fans, that he is very thankful for their support and would never
intentionally do anything to disappoint them," the statement said. "He
regrets that he allowed himself to be in a situation that reflects
poorly on his judgment."
The 22-year-old guard was a passenger in a car that was stopped at
1:27 a.m. EDT Sunday for speeding on Interstate 64 near Richmond, said
Virginia state police spokeswoman Mary Evans. The car, a Mercedes-Benz
owned by Iverson, was going 93 mph in a 65 mph zone.
The state trooper who stopped the car smelled marijuana. A search of
the car revealed a .45-caliber pistol belonging to Iverson, one
marijuana cigarette under Iverson's seat and another marijuana
cigarette in the back of the car.
Iverson was charged with possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor. A
charge of possession of firearms with a controlled substance will be
dropped because it applies only if a pound or more of marijuana is
found with the weapon, state police said.
Iverson was released after his sister posted a $2,000 bond. A
preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 12 in New Kent County, Va.
"Allen Iverson did not commit any drug or firearm offense," offense,"
the statement said. "He looks forward to his day in court when all the
facts will be fully presented."
The 76ers' president, Pat Croce, and the team's new coach, Larry
Brown, made no secret of their displeasure with Iverson on Monday.
"As a fan, a father and a Philadelphian, it upsets me," Croce said. "I
don't want my kids looking at me and thinking smoking pot is cool."
Iverson's statement, released by Larry Woodward and Thomas
Shuttleworth of Virginia Beach, Va., also criticized the media without
specifying whether their client's case had been misrepresented.
"The pressure to be first with a story involving a celebrity sometimes
leads the press to inaccurately and incompletely report the true
nature of an incident and the true character of the celebrity
involved," the statement said.
Woodward declined to expand on the statement, saying the attorneys and
Iverson will make no more comments until the hearing. Shuttleworth did
not return a phone call.
Shuttleworth helped clear Iverson during another case five years ago.
At 17, he was involved in a bowling alley brawl in Virginia between
rival groups of black and white high school students. Convicted on
rioting charges in 1993, Iverson was given a five-year sentence. He
had served four months when then-Gov. Douglas Wilder interceded,
granting clemency. The conviction was later overturned.
After two seasons at Georgetown, Iverson turned pro and was the first
overall pick in the 1996 draft.
Iverson averaged 23.5 points last season, sixth in the league, and had
five straight 40-plus-point games, an NBA rookie record.
nba.205nba.news,
Free agent forward Benoit re-signs with Nets
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Aug 6, 1997 - 19:33 EDT) -- Free agent forward
David Benoit, who missed last season with a ruptured right Achilles
tendon, has re-signed with the New Jersey Nets.
Financial terms of the one-year contract were not disclosed.
"He has made an excellent recovery from his injury and we feel that he
will be a good addition to our team," Nets coach and executive vice
president of basketball operations John Calipari said Wednesday. "He
is a proven player that excels in an uptempo offense and I look
forward to his contribution."
The 29-year-old Benoit joined the Nets last year after five seasons
with the Utah Jazz. In 1995-96, Benoit averaged 8.2 points while
shooting 44 percent from the field.
The 6-foot-8 forward played at the University of Alabama.
nba.204nba.news,
Magic keeps Wilkins from disappearing
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Orlando Magic re-signed their third free agent
Wednesday, bringing back guard-forward Gerald Wilkins back for his
second season with the club.
Wilkins, 33, averaged 10.6 points, 2.2 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 80
games last season, including 26 starts. He scored in double figures 44
times, including a season-high 25 points against Dallas on Dec. 2.
"We're very excited to return a player of Gerald's character and
experience," said Magic general manager John Gabriel. "He is the
consummate professional and we feel he will continue to be very
beneficial to our club, both on the floor and off. We're fortunate he
has elected to return to our club."
Orlando had previously re-signed forward Derek Strong and
forward-center Amal McCaskill. Guard Nick Anderson and center Danny
Schayes remain as the team's free agents.
Wilkins missed the entire 1994-95 season for Cleveland because of a
torn right Achilles tendon, and he only played 28 games for Vancouver
in 1995-96 because of back surgery. But he made a strong comeback with
Orlando last season, averaging 10.6 points in 80 games.
He has averaged 13.8 points, 3.2 assists and 3.1 boards over 825
career games with New York, Cleveland, Vancouver and Orlando.
nba.206nba.news,
Strickland to stay with Mavs
Guard Erick Strickland says he plans to sign a six-year, $13.5 million
contract next week with Dallas.
"I was kind of worried I wouldn't be able to stay with the Mavericks,"
Strickland said before playing a celebrity golf exhibition at Omaha.
Strickland played college basketball at Nebraska.
"They definitely were my first choice. I like the team; I like the
guys. Everybody gets along, and the group we have, I think, is going
to have great years ahead."
Strickland averaged 10.6 points in 28 games last season for the
Mavericks. He started 17 of the 28 games he played, then became a free
agent when the season ended.
nba.207nba.news,
1997 NBA Free Agent Signings
The following is a list of NBA free agents and the teams with
which they signed for the 1997-98 season and beyond:
FREE AGENTS SIGNING TO PLAY WITH A NEW TEAM
PLAYER NEW TEAM PREV TEAM TERMS
Michael Curry, g Milwaukee Detroit multi-year, undisclosed
Terry Dehere, g Sacramento LA Clippers undisclosed
Andrew DeClercq, f/c Boston Golden State 5 years, $8.4 million
James Forrest, f LA Lakers Europe undisclosed
Stephen Howard, f Seattle Utah undisclosed
Travis Knight, c Boston LA Lakers 7 years, $22 million
Tony Massenburg, f Boston New Jersey undisclosed
J.R. Reid, f Charlotte Europe undisclosed
David Wesley, g Charlotte Boston undisclosed
FREE AGENTS SIGNING TO PLAY WITH THEIR PREVIOUS TEAM
PLAYER TEAM TERMS
Shandon Anderson, f Utah undisclosed
David Benoit, f New Jersey undisclosed
Mark Bryant, f Phoenix 2 years, undisclosed
Antoine Carr, f Utah undisclosed
Sam Cassell, g New Jersey 6 years, $21 million
Rex Chapman, g Phoenix 1 year, undisclosed
Emanual Davis, g Houston undisclosed
Joe Dumars, g Detroit undisclosed
Patrick Ewing, c New York 4 years, $70 million
Anthony Goldwire, g Denver 1 year, undisclosed
Othella Harrington, f Houston undisclosed
Robert Horry, f LA Lakers multi-year, undisclosed
Avery Johnson, g San Antonio 3 years, $9 million
Tim Legler, g Washington undisclosed
Voshon Lenard, g Miami undisclosed
Horacio Llamas, c Phoenix 1 year, undisclosed
Amal McCaskill, f/c Orlando undisclosed
Doug Overton, g Philadelphia undisclosed
Chris Robinson, g Vancouver 2 years, undisclosed
Carlos Rogers, f/c Toronto 5 years, undisclosed
Bryon Russell, f Utah 5 years, undisclosed
Kevin Salvadori, c Sacramento undisclosed
Derek Strong, f Orlando undisclosed
Ben Wallace, f Washington undisclosed
Chris Whitney, g Washington undisclosed
Gerald Wilkins, g/f Orlando undisclosed
Hot Rod Williams, f/c Phoenix 1 year, undisclosed
Walt Williams, g/f Toronto 5 years, $20 million
nba.208nba.news,
The meltdown's coming in Chicago
If Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago wasn't undergoing a major
reconstruction, Bulls fans might have staged an impromptu parade. They
could have celebrated with a public stroll on the city's famous
street, which happens to be the location of the Bulls' offices.
In the minds of Bulls fans, the signing of coach Phil Jackson to a
one-year contract for next season was cause for revelry. That means
Michael Jordan is coming back -- at least for one more season -- and
most likely Dennis Rodman, too.
That means Bulls fans have one more season to point their noses in the
air and await another potential NBA championship. Then the parades
will turn into memorials and perhaps into funeral processions. One
more year of dominance is probably the Bulls' life expectancy as one
of the premier teams in NBA history.
Bulls fans should be getting ready for the meltdown to make the
transition easier. But they're not. There were virtually no openings
for new season-ticket holders. Most of the current ones renewed before
Jackson signed last week for $6 million. Any chance of newcomers
jumping on the bandwagon ended with Jackson's agreement.
Chicagoans know a good deal when they smell one, and they guessed
right that Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf would recognize the importance
of bringing Jackson back. Jackson's signing, however, sends out an
ominous signal to Bulls fans: take this meltdown thing seriously.
The joyride is expected to end after next season. Jackson's
unwillingness to sign a long-term contract with the Bulls solidifies
speculation that he's had it with Reinsdorf and club general manager
Jerry Krause. Both have had major public-relations problems with
Jackson and the players.
As salaries for NBA head coaches rose to unprecedented levels in
recent years, Jackson was unable to get Reinsdorf to help him keep up
with the Joneses. He guided the Bulls to a fifth title in seven years
in June, but he made only $2.7 million last season -- a number many
Americans could live off quite comfortably. Still, that $2.7 million
represents underpaid status in the NBA for successful head coaches.
The mere fact that Reinsdorf didn't tempt Jackson with a satisfying
long-term offer suggests a Bulls meltdown is on the way. What owner
wouldn't want to keep a coach like Jackson around as long as possible?
Reinsdorf didn't even offer to make him the highest-paid coach in the
league. Jackson falls about $1 million short of Boston's Rick Pitino
in projected salary for next season. Pitino also operates as Celtics
president and general manager, but he has yet to win an NBA title.
Jackson has five, and that still wasn't enough to entice Reinsdorf to
put him on a pedestal for at least one season. Making Jackson the
league's highest-paid coach would have told him, the players and Bulls
fans that his marvelous work over the past seven years was
appreciated.
Reinsdorf will immediately say that Jackson's legacy is appreciated,
but his actions say something else. If Bulls fans aren't getting ready
for the meltdown, Reinsdorf is.
Don't forget that Reinsdorf is a businessman. He was a businessman
before he bought the Bulls and White Sox. To guys like him, the bottom
line is always money. Reinsdorf has a tough time committing to
lucrative, long-term contracts when he knows this championship run is
nearing an end.
Jordan is 34 and has said he won't play without Jackson, who is more
anxious than people think to get away from Reinsdorf and Krause.
Rodman, 36, is showing signs that his physical skills might be eroding
under the stress of a chaotic lifestyle. Scottie Pippen is certain to
be gone after next season when he becomes a free agent.
Pippen, also in the underpaid category at $2.3 million last season,
can't wait for the opportunity to close the door on Reinsdorf and
Krause. Despite his status as one of the NBA's "50 Greatest'' players,
Pippen has been on the trading block at least three times during his
10-year career with the Bulls, and Reinsdorf and Krause refused to
budge on Pippen's requests to renegotiate his contract.
Pippen earns $2.8 million next season, which will be on his conscience
as he gets ready for the meltdown. Reinsdorf and Krause held firm over
the years in not giving Pippen a new contract to make him a longtime
Bull, so there is little reason for Pippen to believe things will
change next summer. No amount of money is likely to keep Pippen in a
Bulls uniform, anyway.
In Reinsdorf's defense, HE knows that giving Pippen what he's worth
after next season won't mean much. Even if he put Pippen in the salary
range of Shaquille O'Neal (seven years, $120 million), Alonzo Mourning
(seven years, $113 million) or Juwan Howard (seven years, $90
million), Pippen would be playing on a depleted team.
Jackson and Jordan are expected to be gone. Rodman will certainly be
gone -- if he comes back next season. Brian Williams, a key performer
in the postseason, already has a beef with Krause over playoff shares.
Besides that, salary cap restrictions prevent the Bulls from paying
Williams what he's worth -- between $3 million and $5 million per
year.
Jordan, a free agent himself, is fully aware that the meltdown is
coming. He almost started the process this summer. If Reinsdorf had
failed to bring Jackson back for next season, Jordan was prepared to
retire with fewer dramatics this time. He simply would have walked
away, even though he's not ready for full-time duty on the golf
course.
Based on the way Jordan has performed the last two seasons, he has
maybe two or three years left in him. But does he have the tolerance
to play those two or three years without Jackson and Pippen? Nope.
Jordan would rather walk quietly into retirement than become a one-man
team again. He labored seven hard years in that role when he first
came into the league in 1984. He is not about to turn back the clock
on his career. His mind and body won't let him.
Unlike Jackson's case, Reinsdorf seems prepared to keep Jordan in
uncharted waters for salaries. Jordan is seeking at least a one-year
deal for $36 million, but his asking price might have gone up to $40
million. Maybe Jordan wants to penalize Reinsdorf for the way he has
handled the Jackson situation.
Whatever the case, Reinsdorf will have to pay one of the highest
one-year salaries in professional sports, then watch his team slowly
disintegrate after the season. In some respects, you have to feel a
little compassion for Reinsdorf, paying out all this money to appease
testy fans, only to realize no long-term benefits.
It's almost as if Reinsdorf is giving out final bonuses to employees
and it's not even Christmas yet.
There will be few Bulls holidays in the not-too-distant future. Bulls
fans refuse to accept that fact or prepare for it. They will swagger
into United Center for home games, cell phones in hand to keep track
of business matters, and continue to live for the moment.
For now, life is good. But what about this time next year?
nba.209nba.news,
Hanzlik is Nuggets' coach and cheerleader
SALT LAKE CITY (Aug 6, 1997 - 08:04 EDT) -- "Free-throw break! Danny,
get closer to that block! Move your right foot up!
"Get up, George! Go, go!
"Passing game, c'mon, passing game!
"Attaway, big fella!
"Go George, go! Get it out! OK, OK, tie your shoe.
"Move, George, move, move!
"Stay up, Mitch! Stay up, stay up, stay up, stay up!
"Run it! Side out! Run it all the way, George!
"Go, go, go, go, go! Middle! Push it, push it!
"Darn it! Back! Back!
"Mitch, Mitch, Mitch, Mitch! Drop, Goldie! Attaway, Bobby! Come to the
ball, c'mon Freddie! Bobby, go! Passing game, c'mon!"
"I'm trying to be myself," Bill Hanzlik said during his first week as
a head basketball coach, and in that, at least, there was little doubt
he was succeeding.
Denver's excitable boy, a leader of men at 38, had three technical
fouls in his first four games, and he was taking it easy. This was
summer league.
Hanzlik's personal sideline style in his first few games could perhaps
best be described as peripatetic. Some coaches like to sit. Some
coaches like to stand. Hanzlik doesn't seem quite sure. He sits. He
stands. He sits. He stands. He wanders up the sideline. He starts to
sit, then stands again.
All the time, he's talking, yelling instructions, turning in asides to
his assistants, crouching before a player, quibbling with officials.
"This is probably the most energetic group that I've ever been with,"
fourth-year journeyman Mitchell Butler said of his latest coaching
staff.
Whether this will play well or badly over the NBA's six-month, 82-game
grind is hard to say, but it most definitely is the way it will be for
the Denver Nuggets under their effervescent first-year coach.
"I don't think it's something that needs to be toned down," said T.R.
Dunn, Hanzlik's longtime friend and teammate and current assistant.
"Bill knows his limits. He knows what he has to do to get our players
pumped up and ready to play. The exchange that goes on with players
and with officials and all of that, he knows what he's doing. He's a
fiery guy. Yes, sometimes things get a little excitable on the
sideline, but he knows when to pull back."
"I want to be natural because that's the only way," Hanzlik said. "If
I get thinking too much about how I ought to look or what I ought to
do, I won't do my thing. But I also have to learn. There's a lot of
things being the head coach -- timeouts, substitutions, all that --
that I've just got to learn, and the only way to learn is through
experience.
Optimism is now the Nuggets' official state religion. Hanzlik is
determinedly upbeat in the face of any number of rational arguments
that suggest his rookie season could be a long one.
For starters, his team is hurting for size, experience and perimeter
scoring. His summer league team included more players who will be part
of his winter roster than any other team in Utah, but it was
overmatched by the rookie-free agent teams it played here, finishing
with a record of 0-5.
Even Hanzlik and his boss, Nuggets vice president Allan Bristow, are
finding it hard to ignore the flaws as they reveal themselves. The day
top draft choice Tony Battie signed his contract just two weeks ago,
Bristow was asked what the team intended to do for a center and he
replied, "We just signed him."
In the first game of summer league play, Battie fell hard on his
tailbone and sat out the next two games. In his absence, the Nuggets
played George Zidek or went small. Neither approach proved effective.
Now, the club's brass admits it is in the market for help at center.
"We're going to search for other size, but I'm not just going after
size for the sake of size," Hanzlik said. "If you can't match up with
somebody, make it tough for them to match up on you. That's always
been my philosophy. I guess as a player that's the way I was. In a
running game, you can neutralize size disadvantage a lot of times,
with the double-teams and traps and things."
Well, yes, the Nuggets did that in the good, old days, when Hanzlik
played for them and sometimes, at 6-7, guarded 7-foot centers. But
last year, playing a more traditional scheme, their lack of size was a
fatal defensive flaw, and this year, with center Ervin Johnson gone to
Milwaukee, they're even smaller in the middle, deploying the
pencil-thin Battie.
Can they use an old formula to rekindle the magic of the past, or will
Hanzlik merely preside over more of the unfortunate present?
This is the enormous challenge that faces him as he begins his
coaching career with precious little ammunition.
All of Hanzlik's ministrations are endearing for now, particularly for
players who went through last season's slow death.
"The huddle last year, everybody was doing their own thing, looking
other places," point guard Anthony Goldwire said. "They weren't really
focused on what the coach had to say. This year, every huddle, we're
enthusiastic."
"That's me," Hanzlik said. "I've got to be positive, I've got to be
energy. I want it to carry into the players. These are players that
have never seen me before as a head coach. But I really feel that if I
can provide that energy for them and keep them pumped up, it's a
benefit, it's going to help them."
But is it sustainable? College coaches often double as cheerleaders,
but pro coaches seldom do. There are just too many games, too much
reinforcement of reality for illusions to last.
"It's sustainable if you're winning," said Butler, a free agent
shooting guard. "If you're losing, it can get a little bit tough. You
probably don't want to caress and baby players when you're starting to
lose. You want them to recognize, 'Hey, you've got a job to do, you're
a professional, you've got to go out and you've got to get the job
done '
If Hanzlik is to keep his team up through a difficult season, he will
need to keep his own spirits up as well. His employers do not expect
this to be a problem. They do not think losing will make him morose,
as it did his predecessor, Dick Motta. Down deep, he remains a very
excitable boy.
"Bill has a tremendous amount of resilience to bounce back and be
really juiced up and recharge himself," Bristow said. "I think that's
going to be a tremendous asset for him. It was a tremendous asset for
me and the players he was around when we were in Charlotte. There
wasn't a day when he didn't wake up and feel like he could conquer the
world."
There was palpable condescension from other coaches in Utah over
Hanzlik's decision to coach his own summer league entry. He was the
only NBA head coach to do so.
"That's cute," said one Western Conference coach disparagingly.
But Hanzlik was not self-conscious.
"I look at it like this: it's something that I've got to learn," he
said. "Instead of being a physical training, it's a mental training,
and you've got to go through the two weeks of an indoctrination, or in
this case, a summer of indoctrination, a year of indoctrination,
where, man, this is really tough, but if you keep sticking with it, if
you keep doing your weights for two hours a day and your aerobics five
days a week, you will get into your routine and it will become easy,
where things just happen."
No doubt things will happen. With an NBA schedule to play beginning
three months from now, Hanzlik hardly can avoid that. But for all his
energy, optimism and competitiveness, Hanzlik's first season as a head
coach looks like a minefield. And as last week's summer league play
showed, he's likely to need every bit of the resilience that helped
get him the job in the first place.
nba.210nba.news,
Pistons ship Thorpe to Grizzlies for draft pick
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Vancouver Grizzlies acquired
veteran power forward Otis Thorpe from the Detroit Pistons on Thursday
for a future No. 1 draft choice.
"Here's a team that's pretty hungry, that wants to win," Thorpe said
of the Grizzlies. "It's just a matter of offering them what I can
offer and hopefully getting them going on the right track."
To make room under the salary cap for Thorpe, the Grizzlies renounced
their rights to point guard Greg Anthony.
Thorpe, a 13-year veteran who won an NBA title with the Houston
Rockets in 1994, had a falling-out with Pistons coach Doug Collins
last season. Thorpe and Collins went long stretches of the season
without speaking to the other.
"That's a part of my past right now. I wish to leave it there," Thorpe
said of his problems with Collins. "I'm sorry that had to happen and
now it's time to move on."
The move will free up salary cap room for the Pistons, who have been
negotiating with free-agent center Brian Williams and also want to
re-sign Lindsey Hunter and Terry Mills.
The Pistons also receive a first-round pick that must be between
second and 18th overall. Vancouver will choose the year, from 1998 to
2003, in which it will surrender the pick.
Thorpe, 35, has averaged 13.1 points and 8.9 rebounds over his career.
Last season, his .532 field-goal percentage was 12th in the NBA and
his 7.9 rebounds per game was second-best on the Pistons and 33rd in
the league.
"One of our objectives heading into this season was to improve in
rebounding," Grizzlies general manager Stu Jackson said. "With the
addition of Otis Thorpe to our lineup, we believe that we should be
much improved in this area.
"He's a solid defender and very aggressive on the boards. He will
complement our developing young players."
Thorpe joins a promising front line that includes center Bryant
Reeves, 24; small forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, 20; and power forward
Roy Rogers, who turns 24 on Aug. 19.
"He's a winner and that's invaluable," new coach Brian Hill, who
inherited a 14-68 Grizzlies team, said of Thorpe. "We're talking about
adding a player of his experience, and adding it to a team like this.
It's really critical because that's the biggest lesson that we have to
teach this team this year is how to win."
Anthony, Vancouver's first selection in the 1995 expansion draft,
becomes an unrestricted free agent after making $1.9 million last
season.
Thorpe is scheduled to make $5.8 million this season and more than $6
million in 1998-99. His addition puts the Grizzlies at the cap limit,
although it is set to rise by about $1.7 million on Aug. 15.
Rick Sund, Pistons' vice-president of basketball operations, said "the
deal makes sense for all three parties."
nba.211nba.news,
Ageless Eddie to remain in Houston
HOUSTON -- Eddie Johnson will be back with the Houston Rockets for his
16th NBA season after reaching agreement on a one-year deal with the
team.
Johnson, 38, told KRIV-TV on Thursday that he has reached a verbal
agreement to play for the NBA minimum salary of $327,000. Because of
salary cap restrictions, that's all the Rockets can offer him.
"I don't think it's a secret," Johnson said. "This is where I wanted
to be, in Houston."
Johnson averaged 11.5 points in 24 regular-season games with Houston
last year. He scored 31 points in Game 3 of the Western Conference
finals against Utah, and he hit a 3-point buzzer-beater to win Game 4.
Johnson, a 6-foot-7 swingman, has averaged 15.7 points in 801 career
games for the Kings, Suns, Sonics, Hornets, Pacers and Rockets.
nba.212nba.news,
Man killed by boat driven by Rockets' Mack
CHICAGO -- A man operating a jet ski on Lake Michigan was killed when
the craft was struck by a boat driven by Houston Rockets forward Sam
Mack.
Thaddeus Williams, 37, was taken to Trinity Hospital in Chicago and
later transferred to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, where the Chicago
man was pronounced dead.
Mack, Williams and a third man were acquaintances who were out on the
lake with an 18-foot power boat and the jet ski when the accident
occurred, U.S. Coast Guard officials said late Wednesday.
Mack and the third man were on the boat, and Williams was on the water
about 70 yards offshore when the jet ski stopped for some unknown
reason and was struck by the boat, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Tom
D'Amore said. Mack and the other man on the boat were not injured.
Alcohol and drugs were not a factor, D'Amore said.
D'Amore said the weather was mild, the lake was calm and it was still
light out when the accident happened.
nba.213nba.news,
NBA teams chase Fox
No fewer than 12 teams have expressed an interest in former Celtics
forward Rick Fox, making him perhaps the most sought after free agent
still unsigned.
Among the suitors: Boston, which wants him to return. As a renounced
free agent, he would have to sit out the first 56 days of the season
to return to the Celtics. That's unlikely.
Fox is commanding so much attention because he is a bargain to a team
that signs him under the $1 million exception rule. Contenders
interested include Charlotte, New York, the Lakers, Houston, Seattle,
Miami and Atlanta.
nba.214nba.news,
Wolves about to be eaten by millionaires
In its very tidy summary of last year's Collective Bargaining
Agreement, the NBA lists what it anticipates will be the salary cap
for each season. Along with a few other teams, the Minnesota
Timberwolves can tear up that section and put it in the circular file.
The numbers could double and might not even matter.
The Wolves might turn into a pretty good team in the next few years.
What seems certain is that their payroll will be enough to fund the
Pentagon.
Before this summer is over, the Wolves finally might get around to
presenting the keys to the kingdom to Kevin Garnett. The wonder boy
will be offered a seven-year extension that averages more in one year
than his boss, Kevin McHale, earned in his entire, 12-year, Hall of
Fame career.
The best guess is that the deal will average $18 million a year,
making Garnett the highest paid, non-Jordan, player in the league.
He'll earn more than Shaq or Patrick or David or even Bryant Reeves.
The deal likely will start in the $11 to $12 million a year range and
go from there.
But that's only the beginning. And, remember, it wouldn't kick in
until the 1998-99 season. After that season, Shaq will have scanned
his balance sheet and come to the conclusion that he is underpaid.
Penny Hardaway will be coming to the window. And these are just the
big ones.
What about someone like Eric Williams of the Celtics? Based on the
numbers doled out to Reeves (six years, $65 million) and Garnett,
what's he worth if he puts together a season the Celtics feel he can?
And Antoine Walker?
But back to the Wolves. They still will be counting zeroes in
Garnett's deal when their best player last year, Tom Gugliotta,
becomes a free agent in the summer of 1998. Garnett's numbers already
will be on the books. What do you do with Googs?
Then, there's Dean Garrett. Minnesota doesn't have much to offer him
now beyond a 20 percent raise from last year's minimum range. Garrett,
who has one year of NBA experience, might get a better offer
elsewhere. But if he stays with the Wolves, the presumption would be
to vault him to Early Bird status for 1998-99 and 1999-2000. That
would be another sizable hit.
And, let's not forget, Stephon Marbury is eligible for his extension
this time next year. If Garnett is in the fold, that would go a long
way in keeping Marbury. How much do you think he'll demand?
One final note. The real beneficiary of this could well be Eric
Fleisher. He represents Garnett, Marbury and Garrett. By the time the
1988-99 season starts, he also might as well be elevated to part-owner
status.
Around the rim
How do you know if you're an "in" team in the NBA? Look at the Atlanta
Hawks' home schedule. The Hawks are splitting home games this season
between the cavernous Georgia Dome (potential capacity of 34,821) and
Georgia Tech (no more than 9,300.) They will play 13 games at Tech and
here are the 13 teams who will play there: Toronto, L.A. Clippers,
Miami, Washington, Dallas, Golden State, Philadelphia, New Jersey,
Vancouver, Cleveland, Boston, Denver and Milwaukee. Talk about your
dirty baker's dozen. . . .
Chris Anstey, the Mavericks' top pick in last June's NBA Draft, is
playing for the Aussies in the world 22-and-under tournament now under
way in Melbourne. He came up big against the Koreans with 19 points
and 16 rebounds in 29 minutes.
Anstey is the only first rounder in the tournament, which runs through
the weekend. The United States is the defending champ. . . .
Mark Bartlestein, who represents free agent Brian Grant, says he hopes
to have something done by the end of the month.
"Everything is in kind of a holding pattern," he said, referring to
the increase in the salary cap which will go into effect on the 16th.
nba.215nba.news,
Detroit re-signs Hunter to multiyear contract
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (Aug 8, 1997 - 21:40 EDT) -- The Detroit Pistons
re-signed guard Lindsey Hunter to a multiyear contract Friday, one day
after freeing up money under the salary cap by trading power forward
Otis Thorpe to Vancouver.
Hunter emerged as a key player for the Pistons last season as his
average went from 8.5 points to 14.2 points and his minutes increased
by 10 a game to 36.9.
"He is a very vital piece of the NBA championship team that we want to
build here in Detroit and his signing is another essential step in our
continuing plan to build that winner," Pistons coach Doug Collins
said.
Hunter shot 35.5 percent from 3-point range last season, hitting a
career-high 166. He also had 1.6 steals per game, and Collins said he
expects Hunter will eventually become an All-Defensive team player.
"His outside shooting and great defensive pressure are a perfect fit
for us," Collins said. "We knew that we needed him to remain a Piston.
He showed that last year with the best season of his career and I know
he can continue to improve and help our team as his career
progresses."
After finishing 28-54 two seasons ago, the Pistons have posted records
of 46-36 and 54-28, losing in the first round of the playoffs each
year.
The Pistons signed Joe Dumars, the lone remaining player from the
Pistons' back-to-back championship seasons, to a one-year deal last
week, leaving only Terry Mills unsigned.
On Thursday, the Pistons sent Thorpe to the Grizzlies for a
conditional first-round draft pick, saving the team about $5.8
million, said Rick Sund, Pistons' vice president of basketball
operations.
The Pistons are still hoping to sign Mills. And published and
broadcast reports earlier in the week indicated the Pistons had agreed
to a deal with free agent Brian Williams, although team officials
denied that.
Williams' agent, Dwight Manley, told The Detroit News that the Pistons
were in the running.
Williams, 6-foot-11, 260 pounds, sat out most of last season before
signing with the Bulls for the final nine regular season games and the
playoffs. He averaged 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in the postseason.
nba.216nba.news,
Clippers renounce rights to Sealy
LOS ANGELES (Aug 9, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- The Los Angeles Clippers on
Friday renounced their rights to guard Malik Sealy, who became a free
agent after three years with the Clippers.
"Between our overabundance of guards last season and our need to boost
the front court, unfortunately, with Malik's status as a free agent,
he became the odd man out," team officials said in a statement.
Sealy averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 29.5
minutes per game during his tenure with the Clippers. The Clippers
acquired Sealy along with Pooh Richardson and the draft rights to Eric
Piatkowski in exchange for Mark Jackson and the draft rights to Greg
Minor in July 1994.
Also on Friday, the Clippers signed center Keith Closs, also a free
agent.
nba.217nba.news,
Clippers sign free agent Keith Closs
LOS ANGELES (Aug 9, 1997 - 01:22 EDT) -- The Los Angeles Clippers on
Friday signed free agent Keith Closs, a 7-foot-3 free agent center
from Central Connecticut.
Closs played for the Los Angeles Lakers in a summer league, averaging
11.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.4 blocks in eight games.
Closs played two seasons at Central Connecticut and spent last season
with the Norwich Neptunes of the Atlantic Basketball League.
"We believe that he has a big upside due to his size and agility plus
his ability to block shots," said Elgin Baylor, Clippers vice
president of basketball operations. "He also demonstrated that he has
very good hands and very good footwork."
nba.218nba.news,
Trail Blazers' teenager registers for community service
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Aug 8, 1997 - 16:34 EDT) -- Jermaine O'Neal, the NBA
teenager whose summer brush with the law took some oddball turns, says
he'll likely talk to school groups to work off his 100 hours of
community service.
O'Neal registered for his sentence Friday at the Richland County
Courthouse, and sat through about a 45-minute delay while technicians
worked on a blown fuse in the meeting room.
"A lot of my time is going to be spent talking with kids, going out to
gyms and doing some things with children," O'Neal said.
The 7-foot Portland Trail Blazers' center returned to his hometown
this week after a month-long camp. He says he played strongly in a Los
Angeles summer league, but was bothered by a strained left knee during
a later Utah summer league. He had first sustained the injury during
the NBA season.
"I think in a couple of weeks it will be OK," O'Neal said.
It looks like O'Neal's legal problems will finally be finished as
well. The 18-year-old, who went from Eau Claire High School to the NBA
draft last year, was arrested in June for cursing at Richland County
officers and mall security guards.
He missed a magistrate's court hearing on July 3 that he helped
schedule, saying he did not realize he had to appear. After talking
with his attorney, I.S. Leevy Johnson, O'Neal showed up a week later
and Magistrate William Smith unsealed a 15-day jail sentence. It was
suspended after O'Neal apologized for his mistake.
Later it was revealed that O'Neal's paperwork was lost for a time
between the Richland County Sheriff's Department and the magistrate's
office. A local paper raised speculation that O'Neal was given
preferential treatment when he was released to his high school coach
George Glymph before a bond hearing.
However, O'Neal, Johnson and Glymph all said that was not the case.
Indeed, O'Neal looked like any of the other eight people registering
for community service. He sat in a fourth-floor conference room while
county officials checked his ID and explained his responsibilities. It
takes 12 1/2 eight-hour days to work off 100 hours and O'Neal plans to
start sometime next week.
He says he will leave for Portland soon after he completes his
sentence. Training camp begins in October and the NBA regular season
starts in November.
While in Portland for summer workouts, O'Neal told reporters he was
looking at houses in the city because of his bad experiences in his
hometown. On Friday, O'Neal wouldn't speculate what he would do.
O'Neal had narrowed his college choices to South Carolina, Clemson and
Kentucky, but announced for the NBA draft when he could not make the
necessary SAT scores to be eligible.
He was picked 17th by Portland and set out on a year of what he called
"watching and learning." O'Neal played in just 45 games, averaging 4.1
points and 2.8 rebounds a game.
He says he showed his dominating side in the summer league at Long
Beach, Calif.
"I did real well and think I made a statement (with my play)," O'Neal
said.
O'Neal said the Trail Blazers have stood by him throughout his
troubles and he says he has responded by informing them of each step.
"It's basically up to me how much I want to play next year," O'Neal
said. "I'm just going to work hard and get ready for the season."
nba.219nba.news,
Nike sues Oakley over use of Jordan's image
PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug 8, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- A month after Oakley Inc.
sued Nike Inc. over sunglass design, Nike is suing Oakley for
allegedly using an image of a beret-clad Michael Jordan.
In a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, Nike alleges that Oakley
knowingly used the image in a print ad that violates Nike's contract
with the basketball superstar.
Jordan has endorsed Oakley for several years and sits on the Oakley
board of directors. Oakley is based in Foothill Ranch, Calif.
Nike has allowed Jordan to appear in Oakley sunglasses. But the beret,
which bore a logo for Oakley's "X-Frame" sunglasses, went too far,
Nike argued.
The image violated Nike's contractual rights to control all of the
footwear, apparel and accessories Jordan wears in ads, said Peter
Koehler Jr., a Portland attorney representing Nike.
"If you're going to be in the game, you have to play by the rules,"
said Lee Weinstein, a Nike spokesman. "This is a flagrant foul."
In July, Oakley sued Nike, claiming the Beaverton company is selling
sunglasses that violate a newly granted Oakley patent.
Koehler said Nike's lawsuit is not a response to Oakley's lawsuit.
"This is not round two," he said. "It is a separate issue. Even if the
patent issue had not happened, this suit would have been filed."
Jordan's contract with Nike requires that all of his ad images be
cleared through his agent, David Falk. The lawsuit maintains that Falk
refused to approve the ad, warning Oakley four times in May that the
picture of Jordan in a beret violated Jordan's agreement with Nike.
Oakley officials declined to comment.
"We are aware of the suit," said Oakley spokeswoman Renee Law. "We've
never been privy to the terms of Michael Jordan's contract."
Jordan's contract with Nike runs from Sept. 1, 1994, through Aug. 31,
2023, according to a version of the contract filed with the lawsuit.
nba.220nba.news,
Casting complete for TV movie about Rodman
NEW YORK -- Dennis Rodman's life story will be turned into a
made-for-television movie by ABC, though Rodman will not be playing
himself.
The casting for "Bad As I Wanna Be: The Dennis Rodman Story" has been
completed, and Dwayne Adway will play the flamboyant and controversial
power forward. Rodman will appear to introduce the movie and comment
periodically on the events depicted.
The autobiography traces Rodman's rise as a talented but troubled
young man from the projects of Dallas, through his college years in
Oklahoma and subsequent vault into NBA and pop culture stardom. During
stints with Detroit, San Antonio and Chicago, Rodman grapples with his
fame and personal life, reinventing himself in the process.
Rodman has won four NBA championships, two each with the Pistons and
Bulls.
The movie will air during the 1997-98 season. Rodman, a free agent,
still doesn't have a team for next season.
nba.221nba.news,
Roles reversed for NBA whistle-blowers
The denouement is beginning for some of the NBA's top officials. Last
week it was Jess Kersey and George Toliver who submitted their
resignations after making deals with the government to avoid
prosecution on tax evasion charges.
Two others, Mike Mathis and Hank Armstrong, are still deciding what to
do, with at least a dozen others in the pipeline. If the IRS gets
convictions on some of these test cases, other charges are sure to
follow against other officials.
Kersey and Armstrong allegedly failed to report some $30,000 a year
over a four-year period in income derived from the sale of first-class
plane tickets. The refs would allegedly sell the first-class tickets
back to the airlines in exchange for coach seats, pocket the
difference without reporting it, and then turn in vouchers on their
expense accounts that claimed they flew first class.
Toliver originally was accused of failing to report $47,000 over two
years, but ultimately agreed with prosecutors on an amount in excess
of $38,000. Mathis stands accused of not reporting $69,000 over four
years.
Kersey pleaded guilty to three counts of tax evasion, must pay a
$20,000 fine and pay back taxes on more than $100,000.
This leaves the officiating brethren worried. They're hoping for
leniency for their buddies -- guys with families, they point out --
who just took advantage of loopholes. But that's not a valid excuse
for grown men breaking the law, and they know it. They'll get no
compassion from the league, which recognizes a PR disaster when it
sees one.
Opportunity knocks
That's why the NBA will make absolutely sure that Dee Kantner becomes
the league's first woman referee this season.
In no way should this be constituted as a slam against Kantner, who
has worked her butt off the last few years in the CBA and the summer
leagues to get ready for her chance. In fact, a quick survey of
coaches at last week's Rocky Mountain Revue summer league in Salt Lake
City found that Kantner was the best ref there.
One reason: unlike many of the Darrel Garretson-trained automatons
(for years, remote-control devices have allowed Garretson to critique
summer-league refs during games), coaches could plead their case with
Kantner without getting confronted.
She has earned her way in.
But she's nonetheless a rare bit of good ref news for the league, and
the NBA has never met a photo op it didn't like.
Meanwhile, the words of U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar, who
heard Kersey's case, must chill other refs who have not yet been
indicted. Before he pleaded guilty, Kersey's attorneys were arguing it
was the league's responsibility to inform the IRS of the total amount
of salary and expenses provided to each referee, instead of deducting
the value of plane tickets actually used.
Doumar didn't buy it.
"I suggest that you make a deal," Doumar told Kersey. "I strongly
suggest it. ... Your arguments are not persuasive with me. I don't
like to pay taxes any more than you do, but you have to pay them."
Kersey apparently agreed. And so the league loses one of its premier
officials, a 24-year veteran who was respected for his reasoning as
well as his talent. Mathis, who was president of the NBA Referees'
Association, was respected by many, though he had his share of run-ins
and supposed grudges against the likes of Charles Barkley and others.
Quality will suffer
Anyone who watched the playoffs last season, when the likes of Kersey
and Mathis weren't around, noticed a drop-off in officiating
consistency. Some of the young referees will grow into the job; there
are a bunch of good ones that will develop over the next few years.
But the transition is often painful.
There has been confusion for years on the part of coaches and
officials as to just what a zone defense is, for example. New rules
designed to open up offenses are being implemented during
summer-league play, and several coaches in the summer leagues have
said there's no consistency in the referees' interpretations.
(Full disclosure: coaches complain about everything.)
We can only wait and see what the impact of this purging is. Just as
the league is searching for players to take over for the Jordans and
Barkleys and Malones, so too will it need refs to step in for the
Kerseys and Mathises, the Earl Stroms, Jake O'Donnells and Jack
Maddens.
nba.222nba.news,
Tek što se slegla prašina sa ovogodišnjeg drafta, već počinje da se
razmišlja o narednom...
Top 75 NBA draft picks
(August 7, 1997)
Here is the opening ranking of the top 75 prospects for the 1998 NBA
draft. Heights listed are with sneakers.
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. School
1 Raef LaFrentz PF 6-11 235 Kansas
2 Paul Pierce* F-G 6-6 220 Kansas
3 Keon Clark C-F 6-11 220 UNLV
4 Antawn Jamison* SF 6-8 216 North Carolina
5 Mike Bibby* PG 6-3 180 Arizona
6 Miles Simon SG 6-5 195 Arizona
7 Tim Young C 7-1 250 Stanford
8 Robert Traylor* PF 6-8 300 Michigan
9 Vince Carter* SG 6-5 210 North Carolina
10 Michael Doleac C 6-11 269 Utah
11 Brian Skinner PF 6-10 240 Baylor
12 Winfred Walton* PF 6-9 225 Fresno State
13 Sam Jacobson SG 6-6 210 Minnesota
14 Jerome Jones C 7-1 300 Florida A&M
15 Pat Garrity PF 6-9 230 Notre Dame
16 Charles Jones PG 6-3 180 LIU
17 Baron Davis* PG 6-2 190 UCLA
18 Cory Carr SG 6-4 200 Texas Tech
19 Bud Eley PF 6-10 240 SE Missouri St.
20 Alexander Koul C 7-2 296 George Washington
21 Maceo Baston PF 6-9 215 Michigan
22 Brad Miller C 6-11 240 Purdue
23 Bryce Drew PG 6-3 185 Valparaiso
24 Tyronn Lue* PG 6-0 170 Nebraska
25 Jelani McCoy* PF 6-10 240 UCLA
26 Matt Harpring SF 6-7 226 Georgia Tech
27 Lari Ketner* C 6-10 270 Massachusetts
28 Toby Bailey SG 6-5 205 UCLA
29 Clayton Shields SF 6-8 210 New Mexico
30 J.R. Henderson SF 6-9 223 UCLA
31 Michael Olowokandi C 7-0 265 Pacific
32 Raymond Tutt SG 6-4 180 UC-Santa Barbara
33 Jeremy Veal SG 6-3 182 Arizona State
34 Zendon Hamilton PF 6-11 225 St. John's
35 DeMarco Johnson PF 6-8 240 NC-Charlotte
36 Kenny Thomas* PF 6-8 260 New Mexico
37 Andrae Patterson SF 6-8 235 Indiana
38 Rafer Alston* PG 6-2 170 Fresno State
39 Anthony Carter PG 6-1 185 Hawaii
40 Courtney Alexander* SG 6-6 187 Virginia
41 Lamar Odom* SF 6-9 220 No College
42 Ansu Sesay SF 6-9 220 Mississippi
43 Bonzi Wells SG 6-5 210 Ball State
44 Mirsad Turkcan PF 6-9 225 Turkey
45 Michael Dickerson SG 6-5 190 Arizona
46 Tyson Wheeler PG 5-10 155 Rhode Island
47 Earl Boykins PG 5-7 140 Eastern Michigan
48 Jahidi White PF 6-9 290 Georgetown
49 Mike Jones SG 6-3 210 TCU
50 Corey Louis PF 6-9 225 Florida State
51 Andre Miller PG 6-2 204 Utah
52 Casey Shaw C 6-11 260 Toledo
53 Evan Eschmeyer C 6-11 240 Northwestern
54 Lee Nailon* PF 6-9 235 TCU
55 Clint Harrison SG 6-4 175 NC State
56 Derrick Dial SG 6-4 190 Eastern Michigan
57 Ruben Patterson SF 6-6 225 Cincinnati
58 Jerod Ward SF 6-9 220 Michigan
59 Roshown McLeod SF 6-8 220 Duke
60 Felipe Lopez SG 6-6 190 St. John's
61 Galen Robinson PF 6-8 265 Houston
62 Corey Brewer PG 6-2 190 Oklahoma
63 Rashid Bey PG 5-11 160 St. Joseph's
64 Ronnie Fields* SG 6-2š 195 CBA (Rockford)
65 Aaron Hutchins PG 5-10 170 Marquette
66 Melvin Watson PG 6-1 195 South Carolina
67 Adebayo Akinkunle F 6-8 218 Bradley
68 Tyrone Weeks PF 6-7 260 Massachusetts
69 Kelly Thames SF 6-8 220 Missouri
70 Pete Lisicky SG 6-5 200 Penn State
71 Jimmy Carroll SG 6-6 210 Nevada
72 Todd Burgan G-F 6-7 225 Syracuse
73 Deteri Mayes SG 6-3 195 Murray State
74 Kris Johnson SG 6-3 222 UCLA
75 Curtis Staples SG 6-3 186 Virginia
*-Underclassman
nba.223nba.news,
Daniels' rookie mistake could hurt Grizzlies
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Rookie guard Antonio Daniels told a television
station he has reached a contract agreement with the Vancouver
Grizzlies, who might be out of potential free-agent bidding because of
Daniels' comments.
"Everything is finished. The contract is done," Daniels told WTVG of
Toledo, Ohio. "It's not signed yet, but we're in the process of
signing free agents."
Daniles made the comments at the Bowling Green University graduation
ceremony, where he received his college degree Saturday.
A Grizzlies spokesman said the team had not yet agreed to a deal with
Daniels, adding that any deal probably would not come until after Aug.
15.
Under the rookie salary cap, Daniels can receive $7.42 million over
three years as the fourth pick in the draft. His 1997-98 salary --
which could be as much as $2.148 million -- would be counted against
Vancouver's salary cap for the upcoming season, preventing the
Grizzlies from signing more players this summer.
As a recent expansion team, the Grizzlies were limited to operating at
75-percent capacity of the $25 million salary cap until July 1. That
jump in cap room allowed Vancouver to acquire forward Otis Thorpe, who
will make nearly $6 million next season, from the Detroit Pistons on
Thursday.
The cap increases to $26.5 million for all teams on Aug. 15, providing
more room that Daniels said has been earmarked for free agents.
"We just (acquired) Otis Thorpe a couple of days ago," Daniels said.
"Now we're in the process of trying to get either somebody like Malik
Sealy or Bobby Phills -- someone like that, a two-guard.
"I have to wait for that to happen, because if I signed early, it
takes away from the salary cap, whereas if I signed it after, it
doesn't," he added. "Everything is done. I go down there from the 18th
to the 25th for a golf tournament, and I think I'll probably end up
signing then."
But by revealing the agreement, Daniels may have hurt his team. Last
year, the NBA ruled the Miami Heat had violated salary-cap rules by
reaching agreement with Alonzo Mourning, their own free agent, before
they signed Juwan Howard, a free agent from the Washington Bullets.
The NBA voided Howard's contract with Miami, and he re-signed with
Washington.
An NBA spokesman said the league needed more information before it
could comment on the Vancouver situation.
The 6-foot-4 Daniels was the second point guard selected after the
Boston Celtics tabbed Chauncey Billups with the third pick. Daniels is
expected to be installed as the starter, since the Grizzlies have
renounced the rights to Greg Anthony.
Daniels was the first Bowling Green player selected in the first round
since Nate Thurmond in 1963. Daniels averaged 24 points and 6.8
assists per game during his senior season, shooting nearly 55 percent
from the field.
The Grizzlies finished a league-worst 14-68 last season but are
building toward respectability. They hired former Orlando Magic coach
Brian Hill as their new coach and signed center Bryant Reeves to a
six-year, $65 million contract extension.
The acquisition of Thorpe will allow Shareef Abdur-Rahim, one of the
league's top rookies last season, to move from power forward to small
forward, his natural position.
"We have a chance to open some eyes," Daniels said.
Sealy is a five-year veteran whose rights were renounced Friday by the
Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 13.5 points per game last season.
Phills averaged 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists last season
for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who might still be interested in
re-signing him. He is considered one of the best defensive guards in
the league.
nba.224nba.news,
What was Iverson thinking?
It's almost 2 a.m. You are Allen Iverson, a national figure who
expects parents to buy your overpriced sneakers for their kids. Your
car is going more than 25 miles an hour over the speed limit. There is
marijuana in the car. There is a loaded gun in the car.
Hello?
Iverson might as well have been wearing a sign around his neck saying,
"I'm an Incident Waiting to Happen." He has pleaded innocent to a
misdemeanor drug charge, but even so: What exactly was he thinking? Or
was he even thinking? Isn't he supposed to be beyond this by now?
This isn't some virginal creature. He has been in trouble before. He
should know better than to even allow himself to be put into such a
position. But is anyone really surprised? Allen Iverson is insistent
on doing it his way and this is only the latest episode.
Iverson is not going to move in a different circle, no sir. His
entourage is his entourage, and that's that. You want Allen, you get
the whole crew. Iverson isn't going to tone down his game. You want
Allen, you get the whole package, from the devastating explosiveness
and crossover dribble to the erratic shooting, turnovers and
occasional chaos.
He has been different all along -- and it usually has worked. Iverson
defied John Thompson and not only made Thompson reconfigure his
offense, he also became the first notable Georgetown player to leave
school early. Then, as a point guard (or so the story goes), he was
the first overall pick in the draft.
The Sixers improved marginally, and Iverson was the Rookie of the
Year. He can do so many things, but can he play? Larry Brown likes to
teach. Will Iverson learn and listen or simply do what he always has
done, which is what he wants to do. Will he listen to anyone other
than his sycophants?
The sad fact is Iverson is merely sharing the headlines this summer
for boorish behavior. He has several partners in shame: Marcus Camby,
Cliff Robinson, Shawn Kemp and Greg Minor to name a few. They all are
reminders that basketball players, despite their wealth, privilege,
coddling and sheltering, are no different from the rest of us. They
just feel they are and that the consequences don't apply to them.
Camby has had a real stellar summer. More charges have surfaced that
he was the constant recipient of cash while at UMass. Camby also was
stopped by police and marijuana was confiscated. Of course, it wasn't
his. Same with Cliff Robinson, a Trail Blazers free agent.
Kemp is simply acting like a jerk by saying he doesn't get the respect
he deserves.
Minor merely abandoned his three children and their mother. He put
$40,000 down to buy a house for them in Louisville, then never
followed through with the rest of the deal. The mother and children
were evicted and moved in with the woman's mother. Minor has been
ordered to increase his child-support payments and now wants to have a
paternity test.
And where are the teams in all this? It was refreshing to hear the
76ers' response to the Iverson incident. At least they professed
concern and alarm.
The Trail Blazers don't even bother anymore. They are so used to
dealing with miscreants they might as well have their own 911
extension. Seattle is playing stall ball with Kemp, hoping the forward
comes to his senses.
The Celtics have done nothing to Minor, although coach Rick Pitino
said Minor's life was in "shambles" and that "I feel like having Greg
move in with me."
The league is generating plenty of headlines this offseason. If only
some of them had anything to do with basketball.
Around the league
Vancouver is becoming the league's transfer station. Last summer,
Jerry West unloaded Anthony Peeler and George Lynch to clear more cap
room for Shaquille O'Neal. Now, the Pistons have done the same thing,
sending disgruntled Otis Thorpe to the Grizzlies for a future No. 1
pick.
"Otis and I didn't have a feud," Doug Collins says. "He just didn't
like me."
Vancouver is taking on a veteran with a big contract. The Pistons are
expected to acquire Chris Dudley and use Thorpe's money to pay him.
Sounds like a good swap if you're a Pistons fan. They haven't had a
center since Bill Laimbeer, and Dudley does all the grunt things that
coaches like. (The Pistons also are taking a look at Brian Williams.)
Why the Grizzlies gave up anything is interesting; they clearly are
doing the Pistons a big favor while using a lot of their own cap
space. . . .
The Magic have been among the more active teams this summer, which is
surprising given they have no cap room. What they do have, however, is
a reputation for rewarding loyalty, and two players, Derek Strong and
Gerald Wilkins, are going to test that reputation.
Last month, Strong signed a one-year deal for $326,000 Wilkins signed
a nearly identical deal last week. Both could have gotten more
elsewhere.
That they stayed in Orlando indicates they expect the Magic to do for
them what they did for Brian Shaw and Horace Grant: pay them down the
road.
Wilkins and Strong will be eligible for the so-called Early Bird
exception next season, which would allow the Magic to pay them the
league average salary. That should be in the $2.6 million to $2.7
million range.
The next year, each player would receive a 20 percent raise. Total
package: three years, more than $6 million. . . .
The Hornets reportedly are interested in Cleveland free agent Bobby
Phills.
nba.225nba.news,
Ni juče u NBA ligi nije bilo nikakvih dešavanja...
nba.226nba.news,
Report: Warriors send Mullin to Pacers in 3-player swap
NEW YORK -- The Golden State Warriors have traded five-time All-Star
Chris Mullin to the Indiana Pacers for second-year center Erick
Dampier and veteran forward Duane Ferrell, according to a broadcast
report.
Both teams denied a deal was done.
"(Pacers president) Donnie Walsh has a policy to not announce any deal
until it is complete, and this one apparently is not," Dale Ratermann,
the team's vice president of administration, said Monday night.
The Pacers confirmed they were talking about a trade, but declined to
identify the players or team involved.
"Nothing is settled," public relations assistant MaryKay Hruskocy said
Monday night. "Maybe we'll have some news on Tuesday. We'll let you
know if we do."
When asked about the report Monday night, Warriors spokesman Eric
McDowell said "nothing's happened."
Mullin, 34, had his first injury-free year since 1991-92 last season
and averaged 14.5 points in 79 games for the Warriors. The two-time
Olympic gold medalist averaged over 20 points from the 1987-88 season
through 1992-93, with his best mark 26.5 in 1988-89. An excellent
passer and shooter, Mullin was Golden State's first-round draft pick
in 1985 after leading St. John's to the Final Four as a senior.
The 6-foot-11 Dampier averaged 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 72 games
as a rookie last season. He was the Pacers' first-round pick last
season after leading Mississippi State to the Final Four as a junior.
The 32-year-old Ferrell has been in the league for nine seasons, the
last three with the Pacers. He averaged 6.4 points in 62 games last
season.
nba.229nba.news,
NBA stars get ready for two games in Japan
TOKYO (Aug 11, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Japanese fans of U.S. basketball
paid as much as $350 a seat to watch two exhibition games and National
Basketball Association stars such as Shaquille O'Neal and Charles
Barkley.
In all, 14 NBA players will participate in the games on Wednesday and
Thursday night, including 10 all-stars.
NBA games have long been very popular in Japan, with some televised
live. But this is being billed as the first off-season, all-star
exhibition game ever played outside the United States.
By the evening, 70 percent of the 38,000 seats in Tokyo Dome had been
sold, including all 500 of the $350 courtside seats.
During a news conference today, the Houston Rockets' Charles Barkley
said he came up with an idea to play the games in Japan and invited
some players to join in.
Besides O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers, participants include
Houston's Clyde Drexler, Miami's Alonzo Mourning, Charlotte's Glen
Rice, and Atlanta's Dikembe Mutombo.
"I wouldn't invite anybody I don't like," a relaxed Barkley said with
a laugh.
The players will be split into two teams -- one led by Barkley and the
other by O'Neal.
Seattle's three players -- Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton and Detlef Schrempf
-- will be on Team Shaquille and seek revenge against Team Barkley,
which includes him and Houston teammate Clyde Drexler. Seattle lost to
Houston in the second round of the NBA playoffs in May.
During the news conference, some players were asked about the dispute
that Kemp, Seattle's power forward, is having with his team.
Kemp, who did not attend the press conference, demanded a trade after
the Sonics were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, saying
he was unhappy with the way he was being treated by the team. Under
his contract, which runs through 2003 and cannot be altered before
Oct. 8, he is scheduled to make $3.6 million in the 1997-98 season.
Payton said he and Schrempf are doing their best to talk Kemp out of
leaving the team.
"Hopefully he will be with us, and I think he will," Payton said.
"It's just a little tension going on between him and the Sonics right
now."
nba.228nba.news,
Pippen's future unclear after foot injury
CHICAGO (Aug 11, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Time off this summer isn't
healing Scottie Pippen's foot.
With training camp less than two months away, the Chicago Bulls
forward said the foot he injured in the NBA playoffs hurts so much
that he doesn't know if he'll be ready by the fall.
"I'm starting to get a little concerned," Pippen said. "I guess over
the last couple of weeks it's really concerned me because I felt like
it should start to feel better, and actually it's killing me right now
as we speak."
Pippen hurt his left foot early in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference
playoffs against the Miami Heat. He sat out the remainder of the game,
but returned to the lineup for the finals despite the pain.
At the time, the team described the condition as a soft tissue injury.
"My foot is not healing, and I'm going to work in the next month to
see if it's going to show any progress because it hasn't shown any,"
Pippen said. "I'm still dealing with that and, from that standpoint,
I'm not able to get myself ready to go into the next season as of
now."
nba.227nba.news,
Seattle signs Williams
SEATTLE (Aug 11, 1997 - 18:46 EDT) -- The Seattle SuperSonics signed
forward Aaron Williams to a one-year contract Monday.
The 6-9 Williams played for the Vancouver Grizzlies of the NBA and the
Connecticut Pride of the CBA last season. He also has played in the
NBA for the Utah Jazz and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Williams, 26, averaged 16.8 points and 9.9 rebounds for the Pride last
year and played 23 games for the Grizzlies, averaging 6.2 points.
nba.230nba.news,
Warriors trade Mullin to Pacers
INDIANAPOLIS -- Chris Mullin joined the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday,
leaving the Golden State Warriors and bringing his soft shot and sharp
passes to a team now coached by Larry Bird, Mullin's former Olympic
teammate.
The five-time All-Star, plagued by injuries in recent seasons, was
traded to the Pacers for Erick Dampier, a second-year center, and
Duane Ferrell, a veteran forward.
Mullin, a 34-year-old swingman, had one year remaining on his contract
with the Warriors. Terms of his multiyear contract with the Pacers
were not disclosed.
"Right now, it's total excitement for me," Mullin said. "On the other
hand, leaving the Warriors after 12 years, that's something that's
maybe with mixed emotions."
Mullin, speaking by conference call from New York where he was
attending a family wedding, said he requested the trade.
"This opportunity was unique, and I think it fit me to a T," he said.
"It's just something that doesn't come along that much. When you're at
a place for so long, it has to be something special for you to leave,
and I think this is that situation."
"When we were looking at our team, we felt that small forward was an
area where we were a little weak, and we got the guy that can fill
that spot," Bird said.
Bird, starting his first season as Pacers coach, played with Mullin on
the United States Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics.
"I don't think there is anyone better in the league than Chris Mullin
to step in there as the second or third option and score points for
you," Bird said.
The trade is contingent on all three players passing physicals. Mullin
is expected to be in Indianapolis on Wednesday.
"Chris Mullin has meant so much to all of our fans over the years,"
Warriors owner Chris Cohan said. "We are proud of what he has done for
the Warriors, and excited for him in this new challenge in his career.
"The record book will show what Chris has accomplished with this
franchise, but it won't be able to describe his dedication, leadership
and determination whenever he played."
Mullin holds Warriors records for games (787) and steals (1,344) and
is fourth in career points (16,120).
The Pacers, hurt by injuries, slipped to 39-43 last season and failed
to make the playoffs for the first time since 1989.
"We have acquired a key player for our team right now," Pacers
president Donnie Walsh said. "But we still want to look to see where
else we think we need help and go from there. I expect from now to the
start of training camp, we'll add other players to the team."
Indiana now has two of the most dangerous outside shooters in NBA
history: Mullin and Reggie Miller.
"We think this is a good trade for us because we got a player who can
score from small forward and shooting guard positions, which is a need
for our team," Walsh said.
"We also think this will be a good trade for Golden State. They get a
good, young big man in Erick Dampier and a good veteran in Duane
Ferrell. Both Erick and Duane were good players for us and we really
hope this turns out well for them."
Dampier, a 6-foot-11 center and a first-round draft pick last year,
averaged 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 72 games as a rookie. He
started 21 games while Rik Smits was out with foot injuries.
Dampier's agent, Bus Cook, said the trade surprised him.
"He (Walsh) said he had to fill a position, and he had to give up a
big guy to do it," Cook told The Indianapolis Star.
Mullin had his first injury-free year since 1991-92 last season and
averaged 14.5 points in 79 games for the Warriors. The two-time
Olympic gold medalist averaged more than 20 points from the 1987-88
season through 1992-93, with his best mark 26.5 in 1988-89.
Mullin was Golden State's first-round draft pick in 1985 after leading
St. John's to the Final Four as a senior.
Ferrell, a 32-year-old forward, has been in the league nine seasons,
the last three with the Pacers. He started 18 of 62 games last season,
averaging 6.4 points.
"I enjoyed the time I was there," Ferrell told the Star. "I had a
great time, and they gave me an opportunity to get a little farther in
my career than in Atlanta. It was the best group of guys I've been
around in a while."
nba.231nba.news,
Analysis: No Mullin it over; Indiana wins
The trade: The Golden State Warriors sent swingman Chris Mullin to the
Indiana Pacers in exchange for forward Duane Ferrell and center Erick
Dampier.
Why the Pacers made the deal: New Pacers coach Larry Bird hopes the
long-range touch that made Mullin a five-time NBA All-Star hasn't
vanished. Mullin, who averaged more than 25 points per game for five
straight seasons from 1988-89 to 1992-93, saw his average dip the last
two years because of a finger injury that required surgery and a
decreased offensive role for the Warriors.
Mullin attempted an average of just 10.0 and 9.8 shots per game the
last two seasons, as he averaged 14.5 and 13.3 points in 1996-97 and
1995-96, respectively. However, he shot a career-high 55.3 percent
from the field last season.
"The Pacers needed a scoring three (small forward) and they don't want
to start Austin Croshere yet," ESPN's NBA 2Night host Rece Davis said.
"Derrick McKey won't score for you, even when he comes back from his
injury.
"I just think Bird wants veteran guys. He's more comfortable with guys
like himself, and Mullin's that type of player."
The Pacers need both a third scoring option after guard Reggie Miller
and center Rik Smits and another long-range threat behind Miller. Bird
feels Mullin, 34, can fill both roles. Miller and Smits were the only
Pacers last year to average more than 11 points and the team's best
3-point shooter after Miller was reserve guard Fred Hoiberg.
On the downside, Mullin has missed large chunks of four of the last
five seasons due to injuries. Last season was the only one during that
stretch in which he appeared in more than 62 games.
"The Pacers probably did it to try to win now, and they might have a
shot," Davis said. "I don't know if they're a contender; I really
don't think they're that good. But that's as good as they're going to
get with this current nucleus. They've added Mullin and they'll
probably give it one or two more good runs with this group, then it
will be time to break it down and try to rebuild it."
Why the Warriors made the deal: Though new coach P.J. Carlesimo was a
Mullin fan, the Warriors had been trying to shop Mullin since he asked
to go to a contender midway through last season.
In acquiring Dampier, the Warriors pick up a big man, something
partially addressed in this year's draft by the addition of 6-9 center
Adonal Foyle and 6-10 forward Marc Jackson. Foyle, though, is out with
a broken foot until at least training camp in early October, and
Jackson is still raw.
Dampier, a rookie last year, averaged 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in
72 games, including 21 starts in place of the injured Smits. Ferrell,
a nine-year veteran, will likely be a reserve at small forward.
"I guess the Warriors are hoping Dampier develops," Davis said. "He
didn't show much offense last year; I don't think he was a very good
offensive player in college, either. But if P.J. can help him along
and make him a better offensive player, he certainly plays hard, he
defends, he can rebound and he blocks shots.
"I don't know if he's ever going to be a superstar. But I think
Dampier could be a very good -- not great, but very good -- NBA player
if he works and develops offensively. Ferrell's obviously a throw-in."
Who got the better of the deal: It won't take long to see how the
teams fare -- the Warriors will face Mullin and the Pacers in Golden
State's second game of the season, Nov. 1 in Indianapolis.
Davis said he feels the Pacers will prove to be better off as a result
of the Mullin trade, "assuming he stays as healthy as he did last
year. They need Smits and Mullin to stay healthy this year; they're
both fragile. If they do stay healthy, I wouldn't be surprised if they
win 45 to 50 games. They improve a lot if those guys are healthy.
"With Mullin, you know what you're going to get," Davis said. "He's
going to go out there and score as a second or third option. The
Warriors can't be sure of what they're getting. Chris Mullin is a
five-time All Star. He's a great player. Sure, he's on the downside of
his career, but he's one of the great all-time shooters. So they
clearly won."
As for Golden State, Davis said, "Dampier's probably worth the gamble
because the Warriors are so far away from winning that Mullin isn't
really what they're looking for in their future. So it was a decent
gamble for them."
nba.232nba.news,
Warriors-Pacers trade statistics
(Aug 12, 1997 - 16:52 EDT) --
TO INDIANA
Chris Mullin
Year G FG FT Reb Ast Pts
1985-86 GS 55 .463 .896 2.1 1.9 14.0
1986-87 GS 82 .514 .825 2.2 3.2 15.1
1987-88 GS 60 .508 .885 3.4 4.8 20.5
1988-89 GS 82 .509 .892 5.9 5.1 26.5
1989-90 GS 78 .536 .889 5.9 4.1 25.1
1990-91 GS 82 .536 .884 5.4 4.0 25.7
1991-92 GS 81 .524 .833 5.6 3.5 25.6
1992-93 GS 46 .510 .810 5.0 3.6 25.9
1993-94 GS 62 .472 .753 5.6 5.1 16.8
1994-95 GS 25 .489 .879 4.6 5.0 19.0
1995-96 GS 55 .499 .856 2.9 3.5 13.3
1996-97 GS 79 .553 .864 4.0 4.1 14.5
Totals 787 .514 .862 4.5 4.0 20.5
Playoffs
Year G FG FT Reb Ast Pts
1986-87 GS 10 .500 .750 1.5 2.3 11.3
1988-89 GS 8 .540 .866 5.9 4.5 29.4
1990-91 GS 8 .527 .860 7.3 2.9 23.8
1991-92 GS 4 .429 .929 3.0 3.0 17.8
1993-94 GS 3 .588 .909 4.7 3.7 25.3
Totals 33 .520 .861 4.4 3.2 20.8
TO GOLDEN STATE
Duane Ferrell
Year G FG FT Reb Ast Pts
1988-89 Atl 41 .422 .682 1.0 0.2 2.4
1989-90 Atl 14 .357 .333 0.5 0.1 0.9
1990-91 Atl 78 .480 .801 2.3 0.7 6.1
1991-92 Atl 66 .524 .761 3.2 1.4 12.7
1992-93 Atl 82 .470 .779 2.3 1.6 10.2
1993-94 Atl 72 .485 .783 1.8 0.9 7.1
1994-95 Ind 56 .480 .753 1.6 0.6 4.1
1995-96 Ind 54 .482 .737 1.7 0.6 3.7
1996-97 Ind 62 .472 .617 2.3 1.1 6.4
Totals 525 .486 .754 2.1 0.9 6.9
Playoffs
Year G FG FT Reb Ast Pts
1990-91 Atl 5 .444 .667 3.4 0.6 4.8
1992-93 Atl 3 .609 .800 1.7 0.3 11.0
1993-94 Atl 11 .397 .750 2.8 1.5 7.1
1994-95 Ind 10 .333 .625 1.1 1.3 2.7
1995-96 Ind 5 .368 .500 1.8 0.6 3.6
Totals 34 .421 .688 2.1 1.1 5.3
Erick Dampier
Year G FG FT Reb Ast Pts
1996-97 Ind 72 .390 .647 4.1 0.6 5.1
nba.233nba.news,
Heat gets Causwell from Sacramento for Fish, Grant
MIAMI -- The Miami Heatacquired 7-foot center Duane Causwell from the
Sacramento Kings on Tuesday for guard Gary Grant, center Matt Fish
and a conditional second-round draft pick in 1999.
Causwell played in 46 games last season, starting eight, and shot 51
percent from the field while averaging 2.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and
0.8 blocks in 12.6 minutes.
Sacramento's first-round draft pick from Temple in 1990, the
29-year-old led all NBA rookies in blocked shots that season with 148.
He holds the Kings' record for blocks in a game with nine.
"This is a good situation for us because we acquire some assets for
Duane rather than lose him to free agency without compensation," said
Geoff Petrie, the Kings vice president of basketball operations.
Causwell will back up Alonzo Mourning in the pivot for Miami. Mourning
averaged 19.9 points and 9.9 rebounds last season, but missed 16 games
with a foot injury.
The 32-year-old Grant played in just 28 games last season because of a
lower back strain that placed him on the injured list and required
surgery in January. He averaged 3.9 points last season. He averaged
8.4 points over his first eight seasons, seven with the Los Angeles
Clippers and one with New York.
The 6-11 Fish recently re-signed with Miami. He played in six games
last season, his third in the NBA, averaging 0.3 points and 0.8
rebounds. He also played for the Clippers, New York and Denver.
nba.234nba.news,
Garnett rejects T-Wolves' 6-year, $102M offer
MINNEAPOLIS -- Not many 21-year-olds would pass up $103 million.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett -- at least for now --
is one who can.
Garnett, who went from erratic rookie to All-Star in his second
season, has rejected a six-year, $103 million offer, Timberwolves
owner Glen Taylor said Tuesday.
Garnett will earn $2.1 million this season in the final year of his
three-year, $5.5 million contract. Taylor said Garnett's agent, Eric
Fleisher, is seeking a six-year contract worth at least $132 million.
Taylor said the offer would have paid Garnett slightly better, around
$17.2 million on an annual basis, than Shaquille O'Neal's seven-year,
$120 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.
"That was our hope, that he could say he's got the biggest contract
ever and we could conclude this very quickly," Taylor said. "He isn't
as established as O'Neal is, but we thought there were a lot of
reasons for him to accept this -- and he may still accept it."
Taylor said the offer will remain on the table until Oct. 1, after
which no contract can be signed until the end of the season. He said
the Wolves are intent on keeping Garnett, describing him as "the heart
of the team and our future."
Fleisher did not return messages left Tuesday at his Irvington, N.Y.,
management group.
Under the NBA's collective bargaining contract, all players can become
free agents at the end of their third year.
Garnett could sign with any team after this season, but other teams
would have difficulty fitting Garnett in under the salary cap. The NBA
permits teams to sign their own players regardless of the salary cap.
Garnett jumped directly from high school to the NBA. Coming out of
Farragut Academy in Chicago, he was the fifth player taken in the 1995
NBA draft. He averaged 10.4 points and 6.3 rebounds in his rookie
year, shooting 49 percent from the field.
He developed into an All-Star in his second year, averaging 17 points
and eight rebounds while shooting 50 percent. He led all forwards with
2.12 blocks per game.
Michael Jordan, who was paid $30.14 million last year by the Chicago
Bulls, will easily be basketball's highest-paid player on an annual
basis if he receives the $40 million he reportedly is seeking for this
season.
Other rich multiyear packages in the NBA include Alonzo Mourning's
seven-year, $112 million deal with the Miami Heat and Juwan Howard's
seven-year, $100.8 million contract with the Washington Wizards.
nba.235nba.news,
Team Shaq beats Team Barkley in exhibition
TOKYO (Aug 12, 1997 - 17:22 EDT) -- Some NBA stars played an
exhibition game Tuesday night that was so lopsided and lackadaisical
that one fan yelled out, "Are you going to break a sweat, or what?"
Team Shaq, led by the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal, trounced Team Barkley,
led by the Rockets' Charles Barkley, 173-146 in a game long on sloppy
play and poor defense.
But the first of this week's two "Super Games" in Japan began with a
laser show and loud fireworks and rock 'n' roll in Tokyo Dome, and the
35,000 fans loved the dunks.
When Barkley was asked at a news conference later whether his team had
not tried hard enough, he seemed offended.
"Anybody who would think we were going to go out and kill ourselves in
the summer is dumb," he said. "The fans just wanted to see us run
around and make good plays.
"Anybody who would think it would be a knockdown, drag-out game is
just stupid."
Even though regular NBA games were played in Japan last season, the
exhibition was a first look at American basketball for many fans, and
they often ooohed and ahhed at the moves and cheered the plays.
At one point, O'Neal lifted up the shortest player on the other team,
Damon Stoudamire, Toronto's 5-foot-9 guard, so he could dunk the ball
without jumping. All but one of the players scored in double figures,
led by Charlotte's Glen Rice with 49 points.
Miami's Alonzo Mourning had 38 and O'Neal 33.
Barkley, who often benched himself during the game, was the
second-lowest scorer, with 13.
The fans in Tokyo Dome, an indoor stadium for Japanese baseball, paid
up to $350 for courtside seats.
The game started with an American choir singing the U.S. national
anthem, and with Konishiki, a gigantic Hawaiian sumo wrestler, who has
become a star in Japan, lifting up a little Japanese girl to throw up
a ball during a ceremonial tipoff.
The Seattle SuperSonics' Shawn Kemp sat out the game. He said he had
injured his left arm.
nba.236nba.news,
NBA stars-Japan box score
(Aug 12, 1997 - 1997 EDT) --
TEAM BARKLEY (146): Barkley 6-13 0-1 13, Drexler 9-21 1-2 21,
Gugliotta 6-10 7-9 19, Howard 11-17 0-0 22, Mourning 18-35 2-6 38,
Stoudamire 12-27 0-2 27, Tisdale 3-9 0-0 6. Totals 65-132 10-20 146.
TEAM SHAQUILLE (173): O'Neal 15-24 3-4 33, Mutombo 7-14 3-4 17, Payton
14-22 1-2 30, Perry 11-20 0-0 24, Rice 16-24 7-9 49, Schrempf 9-22 1-2
20. Totals 72-126 15-21 173.
Team Barkley 37 30 42 37--146
Team Shaquille 54 40 31 48--173
3-Point goals--Team Barkley 6-17 (Stoudamire 3-7, Drexler 2-7, Barkley
1-1, Mourning 0-2), Team Shaquille 14-32 (Rice 10-16, Perry 2-6,
Schrempf 1-3, Payton 1-4, O'Neal 0-3). Fouled out--None.
Rebounds--Team Barkley 45 (Mourning 14), Team Shaquille 40 (Mutombo
12). Assists--Team Barkley 19 (Stoudamire 9), Team Shaquille 31
(Payton 16). Total fouls--Team Barkley 10, Team Shaquille 14.
A--35,000.
nba.237nba.news,
NBA investigating possible deal between Daniels, Grizzlies
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Aug 12, 1997 - 20:52 EDT) -- The NBA is
investigating reports that the Vancouver Grizzlies and their top draft
pick, Antonio Daniels, have already agreed to a contract.
If true, it could limit Vancouver's ability to add a free agent before
the start of the 1997-98 season.
"We're still looking into it," was all NBA spokesman Chris Brienza
would say Tuesday from New York.
According to the Vancouver Sun, Daniels -- a point guard from Bowling
Green who was the fourth overall pick in the draft -- told television
station WTVG in Toledo, Ohio, a deal was done.
"Everything is finished," Daniels told the station Saturday. "The
contract is done. It's not signed yet, but we're in the process of
signing free agents."
However, Daniels backtracked Monday and told the Sun that the TV
station took his remarks out of context. Grizzlies assistant GM Noah
Croom also denied that a deal had been signed.
The issue is sensitive because if -- as expected -- Daniels signs for
the allowable 20 percent maximum over the rookie salary cap, it would
pay him about $2.15 million this season and tie up about $350,000 that
the Grizzlies could otherwise use to sign other players. Vancouver is
still looking to add a shooting guard.
Last year, the NBA ruled against the Miami Heat in a case similar to
the one involving Daniels.
Heat center Alonzo Mourning told ESPN he had agreed to a $112 million
deal to stay with Miami, although the contract hadn't been announced
officially.
When the Heat tried to sign free agent Juwan Howard, the league said
it considered Mourning's remarks a consummation of the deal and
disallowed Howard's signing because Miami was over the salary cap.
Brienza said Tuesday he did not know how long an investigation would
take.
nba.238nba.news,
Players union probes Pitino's practices
BOSTON -- The NBA Players Association says new Boston Celtics coach
Rick Pitino might be going too far, too fast in his efforts to rebuild
the franchise.
The union has complained to the NBA that the Celtics might be holding
off-season workouts in violation of the collective bargaining
agreement. If true, the union could file a grievance.
"There may be other teams that are doing similar practices, but it
seems like the Celtics is the most prevalent," union lawyer Ron
Klempner said Tuesday. "It seems like the issues are arising with them
more than any other team."
Klempner was responding to reports that Pitino, who took over the
second-worst team in the NBA, has held three camps or workout sessions
this summer, with two more scheduled this month.
The union is concerned the workouts are cutting into players' vacation
time, and players are being paid, or docked pay, based on whether they
participate.
"The issue is, can they do it at all? Can they even ask them (to
participate)?" Klempner said, adding off-season workouts are not
mentioned in the collective bargaining agreement.
The NBA told all 29 teams in May that they could not hold organized
practices or scrimmages in the summer. The league said Tuesday it is
aware of what the Celtics are doing.
"We're keeping an eye on the situation and we will, of course, enforce
our rules," NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said.
When asked whether the league's May edict also applied to pickup games
or informal workouts, McIntyre said, "There's a loose line here, I
suppose."
But he did say that coaches are not supposed to be coaching at any of
those informal workouts.
Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said he didn't know the summer sessions
were being held. He also said no complaints had been filed with the
team.
"The league has not called me in any shape, way or form," Twiss said.
Pitino and general manager Chris Wallace were on vacation and
unavailable for comment.
Pitino left the University of Kentucky in May to become coach and
president of the Celtics. Last season, under coach M.L. Carr, the team
finished 15-67.
Since taking over, Pitino has replaced all but six players.
The team held its rookie/free agent camp July 6-9 and some veterans
showed. Two weeks ago, the Celtics had most players attend workouts at
Brandeis University.
nba.239nba.news,
Agreement announced for Denver arena
DENVER -- Calling it the end of three-year odyssey, the city and
Ascent Entertainment Group announced an agreement Tuesday to build the
$165 million Pepsi Center, a deal that would keep the Denver Nuggets
and the Colorado Avalanche in Denver for another 25 years.
Ascent -- which owns the Nuggets and the Avalanche -- and the city
have been trying to hammer out an arena deal since 1994. The city
wanted a say on where the arena would be built. Ascent didn't want
Denver to meddle too much.
Talks, often contentious or stalled, have centered on keeping the
Nuggets and Avalanche in Denver, and not in the suburbs or out of
state.
"And that's a difficult thing to do in an era when teams move from
city to city," said attorney Thomas Razonetti, who helped the city and
Ascent reach an acceptable agreement.
Under the new deal, scheduled to be finalized Wednesday, the city will
get up to $17 million in sales tax over the next 25 years.
Charlie Lyons, Ascent's chairman and chief executive, said Ascent
would begin seeking financing to build the Pepsi Center as soon as the
agreement is finalized. Ground could be broken in October.
The arena is slated to open during the 1999-2000 season, two years
behind the original timetable.
Mayor Wellington Webb said the deal compares favorably to others
around the country and said it will be good for Denver because it will
bring more jobs, more tourism and more tax dollars.
It also will keep the city at the forefront of professional sports
and, more importantly, will keep both of Ascent's teams in Denver
through the next century, said Webb.
"It's at the top. It's not the best. It's not bad," he said of the
long-awaited agreement.
For its part, Ascent will own, operate and maintain the Pepsi Center,
which it will build on 50 acres in the city's booming Central Platte
Valley.
The 675,000-square-foot arena will have 95 luxury suites, 1,850 club
seats and a 250-seat restaurant.
Ascent also has been guaranteed tax breaks, including a $2.25 million
rebate once the arena is completed, and $4.5 million in city funds to
help upgrade surrounding streets and infrastructure.
A sticking point during negotiations had been what the city will lose
in revenue because the Pepsi Center, a private structure, will replace
the publicly owned McNichols Arena, where Denver charges a seat tax.
McNichols currently brings in about $3.7 million a year in seat taxes.
Under the new deal, Ascent will pay the city a minimum of $1 million
per year in sales taxes for the first five years because the company
will not pay seat taxes at the Pepsi Center. For its part, the city
will decide whether to keep McNichols for other sporting events or
demolish it.
If the city decides to get rid of the sports complex, Ascent has
agreed to pay for its demolition.
Meanwhile, Lyons refused to speculate on whether the deal will mean
Avalanche captain Joe Sakic will remain in Denver or accept an offer
from the New York Rangers that includes a $15 million signing bonus.
Speculation has been that a lucrative arena deal with the city could
give Ascent the money it needs to match the Rangers' offer.
"We have until (Wednesday) at 6 p.m. to make a decision," Lyons said.
"Stay tuned."
nba.240nba.news,
Shhh ... don't tell Mike
Looks like the man who moved into Michael Jordan's old house in
suburban Chicago is using it to make a quick buck -- by auctioning off
items the Chicago Bulls star left behind, says the Chicago Sun-Times.
Chicago businessman Michael Evans, the new owner of the house, will
put Jordan's bed, tables, plumbing fixtures, a chandelier, even copies
of legal documents connected to the house sale up for bid at an
October auction.
"This will be nothing short of a Jackie O auction on a miniature
scale," said Myron Gruenberg, co-owner of the Chicago sports
memorabilia company that is handling the auction. "(Evans) does not
want to be seen as exploiting Jordan's name by having the auction, and
he is donating a portion of the sales to charity."
Items to be auctioned off include his king-size bed with a starting
bid of $7,000; the comforter ($500); a sink and vanity ($1,500); a
goat-skin dining room table ($7,000); a leather couch ($15,000); and a
chandelier with the lowest part removed to let Jordan and tall guests
pass underneath ($2,000).
Jordan was on vacation in Hawaii on Monday and could not be reached.
They said what!?!
"There's no question I'm unpopular, and I felt I needed to get away.
So I got in my car and pulled up to a Motel 6. They turned the light
off."
-- Chicago White Sox and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, at a recent
charity roast.
Pssst ...
Chicago Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said Monday that Michael
Jordan's re-signing won't happen until at least the end of the month.
nba.241nba.news,
Rambling rookie costs Grizzlies $340,000
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Vancouver Grizzlies are out
$340,000 in salary cap room because of comments made by first-round
draft pick Antonio Daniels.
In the excitement of his Bowling Green graduation last weekend,
Daniels told a television station that he had agreed to a contract --
"Everything is finished," he said -- even though the parties had yet
to sign one.
The NBA, based on its cap policy, took Daniels' comments literally and
ruled that a contract had been agreed upon.
What that means in salary cap terms is that the Grizzlies are now out
the 20-percent bonus portion of Daniels' contract.
Selected fourth overall in the draft, Daniels is slotted to receive a
$1.7 million salary based upon the league's rookie salary scale.
Teams, however, are allowed to negotiate a contract for as much as 20
percent more than the slotted amount.
In its decision, the NBA said the maximum of 20 percent, or $340,000,
would be added to the Grizzlies' salary base, which is at about $24.2
million.
"I don't get it either. You'll have to ask them that question," Noah
Croom, Grizzlies assistant general manager, said of the NBA's ruling.
Although unhappy with the NBA's decision, Croom added that the amount
is "relatively insignificant," and that the Grizzlies "won't lose any
sleep over it."
The Grizzlies, still in the market for a shooting guard, will now have
about $2.2 million to work with once the salary cap for next season is
set on Friday. The figure is expected to be $26.7 million.
In a somewhat similar situation last season, the league ruled that the
Miami Heat violated cap rules by reaching verbal agreement with Alonzo
Mourning before reaching terms with Washington Bullets free agent
Juwan Howard.
The NBA voided Howard's contract with Miami, and he re-signed with
Washington.
The 6-foot-4 Daniels is expected to be installed as Vancouver's
starting point guard, since the Grizzlies have renounced the rights to
Greg Anthony.
Daniels was the first Bowling Green player selected in the first round
since Nate Thurmond in 1963. Daniels averaged 24 points and 6.8
assists per game during his senior season, shooting nearly 55 percent
from the field.
nba.242nba.news,
Garnett's agent says he'll leave Timberwolves after next season
ST. PAUL (Aug 13, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Kevin Garnett's agent says the
All-Star forward will leave the Minnesota Timberwolves after the
1997-98 season because the team revealed that Garnett had turned down
a $103 million, six-year offer.
"It's unfortunate that the Timberwolves have not honored their word to
keep all contract negotiations strictly confidential. ...
Consequently, Kevin Garnett will not re-sign with the club after next
season," agent Eric Fleisher told the Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
Fleisher's statement surprised Wolves officials, who denied breaching
an agreement.
"For an agent to say something like that, it seems pretty inconsistent
with what he and Kevin have been saying before," said team owner Glen
Taylor, who disclosed the contract offer to the Star Tribune of
Minneapolis on Monday. "I don't think we'll do anything more than what
we have done."
Taylor said Fleisher is seeking a six-year contract worth at least
$132 million.
Kevin McHale, the team's vice president for basketball operations, had
harsh words for the agent.
"For Eric to use this supposed breach of confidentiality as an excuse
is ludicrous," McHale said. "I feel Kevin is getting bad advice. Kevin
is a tremendous young kid. To have his image tarnished like this is
terrible."
Garnett, who has been spending most of the offseason at home in
Mauldin, S.C., was unavailable for comment, the Pioneer Press said.
His phone number is not listed in the Mauldin area.
nba.243nba.news,
Shoe steals spotlight from NBA stars exhibition game
TOKYO (Aug 13, 1997 - 16:34 EDT) -- A shoe stole the show from NBA
stars at an exhibition game before 38,000 who paid up to $350 for a
ticket.
The shoe belonged to Clyde Drexler. As he walked to the locker room
after the game Wednesday night, he took it off and threw it into the
stands.
This touched off a frenzy among fans, who just wanted to touch
Drexler's sole, if not his soul.
No one tried to be a heel and take the shoe from the person who caught
it, and no one was injured, but it took security guards 10 minutes to
untangle excited fans.
A team led by Charles Barkley defeated one led by Shaquille O'Neal
114-105 in the second of two exhibition games. On Tuesday night, Team
Shaq won 173-146 in a sloppy game where few of the players played
hard, especially on defense.
The action was more intense Wednesday night, especially between Juan
Howard and Glen Rice.
"Last night, we played loose," Howard said. "Tonight, we played
harder. Glen and I got competitive, even intense at times."
Alonzo Mourning was the MVP, leading all scorers with 30 points. On
one play, he blocked a dunk by Dikembe Mutombo of the Atlanta Hawks
and raced down the court to dunk the ball himself.
Every two years, a few regular-season NBA games are played in Japan,
and they are very popular.
But the exhibition games Wednesday and Thursday by the NBA pros were a
first for Japan.
A 14th player, Shawn Kemp of the Seattle SuperSonics, sat out both
games with an injured right arm. He said Wednesday night he would be
fine in another week. He is in a contract dispute with the Sonics.
nba.244nba.news,
NBA stars box score
(Aug 13, 1997 - 19:10 EDT) --
TEAM BARKLEY (114): Barkley 6-12 2-2 15, Drexler 7-19 0-1 18,
Gugliotta 2-6 2-2 6, Howard 7-13 2-5 16, Mourning 13-21 4-9 30,
Stoudamire 8-19 2-3 19, Tisdale 4-11 2-3 10. Totals 47-101 14-25 114.
TEAM SHAQ (105): O'Neal 10-22 4-13 24, Mutombo 2-7 2-2 6, Payton 4-15
5-10 13, Perry 8-17 0-0 19, Rice 8-24 8-10 25, Schrempf 7-19 4-5 18.
Totals 39-104 23-40 105.
Team Barkley 28 21 34 31--114
Team Shaq 21 29 26 29--105
3-Point goals--Team Barkley 6-18 (Drexler 4-11, Barkley 1-2,
Stoudamire 1-4, Mourning 0-1), Team Shaq 4-16 (Perry 3-6, Rice 1-6,
Payton 0-1, Schrempf 0-3). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--Team Barkley 54
(Mourning 14), Team Shaq 31 (O'Neal 9). Assists--Team Barkley 24
(Stoudamire 10), Team Shaq 22 (Payton 10). Total fouls--Team Barkley
28, Team Shaq 19. A--38,000.
nba.245nba.news,
Mullin moves into Pacers starting lineup
INDIANAPOLIS -- Chris Mullin, a starter by default, already knows what
the Indiana Pacers expect from him.
The 12-year NBA veteran, traded by Golden State to the Pacers on
Tuesday, will fill the starting spot at small forward at least until
injured Derrick McKey returns to the lineup.
"Even when Derrick does come back ... the one thing I've been able to
do, especially over the last three or four years, is play different
roles," Mullin said Wednesday at a news conference.
"At one point of my career, I was the focal point of the offense. I
went down to the second option, third option. I think I'm able to
adapt to whatever role that is.
"To be able to do it for a real good team like this at this point of
my career is just a perfect situation."
New coach Larry Bird made it clear from the moment he arrived last
spring that he wanted to find scoring help to take pressure off Reggie
Miller and Rik Smits. Mullin, who has averaged better than 20 points a
game for his career, seemed a good candidate, especially after he
asked to be traded by the Warriors.
"Chris knows how to play the game. He plays it the way I like to see
it played," Bird said. "He knows how to make the plays at the right
time, he can defend, he can score. I don't know if he's going to be
our first option or our third option, but any of them three are pretty
good with Rik and Reggie."
There's no question he'll be in the starting lineup when the season
begins Oct. 31, Bird said.
"We didn't bring him in here to sit on the bench. We're going to use
Chris a little bit at two (guard) when Derrick comes back, and we'll
move guys around. But at the beginning, he can be pretty secure of
being the small forward."
Mullin, who was injury-free last year for the first time since 1992,
said he doesn't worry about getting hurt.
"Injuries happen. They happened three years in a row, and I had three
hand surgeries. ... So I guess when that happens, it seems likes it's
injury-prone. But over the long haul, I take good care of myself.
"It may happen. Who knows? It's part of the game. But I'm always
prepared, and when I'm healthy, I can play. So I don't think that's a
concern of mine."
Bird, who retired as a player five years ago because of a nagging back
injury, also said Mullin's health was not a concern.
"Injuries are part of the game. You can't worry about injuries. ...
You try to play around it," Bird said.
"Chris played hurt. He's shown that he can come back from injuries. He
had a good year last year. ... I know what Chris can do. I've followed
his career since college. I think he can help this team, and that's
what I look for. I look for a guy to come in here and fill a void
where we were hurting the worst."
nba.246nba.news,
Mullin adds plenty to Pacers, including age
INDIANAPOLIS -- Well, the Indiana Pacers finally landed that scoring
small forward they've been talking about all summer. They sent Erick
Dampier and Duane Ferrell to Golden State for Chris Mullin and a time
machine to be named later.
Mullin can potentially give the Pacers exactly what they need -- a
small forward who can score, pass and lead. The question is, does he
arrive about five years later than his potential?
12-year veteran, five-time NBA All-Star, two-time U.S. Olympian and
one-time young man represents an uncharacteristic risk for the Pacers,
who have traditionally made their trades with an eye cocked toward the
future.
Just last summer, when Larry Brown was the coach, they traded
30-something veterans Mark Jackson and Ricky Pierce to Denver for
Jalen Rose and a draft pick that was used to select Dampier. Getting
younger was the plan. Now, with Larry Bird as coach, they ship off
Dampier amid a sudden sense of urgency that could bring immediate
benefits, but might prove very costly a few years from now.
"This is a statement that we want to win now,'' Pacers president
Donnie Walsh said. "There's no bones about that. And if I can do
something further to help us win right now, I'll do it -- short of
hurting Michael Jordan or something."
Mullin is ecstatic. A square peg in a round hole at Golden State,
he'll find compatibility in Indianapolis. He's essentially a
left-handed version of Bird, and personifies the type of player Bird
wants -- smart, instinctive, unselfish, diligent. No more futile
attempts to establish a chemical formula with Latrell Sprewell and Joe
Smith. Mullin will be held up as an example of all that's right with
the game, and anyone who dares disagree will be declared null and
void.
"I think this team is perfect for me to play on," Mullin said. "Having
Larry Bird want me ... that still sends chills up my spine. I've
admired him and studied him from afar, but to be able to get educated
on a daily basis is something I'm really looking forward to.''
Bird is equally enamored. The two were teammates on the 1992 U.S.
Olympic team and competed against each other twice a year in the NBA
for seven seasons. Although they aren't close friends, they are
kindred spirits.
"He plays the game the way I liked to play the game," Bird said.
"He'll know when to pass and when to shoot and when to cut. He keeps
everybody involved, but if he has the shot, he'll take it.''
That's exactly what the Pacers need, a shooter to take some of the
offensive burden off Reggie Miller and Rik Smits. Derrick McKey, the
Pacers' starting small forward the four previous seasons, approaches
offense as if every shot attempted takes a month off his life. He was
falling out of favor with Pacers fans anyway, and now that he's
recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon that will keep him out of
action until January, at least, the opening awaits Mullin.
But how long can he fill it? He turned 34 on July 30, and while he
jokes that aging isn't a factor for him because he never had quickness
or jumping ability in the first place, his history of injuries can't
be ignored. He averaged just 47 games per season over the four years
preceding last year, when he played in 79. He's played 70 or more
games just five times in his career.
Mullin's injuries have been of the freakish variety rather than
degenerative -- broken fingers, sore heels and the like -- but the
risk is obvious. If Mullin turns out to be a highly skilled temp
rather than a full-time laborer, and Dampier blossoms as expected,
this trade could haunt the Pacers for years to come. Factor in Smits'
status as a 1998 free agent with a recent history of foot problems,
and it becomes clear the Pacers could go from two worthy centers to
none in no time.
But the harsh realities of the NBA's simmering free agent marketplace
demand a win-now approach, and Mullin comes as a bargain the Pacers
couldn't pass up. He'll make just $2.6 million next season in the last
of a nine-year deal with the Warriors. He has agreed to a three-year
extension with the Pacers at the maximum 20 percent annual increase.
At that price, the Pacers can afford to roll the dice.
nba.247nba.news,
Mullin was never anything but a Warrior
SAN FRANCISCO (Aug 13, 1997 - 07:05 EDT) -- Chris Mullin, who never
met a toe he wouldn't cross the street to avoid trodding upon,
couldn't decide who to praise more Tuesday -- Donnie Walsh, for
getting him, or Garry St. Jean, for getting rid of him.
Then again, the educated observer had to know that Mullin would try to
be the great conciliator on his last day as a Golden State Warrior. He
didn't even pick sides when the team was being torn apart by its
various factions.
The house was burning, and he stood patiently across the street hoping
quietly that a fire truck would drive by.
It never did, which is why the Warriors are under new management, and
why their first dynamic move was to give Mullin his freedom in
exchange for a guy whose best days are behind him (Duane Ferrell) and
another who may or may not have best days (Erick Dampier).
In the Bay Area, such a deal looks as lopsided as a school bus on two
wheels. Mullin was a Warrior longer than any other, and was the first
really appealing Warrior since Rick Barry took his 1975 championship
ring and stalked off into retirement. He was a five-time All Star. He
was a Dream Teamer. He beat the bottle.
And because he was never anything but a Warrior, he was forgiven his
one transgression -- not being Patrick Ewing the year that the
Warriors had the worst record in the league but didn't get to draft
until seventh -- and loved as no other Warrior before or since. He was
as homegrown as anyone in the Bay Area could be, and he was a child of
Brooklyn.
This love, though, sometimes blinded the locals to the broader view --
that Mullin was actually one of the unluckiest stars the Bay Area has
ever known.
He won no championships, unlike Joe Montana or Mark McGwire. He was
never a comfortable team spokesman, unlike Steve Young or Dave
Stewart. His ego was well submerged beneath an ethos of "playing the
game right," unlike Jose Canseco or Will Clark. Even his one physical
failing -- his alcoholism -- never seemed quite the struggle it must
have been, because to the best of anyone's knowledge, once he climbed
on the wagon in 1988, he never climbed off.
In 12 years, his teams had five winning records, and overall lost 90
more games than they won. He lost 20 percent of that career to
injuries, and the last 33 percent of it to internecine fighting
between Don Nelson and Chris Webber, Rick Adelman and Tim Hardaway,
Nelson and Billy Owens, Adelman and Latrell Sprewell, owner Chris
Cohan and basic common sense.
For what he could do -- pass, shoot and work like a fiend -- he
couldn't impose his will on his environment. As much fun as he was to
watch at his best, he couldn't make all of his teammates see the
simple joy of playing together. As instinctively well-rounded and
unselfish as he was on the court, he couldn't get a lot of the gents
he worked for or with to see it his way.
After awhile, he started to take on the patina of a missionary without
a speech -- trying to convince those around him without resorting to
sermons. It is a tactic with a very low success rate.
He even tried it that way when he asked to be traded, and paid for his
civility with an extra year in the Warrior lye pit. "I had a lot of
people who told me to act up, raise a stink, because other guys did it
that way and they got what they want," he said. "That isn't me."
Mullin says the only reason he got traded at all is because he was
able to persuade St. Jean, the former Warrior assistant under Nelson
and now its general manager, to do the right thing for a lifelong
employee. At a time in American business where elderly workers are
freely laid off a week before full retirement would have kicked in,
St. Jean honored his request, at what many people will regard at
less-than-full value.
We will know soon enough how Dampier and Ferrell fit into the
amorphous blob that is the Golden State master plan. Just watching
them fit in with Donyell Marshall ought to be hoot enough. This is,
you see, not one of those trades to make the season-ticket lines hum
with activity.
But Chris Mullin? He seems happy, without having had to, in his quaint
phrase, "raise a stink." He made his own way for 12 years, and the
only real mistake he made as a player was in thinking that others
would see how much enjoyment he was getting out of it and want to
follow.
If Indiana keeps that smile on his face, well good, he's earned it.
Behind him, he leaves a strange legacy -- a deep appreciation and
admiration for what he did and the way he did it, without the benefit
of the success that should have followed it.
He even said so: "I wouldn't call what we had great success, but it
was great fun."
What kills is, it could have been both for him here, if only other
people had stopped to watch, and understand.
nba.248nba.news,
Free agent Grant knows he could lose this waiting game
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Aug 13, 1997 - 09:05 EDT) -- Brian Grant has
stared down millions of dollars and hasn't blinked yet.
He's a free agent who chose not to accept a seven-year, $42 million
offer from the Sacramento Kings. Now he's waiting to see what happens
Friday, when the NBA releases the salary-cap number for the upcoming
season.
"We're out there right now," Grant said of the position he and his
agent, Mark Bartelstein, share without a contract offer. "We have no
offers. There is nothing on the table and we just have to wait and see
what is going to happen."
It is believed there are three teams -- Portland, Cleveland and
Detroit -- capable of putting together a package sizable enough to
lure the power forward. The hottest rumor has the TrailBlazers showing
the most interest. But they would have to renounce center Chris Dudley
and forward Cliff Robinson to create enough room under the cap.
"I've heard the rumors," Grant said. "But there is no real accuracy to
them. Portland is one of the teams we've talked to, but we have no
deals finished with them or any other team. When I was (in Cincinnati)
earlier this summer, I heard Cleveland was going to make an offer."
Kings vice president Geoff Petrie said he also has heard a lot of
conversation about other interested teams.
"There are always going to be rumblings," he said. "Our position
remains the same as it was on July 1. We're going to keep trying to
sign Brian when there is a chance to sign him."
Grant said he has no ill feelings toward the Kings. He's merely a
businessman looking to make the best deal.
"The Kings made a good offer to me and I've never said it wasn't a
good one," Grant said. "But I pay my agent to research situations, and
he basically gave me options of things that could be done. I chose not
to accept the offer. I thought it was best that I wait until the cap
goes up on (August) 15th and then see what, if any, other options I
have."
Grant knows he is rolling the dice and that they could come up craps.
"Hey, it's possible I may not receive any other offers and I might
have to come back to the Kings and they might not want to offer me the
same contract," he said after playing ball at the Salvation Army
gymnasium. "They took their offer off the table, and I'm not angry at
them for that. This is business and I understand.
"If that happens and I have to play for less, then that's the way it
was intended to be."
Grant said he does not listen to talk shows much, but friends have
told him he has been severely criticized for not accepting the Kings'
offer.
"I know people have been calling in and killing me on the talk shows
for not accepting the Kings' offer. But that is just people having
opinions, and everybody is entitled to their own point of view. They
say I'm not worth $42 million or they can't understand how I passed on
it. But I'm a professional athlete and if someone offers me $42
million, I'm not going to really worry about whether or not somebody
else thinks I'm worth it.
"I don't know what some of these people do for a living, and it could
just be that they might not be worth what they get paid. Who knows?"
he said. "Nobody is right and nobody is wrong. I just made a decision
on what I thought was the best for myself and my family."
Grant said any negative remarks heard on talk shows have not changed
his feelings about Sacramento at all.
"I do not have one bad thought about the people in this city," he
said. "I love Sacramento and my family loves Sacramento. This is my
home now and I would have no problems continuing to live here.
However, as a player, you generally get one chance to play out your
contract, and I want to make sure I've examined all my options.
"But the fans in this city have been great to me, at least most of
them. There are always going to be some people who will have a problem
with you regardless of how you try to live your life or help out in
the community."
So Grant waits. He said he relies on Bartelstein to handle the nuts
and bolts of the salary cap and tell him what teams are capable of
doing financially.
"From a business and personal standpoint, that will be where I have to
decide what's best for me and my family," Grant said. "I don't know
what other teams can do and I let Mark take care of that. But it's no
secret: I hate big cities."
Sacramento is not a big city, but neither is Portland.
nba.249nba.news,
Siskel gives Shaq two thumbs down for previous roles
NEW YORK - Kids' magazine NBA Inside Stuff asked film critic Gene
Siskel to critique the big-screen efforts of the NBA stars that have
done some shooting off the courts.
From Shaquille O'Neal to Dennis Rodman and Patrick Ewing to Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar, Siskel gives readers his views on which athletes are a
big hit off the courts and who should stick to hoops.
Siskel regarding Shaq as Kazaam in Kazaam, "I'd rather watch Shaq
brick free throws than see Kazaam again. The big guy looks like a load
of Lakers laundry in his loose-fitting genie outfit."
Siskel regarding Shaq as Neon Bodeaux in Blue Chips, "Shaq is more
credible as Neon than as the genie in Kazaam. But he's used in the
film as little more than a dunking machine. This might serve as an
audition tape if someone ever makes The Darryl Dawkins Story."
But Siskel doesn't give all the NBA athletes' forays into movies the
thumbs-down! Dennis Rodman, to name one, gets the coveted thumbs-up
for his role as Yaz in Double Team. Siskel tells NBA Inside Stuff,
"Dennis is much better than the movie - smart move to co-star with Van
Damme. But he keeps his shades on too long. Actors act with their
eyes, Dennis; don't hide yours. He should star in a documentary - his
real life is more dramatic than any script he'll ever get."
nba.250nba.news,
Shaq's self-analysis
Shaquille O'Neal, making the media circuit hyping his upcoming movie
"Steel," said he would not, if offered, play the lead role in
filmmaker John Singleton's remake of "Shaft."
"I'm not that good," he bravely admitted.
nba.253nba.news,
Suns' Chapman undergoes wrist surgery
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Aug 14, 1997 - 14:05 EDT) -- Phoenix Suns guard Rex
Chapman had successful surgery on his right wrist, which he fractured
when he fell during a pickup game two weeks ago.
Dr. Joseph Kutz, who performed the surgery Wednesday at Jewish
Hospital, said he inserted a screw into the wrist. Chapman will wear a
cast for three weeks and is expected to make a full recovery.
"The operation went fine," Kutz said. "The prognosis is guarded but
good. This type of bone is a very difficult bone to heal, but with the
fixation he should be able to practice and play ball.
"The limiting factor at this point is going to be the soft tissue
healing, which will take two to three weeks."
Chapman shouldn't miss any time when the Suns begin practicing in
October, Kutz said.
"If he does, I don't think he'll miss more than a week," he said.
It's the same hand on which Chapman had surgery in late January after
he broke a finger during a Suns' practice.
The former Kentucky standout came back to help Phoenix rebound from a
dismal start to win 20 of its final 26 regular-season games and reach
the NBA playoffs.
Chapman averaged 13.8 points in 65 regular-season games. He was a free
agent this summer but decided to sign again with Phoenix.
nba.252nba.news,
Fratello signs five-year contract with Cavaliers
CLEVELAND (Aug 14, 1997 - 18:52 EDT) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers
renewed their commitment to coach Mike Fratello on Thursday, signing
him to a five-year contract extension and dispelling the myth that his
slowdown style had worn out its welcome.
Fratello, his agent and the team did not disclose terms of the deal
that reworks the final year of his previous contract and keeps him in
Cleveland through 2002. Fratello said only that the extension was not
comparable to the $50 million, 10-year contract his friend Rick Pitino
signed with the Boston Celtics.
"I don't think anybody gets Pitino money," Fratello said.
It is not clear what bearing this has on general manager Wayne Embry's
future. Speculation surfaced last year that Fratello and Embry did not
get along and that one or the other would be leaving. Embry has one
year left on his contract as GM and three years as a consultant with
the Cavs.
Fratello recalled the day four years ago when Embry hired him as coach
and said there has never been a rift between them.
"I felt from day one that the things we wanted to do here and the way
we wanted to get them done that we thought as one person," Fratello
said.
Team owner Gordon Gund did not give the Milwaukee Bucks permission to
talk to Embry during the offseason. Gund said discussions were under
way to keep Embry with the Cavaliers as GM beyond the upcoming season.
"It would be premature to talk about it any more than that," Gund
said.
Fratello, entering his fifth year in Cleveland and 12th as an NBA
coach, has been to the playoffs five times with the Atlanta Hawks and
three times with Cleveland. He left Atlanta in 1990 and worked three
years as an analyst for NBC, where Marv Albert dubbed him "The Czar of
the Telestrator."
His career regular-season record is 503-399 (.558), but his teams are
19-31 in the playoffs including the Cavs' 1-9 mark.
Cleveland was 42-40 last year and missed the postseason for the first
time in six years.
Fratello's emphasis on defense resulted in the Cavs setting NBA
records for fewest points allowed in each of the last two seasons. It
also caused boring games like a 75-65 loss to New York in January and
an 84-57 victory over Orlando in December, setting off a league-wide
outcry over low scoring.
"Are we ready today to go after a championship and dethrone Chicago?"
asked Fratello, naming the nemesis that knocked the Cavs out of the
playoffs five times, once under Fratello. "I don't know that I can
honestly say that we are.
"But when the time comes, when the upper-echelon teams get a little
bit older, we can be at that next level ready to make a move."
Point guard Terrell Brandon remains the cornerstone of a rebuilding
plan made necessary by the loss of 1986 No. 1 draft pick Brad
Daugherty to a career-ending back injury in 1994. The young nucleus
also includes first-round draft picks Derek Anderson of Kentucky and
Brevin Knight of Stanford.
Guard Bobby Phills and forward Chris Mills are free agents.
nba.251nba.news,
Jazz re-sign backup point guard Eisley
SALT LAKE CITY (Aug 14, 1997 - 18:52 EDT) -- Howard Eisley, the free
agent guard who became a hot property during the Utah's playoff run to
the NBA Finals, spurned offers from at least two other teams and
re-signed with the Jazz on Thursday.
"I always thought that this was the best place for me," Eisley said.
"Everything here is suited to my game and what I do best."
Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but Eisley said, "It's
enough. I'm happy."
The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly offered the three-year veteran a
more lucrative deal, but Eisley has found a niche as John Stockton's
backup at point guard -- and he wasn't about to give it up.
"My agent mentioned some other deals to me, but in my mind I was
always coming back here," he said. "I'd rather be coming off the bench
on a team that's winning than starting on a team that isn't."
Only starting guard Jeff Hornacek, a free agent, remains to be signed,
but Hornacek and team officials have said they expect to reach
agreement on a new contract shortly.
Eisley was one of five Jazz players to play in all 82 games last
season. He has appeared in 147 straight games over the last two years.
Eisley averaged 4.5 points last season and was fourth on the team with
2.4 assists. He improved those numbers to 5.3 points and 2.5 assists
in the playoffs.
Eisley will share playing time not only with Stockton, but first-round
pick Jacque Vaughn of Kansas.
When the Jazz selected Vaughn in June's draft, many observers thought
Eisley's days in Salt Lake City were numbered. But vice president of
basketball operations Scott Layden said Thursday the club valued
Eisley and always intended to keep him.
The 1997-98 season will be Eisley's fourth in the NBA. A second-round
draft pick by Minnesota (30th overall) in 1994, he played for the
Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs in his rookie season.
After failing to make the Utah roster in training camp in 1995, he
played briefly in the CBA before Utah signed him on Dec. 7, 1995. He
has played in every Jazz game since.
Eisley, a Detroit native, graduated from Boston College in 1994.
nba.254nba.news,
High School coach becomes Trail Blazers director of player
development
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Aug 14, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- George Glymph, whose
development of Jermaine O'Neal sent him from high school straight to
the NBA, announced Thursday he would follow his star pupil to the
Portland Trail Blazers.
The longtime Eau Claire High School coach brought four months of
indecision to an end when he told reporters he had accepted an offer
to become the Trail Blazers' director of player development.
Glymph's duties will involve working with Portland's young players,
including O'Neal, on fundamentals and helping them adjust to the
rigors of life in the NBA. He also will do some scouting of
high-school prospects.
"I think I can set a precedent for younger coaches in this area,"
Glymph said. "I can't think of another coach that's moved from the
high-school level to the professional level, working in this kind of
job."
Glymph, 54, leaves the high-school ranks as the eighth-winningest
coach in South Carolina history, compiling a 467-133 record in 23
seasons at Eau Claire. He won five state championships.
The Shamrocks went 23-7 last season and reached the Class AAA
semifinals in what was expected to be a rebuilding season without
O'Neal.
"I'm going to miss the love and respect of the Eau Claire community,"
said Glymph, who faced pressure to make a decision with classes
beginning in less than two weeks.
Glymph had turned down the job in May, citing the salary and amount of
travel involved. Bob Whitsitt, the Trail Blazers' president, came back
with another offer in July.
"It's hard to move on," Glymph said. "But on the other hand, we have
three grandchildren and this is an opportunity to provide a sound
financial base for their education."
Terms of the one-year deal were not disclosed.
O'Neal, who went from Eau Claire to Portland as the 17th pick of last
summer's NBA draft, attended the news conference and said he looked
forward to spending more time with his old coach.
"I think it was long overdue," the 18-year-old pro said. "He's
accomplished a lot, and it's time for him to take things to the pro
level. I was disappointed when he turned it down the first time."
Glymph will continue working with O'Neal in Columbia while the
7-footer completes community service resulting from a disorderly
conduct charge in an argument with police this summer. Glymph will
move to Portland in time for training camp next month.
The coach rejected speculation that he was hired to serve as O'Neal's
chaperone, but acknowledged he will try to be a mentor for any of
Portland's young players.
"That's something I've done all my life -- not only coach between the
lines, but coach outside the lines," Glymph said. "It's required, it's
not in my job description. I want to do this."
However, he said he would have little patience for any player who did
not want his help.
"If someone is assigned to me and I try to get him to do this or that
and they don't, I'll walk away," he said. "Some of them have serious
attitude problems."
Louis Dreher, Glymph's assistant for the past 15 seasons, will take
over as Eau Claire's coach.
nba.256nba.news,
Temple player dies after suffering heart attack
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- 19-year-old Temple University basketball player
Marvin Webster Jr., son of former NBA player Marvin Webster, died
early Thursday morning after suffering a heart attack.
Webster died about 1:30 a.m. at Moses Cone Memorial Hospital. Webster
was stricken Tuesday while riding in a car with a friend. He had
returned home to Greensboro last week after attending summer school at
Temple, where he is a sophomore.
Doctors said they found evidence that Webster had a very weak heart.
Webster's grandmother, Frances Meadows, said he had complained of
being tired and having some chest pains when he got home, but family
members thought he had the flu.
Webster was academically ineligible to play basketball as a freshman
at Temple, but had improved his grades in summer school and was
expected to be part of this year's team. He had played in a
Philadelphia summer league to fine tune his game.
nba.255nba.news,
Bucks' Allen says he'll respond to agent allegations next week
HARTFORD, Conn. (Aug 14, 1997 - 20:10 EDT) -- Ray Allen of the
Milwaukee Bucks said he is preparing to answer an agent's allegations
that he took $200 and a beeper from him while the guard was a
sophomore at the University of Connecticut.
Allen, appearing Thursday at a news conference for a charity
basketball game, said he has not yet had time to answer the charges,
but planned to do so in writing next week.
"I haven't had time to spend with my own family," Allen said.
He said the stories that came out disgraced him and his family and
were upsetting. Allen has continually denied any wrongdoing involving
agents.
John Lounsbury, a former agent now seeking bankruptcy protection, said
last month he gave Allen $200 when he was a sophomore in 1994 to go to
a sports clinic for inner-city youths, in violation of NCAA rules.
Lounsbury also said he provided Allen with a beeper that year because
Allen asked for one, and that he paid the monthly bills for it until
sometime during the 1994-1995 season.
Marcus Camby, who played at Massachusetts and now plays for the
Toronto Raptors, was accused by the same agent of taking $40,000 in
cash and gifts while he was in school. Camby has admitted to taking
$2,000 from Lounsbury and more than $5,000 from a West Hartford
attorney who was trying to represent him as a pro.
Camby is one of the NBA players in Allen's charity game Saturday at
the Hartford Civic Center.
nba.257nba.news,
Timberwolves might lose a lot in Garnett gamble
MINNEAPOLIS (Aug 14, 1997 - 09:52 EDT) -- Glen Taylor gambled in his
effort to re-sign Kevin Garnett. He might have lost a lot more than a
few million dollars.
Taylor, the Minnesota Timberwolves' owner, went public this week to
say Garnett's agent, Eric Fleisher, turned down a $103.5 million,
six-year contract offer. The deal, based on the average annual salary
of $17.25 million, would have been the richest long-term package in
sports history.
Fleisher, seeking a deal worth an average of $22 million a year, was
furious at what he called a breach of confidentiality in the
negotiations. He fired back a day later by saying Taylor's decision to
go public would cost the Wolves their chance to keep Garnett, who will
be a free agent next summer.
"Kevin Garnett will not re-sign with the club after next season,"
Fleisher told the Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
Fleisher reiterated to the Star Tribune on Wednesday that Garnett will
play for the Wolves this season and then become a free agent.
"This is a very unfortunate thing," Fleisher said in comments
published today. "A trust was broken. It's not anything that is taken
lightly. They have chosen to do it. They put Kevin into this position.
That is wrong."
Losing Garnett would be a devastating blow to the Wolves, who drafted
him out of Chicago's Farragut Academy High School two years ago.
After a solid rookie season, Garnett played in the All-Star game last
season as an injury replacement and helped Minnesota to its first
playoff appearance since it joined the NBA in 1989.
With his boundless potential and an engaging disposition that rivals
that of Magic Johnson, Garnett could be one of the league's premier
players for the next 10-15 years.
The Wolves are hoping they still can be part of that future. They have
until Oct. 1 to sign Garnett to a contract extension. If they don't,
they have to wait until after next season and get in line with
everyone else.
Neither Taylor nor Fleisher returned phone calls from The Associated
Press on Wednesday.
Kevin McHale, Minnesota's vice president of basketball operations,
defended Taylor's decision to go public with details of the contract
talks.
"People were questioning the kind of commitment we were willing to
make to Kevin, and Glen has the right to come out and say what kind of
offer we're making to Kevin," McHale said. "He felt he had to say
something."
But McHale admitted that, in hindsight, it might have been a rash
move.
"To me, it probably stirred the pot up a little bit more than you
wanted it to get stirred up," he said.
Fleisher represents two other key Minnesota players: point guard
Stephon Marbury and unsigned free agent center Dean Garrett.
Garrett's aggressive play inside was a big part of the Wolves' playoff
drive last season, and they need to keep him. Marbury, preparing for
his second season, finished second to Allen Iverson in last year's
rookie of the year voting and will be a free agent in 1999.
"If you want to set yourself up for a whole lot of trouble, try
negotiating everybody's contract intertwined with each other," McHale
said.
Fleisher told the Star Tribune he would handle his clients' deals
separately, but admitted there might be a "domino effect" on them.
Here is the exclusive company Garnett figures to join no matter where
he signs his next contract:
--Michael Jordan was by far the highest-paid player last season,
earning $30.14 million in a one-year deal. He reportedly is seeking
$40 million for 1997-98.
--Shaquille O'Neal signed a $120 million, seven-year deal with the Los
Angeles Lakers before last season. That deal's $17.14 million average
was the target Taylor and the Wolves used in putting together the
contract Fleisher refused.
--Alonzo Mourning signed a $112 million, seven-year contract ($16
million average) with the Miami Heat last year.
--Juwan Howard signed a $100.8 million, seven-year contract ($14.4
million average) with the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards) last
year.
"There were things coming from the other direction saying we were
low-balling," McHale said, referring to Fleisher. "We're not
low-balling anybody."
nba.258nba.news,
Big numbers mean big money for fans and players
(Aug 14, 1997 - 09:10 EDT) -- Examples of why we're crazy and they're
not.
On Tuesday, that high school kid turned down $103 million to play pro
basketball with the Minnesota Timberwolves through 2003.
No, no, no. Kevin Garnett is not a Franciscan who's taken a vow of
poverty. Actually, he wants more than $103 million. He wants $132
million.
Two years ago Garnett skipped college in order to turn pro. After a
so-so rookie season, he made the NBA All-Star team last season.
So team owner Glen Taylor will eventually send a memo to his
comptroller: "Give the young man his money ... and then raise ticket
prices."
And we'll go buy the tickets. In fact, let's drop in at the ol' ticket
line:
"I'd like two tickets, please."
"That'll be $500, plus the Ticketmaster tax, Sir."
"OK (sound of bills being skinned off a roll -- peel, peel, peel,
peel)."
"Can you hurry it up, Sir. There are other people in line."
"OK, OK. Three hundred, three hundred and fifty, four hundred, four
seventy five, whew, five hundred -- plus tax. Now give me my two
tickets, please."
"Here you are, Sir. The Timberwolves -- and Kevin Garnett -- thank
you."
Another scenario: If you've just purchased your Kevin Garnett tickets,
then you probably won't be going to any Atlanta Braves baseball games.
The Braves just agreed to pay pitcher Greg Maddux $57.5 million
through 2002.
They haven't announced this yet, but guess what's going to happen in
the city of Atlanta? Braves owner Ted Turner will ask the voters to
pass a bond election to pay Maddux his money. If voters say no, he'll
move his team to Tennessee.
Yet another scenario: Charles Barkley slugs Garnett in the nose,
putting Garnett out for the season. And Barry Bonds hits a line drive
that caroms off Maddux's knee and lands in the upper deck.
You guessed it. Maddux, with his $57.5 million "guaranteed contract"
is on the disabled list for a while.
And Glen Taylor of the Timberwolves and Ted Turner of the Braves ask
President Clinton for tips on wiping out ba-jillion dollar deficits.
Meanwhile: Garnett, with his face bandaged, and Maddux, with his knee
in a cast, get wheeled into the New York Stock Exchange where they ask
the man at the desk how much it would cost to buy out that Dow Jones
guy.
Both are admonished by the man at the desk, John Houseman. "Listen,
you two," Houseman says. "You have to make money the old fashioned
way. You have to earn it."
"Ya, sure," says Garnett. I'm an NBA idol. I'm box office, old man.
"What do you mean, 'earn it?' says Maddux. "I EARN it. I work hard
every fifth day."
And then Houseman turns to all of us and says, "Pay the men. They make
money the new-fashioned way. You earn it."
nba.259nba.news,
Maloney to keep launching shots for Rockets
HOUSTON -- Guard Matt Maloney, who went from being an undrafted backup
to a second team All-Rookie selection, has re-signed with the Houston
Rockets, the team announced Friday night.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but because of Houston's
salary-cap situation, Maloney could not receive more than $327,000 for
next season.
Maloney signed with the Rockets prior to last season to serve as
backup to point guard Brent Price. But Price went down with a broken
elbow in the preseason, paving the way for Maloney to become the
Rockets' starter.
He became the only Houston player to start every game, averaging 9.4
points and 3.7 assists in helping the Rockets reach the Western
Conference finals.
"Obviously, we're thrilled to get Matt back with us," said Carroll
Dawson, the Rockets' executive vice president of basketball. "Matt had
an outstanding rookie year and was an important part of our success.
He proved himself to us and the rest of the league and we look forward
to his continued improvement."
Maloney turned his game up a notch in the postseason, averaging 11.2
points and 3.1 assists in 16 playoff games.
The 6-foot-3 Maloney was the 1994-95 Ivy League Player of the Year at
Pennsylvania but was not drafted. Before joining the Rockets, he had a
one-year stint with the Grand Rapids Mackers of the Continental
Basketball Association.
nba.260nba.news,
Duncan not flashy, he just gets the job done
To a lot of people, Tim Duncan is going to be a disappointment.
Duncan has been advertised as the best player in college for two
seasons in a row, and anything less than a David Robinson- or
Shaquille O'Neal-like splash will let down those who reckon him a
savior. And face it: Playing next to Robinson, he won't make that kind
of splash no matter what kind of player he is.
But he wouldn't make that kind of splash anyway, and that is what may
disappoint those conditioned over the last two years to expect so
much.
His first pro action, at the NBA's summer league in Utah, pointed up
the problem. He seemed lethargic, laconic, almost indifferent. Fans
eager to see him play found themselves tiring of his act early on and
cheering other more energetic competitors, among them Marko Milic and
Anthony Parker, teammates of Duncan's on a combined San
Antonio/Philadelphia squad.
But the truth is this: Duncan's reception in the NBA, by players,
coaches, media and fans, will test whether any of these folks actually
mean it when they say they value substance over style, when they
bemoan the loss of team players for self-congratulatory grandstanders.
The simple fact is that Duncan is a smooth, understated, very good
team player.
With his rookie team, his interior passing was marvelous. With David
Robinson, it could be enlightening. Indeed, if Robinson is healthy
this season, Duncan's passing could make this his most enjoyable
season as a pro.
"I heard comments like -- and somebody said it in sort of a negative
way -- 'Well, gee, maybe he's the next Brad Daugherty,' " said Atlanta
Hawks general manager Pete Babcock, who was on hand to see Duncan in
Utah.
"Brad Daugherty was an all-star a number of years. That's pretty good.
There was this label that he was too soft, whatever that's supposed to
mean. But he came in and became a pretty good pro. (Duncan) probably
has more versatility than Brad coming into the league."
But in the summer league, competing against mostly rookies and free
agents, Duncan was expected to dominate. He did not.
He averaged 12.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.4 blocked shots
and 4.2 turnovers -- nice numbers, to be sure, but nothing special.
You have to be careful not to make too much out of five meaningless
games in July, but they were not the first indication that dominating
may not be in the cards for Duncan.
Any number of scouts came home from last year's 22-and-under world
championships in Puerto Rico saying that for three of the four games
in which the U.S. team played, you couldn't tell the best player
without a program. In one of the four games, Duncan was dominant.
All of which would be much more cause for concern if he weren't going
to play with Mr. Robinson.
"I feel very lucky," Duncan admitted. "I think that stepping into a
situation where we can go out there and win games our first year, I'm
really happy about that. Playing with David and being able to learn
from him will be a great opportunity for me."
"The only two big men I can think of who even come close were Hakeem
(Olajuwon) and Ralph Sampson," said Paul Pressey, the Spurs assistant
who coached Duncan's summer league team. "But I think those two were
different kinds of players. I think the timing right now is very good
for our ballclub to have two players like that because there's not
very many big men in the league, and we've got two good ones."
In the early stages of Duncan's pro career, Robinson will be his
security blanket. Alone on a bad team, which most first overall draft
picks are, Duncan likely would get disappointing rookie reviews, even
if he did put up somewhat higher numbers than he will in San Antonio.
Instead, the absence of crowd-pleasing fire in the belly will look
like classy deference to the Admiral.
Duncan's game and his personality both reflect his Caribbean
upbringing. Mr. Intensity he is not. All he's going to do this season
is help the Spurs win.
nba.261nba.news,
Garnett no Wolf in cheap clothing
There are so many things wrong about the Kevin Garnett situation that
it's tough to know where to begin. Let's start with the basics.
The Timberwolves offered the 21-year-old Garnett, a free agent-to-be
after next season, a six-year contract worth anywhere from $102
million to $105 million, depending on which report you read. The money
would have been guaranteed. And Garnett turned it down.
I'm seven years removed from my 21st birthday and I still have trouble
not spending money like water. You mean to tell me a 21-year-old
basketball All-Star looked at that contract and rejected it? He
rejected $17.2 million dollars a year -- guaranteed -- to play with
his professed best friend, Stephon Marbury, in a town he has professed
in various publications to like?
Something is not right here.
First and foremost, we've reached the day and age where a sports
franchise is handing out $100 million contracts to 21-year-olds who
have never won a single playoff game.
"Did I ever imagine someone turning down that kind of money?"
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor asked. "I never imagined offering
someone that kind of money."
Not that you can blame the Timberwolves. On the surface, they should
be commended for everything they've done. Fully realizing Garnett's
potential and his potential earning power on the free market next
year, the T-Wolves stepped up and offered their franchise cornerstone
a bona-fide, big-time contract.
There's nothing half-hearted on the Timberwolves' offer. Minnesota
fans should be proud; the Timberwolves have shown they truly want to
win.
Get real
That brings us to the next point: We've reached the day and age where
a $100 million contract is actually considered fair market value for a
21-year-old who has never won a single playoff game. This is an
offshoot to the rookie salary cap, one that, perhaps, the league did
not foresee.
Nothing was more discouraging -- to the basketball fan, let alone the
veteran players -- than to watch a raw, green rookie, especially one
who didn't even finish college, sign a $50 million or $60 million deal
before even lacing up a shoe for a professional game. (See Glenn "Big
Dog" Robinson, circa 1994.)
Thus, in 1995, the league instituted the rookie salary cap. But, to
institute said cap, the league agreed to let every rookie become a
free agent after three years. Garnett is just one member of that 1995
rookie crop about to cash in. It's a group that includes Joe Smith,
Jerry Stackhouse, Antonio McDyess, Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed
Wallace.
The rookie cap forced these players to perform before getting a "Big
Dog" contract. Hey, this is America. Who gets something for nothing?
But now these players will soon sign deals that dwarf Robinson's, and
it has little to do with a cost-of-living increase.
Players like Garnett, Stoudamire and McDyess have now become
cornerstone talents and teams like Minnesota, Toronto and Denver must
cough up serious dough to keep their franchises intact and keep their
fans at bay. It's the teams being held over the barrel now, as opposed
to the other way around.
Has the rookie cap worked? For 1995 rookies like Cherokee Parks, Alan
Henderson and Ed O'Bannon it has. But for the aforementioned future
franchise players, it has only delayed the inevitable and presented us
with a situation far more distasteful than Big Dog Robinson's.
As in Garnett turning down $100-some-odd million.
Why in the world would he do that?
Well, the Timberwolves are saying he didn't. It's his agent who did.
Finger pointing
One report out of Minnesota had T-Wolves owner Taylor, through
GM/coach Flip Saunders, asking Garnett's agent, Eric Fleisher, if
there could at least be some discussion about the $17.2 million per
year offer. According to the report, Fleisher "snapped" that Garnett
would take $22.5 million a year and not a penny less.
And then Fleisher got inflexible.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that Taylor wanted to meet in
person with Garnett to discuss the contract and even offered Fleischer
the chance to sit in on the meeting, but the agent wouldn't allow it.
Then, Fleischer went nuts that the Timberwolves went public about
Garnett's most famous rejection.
"It's unfortunate that the Timberwolves have not honored their word to
keep all contract negotiations strictly confidential ... Consequently,
Kevin Garnett will not re-sign with the club after next season,"
Fleischer told the Pioneer Press.
Hmmm. An agent counters a seemingly fair, honest, pre-emptive
guaranteed offer of $100 million (how much are the Timberwolves worth
anyway?) with an outrageous $132 million request. He refuses to let
his client hear the offer for himself. And then he publicly postures
that his client will never sign because the T-Wolves tattled.
What do you think? Do you think Garnett wants to sign somewhere else?
As in the Chicago Bulls?
Taking sides
The Timberwolves think not. They're trying to play Garnett off his
agent.
"I have to say that I have not heard Kevin Garnett say he's turned it
down," Taylor said. "I've heard, through various people, that his
agent turned it down."
"For Eric to use this supposed breach of confidentiality as an excuse
is ludicrous," said Kevin McHale, the team's vice president of
basketball operations. "I feel Kevin is getting bad advice. Kevin is a
tremendous young kid. To have his image tarnished like this is
terrible."
It'll be keenly interesting to see what happens. We don't know what
Garnett is thinking because we haven't heard from him. Not a peep.
Which is, indeed, terrible because Garnett comes off looking like a
spoiled brat. The T-Wolves offered him a salary higher than Shaquille
O'Neal's annual average and it's not enough.
Perhaps Garnett has told his agent he wants to go elsewhere, i.e.
Chicago, which will have oodles of cap room after winning one for the
other thumb. That would make Fleischer's ridiculously inflexible
approach logical.
Either that, or Fleischer has given Garnett some extremely bad advice.
Out of whack
In either case, it's bad news for the NBA, which makes baseball's
salary structure look like a minimum-wage scale.
One day before the Garnett story broke, Greg Maddux signed a $57.5
million dollar deal that will pay him an all-time record high of $11.5
million per year.
A mere bag of shells compared with what the NBA is doling out these
days.
And all Maddux has done is win four Cy Young Awards, numerous Gold
Gloves and a World Series. What has Kevin Garnett done?
I remember a time when we were all indignant over what baseball
players make. The NBA had somehow escaped such scrutiny. That's all
over now.
nba.262nba.news,
Pistons sign free agent center Brian Williams to multi-year contract
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (Aug 16, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Free agent center
Brian Williams, who held out almost all of last season before joining
the Chicago Bulls for their stretch run, signed a seven-year, $45
million contract with the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
The 6-foot-11, 260-pound Williams signed with the Bulls for the final
nine regular season games and was one of their best bench contributors
during the playoffs, averaging 7.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in 19
games.
For his career, the 28-year-old Williams has averaged 9.0 points and
5.6 rebounds.
"The Detroit Pistons' future is very bright and I wanted to be a part
of that," Williams said in a statement. "This is the most excited I
have been during my basketball career. For the first time, I was in
control of my own destiny and I chose the best situation."
The move had been expected after the Pistons traded power forward Otis
Thorpe to the Vancouver Grizzlies earlier this month to make room
under the salary cap.
Williams gives the Pistons much-needed help at the one position where
they have been notoriously weak in recent seasons. Terry Mills, Don
Reid and Theo Ratliff split time at the spot the last two seasons.
"He is one of the top 10 centers in the league and will give us
tremendous flexibility on the front line," Pistons coach Doug Collins
said. "Playing alongside Grant Hill will only make Brian that much
more effective as an offensive threat."
Williams was not expected to stay in Chicago after working for the
pro-rated league minimum salary -- about $27,000 -- plus a playoff
share. Under league rules, the Bulls could have offered him no more
than a 20 percent raise.
Williams also had a falling out with Bulls owner Jerry reinsdorf
earlier this summer when he said Reisndorf reneged on a promise to get
Williams an extra playoff share.
Entering his ninth season in 1997-98, the Pistons will be Williams'
fifth NBA team. He has also played for Orlando, Denver and the Los
Angeles Clippers.
Williams, who played for the University of Arizona, was the 10th
selection in the first round of the 1991 NBA draft.
nba.263nba.news,
Clippers sign point guard Robinson
LOS ANGELES (Aug 16, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- The Los Angeles Clippers
signed free agent guard James Robinson, who averaged 8.3 points off
the bench last season for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"James Robinson will bring to our club enthusiasm, a great work ethic,
versatility in the back court and will really help us at both ends of
the floor and with the break," coach Bill Fitch said.
"He is ready to bloom at this point in his career."
Robinson, 26, played his first three years with the Portland Trail
Blazers before being traded to Minnesota last summer as part of the
Isaiah Rider deal. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard has averaged 7.8
points and 1.9 assists in 18.9 minutes over his career and helped
Minnesota reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history
last season.
"We are getting a veteran player who has played both the one and two
position," Clippers vice president Elgin Baylor said. "James is a very
tough and aggressive defender who can put pressure defense on his man
from one end of the floor to the other."
A streak shooter who can play either guard position, Robinson will
take many of the minutes that went to Malik Sealy last season. The
Clippers renounced their rights to Sealy earlier this summer.
Robinson's finest moment in the 1996-97 season came Dec. 30 when he
scored 20 points in a four-minute span of the fourth quarter and
almost singlehandly brought Minnesota back from a 33-point deficit.
nba.264nba.news,
Salary cap goes up $2.5 million
NEW YORK (Aug 16, 1997 - 10:40 EDT) -- The NBA and its players
association announced Saturday that the salary cap will be raised to
$26.9 million for the 1997-98 season.
The cap might be subject to another upward adjustment in the next few
weeks following the resolution of certain accounting issues.
Last season, the salary cap was $24.4 million, which for the first
time gave players an average salary of $2 million. Teams have 12-man
rosters.
nba.265nba.news,
Lakers remain in Fox hunt
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Battling geography and a newly increased salary
cap, the Los Angeles Lakers Friday reaffirmed their desire to sign
free agent forward Rick Fox.
Team officials say they will wait for Fox as long as he returns the
interest, even if he prefers to remain in the East.
In the Lakers' favor, they will be a championship contender for years
to come, an appeal that also allows Fox the opportunity to recoup
through playoff shares some of the money lost by signing a smaller
contract.
And there is the other obvious reason for optimism: Fox likes the
organization. He has talked to executive vice president Jerry West or
general manager Mitch Kupchak every two or three days for the last
several weeks.
"He's an East Coast person," Kupchak said. "That doesn't weigh in our
favor. But more importantly, he wants to win. I think that, obviously,
does weigh in our favor. He has not said we are long shots. We're
right there in the middle of it.
"We have to hang our hat in his corner now. Whether it's another 10
days, 12 days or 14 days, as long as we feel we're in the hunt, we're
going to stay in there with him."
A two-year, $2.15 million offer is on the table. The Lakers' pursuit
was helped greatly when the Boston Celtics, the only team with
unlimited spending power, renounced Fox to sign Travis Knight. More
help came when the Indiana Pacers, among those in the market for a
small forward, traded instead for Chris Mullin.
Still, there are teams, some from the East, able to make more
lucrative offers because of the Lakers' salary-cap constraints.
Additional aid for the others arrived late Friday night, when the cap
was increased by $2.5 million, with another small future bump
possible. Neither will affect the Lakers, who already are far over the
cap.
If the Lakers lose out, Clifford Robinson, who has spent his
eight-year career with the Portland Trail Blazers, is a possibility as
a free agent.
But the Lakers might decide to keep the money until next summer,
replenishing the bench now with several players at the minimum. One
prospect, second-round pick Paul Rogers, has signed with Real Madrid
in Spain, as expected.
nba.266junior,
-> #199, madamov>> Dejan Koturovich C 7-0 260 Belgrade
> Zar nije kod Lakersa u kampu?
Ma, bio je svuda. I u Lejkersima, i u Denveru, i u Golden State-u .. kao
najviše se naigrao u Golden State (po sopstvenom priznanju) i tu je pružio
svoje najbolje partije.
Ništa od inostranstva, eto ga na planini, trenira sa ostatkom ekipe.
BTW, neka američka agencija je ponudila malom Lukovskom da ga zastupa, kao
on bi mogao da igra u NBA-u ... znači, eto malog na sledećem draftu. ;)
nba.267junior,
-> #226, nba.news> Report: Warriors send Mullin to Pacers in 3-player swap
Dobro, rešila se dilema oko osmog play-off mesta na istoku. ;)
nba.271nba.news,
1997 NBA Free Agent Signings
The following is a list of NBA free agents and the teams with
which they signed for the 1997-98 season and beyond:
FREE AGENTS SIGNING TO PLAY WITH A NEW TEAM
PLAYER NEW TEAM PREV TEAM TERMS
Michael Curry, g Milwaukee Detroit multi-year, undisclosed
Terry Dehere, g Sacramento LA Clippers undisclosed
Andrew DeClercq, f/c Boston Golden State 5 years, $8.4 million
James Forrest, f LA Lakers Europe undisclosed
Stephen Howard, f Seattle Utah undisclosed
Travis Knight, c Boston LA Lakers 7 years, $22 million
Tony Massenburg, f Boston New Jersey undisclosed
J.R. Reid, f Charlotte Europe undisclosed
James Robinson, g LA Clippers Minnesota undisclosed
David Wesley, g Charlotte Boston undisclosed
Brian Williams, f-c Detroit Chicago 7 years, undisclosed
FREE AGENTS SIGNING TO PLAY WITH THEIR PREVIOUS TEAM
PLAYER TEAM TERMS
Shandon Anderson, f Utah undisclosed
David Benoit, f New Jersey undisclosed
Mark Bryant, f Phoenix 2 years, undisclosed
Antoine Carr, f Utah undisclosed
Sam Cassell, g New Jersey 6 years, $21 million
Rex Chapman, g Phoenix 1 year, undisclosed
Emanual Davis, g Houston undisclosed
Joe Dumars, g Detroit undisclosed
Howard Eisley, g Utah undisclosed
Patrick Ewing, c New York 4 years, $70 million
Anthony Goldwire, g Denver 1 year, undisclosed
Othella Harrington, f Houston undisclosed
Robert Horry, f LA Lakers multi-year, undisclosed
Lindsey Hunter, g Detroit multi-year, undisclosed
Avery Johnson, g San Antonio 3 years, $9 million
Tim Legler, g Washington undisclosed
Voshon Lenard, g Miami undisclosed
Horacio Llamas, c Phoenix 1 year, undisclosed
Matt Maloney, g Houston undisclosed
Amal McCaskill, f/c Orlando undisclosed
Doug Overton, g Philadelphia undisclosed
Chris Robinson, g Vancouver 2 years, undisclosed
Carlos Rogers, f/c Toronto 5 years, undisclosed
Bryon Russell, f Utah 5 years, undisclosed
Kevin Salvadori, c Sacramento undisclosed
Derek Strong, f Orlando undisclosed
Ben Wallace, f Washington undisclosed
Chris Whitney, g Washington undisclosed
Gerald Wilkins, g/f Orlando undisclosed
Hot Rod Williams, f/c Phoenix 1 year, undisclosed
Walt Williams, g/f Toronto 5 years, $20 million
nba.272nba.news,
NBA Free Agents by Team
The following is a list of the remaining NBA free agents:
ATLANTA HAWKS (6) -- G Jon Barry, F Tyrone Corbin, F-G Darrin
Hancock, F Henry James, C Ivano Newbill, G Eldridge Recasner.
BOSTON CELTICS (10) -- F-C Frank Brickowski, F Marty Conlon, F-G
Todd Day, C Pervis Ellison (P), G Rick Fox, C Steve Hamer, G
Michael Hawkins, C Alton Lister, G-F Nate Driggers, C Brett
Szabo.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS (4) -- F Rafael Addison, F Malik Rose, F
Donald Royal, G Tony Smith.
CHICAGO BULLS (6) -- F Jud Buechler, G Steve Kerr (T), G Michael
Jordan, C Robert Parish, F Dennis Rodman, C Bill Wennington.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (7) -- G Reggie Geary, F Antonio Lang, F
Chris Mills (P), G Bobby Phills, C Shawnelle Scott, F Carl
Thomas, C Mark West.
DALLAS MAVERICKS (5) -- G Sasha Danilovic (P), C Greg Dreiling,
F Fred Roberts, G Stevin Smith, F Jamie Watson.
DENVER NUGGETS (6) -- G-F Vincent Askew, G Jerome Allen, G Keith
Jennings, G-F Sarunas Marciulionis, G Kenny Smith, G Brooks
Thompson.
DETROIT PISTONS (4) -- F Litterial Green, F-C Rick Mahorn, F
Terry Mills, C Don Reid.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (4) -- G Melvin Booker, C Jon Koncak, F
Ray Owes, F Lou Roe.
HOUSTON ROCKETS (5) -- F Matt Bullard, F Eddie Johnson, G Randy
Livingston, C Charles Jones, F Sam Mack.
INDIANA PACERS (4) -- F Darvin Ham, G Fred Hoiberg, F-C Brent
Scott, C LaSalle Thompson.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (4) -- C Kevin Duckworth, F-C Bo Outlaw, C
Dwayne Schintzius, G Malik Sealy.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS (2) -- F Jerome Kersey, G-F George McCloud.
MIAMI HEAT (4) -- F-G Willie Anderson, G John Crotty, G Gary
Grant, F Ed Pinckney.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS (4) -- F Chucky Brown, G Jimmy Carruth, F Joe
Wolf (T), F David Wood.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (3) -- G Reggie Jordan, G Terry Porter
(T), C Dean Garrett.
NEW JERSEY NETS (3) -- C Joe Kleine, F Xavier McDaniel, F-G
Reggie Williams.
NEW YORK KNICKS (1) -- G Scott Brooks.
ORLANDO MAGIC (2) -- G Nick Anderson, C Danny Schayes.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (5) -- F Mark Bradtke, C Adrian Caldwell, F
Mark Davis, F Mark Hendrickson, C Eric Montross (P).
PHOENIX SUNS (3) -- F Mike Brown, F Ben Davis, F Wayman Tisdale.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (5) -- G Marcus Brown, G Mitchell Butler,
C Chris Dudley, F Clifford Robinson, G Rumeal Robinson.
SACRAMENTO KINGS (5) -- G Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (P), C Duane
Causwell, G Tyus Edney, F Brian Grant (P), G-F Jeff Grayer.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (7) -- F Greg Anderson, F Joe Courtney, F
Jamie Feick, F Carl Herrera, G Vernon Maxwell, F Dominique
Wilkins, F Monty Williams.
SEATTLE SUPERSONICS (4) -- F Terry Cummings, G Eric Snow, F
Larry Stewart, G David Wingate.
TORONTO RAPTORS (5) -- G Hubert Davis, G John Long, C Oliver
Miller, F Clifford Rozier, F Reggie Slater.
UTAH JAZZ (1) -- G Jeff Hornacek.
VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES (6) -- G Greg Anthony, F Pete Chilcutt, F
Douglas Edwards, C Eric Leckner, F Richard Manning, G Lawrence
Moten.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (2) -- F Harvey Grant, G Jaren Jackson.
(P) - Player option
(T) - Team option
nba.273nba.news,
Eastern Conference movement charts
A team-by-team list of Eastern Conference off-season moves
(*Re-signed with team):
ATLANTA HAWKS
BOSTON CELTICS
Free agents signed Free agents lost
C-F Travis Knight from L.A. Lakers David Wesley to Charlotte
F Andrew DeClercq from Golden State
F Tony Massenburg from New Jersey
G-F Bruce Bowen from Miami
Waived/rights renounced
C Frank Brickowski
F Marty Conlon
G Todd Day
G Nate Driggers
F Rick Fox
C Steve Hamer
G Michael Hawkins
C Alton Lister
C Brett Szabo
F Dino Radja
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
Free agents signed Free agents lost
David Wesley from Boston G Tony Smith to Spain
F-C J.R. Reid
Waived/rights renounced
F Donald Royal
F Rafael Addison
CHICAGO BULLS
Free agents signed
C Brian Williams to Detroit
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
DETROIT PISTONS
Free agents signed Free agents lost
G Joe Dumars* G Michael Curry to Milwaukee
G Lindsey Hunter*
C Brian Williams from Chicago
Traded
F Otis Thorpe to Vancouver
INDIANA PACERS
Traded Acquired via trade
C Erick Dampier to Golden State F Chris Mullin from Golden State
F Duane Ferrell to Golden State
MIAMI HEAT
Free agents signed Free agents lost
G Voshon Lenard* G-F Bruce Bowen to Boston
Traded Acquired via trade
C Matt Fish to Sacramento C Duane Causwell from Sacramento
G Gary Grant to Sacramento
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Free agents lost
G Michael Curry from Detroit
Traded Acquired via trade
F Danny Fortson to Denver C Ervin Johnson from Denver
G Johnny Newman to Denver
F Joe Wolf to Denver
NEW JERSEY NETS
Free agents signed Free agents lost
G Sam Cassell* F Tony Massenburg to Boston
F David Benoit*
Traded Acquired via trade
G Jim Jackson to Philadelphia F-C Michael Cage from Philadelphia
C Eric Montross to Philadelphia G Lucious Harris from Philadelphia
G Anthony Parker to Philadelphia F Don MacLean from Philadelphia
F Tim Thomas to Philadelphia F Keith Van Horn from Philadelphia
NEW YORK KNICKS
Free agents signed
C Patrick Ewing*
ORLANDO MAGIC
Free agents signed
F Derek Strong*
G Gerald Wilkins*
Traded Acquired via trade
G Eric Washington to Denver C Jason Lawson from Denver
Waived/rights renounced
C Amal McCaskill
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
Free agents signed
G Doug Overton*
Traded Acquired via trade
F-C Michael Cage to New Jersey G Jim Jackson from New Jersey
G James Collins to L.A. Clippers C Eric Montross from New Jersey
G Lucious Harris to New Jersey G Anthony Parker from New Jersey
F Don MacLean to New Jersey F Tim Thomas from New Jersey
F Keith Van Horn to New Jersey
TORONTO RAPTORS
Free agents signed
G-F Walt Williams*
F-C Carlos Rogers*
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Free agents signed
G Chris Whitney*
G Tim Legler*
F Ben Wallace*
nba.274nba.news,
Western Conference movement charts
A team-by-team list of Western Conference off-season moves
(*Re-signed with team):
DALLAS MAVERICKS
Free agents lost
G Sasha Danilovic to Italy
Traded Acquired via trade
F-C Kelvin Cato to Portland C Chris Anstey from Portland
DENVER NUGGETS
Free agents signed
G Anthony Goldwire*
Traded Acquired via trade
G James Cotton to Seattle F Danny Fortson from Milwaukee
C Ervin Johnson to Milwaukee G Bobby Jackson from Seattle
C Jason Lawson to Orlando G Johnny Newman from Milwaukee
G Eric Washington from Orlando
F Joe Wolf from Milwaukee
Waived/rights renounced
G Jerome Allen
G Vincent Askew
G Keith Jennings
G Jimmy King
G Sarunas Marciulionis
G Kenny Smith
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Free agents lost
F Andrew DeClercq to Boston
F Lou Roe to Spain
Traded Acquired via trade
F Chris Mullin to Indiana C Erick Dampier from Indiana
F Duane Ferrell from Indiana
HOUSTON ROCKETS
Free agents signed
G Emanual Davis*
F Othella Harrington*
F Eddie Johnson*
G Matt Maloney*
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Free agents signed Free agents lost
C Keith Closs (rookie free agent) G Terry Dehere to Sacramento
G James Robinson from Minnesota
Traded Acquired via trade
C Stanley Roberts to Minnesota G James Collins from Philadelphia
C Stojan Vrankovic from Minnesota
Waived/released
C Dwayne Schintzius
G Malik Sealy
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Free agents signed Free agents lost
F James Forrest C-F Travis Knight to Boston
F Robert Horry* G Byron Scott to Greece
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Free agents signed
G James Robinson to Clippers
Traded Acquired via trade
C Stojan Vrankovic to L.A. Clippers C Stanley Roberts from L.A. Clippers
PHOENIX SUNS
Free agents signed
F-C Mark Bryant*
G Rex Chapman*
G Kevin Johnson*
C Horacio Llamas*
F-C Hot Rod Williams*
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Traded Acquired via trade
C Chris Anstey to Dallas F-C Kelvin Cato from Dallas
G C.J. Bruton from Vancouver
Waived/rights renounced
G Mitchell Butler
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Free agents signed
F Lawrence Funderburke
C Kevin Salvadori*
G Terry Dehere from L.A. Clippers
Traded Acquired via trade
C Duane Causwell to Miami C Matt Fish from Miami
G Gary Grant from Miami
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Free agents signed Free agents lost
G Avery Johnson* F Dominique Wilkins to Italy
F Jamie Feick to Spain
SEATTLE SUPERSONICS
Free agents signed
F Stephen Howard from Utah
F Aaron Williams from Vancouver
Traded Acquired via trade
G Bobby Jackson to Denver G James Cotton from Denver
UTAH JAZZ
Free agents signed
G Shandon Anderson*
F Stephen Howard to Seattle
G Antoine Carr*
G Howard Eisley*
F Bryon Russell*
VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES
Free agents signed
G Chris Robinson*
Traded Acquired via trade
G C.J. Bruton to Portland F Otis Thorpe from Detroit
Waived/rights renounced
G Greg Anthony
nba.275nba.news,
Dallas signs Strickland to six-year deal
DALLAS (Aug 18, 1997 - 20:10 EDT) -- Erick Strickland played only 28
NBA games but he impressed the Dallas Mavericks enough during the
second half of last season that they signed him on Monday to a
six-year deal worth a reported $14.4 million.
Strickland, set to be the Mavericks' starting shooting guard next
season, is the team's fourth-highest paid player behind Shawn Bradley,
A.C. Green and Robert Pack.
The team did not disclose the amount of Strickland's contract, but the
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, citing NBA sources, reported Monday that the
deal was worth $14.4 million, including $1.6 million next season.
Strickland, 23, wasn't selected in last year's NBA draft and was
signed as a free agent by the Mavericks.
But Strickland was hampered when he injured a shoulder in the
preseason and Dallas waived him on Jan. 7. He spent two months in the
Continental Basketball Association with Oklahoma City and Quad City.
Dallas signed Strickland to a 10-day contract on Feb. 15, and his
hustle immediately became a favorite of Mavericks general manager Don
Nelson. Strickland averaged 10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists
in 15 starts down the stretch.
The effort was rewarded Monday.
Strickland, who became a free agent on July 1, said he decided to
remain in Dallas because the team and its fans had shown faith in him.
"These are the fans that have embraced me as a undrafted free agent
and supported me through a tough rookie season," he said. "I promise
the fans, I will do whatever it takes. I will give 100 percent.
Night-in and night-out ... blood, sweat and tears to do whatever it
takes to win here."
Nelson said Strickland represents his vision of the Mavericks.
"He's the epitome of what we want the Dallas Mavericks players to be,"
Nelson said. "He's a talented, young, bright basketball player who
plays the game for all the right reasons."
In college at Nebraska, Strickland set school career records in steals
(257) and games (127) and ranks sixth in scoring (1,586). He was named
MVP of the 1996 NIT after leading the Cornhuskers to the postseason
title by averaging 17.4 points and 4.4 rebounds.
nba.276nba.news,
Former All-Star Robertson gets 1 year in prison
SAN ANTONIO -- Former NBA All-Star Alvin Robertson was sentenced to a
year in jail Monday after pleading no contest to four misdemeanor
charges stemming from confrontations with his ex-girlfriend.
Robertson, 35, a former San Antonio Spurs guard who played for the
Toronto Raptors during the 1995-96 season, entered the pleas before
County Court Judge Timothy Johnson.
Robertson was to report to Bexar County Jail by Monday night.
The judge sentenced Robertson to six months in jail for resisting
arrest, four months for criminal trespass, nine months for one assault
charge and one year for another assault count. The sentences are to be
served concurrently.
The charges stem from confrontations in June 1995 and July 1996
involving Robertson's ex-girlfriend, attorneys said. As part of the
plea arrangement, Robertson agreed to drop an appeal of a felony
conviction also arising from one of the incidents.
Counting time already served, Robertson is expected to serve no more
than two months of the one-year sentence.
Robertson played for the Spurs from 1984-89 and was twice selected an
All-Star.
nba.277nba.news,
McDonald's Championship highlights NBA preseason schedule
New York, NY (TSN) - The McDonald's Championship in Paris, France is
the featured event on the 1997 NBA preseason schedule. The schedule
covers 112 games in three countries, 34 states and three Canadian
provinces.
The defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls will participate in an
international event for the first time in franchise history when they
battle five other European and South American championship teams from
October 17-19 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. Euroleague
champion Olympiakos Piraeus of Greece, French League champion PSG
Racing, South American club champion Atenas de Cordoba of Argentina,
Spanish ACB champion F.C. Barcelona and Italian Lega A champion
Benetton Treviso will challenge Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and
company.
The Vancouver Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors will meet in the 1997
Naismith Cup in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Games will also be played in
Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Montana and North Dakota, states currently
without an NBA franchise.
The NBA preseason runs from October 9 through October 27. The 1997-98
regular season tips off on October 31.
nba.278nba.news,
Free-agent rookies have much to prove in summer leagues
LOS ANGELES (Aug 18, 1997 - 10:05 EDT) -- Reggie Freeman and Ace
Custis. Otis Hill shot baskets for three hours. Shea Seals sat in
silence surrounded by his family. Keith Closs stared at the television
in disbelief.
For players passed over in last June's NBA Draft, the league is now an
even longer shot. They'll have to fight and scrap their way onto
rosters as rookie free agents by showcasing their talents in summer
leagues.
"I was just real mad when I wasn't taken," said Closs, a 7-foot-3
center out of Central Connecticut who signed last Saturday with the
Los Angeles Clippers. "The other teams are going to be sorry they
didn't pick me because I'm going to make them all suffer."
Of the 29 NBA teams with a total of 348 jobs to offer, only a few
dozen are up for grabs between rookie free agents and players from
overseas and the Continental Basketball Association.
"Guys that have the desire to play in the NBA have to have a specific
talent to make a team," said Chet Kammerer, regional scout for the
Miami Heat. "Either you've got to be a good rebounder or a good passer
or a good shooter to make a team and in my opinion, a specialist is
going to have a better chance."
The place to make that impression is one of the various summer leagues
sponsored by the NBA. This year, there were summer leagues in Los
Angeles, Salt Lake City and Atlanta playing round-robin competitions
with teams made up of a few veteran players who want to polish their
skills and rookie free agents who want to fill the final spots on NBA
rosters.
"You've got to fight for positions, you've got to be a little
selfish," said Custis, a member of the Lakers' invitation-only squad
at the FILA Summer Pro League in Long Beach. "You're not out to hurt
anyone, but you want to give yourself the edge."
As a junior and senior at Virginia Tech, the 23-year-old Custis earned
First Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors.
"I don't know why he wasn't drafted," said Lionel Hollins, assistant
coach of the Vancouver Grizzlies. "I know he's a good shooter."
Though the shots may fall, players like Freeman found out that things
that happen off the court can be as important as those on the court.
Before the draft, he was between agents and didn't work out with any
teams or attend any pre-draft camps.
As a senior at the University of Texas, Freeman was one of 16
candidates for the John Wooden Award, given to college basketball's
most outstanding player, and named First Team all Big 12 by the
league's coaches. Still, he was overlooked.
At the summer league, Freeman, a shooting guard, played out of
position as a point guard for the Milwaukee Bucks.
"I'm just trying to play hard and impress these guys so I can get on a
team," Freeman said. "The NBA is my only focus."
Larry Creger, director of the Los Angeles Lakers' player personnel in
the 1970s and one of the summer-league developers in Southern
California, said many of the rookies are going to need a little luck
to go with their talent.
"It's not all skills," he said. "It's humans judging humans, so you
can imagine how many errors are made. Some players make it strictly on
heart than just ability."
One of the many pitfalls of being in NBA limbo is fighting for playing
time. If players don't get off the bench and put up some numbers,
they'll probably end up overseas or in the CBA.
"It's frustrating, but you've got to remember that there are guys that
are veterans and these are going to be the go-to guys," said Hill, who
helped lead Syracuse to the 1996 NCAA title game against Kentucky.
"I just take things in stride."
After Shea Seals scored 22 points against Dream Team III in July 1996
for the USA Basketball Under-22 Select Team, Charles Barkley told him:
"Way to play, boy. You just made yourself a lot of money."
Not yet. The 6-foot-5 guard from Tulsa, who finished his college
career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,288 points,
wasn't drafted.
"It's tough because in the past, you don't figure your post-college
career is going to end like this," Seals said.
Custis still remembers the sting of being snubbed on draft night.
"Draft day was one of the worst days of my life," he said. "As a
player on draft day, you want to hear your name called whether it's
the first or the last pick. When they said, 'The final pick in the
1997 draft ... ' I was like, 'Oh, the draft can't be over.' I was
hoping it wasn't over."
nba.280nba.news,
Greedy Garnett's stock plummets with T'wolves fans
"Da Kid'' gloves are off.
All it took was a yawn at the Minnesota Timberwolves' run-of-the-mill,
garden-variety, $103.5 million contract extension offer and, suddenly,
Kevin Garnett's image changed. Possibly forever.
Until that single, unsavory and largely indefensible moment, Garnett
had been one of the NBA's new good guys. He was an engaging
personality and an eventual icon in a league dependent on them. He had
basketball priorities worthy of Red Auerbach, a head not yet too large
for his hats and, of course, that unlikely bundle of scoring, passing
and defensive skills wrapped in a 6-foot-11 package.
His team, unlike those of certain other young players, actually
improved, from 21 to 26 to 40 victories in his first two seasons. He
made the All-Star team. And thanks to the NBA rookie-wage scale that
arrived the same year (1995) he did, Garnett avoided any haggling over
money -- right up there with lawlessness and narcotics as termites
eating away the foundation of major-league sports.
All of that deluded basketball fans in the Twin Cities into thinking
there was more going on between them, their favorite team and Garnett
than, it seems, there really was. For two years, Timberwolves fans
could pretend they were watching more than just another hired gun,
long on talent, longer on demands. They were, by golly, witnessing the
development of a star, the maturation of a young man and the salvation
of a franchise, based on a relationship between management (owner Glen
Taylor, vice president Kevin McHale) and player (Garnett) rare in its
mutual respect and fondness.
There was a connection, a bond, and all sides were thrilled about it.
Plunking down $120 for a pair of tickets seems a little easier when,
contrary to what Jerry Seinfeld says, you're rooting for more than
"just shirts."
Then, halfway through a negotiating period in which the Timberwolves
could try to lock in their prize forward to a long-term extension, the
lovefest blew up in their faces.
There is plenty of blame to go around. The Timberwolves, after all,
were the ones who went to the media with their offer when they had no
pressing need to do so -- no deadline, no competing offer, no urgency
whatsoever. As much as Taylor, McHale and coach Flip Saunders pleaded
with fans not to judge Garnett too harshly by his rejection, they had
to know the public would hammer anyone who turned down $103.5 million,
even if it were spread over 100 years.
But Eric Fleisher, Garnett's agent, deserves a huge chunk of the blame
for his decree that, due to the Timberwolves' disclosure of their
offer, Garnett never would re-sign with the team. Beyond the fact that
Fleisher's words don't address the offer itself -- so, what is so
wrong with $103.5 million? -- it's ridiculous for an agent to feign
indignation that a team went public. No group in America is more adept
at using the media for contract leverage than sports agents.
Garnett merits a few ladles of blame, too, for presiding over -- or
just plain hiding from -- all this. Critics who don't know him have
portrayed the 21-year-old as some sort of naive dupe, an innocent
being manipulated by an audacious agent.
Let's remember, though, that no one asked Garnett to come directly
from high school to the NBA at age 19. He raised his hand seeking
admission to a man's league, full of aggressive businessmen, 30-page
binding contracts and harsh realities. He proved himself capable of
handling it all, on the court and off. So it's too convenient, and
borderline insulting to him, to suggest that, suddenly, he's incapable
of handling this.
Besides, what's to handle? A simple yes or no would do. If he wants to
sample free agency next summer, if he wants the champagne-and-Lear-jet
tour to places like Chicago and Phoenix, all he has to do is thank
Taylor for the offer, pledge to talk with the Timberwolves again next
July and quietly fill his calendar with little Xs. Most of the other
Class of '95 players -- e.g. Joe Smith, Antonio McDyess, Jerry
Stackhouse -- are holding off anyway.
Then again, if Garnett and Fleisher really are seeking $22.5 million
per season, if they're willing to soil his image for a few extra
million on top of an already outrageous fortune, then they deserve
whatever fan reaction they get.
That is the harsh reality facing Garnett now. Nationally, it really
doesn't matter -- folks elsewhere never got to know the private
Garnett or view him as anything more than a grand experiment or
another exciting player. But the relationship between him and
Minnesota fans never will be quite the same.
Unless something happens -- fast and dramatic -- Garnett faces two
likely responses while playing for a mere $2.1 million this season:
Some fans will cheer madly, profess their love and otherwise prostrate
themselves to convince him to stay. But in a market that still reveres
Kirby Puckett for turning down bigger money from Boston to re-sign
with the Twins, many, many fans will boo Garnett, bash him and blame
him for absolutely everything, from the Timberwolves' most recent
defeat to the ruination of the Twin Cities' pro sports scene.
Sadly, it will become a great, lovely, rare opportunity missed.
nba.279nba.news,
Williams likes chances with Pistons
DETROIT (Aug 18, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- He has played basketball for two
high schools, two colleges and four other NBA teams. Still, Brian
Williams thinks he can be happy with the Detroit Pistons.
Maybe so. But the record shows Williams doesn't always stay happy.
That might explain why he can opt out of his seven-year, $45-million
deal with the Pistons after three years if he wants to.
For the moment, however, Williams is sounding like a man who has found
contentment.
"We had two face-to-face meetings with the Pistons," Williams said
Monday during a conference call from his home in California. "They
went quite well. We had a chance to dig deep into each other's
character. Everyone was real excited about working with each other. Me
with them, and them with me."
Williams was selected after his junior season at Arizona by the
Orlando Magic in the first round of the 1991 draft, the 10th pick
overall. But life has been a revolving door since.
He was traded to the Denver Nuggets in 1993, and then to the Los
Angeles Clippers in 1995.
The 6-foot-11, 260-pound Williams was a free agent last season. But he
held out most of the season before signing with the Chicago Bulls for
the final nine regular-season games and was one of their best bench
contributors during the playoffs.
"I wanted to stay in Los Angeles, but I didn't think the team was as
committed to winning as I wanted it to be," said Williams, who needed
surgery because of tendinitis in his right knee. "They looked like
they were trying to overachieve with young players. So I chose
Chicago, for the short term. But I wasn't deluding myself that it was
anything more than that."
He helped the Bulls win their fifth NBA title in seven years. For
that, he received a prorated portion of the league's minimum salary of
$247,500 (about $27,500).
The most the Bulls could offer him for the coming season was $310,000.
So he went shopping. Four other teams were interested, Williams said,
but he liked the Pistons.
"They've got a great perimeter game, quick guards," Williams said.
"They've got great forwards. They just need to round out the corners.
If they do, the sky's the limit."
Williams said his decision also was influenced by private talks with
Pistons star Grant Hill.
"Grant and I talked several times, maybe a couple hours, total,"
Williams said. "I was finding out all about the organization, the
city, what he thought about playing there and what the team had
achieved."
The Pistons won 54 games last season. Yet the perception Williams got
was that many of their fans felt let down because the Pistons were
eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks.
"I think people should be proud of what the team did," Williams said.
Did he learn anything in his short tenure with the Bulls that would
help him lead Detroit deeper into the playoff picture?
"I learned that you don't always win everything with talent," Williams
said. "There is a lot of mental and physical preparation. It also was
good to be around leadership like Scottie (Pippen) and Michael
(Jordan). In Chicago, they feel like it's their birthright. A younger
team has to learn that. If it can, it makes it that much easier."
The Pistons put themselves in position to sign Williams by trading
Otis Thorpe and his $5.8 million contract to the Vancouver Grizzlies
for a conditional first-round draft pick.
The Pistons have four free agents still unsigned: Terry Mills, Don
Reid, Litterial Green and Rick Mahorn.
nba.281nba.news,
Blazers' Dudley shows young diabetics that illness is no obstacle
VERNONIA, Ore. (Aug 18, 1997 - 10:05 EDT) -- Sixty boys and girls,
ages 10 to 16, scamper through drills under the watchful eyes of
coaches and counselors.
A whistle blows; they all shout "Defense!" Another whistle, and they
drop to the hot pavement for 10 pushups.
From a distance, the Chris Dudley Basketball Camp looks no different
from any other. But this is no ordinary camp, and these are
extraordinary campers.
These youngsters give themselves injections of insulin three, four,
even five times a day. At 3 a.m. they are rustled from sleep in their
bunkhouse for the first of five daily blood tests.
Every one of these campers has Type 1 diabetes.
So do eight of the 16 counselors. So does camp director Roxanne
Stapleton. And, most significantly, so does Dudley.
"It's an awesome thrill to know you're out there with somebody who has
gone through the same stuff you have and has overcome it, and that you
can do it, too," 15-year-old Hanna Jones said.
This is the second year the NBA center has sponsored a basketball camp
for diabetic youngsters. Each child pays $360 for a week in the
foothills of Oregon's coastal mountains, 40 miles west of Portland.
The real cost, Stapleton said, is $600 per youngster. The difference
is made up by the Chris Dudley Foundation.
Dudley stands out in an era when pro athletes are often spoiled. The
NBA's worst free-throw shooter may have the league's biggest heart.
The Yale grad won the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Award this year for his
community service and charity work.
His foundation, which he formed after he signed with the Portland
Trail Blazers in 1994, "supports programs that address the needs of
youth with disadvantages."
Three years ago, through the I Have A Dream Foundation, Dudley pledged
to 60 third-graders at an elementary school in Portland's inner city
that he would pay their way through college if they stayed in school
and maintained good grades. His foundation gave $100,000 to Oregon's
Gales Creek Camp for diabetic children, a gift that paid for a new
bridge needed to keep the camp open.
As he sat on a hillside watching the youngsters play, Dudley said his
basketball camp "ranks way up there at the top" of anything he has
done. The camp's big lesson is that diabetes, properly treated, is not
an obstacle to success.
"I wanted to make sure they all feel positive about themselves and
realize that it's definitely something you have to deal with, but if
you deal with it, it's not going to stop you from doing anything,"
Dudley said.
The campers come from as far away as Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Some come from small towns, where they felt ostracized and alone.
Jones, who found out 3 1/2 years ago that she had the disease, said
she was the only diabetic at her high school in Winston.
The camp has opened her eyes.
"It's a total confidence boost to know there are others out there who
have it and they have to do the same stuff I have to do," said Jones,
who competes in track, volleyball and basketball at Douglas High
School. "I'm not the only one. I had no idea so many people had
diabetes."
Dr. Kenneth Ward, Dudley's physician and one of two diabetic
specialists who have volunteered to stay at the week-long camp, said
Jones' experience is common.
"Self-esteem is a big issue in kids with chronic illnesses, including
diabetes," he said. "If there's one thing this camp does, it helps
with that."
The youngsters learn to vary the amount of insulin injected based on
what they eat and their exertion.
"One of the hardest things about diabetes is knowing how to adjust for
differences in activity and diet," Ward said. "This helps them learn
how to do that."
Without proper care, diabetes can be fatal. It is the leading cause of
blindness in adults and, not counting accidents, the No. 1 reason that
limbs are amputated. Diabetics are five times more likely to have
heart attacks.
The 32-year-old Dudley shows up at the camp every day, working with
players on the basketball court, sometimes testing his own blood-sugar
level with the campers.
"I like him a lot because he just goes out there and plays with us and
cheers us on," said Nick Simpson, 13, of Santa Cruz, Calif. "He's a
good guy."
Dudley, who gives himself four insulin injections a day, was a
16-year-old just through his sophomore season in his hometown of San
Diego when he learned he had diabetes.
"My dad says the first thing I asked was whether I would be able to
still play basketball," he said.
Dudley downplays the experience, but his sister, Natasha Bussick, who
heads the Dudley Foundation, remembers how hard it was for him.
"He wouldn't talk about it with his family. He would get angry when we
tried to mention it. He went through the same thing I'm sure a lot of
these kids go through," she said.
"Now he's so open about it. It's completely set him free."
This has been a tumultuous summer for Dudley. He got married and, in a
major gamble, got out of the last three years of his contract with the
Blazers, giving up $13 million, to test the free-agent market.
Whether there will be a third Chris Dudley Basketball Camp remains to
be seen. The 6-11 center said it will depend on whether he re-signs
with the Blazers and whether some of those who run the camp,
particularly Stapleton and Ward, can return.
If this is his last camp, Dudley said, "at least we showed it can be
done."
And over two remarkable weeks on successive summers, he showed more
than 100 young diabetics there is no excuse for failure.
"That's a huge message," said 16-year-old Mike Passananti of Western
Springs, Ill. "There's nothing that can stop you if you want something
bad enough. A small thing like diabetes, no way it can stop you."
nba.282nba.news,
Hornets sign Phills
CHARLOTTE, N.A. (Aug 19, 1997 - 16:52 EDT) -- The Charlotte Hornets
added another piece to their backcourt reconstruction by signing free
agent shooting guard Bobby Phills on Tuesday.
Phills, 27, who played his first six NBA seasons in Cleveland, agreed
to a seven-year, $33-million contract. He is expected to play
alongside point guard David Wesley, who last month left Boston to sign
a seven-year, $22-million deal with the Hornets.
"Now you can build on something," said Dave Cowens, who in his first
year as Charlotte's coach led the Hornets to a franchise-record 54
victories and the playoffs this past season.
Charlotte's backcourt rotation last season included 32-year-old Muggsy
Bogues, 33-year-old Dell Curry, 37-year-old Ricky Pierce and rookie
Tony Delk, 24.
Bogues was hampered much of the season by knee and hamstring injuries,
and the Hornets are pressing him to retire. He is resisting and has
asked to be traded.
Curry, one of the NBA's best 3-point shooters, and Delk, a player the
Hornets think has promise for the future, will both return this
season.
To make room for Phills, the Hornets on Tuesday waived Pierce and
renounced their rights to power forward Malik Rose, their second-round
draft choice in 1996.
Phills, 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, has established himself as one of the
league's better defenders, a reputation that should serve him well in
Cowens' physical style of play.
"He's my type of player," Cowens said, "because he's aggressive, he's
a hard worker, he's been able to improve over the course of his career
and he's not afraid to hit people."
Phills has career averages of 10.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5
assists. His best statistical season was 1995-96, when he averaged
14.6 points, 3.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds. The best scoring game of
his career came that season, a 43-point outburst against Portland.
"When you talk about Bobby Phills, you talk about the whole package,"
said Bob Bass, the Hornets' vice president of basketball operations.
Charlotte was not the only team interested in Phills, who this past
season averaged 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists. The
interested suitors also included Vancouver and Portland.
But Phills said the Hornets, who also acquired power forward J.R. Reid
this summer as a backup for Anthony Mason, were an easy choice.
"This team has definitely made strides this summer to be a better
team," he said.
Phills, a native of Baton Rouge, La., who still maintains a residence
in the state, said he and his wife, Kendall, felt comfortable about
bringing their 1-year-old son, Bobby, to Charlotte.
"Signing with Charlotte was a possibility that I hoped would happen
all summer," he said. "When I came down to visit, I saw what a
first-class operation they run here. The hospitality they showed my
family was tremendous. It is an ideal situation for me to play for a
winning team in front of what I have always thought were the best fans
in the league."
nba.283nba.news,
Bobby Phills career stat
(Aug 19, 1997 - 23:05 EDT) -- The career statistics of Bobby Phills,
who signed a seven-year contract with the Charlotte Hornets on
Tuesday:
Year Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts
1991-92 Cle 10 .429 .636 0.8 0.4 3.1
1992-93 Cle 31 .463 .600 0.5 0.3 3.0
1993-94 Cle 72 .471 .720 2.9 1.8 8.3
1994-95 Cle 80 .414 .779 3.3 2.3 11.0
1995-96 Cle 72 .467 .775 3.6 3.8 14.6
1996-97 Cle 69 .428 .718 3.6 3.4 12.6
Totals 334 .443 .747 3.0 2.3 10.5
Playoffs
Year Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts
1991-92 Cle 5 .444 .750 1.2 1.0 2.2
1992-93 Cle 2 .333 1.000 0.0 0.0 2.0
1993-94 Cle 3 .375 .500 4.7 2.3 6.7
1994-95 Cle 4 .442 .750 3.0 1.5 14.3
1995-96 Cle 3 .371 .250 4.7 2.0 9.7
Totals 17 .404 .688 2.7 1.4 7.1
nba.284nba.news,
Grizzlies sign top pick Antonio Daniels
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- This time it's officially a done deal.
The Vancouver Grizzlies have signed top draft pick Antonio Daniels and
will make the announcement at a news conference on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Daniels caused a bit of a stir when he prematurely
announced that he and the Grizzlies had reached a deal. Daniels made
the comments to an Ohio television station during Bowling Green
graduation ceremonies.
The comments led the NBA to rule that the parties had consummated a
deal, at which time the league automatically added the 20 percent
bonus portion to the Grizzlies salary cap.
The fourth overall pick, Daniels, a point guard from Bowling Green, is
slotted to make $1.7 million a season over the next three years under
the league's rookie salary scale. The Grizzlies can also opt to offer
as much as a 20 percent annual bonus to the rookie's salary, which
would amount to an additional $340,000.
Daniels, 22, was last season's Mid-American Conference Player of the
year, leading the Falcons to a 22-10 record and a berth in the NIT. He
finished his senior year averaging 24 points while shooting 54.7
percent from the field. He finished second on the school's career
scoring list with 1,789 points and 573 assists.
The Columbus, Ohio native overcame the anguish of losing his older
brother Chris, a center with the University of Dayton, who died in
February 1996. Antonio Daniels changed his uniform number from 10 to
33 during his junior season in tribute to his brother.
Daniels is currently in Vancouver where he was the Grizzlies' guest at
the Orca Bay-sponsored PGA Greater Vancouver Open. Orca Bay owns the
Grizzlies and the NHL's Vancouver Canucks.
Overcoming tendinitis in his knee, which cropped up during his senior
season, Daniels has yet to begin playing but is expected to recover in
time for the start of training camp, according to Grizzlies'
officials.
The Grizzlies drafted Daniels as their point guard of the future and
is expected to open the season behind veteran Lee Mayberry. The
Grizzlies renounced the rights to former starter Greg Anthony earlier
this month after acquiring power forward Otis Thorpe in a trade with
the Detroit Pistons.
nba.285nba.news,
Garnett no villain in dealings
(Aug 19, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- National Basketball Association fans
should not line up like puppy dogs to nip at Kevin Garnett's sneakers
just because he turned down a $105 million contract.
Sure that's a lot of money, but his agent had to be thinking that if
Juwan Howard was worth almost $110 million last year, then Garnett
would be worth much more.
Based on the deals that were signed last summer, the Minnesota
Timberwolves' offer comes up a little short. Garnett's deal should be
somewhere in the mind-boggling $120 million to $130 million range.
Fans are too quick to side with the owners in these labor disputes,
having no concept of the high-finance face lift that the entire sports
industry has undergone over the past 10 years.
The NBA has been at the forefront in sharing the wealth with its
players. That makes sense because no one shows up at the Bradley
Center to watch Sen. Herb Kohl sit in his seat.
Last time at the playground, I didn't see any "D. Stern" and "R.
Granik" jerseys, either. Kevin McHale or someone in the Minnesota
front office stole a page from the Mike Dunleavy school of contract
negotiating by leaking news of Garnett's rejection. It long has been
suspected that Dunleavy was the one who released Charles Tucker's and
Glenn Robinson's reported $100 million demand to a New York columnist
after the Bucks drafted Robinson first overall in 1994.
Robinson's deal ended up being 10 years for $68.15 million, but he was
forever painted as a greedy young athlete by the very same team for
which he was eventually going to play.
Minnesota has done the same disservice to Garnett. At least Garnett
has a way to get out of his situation. His agent, Eric Fleischer, has
promised that Garnett will not return to the Timberwolves because of
this perceived breach of confidentiality. It's possible that he may
have to settle for less money elsewhere when the first
post-Robinson-era rookies become free agents next summer.
The well may indeed be drying up. Only two teams -- Charlotte and
Toronto -- finished last season below the salary cap. There don't
figure to be many teams below the cap next season.
Therefore, teams would have to dump salaries the way the Los Angles
Lakers did for Shaquille O'Neal.
However, this is troubling for the small-market franchises. The
Timberwolves are worth $103 million, according to the May issue of
Financial World magazine. The Bucks are worth the same. The New York
Knicks top the list at $250 million.
If the latest rumors about the Bucks trading Vin Baker to Seattle for
Shawn Kemp are just that, can you imagine what type of deal Baker will
command to stay in Milwaukee after the 1998-'99 season?
"Next year you are going to see quite a few making more money," Tucker
said. "Vin Baker will probably end up making that kind of money. Some
of the first class of salary cap rookies and Grant Hill will probably
demand that type of money.
"There are 10 to 15 players in the next five years that will probably
reach that market. Garnett is probably going to be one of those. He
seems to be the big one right now. Baker, if he continues to play
hard, could be in that group."
There is no need to rush to judgment and ostracize a talented young
player like Garnett. He's just a pawn in a high-stakes negotiating
game.
nba.286nba.news,
Reality could come crashing down on Iverson
We are pleased to breathlessly announce to an eager world that Allen
Iverson has deigned to meet with his new boss.
It took a while: Since the day Larry Brown took over the Sixers --
that would be May 4 -- Iverson has been in relaxation mode with his
pals, tooling along the D.C. Beltway with guns and drugs, wandering in
that same metaphorical circle that will undoubtedly spiral into a
concentric circle of hell if he doesn't grow up soon.
There was a near-encounter at the Baker League in Philly last month,
too, but Iverson skipped out without saying hello to Brown. Yes,
everyone noticed and shook their heads.
So it wasn't until this past Friday when they finally had a
heart-to-heart, which Brown termed "Great. . .We sat down and kind of
got to know each other." And the coach reiterated that he feels
responsible for helping shape the young man's future and vows to get
through to him.
Lotsa luck.
After the Michael Jackson/Lisa Marie Presley and Lyle Lovett/Julia
Roberts pairings, this gets our vote as one of the oddest marriages of
the 90's.
You have a coach with only the best of intentions, one who wants only
to inspire young men to play the game for the right reasons (his term,
used ad infinitum), coupled with a talented, headstrong kid entombed
in a prolonged adolescence with his gun-toting, nitwit friends.
"Allen has to be careful with the people he associates with," said
Brown. "But from my standpoint, I'd like to counsel the kids he's
with.
"First, to make them understand that he could go back to where he came
from. And I don't mean that in a negative sense. But his career could
be over. And he could be back just like that. They need to understand
this if they're his friends."
That's one way of handling it, but we have to admit that part of us
liked the Pat Croce approach, too. The Sixers owner, you might recall,
once threatened to burn down the houses of Iverson's friends if they
get him in further trouble.
But Brown, always a success at making friends and influencing people,
clearly intends to use a calmer method.
We're eager to see how this relationship turns out next season. But
first, we'd like to hear what Iverson will have to say in court next
Tuesday, when he faces misdemeanor charges of gun and marijuana
possession.
Brown and other Sixers officials will probably be in the Virginia
courtroom to lend moral support. If Iverson is smart, he'll look
around the courtroom and count how many of his friends from the 'hood
are in attendance. He may draw a few conclusions as to who his real
friends are.
WISH GRANTED
The Pistons, moving quickly since their extraction of Otis Thorpe and
signing of Brian Williams, also may have found a taker for Grant Long.
He seems headed for Golden State in exchange for B.J. Armstrong, and
if the deal goes through, it gives the Warriors a power rotation of
Joe Smith, Long, and Erick Dampier spelled by Felton Spencer, Adonal
Foyle, and Todd Fuller -- light years better than last season's group,
but still not the stuff of title contenders.
B.J., a Detroit native four years removed from his only All-Star
appearance, floundered in the Bay Area, where he spent much of the
time sharing point chores with Mark Price and Bimbo Coles.
He's clearly better suited for spot-up duty behind the arc, and if
Lindsey Hunter doesn't bring his stroke this season, he'll be the
recipient of Grant Hill's drive-and-kick charity.
WATCHING PITINO
The league says it is monitoring Rick Pitino's so-called voluntary
workouts to see if the Boston coach is adhering to the rules that
state you cannot hold practices or workouts with roster players before
the start of training camp.
Yeah, right.
There isn't a single team -- with the possible exception of those with
players who simply don't care about their jobs -- that doesn't
assemble its players for pickup games for two or three weeks during
the summer.
And if the union still finds this so disagreeable, it should get a fax
out to each of its members suggesting that they tell their teams that
they're unavailable and are prepared to live with the consequences.
They can also remind their members of this eternal NBA verity: If they
don't know that the player who puts in the time during the summer will
be miles ahead of his peers come October, they deserve whatever is
coming to them.
nba.287nba.news,
Don't pick on Patrick
Patrick Ewing's wife, Rita Williams-Ewing, recently gave a revealing
interview to the New York Post where she expressed concern over other
players trash-talking her husband.
Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan are two of the biggest culprits.
"They're good friends, but Scottie will call the house and say things
like, 'I've got two tickets for you to come see us win the
championship,' and Patrick really takes that personally," she said.
"He takes it to heart."
Jordan calls too, but not as often.
"He really gives Patrick a hard time," she said. "He loves to talk
trash -- he's always saying stuff."
Williams-Ewing, who has a law degree from Georgetown, saw how much
pain not winning an NBA title caused her husband, especially this
year.
"After the season, I see Patrick limping around the house with his
ankle swollen and his knee taped, and I wonder why he would ever play
if he is hurt," she said of her 35-year-old husband.
"I mean, it would be one thing if he had something to show for it, but
he has nothing."
Pssst ...
The wives of New York Knick Patrick Ewing and Vancouver Grizzlie Greg
Anthony have written a book, "Seasonal Tides," due out in 1998. Rita
Williams-Ewing and Crystal Anthony take a fictional, behind-the-scenes
look at the NBA lifestyle. "When everyone believes things are one way
and you know they're another, you are driven to tell your story,"
Williams-Ewing said.
nba.288nba.news,
Mills signs two-year contract with Heat
MIAMI (Aug 20, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Free agent Terry Mills signed a
two-year deal Wednesday with the Miami Heat, giving coach Pat Riley
more depth and scoring punch in the front court.
Mills will make $1 million and $1.15 million the following year. The
Heat, who are above the NBA salary cap, used their entire
league-allotted $1 million exemption to sign the 6-10 forward, who
spent the past five seasons with the Detroit Pistons.
Mills sought a six-year contract from Detroit with a $3 million salary
the first season. He settled for much less -- and less than the
Pistons offered -- according to his agent, Harold MacDonald.
In Detroit, "Terry would be playing for a team that he knew didn't
respect him," MacDonald said. "Miami is an ideal situation. Pat Riley
has done an excellent job putting together a core of players where
they can make a run for five or six years at the ring."
Mills, 29, would like to remain with the Heat even after his new
contract expires, MacDonald said.
"Terry can play six or eight years," the agent said. "Sooner or later
the money will be there."
Mills has averaged 12.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during his
seven-year career. Last season he averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds
and 25 minutes in 79 games. He shot a career-best 42 percent from
3-point range, 10th-best in the NBA.
The Heat acquired backup center Duane Causwell earlier this month.
Causwell and Mills join a front court that already includes Alonzo
Mourning, Jamal Mashburn, P.J. Brown, Ike Austin and Keith Askins.
"Terry's long-range shooting and ability to post up really expand our
front-line versatility," Riley said. "Due to injuries last year, we
found ourselves with a depleted front line at times. Now, with the
addition of Terry and Duane Causwell, we've added veteran depth and
versatility."
Miami has yet to address its other offseason need -- a backup for
point guard Tim Hardaway.
nba.289nba.news,
Terry Mills career stats
(Aug 20, 1997 - 19:10 EDT) -- The career statistics of Terry Mills,
who signed a two-year contract with the Miami Heat on Wednesday:
Year Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts
1990-91 Den-NJ 55 .465 .712 4.2 0.6 5.7
1991-92 NJ 82 .463 .750 5.5 1.0 9.0
1992-93 Det 81 .461 .791 5.8 1.4 14.8
1993-94 Det 80 .511 .797 8.4 1.5 17.3
1994-95 Det 72 .447 .799 7.8 2.2 15.5
1995-96 Det 82 .419 .770 4.3 1.2 9.4
1996-97 Det 79 .444 .829 4.8 1.3 10.8
Totals 531 .462 .783 5.9 1.4 12.0
Playoffs
Year Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts
1991-92 NJ 4 .370 .636 6.0 2.0 6.8
1995-96 Det 3 .250 .833 1.7 1.3 5.3
1996-97 Det 5 .436 .500 7.0 1.4 11.8
Totals 12 .382 .667 5.3 1.6 8.5
nba.290nba.news,
Daniels signs with Grizzlies
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Aug 20, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Vancouver
Grizzlies general manager Stu Jackson was just glad he got to make the
announcement this time.
The Grizzlies signed first-round draft pick Antonio Daniels to a
three-year contract, about two weeks after the point guard for Bowling
Green let the signing slip out in a television interview.
"This is a special day for me," Jackson said. "Because any time that
we have an announcement regarding Antonio, and I get to make it, is a
happy day."
Daniels, the fourth player taken in last June's NBA college draft, has
twice accidentally given away Grizzlies secrets.
Upon being drafted, the 22-year-old let out that the Grizzlies had
hired Brian Hill as their new coach.
Daniels caused a stir when he prematurely announced to an Ohio
television station that he had agreed to a contract with Vancouver.
Those comments led the NBA to rule that the parties had consummated a
deal, at which time the league automatically counted Daniels' 20
percent bonus against the Grizzlies' salary cap.
Daniels proved to be correct on both points, as his new three-year
deal will pay him the $1.7 million rookie base plus the maximum 20
percent bonus of $340,000 for his first season.
But all fun aside, Jackson hopes that Daniels will now do his talking
on the court.
"If (Daniels) develops and grows the way we think he can, we'll
improve significantly," said Jackson, whose Grizzlies are coming off a
league-worst 14-68 campaign.
Daniels, last season's Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, is
touted as the Grizzlies point guard of the future. Last year, he
finished with a 54.7 shooting percentage and averaged 24 points a
game.
Daniels said he's ready for the challenge, as he is expected to vie
for the Grizzlies' starting job with returning veteran Lee Mayberry.
"I would love to be thrown to the wolves, so to speak, and take my
bumps and bruises as they come," said Daniels, who was accompanied by
his mother Alice. "Things are going to happen, you're going to make
mistakes, but I'm mentally strong enough to understand that."
nba.291nba.news,
NBA First-Round Draft Pick Signing Status
The following is the signing status of first-round picks in the
1997 NBA draft. All contracts are three years and guaranteed.
The dollar amounts represent the maximum under the rookie salary
scale:
1. San Antonio -- Tim Duncan, c, Wake Forest
(signed -- 3 years, $10.239 million)
2. Philadelphia -- Keith Van Horn, f, Utah
(traded to New Jersey)
(signed -- 3 years, $9.161 million)
3. Boston -- Chauncey Billups, g, Colorado
(unsigned -- 3 years, $8.227 million)
4. Vancouver -- Antonio Daniels, g, Bowling Green
(signed -- 3 years, $7.417 million)
5. Denver -- Tony Battie, f-c, Texas Tech
(signed -- 3 years, $6.717 million)
6. Boston (from Dallas) -- Ron Mercer, f, Kentucky
(unsigned -- 3 years, $6.101 million)
7. New Jersey -- Tim Thomas, f, Villanova
(traded to Philadelphia)
(signed -- 3 years, $5.569 million)
8. Golden State -- Adonal Foyle, f-c, Colgate
(signed -- 3 years, $5.102 million)
9. Toronto -- Tracy McGrady, f, Mt. Zion Academy (HS)
(unsigned -- 3 years, $4.690 million)
10. Milwaukee -- Danny Fortson, f, Cincinnati
(traded to Denver)
(signed -- 3 years, $4.455 million)
11. Sacramento -- Olivier St. Jean, f, San Jose State
(signed -- 3 years, $4.233 million)
12. Indiana -- Austin Croshere, f, Providence
(signed -- 3 years, $4.021 million)
13. Cleveland -- Derek Anderson, g, Kentucky
(signed -- 3 years, $3.820 million)
14. Los Angeles Clippers -- Maurice Taylor, f, Michigan
(signed -- 3 years, $3.629 million)
15. Dallas (from Minnesota) -- Kelvin Cato, c, Iowa State
(unsigned -- 3 years, $3.447 million)
16. Cleveland (from Phoenix) -- Brevin Knight, g, Stanford
(signed -- 3 years, $3.275 million)
17. Orlando -- Johnny Taylor, f, Chattanooga
(signed -- 3 years, $3.111 million)
18. Portland -- Chris Anstey, c, East Melbourne Magic (Australia)
(unsigned -- 3 years, $2.956 million)
19. Detroit -- Scot Pollard, f, Kansas
(unsigned -- 3 years, $2.823 million)
20. Minnesota (from Charlotte via Portland) -- Paul Grant, c, Wisconsin
(unsigned -- 3 years, $2.710 million)
21. New Jersey (from LA Lakers) -- Anthony Parker, g, Bradley
(traded to Philadelphia)
(signed -- 3 years, $2.601 million)
22. Atlanta -- Ed Gray, g, California
(signed -- 3 years, $2.497 million)
23. Seattle -- Bobby Jackson, g, Minnesota
(traded to Denver)
(signed -- 3 years, $2.397 million)
24. Houston -- Rodrick Rhodes, f, Southern California
(signed -- 3 years, $2.301 million)
25. New York -- John Thomas, f, Minnesota
(signed -- 3 years, $2.210 million)
26. Miami -- Charles Smith, g, New Mexico
(unsigned -- 3 years, $2.136 million)
27. Utah -- Jacque Vaughn, g, Kansas
(signed -- 3 years, $2.075 million)
28. Chicago -- Keith Booth, f, Maryland
(unsigned -- 3 years, $2.062 million)
nba.292nba.news,
Blazers' Trent accused of fourth-degree assault
PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug 20, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Gary Trent of the Portland
Trail Blazers has been charged with fourth-degree assault for a
scuffle with an acquaintance who accidentally set off a burglar alarm
at the NBA player's home.
Trent is to be arraigned on the misdemeanor charge Thursday, his
attorney Robert Weaver said Wednesday. Trent does not have to attend
the arraignment but intends to enter an innocent plea, Weaver said.
Trent allegedly punched and choked Theron L. Hall, 31, on July 24
outside the Center for Self Enhancement, where Hall works as a
counselor.
Hall told police Trent was angry at him for tripping Trent's home
security system, which resulted in a $500 fine for a false alarm.
Trent, 22, who has played two seasons in the NBA, both with the Trail
Blazers, has had several scrapes with the law this year.
In March, Trent was placed on probation for one year for harassing his
pregnant girlfriend during a Jan. 7 domestic dispute. Roxanne Holt,
20, said Trent hit her in the face and kicked her in the ribs. She
since has moved to Columbus, Ohio.
Three days after his March court appearance, Trent was involved in a
fight at the Metropolis Restaurant and Bar in downtown Portland. He
allegedly hit a man over the head with a pool cue.
Witnesses, however, said the man was needling Trent and threw a drink
in Trent's face before the blow was struck. A grand jury declined to
indict Trent.
Trent spent a few hours in the Clackamas County Jail in January for
failure to pay or respond to repeated false alarms at his home. He
eventually was fined $2,650 -- $650 for 10 false alarms and $2,000 for
a contempt-of-court charge for failing to pay the false-alarm
citations.
nba.293gligo,
-> #287, nba.news> "They're good friends, but Scottie will call the house and say
> things like, 'I've got two tickets for you to come see us win
> the championship,' and Patrick really takes that personally,"
> she said. "He takes it to heart."
Uuuu, al' ovaj Scottie ume da zavuche... :)
nba.294nba.news,
Celtics deal Williams to Nuggets for two second-round picks
DENVER (Aug 21, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- The Denver Nuggets acquired small
forward Eric Williams from the Celtics on Thursday for two
second-round draft choices, a move that apparently signaled Boston's
intention to sign a veteran free agent.
Williams started 67 games for the Celtics last year and averaged 15
points and 4.6 rebounds.
"We're extremely pleased to obtain such an outstanding young player,"
Denver coach Allan Bristow said. "Eric is very athletic and gives us
an offensive life as well as an aggressive defender."
Williams will make about $1.8 million next season in the final year of
his three-year contract. The Celtics can now use that money to sign a
free agent.
The Celtics, under new coach Rick Pitino, have renounced their rights
to or traded away 11 players from last season's final roster. Included
are former starters Williams, David Wesley (signed as a free agent
with Charlotte), Dino Radja (signed in Europe) and Rick Fox
(renounced). Only five of last season's players remain.
Williams, 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, was the 14th overall pick of the
1995 draft out of Providence. He scored at least 20 points 17 times
last season when the Celtics posted a franchise-worst 15-67 record.
When he signed with the team in 1995, Williams was considered a
cornerstone in the Celtics rebuilding program. However, his arrival
coincided with the team's decline as they recorded some of the worst
seasons of their history.
Medical woes sidelined the Newark, N.J., native twice last season
after dizzy spells. Each time doctors found he was OK to play and he
returned to the lineup.
In February, he missed three games and underwent testing after
becoming dizzy during practice.
That followed an October spell when he was tested for a possible heart
ailment after a routine team physical showed a cardiac abnormality.
The team said later that a bad case of the flu caused the test to
indicate a possible heart problem.
The situation brought back memories of Reggie Lewis, the team captain
who died in 1993 after collapsing while shooting baskets at Brandeis.
Three months earlier, Lewis collapsed during a playoff game at Boston
Garden.
WIlliams has also missed 18 games as a rookie, including the last
five, after knee surgery.
As part of coach Rick Pitino's rebuilding efforts, Boston signed free
agents Travis Knight, Andrew DeClercq, Tony Massenburg and Bruce Bowen
last month.
Those acquisitions just about tapped the Celtics funds. Pitino said he
expected to add a player or two to the team before camp, but he did no
hint at trading any of the team's nucleus of young talent.
Boston will receive the Nuggets' second-round draft choices in 1999
(formerly Orlando's pick) and 2001.
nba.295nba.news,
Sonics re-sign swingman Wingate to one-year deal
SEATTLE -- The Seattle SuperSonics re-signed swingman David Wingate,
who had the best playoff game of his 11-year career last season, to a
one-year contract today, the team announced. Financial terms were not
disclosed.
The 33-year-old Wingate is entering his third season with the
SuperSonics. A solid defensive player, he averaged 3.6 points and 1.2
assists in 65 games last season.
In the pivotal Game Five of the first round of the postseason against
the Phoenix Suns, Wingate scored a playoff career-high 19 points in a
116-92 victory.
"David Wingate has been a significant contributor to the Sonics'
success over the past two seasons," Sonics general manager Wally
Walker said. "His energy and tenacity help us on the court and his
spirit and selflessness help us everywhere. We are happy he's back
with us for the 1997-98 season."
A member of Georgetown's 1984 NCAA championship team, Wingate
initially was a 1986 second-round choice of the Philadelphia 76ers. He
also has played for the San Antonio Spurs, Washington Bullets and
Charlotte Hornets.
nba.296nba.news,
Blazers' Trent pleads innocent to fourth-degree assault
PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug 21, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Gary Trent of the Portland
Trail Blazers pleaded innocent Thursday to fourth-degree assault, a
charge stemming from a scuffle with an acquaintance who accidentally
set off a burglar alarm at the NBA player's home.
No trial date was set. Trent was not required to attend his
arraignment on the misdemeanor charge. His attorney, Robert Weaver,
entered the plea.
Trent allegedly punched and choked Theron L. Hall, 31, on July 24
outside the Center for Self Enhancement, where Hall works as a
counselor.
"Gary Trent is very disappointed and upset that this matter happened.
He has expressed his regrets and apologies to Mr. Hall," Weaver said.
Hall told police Trent was angry at him for tripping Trent's home
security system, which resulted in a $500 fine for a false alarm.
Trent has had several scrapes with the law this year.
In March, Trent was placed on probation for one year for harassing his
pregnant girlfriend during a Jan. 7 domestic dispute. Roxanne Holt,
20, said Trent hit her in the face and kicked her in the ribs.
Three days after his March court appearance, Trent was involved in a
fight at the Metropolis Restaurant and Bar in downtown Portland. He
allegedly hit a man over the head with a pool cue.
Witnesses, however, said the man was needling Trent and threw a drink
in his face before the blow was struck. A grand jury declined to
indict Trent.
Trent spent a few hours in the Clackamas County Jail in January for
failure to pay or respond to repeated false alarms at his home. He
eventually was fined $2,650 -- $650 for 10 false alarms and $2,000 for
a contempt-of-court charge for failing to pay the false-alarm
citations.
nba.297nba.news,
Rider pleads no contest to misdemeanor
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Trail Blazers guard Isaiah Rider pleaded no
contest in a California court to a misdemeanor charge of possessing
four illegal cellular phones.
Rider was placed on 18 months probation, ordered to serve 100 hours of
community service and told to pay up to $3,500 in restitution.
The case was settled in Alameda County, Calif., Wednesday in a plea
agreement 14 months after police stopped Rider's car for illegally
tinted windows. The officer also cited Rider for possession of
marijuana, but the Alameda County district attorney's staff prosecuted
him only on the cellular phone charge.
Rider will do basketball-related work next month at the Boys & Girls
Club of Alameda and the Oakland Police League, and possibly with
Encinal High School, his former school.
nba.298nba.news,
Mavs talking to officials about new arena
DALLAS (Aug 21, 1997 - 12:40 EDT) -- The Dallas Mavericks have talked
to officials in suburban Grand Prairie about building an arena for the
NBA team.
Tom Luce, the team's negotiator, said Wednesday that the talks come
after 14 months of unfruitful talks with Dallas officials.
Earlier, team officials said they were going to work exclusively with
Dallas about a new arena to replace Reunion Arena.
Luce said the Mavericks have not ruled out Dallas as the site of their
future home.
"We'd love to work something out with the city of Dallas tomorrow or
the next day or November," Luce said. "It is not a pressure tactic.
... This thing can't drag on forever."
Reunion Arena also is home to the Dallas Stars of the NHL. Owner Tom
Hicks said he's not frustrated and not ready to talk to any suburbs
about a new facility.
"We think what's best for everyone is that the arena gets built in
Dallas. Until somebody pulls the plug on that idea, that's the
direction we intend to go," Hicks said.
Reunion Arena seats about 17,000, but contains no luxury sky boxes,
something that Hicks and Mavericks owner Ross Perot Jr. say they would
like.
For awhile, the Mavericks and Stars worked together in their quest for
a new arena, but parted ways earlier in the year.
Dallas City Manager John Ware and Mayor Ron Kirk dismissed suggestions
that a move by the Mavericks would hurt their chances to land a
project that could be worth $1 billion.
"It's not a setback unless they go cut a deal with somebody else. I
have always assumed other cities have been making proposals and that
the teams have looked at them," Kirk said. "The only difference is now
they're being honest about it."
Grand Prairie Mayor Charles England said that he and his city manager
had lunch Wednesday with Luce and Mavericks minority owner Frank
Zaccanelli.
Luce informed Ware in an Aug. 13 letter of the Mavericks' intentions
to look elsewhere in the Dallas area. Although Luce declined to name
the cities, Arlington and Irving have long been the chief contenders.
Arlington is the home of baseball's Texas Rangers, and the Dallas
Cowboys play in Texas Stadium, located in Irving.
Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie, a major horse racing facility that
opened in April, is about five miles west of the Dallas city limits.
The Mavericks asked the city six months ago to pay half the cost of a
$220 million arena, in return for a commitment to build a large
development with offices, shops and apartments that Perot said could
revitalize downtown Dallas.
The Stars asked the city for a $70 million interest-free loan to help
finance a $378 million project.
nba.299nba.news,
Pistons take gamble by signing Williams
Brian Williams took his gamble a year ago when he refused to be
low-balled in his free-agent negotiations by the Los Angeles Clippers.
His payoff was a championship ring from the Chicago Bulls and a measly
few thousand dollars for playing out the final nine games of the
regular season.
Now the gamble belongs to the Detroit Pistons, who shelled out $44.8
million over seven seasons for a player who has yet to prove he can be
an everyday center for a winning team.
For a team stuck in the shadow of the Bulls, it was a desperate move.
At times in his career, Williams has been disinterested (with the
Magic) and disenchanted (with the Clippers). When the dollars were
bountiful on the free-agent market, few teams last year were willing
to commit to such a contract length for a player with such an erratic
history.
In adding Williams, Pistons coach Doug Collins said, "He's one of the
top 10 centers in the league."
That statement, of course, is not that much of a reach, considering
the paucity of talent in the middle in today's NBA. For now, we'll go
with a Top Nine (in no particular order) of:
1. Shaquille O'Neal
2. Hakeem Olajuwon
3. Patrick Ewing
4. David Robinson
5. Alonzo Mourning
6. Dikembe Mutombo
7. Tim Duncan
8. Vlade Divac
9. Rik Smits
We'll leave it to the likes of Collins and other pundits to determine
where Williams fits in among the grouping of Bryant Reeves, Shawn
Bradley, Rony Seikaly and Arvydas Sabonis.
When computing your own Top 10, consider that Williams is averaging
9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds over his well-traveled career and never
has averaged more than the 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds he did with
the Clippers in '95-96.
While Williams helped the Bulls cement a second consecutive title, he
has yet to show if he can withstand 82 games of wear on a right knee
that required surgery last September.
The bottom line is Williams now holds a Pistons contract with a
greater yearly average ($6.4 million) than that of franchise
cornerstone Grant Hill ($45 million over nine years).
Only a year ago, Williams contended he was worth $100.8 million over
seven years. The Clippers put his value at $16.8 over four. The Sonics
were willing to part with the $33 million over seven seasons that they
eventually (and regrettably) bestowed upon Jim McIlvaine.
Still, Williams did eventually command a greater average than several
power players who were free agents a year ago, including Indiana's
Dale Davis (a $6 million average), Indiana's Antonio Davis (a $5.6
million average) and former Pistons power forward Otis Thorpe (a $6
million average).
Those players, however, already were receiving their millions last
season, while Williams was playing out the final nine games for the
Bulls for about $27,000.
"The Pistons' future is very bright and I wanted to be a part of
that," Williams said.
Yet beyond Hill, who are the Pistons and what really is the future?
Once Joe Dumars retires, which could come at the end of his current
one-year deal, there will be little of substance. Of course for
Collins, the risk is minimal, with the new escape clauses in his
contract that allows him to depart with minimal advance notice.
Williams, too, has an out -- an option to escape the contract after
three seasons.
That's why this contract well might put Detroit in first place ...
when it comes to riskiest move of this off-season.
Happy to be playing hoops
At midseason, Erick Strickland was a pro basketball player looking for
work, wondering if he had made the best decision when he turned his
back on a baseball career in the Florida Marlins' organization.
Today, Strickland has to be feeling nearly as fortunate as Brian
Williams.
After playing for last season's rookie minimum of $220,000 -- and not
even getting all of that after he was released at midseason and later
resigned by Dallas -- Strickland completed one of the NBA's true
rags-to-riches stories when he signed a six-year free-agent contract
with the Mavericks worth $14.4 million.
Among Mavericks under contract, only Shawn Bradley, A.C. Green and
Robert Pack will earn more next season than the $1.6 million
Strickland will receive. It is quite a height for a player buried on
the Mavericks roster at the start of last season behind the likes of
Jason Kidd, Jamal Mashburn and Jimmy Jackson.
If ever there was a case of being the right player in the right place
at the right time, Strickland was just that for the Mavericks. With
the midseason trade of Sam Cassell, the continued injury problems and
then European departure of Sasha Danilovic, Strickland quickly turned
himself into a hot property.
The Heat, Rockets and Nuggets all were known to be interested in
Strickland.
"I get choked up when I sit down and think about it, how much I went
through," he said.
And it gets even better for Strickland -- with an escape clause after
the fourth season. Not bad for a player with 28 games of NBA
experience.
"He was priority No. 1 this off-season," general manager Don Nelson
said.
Addition by subtraction?
Bobby Phills' days with the Cavaliers were numbered as soon as
Cleveland selected Kentucky's Derek Anderson with the 13th pick in the
June draft.
From the outset of Phills' free agency, the Cavaliers' staff was
dubious about a significant free-agent outlay for a scoring guard who
didn't score. While losing a player without compensation rarely
advances a franchise, this could be the definitive signal of a mandate
to newly re-signed Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello to perk up the
offense for one of the NBA's most dreary attacks.
nba.300nba.news,
Celtics' spree brings Mills, Edney to Boston
BOSTON -- When Boston traded Eric Williams to the Denver Nuggets on
Thursday, the Celtics supposedly were freeing up money to sign another
free agent.
Not true. They signed two: swingman Chris Mills and point guard Tyus
Edney.
Terms were not disclosed Friday, although Celtics general manager
Chris Wallace indicated Mills received a multiyear deal. Wallace also
said the signings would not have been possible without last week's
league-wide salary-cap increase.
Pointing in a new direction
Boston has lost five of its top six scorers from 1996-97. Some of the
newcomers have to fill the void:
Leaving town Ppg Min. New arrivals Ppg Min.
David Wesley 16.8 40.4 Chris Mills 13.4 39.6
Rick Fox 15.5 34.9 Tyus Edney 6.9 19.7
Eric Williams 15.0 33.8 Travis Knight 4.8 16.3
Todd Day 14.5 28.1 Chauncey Billups 19.1* ---
Dino Radja 14.0 35.0 Ron Mercer 18.1* ---
*Average in college last season
New Celtics president and coach Rick Pitino continues to put his stamp
on the franchise. Of the 13 free agents who have changed teams this
off-season, the Celtics have signed five of them -- Mills, Edney,
Travis Knight, Andrew DeClercq and Tony Massenburg.
Wallace said the Celtics have 13 players under guaranteed contracts.
Outside of a trade, the team probably is finished maneuvering
personnel for the upcoming season.
"Right now we don't have great (salary cap) flexibility for the next
two years," he said. "We've added some players earlier than expected,
but we're happy with what we have."
The 6-foot-6 Mills spent his first four NBA seasons with the Cleveland
Cavaliers. He averaged 13.4 points and 6.2 rebounds in 80 games last
season, playing most of his minutes at small forward.
"Chris Mills is exactly what we are looking for on this team," Pitino
said. "Chris has outstanding credentials both offensively and
defensively."
Mills, 27, shot 84 percent from the foul line, 39 percent from 3-point
range and was part of the league's best defensive team.
Summer facelift
After finishing 15-67 last season, Boston has undergone a thorough
makeover this summer; (1996-97 roster includes players who ended the
season on the injured list):
1996-97 roster Current roster
Dana Barros Dana Barros
Frank Brickowski Chauncey Billups
Dee Brown Bruce Bowen
Marty Conlon Dee Brown
Todd Day Andrew DeClercq
Nate Driggers Tyus Edney
Pervis Ellison Pervis Ellison
Rick Fox Travis Knight
Steve Hamer Tony Massenburg
Michael Hawkins Ron Mercer
Alton Lister Chris Mills
Greg Minor Greg Minor
Dino Radja Ben Pepper
Brett Szabo Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
David Wesley
Eric Williams
"Chris Mills provides a more accurate outside shooting presence than
Eric Williams," Wallace said. "He also statistically is a better
rebounder. We also are impressed with his defense and durability."
The 6-8 Williams, 25, averaged 15 points and 4.6 rebounds last season.
A 1993 first-round pick, Mills' best season was 1995-96, when he
averaged 15.1 points and 5.5 rebounds. He has missed just nine games
in his career.
The 5-10 Edney was a 1995 second-round pick of the Sacramento Kings
and won the starting point guard slot out of training camp as a
rookie. He averaged 10.8 points, 6.1 assists and 31 minutes in 80
games as Sacramento made the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
"Tyus gives us a perfect speed guard for our style of play," Pitino
said.
"He is someone who's had starting experience on a playoff team, which
is comforting for us because we have a rookie point guard in Chauncey
Billups," Wallace said. "He's tremendous at pushing the ball on the
fast break. Other players love to play with him because he's so
unselfish."
Edney, 24, slumped to 6.9 points, 3.2 assists and 19.7 minutes in 70
games last season while backing up Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.
nba.301nba.news,
Chambers is back: Tommy Gun's a Sun
PHOENIX -- Four-time All-Star Tom Chambers is trying another NBA
comeback, this time in a city where he enjoyed his greatest success.
The Phoenix Suns announced signing Chambers, 38, and free-agent center
William Cunningham to one-year contracts Friday. No terms were
disclosed.
Chambers first signed with Phoenix on July 5, 1988, as the first
unrestricted free agent in NBA history. He scored a franchise-record
60 points against Seattle in 1990, averaged 29.6 points per game in
five seasons with Phoenix and made three consecutive All-Star
appearances.
He left the NBA in 1995 after two seasons with the Utah Jazz, spent a
season in Israel and then signed in January with the Charlotte
Hornets. He averaged only 1.6 points and 6.9 minutes in 12 games
before being waived in April upon Anthony Mason's return from the
injured list.
Cunningham, a 6-foot-11, 250-pound Temple product who signed a
make-good contract with the Suns, saw action in the Rocky Mountain
Revue summer league in Salt Lake City.
Suns general manager Bryan Colangelo said that signing Chambers grew
out of recent talks between Chambers and Suns coach Danny Ainge. They
were teammates in 1992-93 when the Suns were one of the NBA's
highest-scoring teams.
"Tom expressed that he was dissatisfied with his experience in
Charlotte last season and has worked very hard at making this return
to the game a successful one," Colangelo said.
Chambers ranks sixth in Suns history with 7,817 points and is sixth in
playoff scoring with 1,018. He set a franchise record with 2,201
points -- 27.2 per game -- during the 1989-90 season.
His 15-year career includes stops in San Diego, Seattle and Utah.
Ainge played the final three seasons of his 14-year NBA career with
Phoenix before retiring as a player in 1995. He took over as coach
from Cotton Fitzsimmons last season after the Suns' 0-13 start and led
the team into the playoffs.
nba.302nba.news,
Anderson set to leave Orlando
ORLANDO -- Nick Anderson told the Tampa Tribune that his days with the
Orlando Magic are numbered, claiming that an Eastern Conference team
is offering him a contract.
Anderson declined to name the team.
"From what I'm looking at, this could be my last day (with the
Magic)," Anderson told the newspaper on Thursday. "It's like they want
me to go out and prove myself all over again. I don't have to prove
myself to anyone."
Magic sources say the team's latest offer to the free agent is $16
million over four years. But sources close to Anderson say the
guaranteed money is closer to $10 million and the deal is loaded with
incentives.
"I don't need incentives to go out and play hard every night,"
Anderson said. "I already do that."
Anderson has played eight seasons in Orlando. He was the starting
shooting guard in seven of those.
nba.303nba.news,
The bears and bulls of this summer's market
The free-agent market marks the completion of its second month next
week, and what have we learned?
Just this: It hasn't exactly been the unnoticeable blip on the
league's salary structure that we all anticipated. But it hasn't been
the percussion grenade that went off last summer, either.
Still, an old NBA verity has held true: It takes only one team to fall
in love with a player and subsequently overpay him. The result is a
pay scale that has maintained a slow but discernible ascent to levels
that make franchise owners very, very anxious. Its effect on the
players themselves is equally disconcerting, particularly those left
out of this summer's narrowing circle of opportunity.
Players such as these feel like rhinos in a petting zoo -- restless
young men who strive to reach that rarefied financial atmosphere where
superstars reside yet are left to settle for far less than the
established market value.
Thirty-four free agents have signed with their own teams, and 15
others have found employment on another. And numerous others have been
left to wonder whether the market has closed.
Here's what the free-agent summer of '97 has yielded so far:
The winners
Bobby Phills. He's not the scorer you want at his position, but the
Hornets thought him worthy of $32.4 million over seven years. We can
envision him being a success in Charlotte -- as soon as we vanquish
our recurring mental image of John Starks ripping him apart each time
they meet.
James Robinson. Below-average player, better-than-average contract
(five years, $10 million). It figures the Clippers were the ones to
make this deal. He still has to beat out Darrick Martin for the
starting job, but coach Bill Fitch maintains, "He is ready to bloom."
Actually, Robinson wasn't even ready to outplay Terry Porter for
ninth-man duty in Minnesota.
Erick Strickland. Six months ago, he was unemployed. Just 28 games
later, he has a six-year, $14.4 million contract with the Mavericks.
Never doubt that America is the land of opportunity.
Rik Smits, Vlade Divac. They are not to become free agents until next
summer. But in the aftermath of Bryant Reeves' six-year, $65 million
deal, listen closely and you can hear these two laughing their heads
off.
Anybody named Williams. A year after being shut out of the picture,
Brian Williams got $45 million from Detroit; a year after mistakenly
opting out and playing for the minimum, Walt Williams got $25 million
from Toronto; and despite getting multiyear offers elsewhere, Hot Rod
Williams settled for a one-year, $3.5 million deal from Phoenix, with
the understanding (wink-wink) that he would be rewarded next summer
for his patience.
The losers
Terry Mills. The Pistons offered him a choice: one year at $3 million,
or three years at $8.2 million. He settled for two years at a total of
$2.2 from Miami. OK, it was a pride/principle thing. He's 30, he's
coming off his best year and he expected more from the Pistons. His
only miscalculation was a failure to recognize that he is a
one-dimensional player that few wanted to take on. That might have
something to do with his being 20 pounds overweight since his knee
surgery in May.
Nick Anderson. Another good soldier, probably on the downside of his
career, with an outrageously inflated opinion of himself. The Magic
have offered $16 million over four years with another $9 million in
incentives. No word on whether those stat targets include shooting 40
percent from the floor and 45 percent at the line, neither of which he
was able to do last year. He says he deserves Phills-type money.
Doesn't work that way -- not when there's nobody else bidding for your
services.
Howard Eisley. It's hard to criticize a guy who chooses winning over
money, but you wonder whether the Jazz took advantage of him. He could
have done a lot better financially and become a starter had he sought
another address -- with the Nuggets or the Clippers, to name two --
but he chose to remain a 13-minute-per-game reserve on a team that has
the best point guard in the league and a first-round draft pick that
also plays his position. All that, for $4 million over three seasons.
Choosing sides
Chris Mills. Boston cleared out additional cap room by moving Eric
Williams to Denver, so Mills' windfall -- probably in excess of $30
million -- is expected to come from the Celtics. Now it's up to
Cleveland to decide whether it wants to engage Boston in a bidding
war. The losers in this case are the Hawks and Warriors, who had only
their $1 million exception to offer. (Teams over the salary cap have
the option to spend an extra million outside the cap. They can
exercise this option three times in a six-year span-but never in
consecutive years-and can use the money on more than one player.)
Brian Grant. No shortage of suitors here, either. The Kings upped
their offer from $42 million to $48 million, because they know
interest from Portland, Detroit and Cleveland is unlikely to wane.
Rick Fox. The $1 million exception club is lined up at his door --
Lakers, Hawks, Knicks, Sixers -- but the Cavs have no choice but to
pursue him if Mills signs with Boston. Toronto, which has $5 million
in cap space, has not appeared interested.
Chris Dudley. The Pistons have about $3.7 million in cap room to sign
him, so maybe his decision to opt-out was sound after all. But if
Detroit decides to go in another direction -- and at last check it
appeared the team would -- he's going to look as naked as he does on
the foul line.
Clifford Robinson. Outlook: Grim. He might be a good fit in Cleveland
or Detroit -- or back in Portland -- but his market dried up quicker
than anybody's.
Table setting
Jerry Reinsdorf has had better summers. But the Bulls owner, bashed
for everything from the White Sox purge to Scottie Pippen trade
rumors, fought back last week: He faxed a statement to the Chicago
media denying a report that Michael Jordan's $30 million salary last
year was the result of MJ's threat of jumping to the Knicks.
"This claim is blatantly false," he says.
The owner added that it took but one Jordan counteroffer to reach a
deal. It won't be that easy this time, however, because it's only
partially about money: When they begin negotiations in a couple of
weeks, Jordan will want assurances that Pippen won't be moved this
season, something Reinsdorf is not prepared to do.
Sonic blasts
Nate McMillan made some candid remarks about Shawn Kemp in a radio
interview recently, finding some diplomatic terms to depict Kemp as
the petulant teammate that he is.
"The most difficult thing for me to figure out (is), 'How did he get
so angry so quickly?' " he said.
McMillan added that Refrain Man has yet to return any of his
teammates' calls, which only further confuses them. And McMillan
clearly has no sympathy for someone in the midst of a nine-year, $46
million contract.
"I don't really understand what his grudge is against the players and
the organization," McMillan said. "I don't really understand what he's
so mad about if it really is a money issue.
"Shawn has to be just as much to blame as the organization. Shawn
signed it. Whoever is representing him just did a bad job when they
knew the market was going to pass him by."
Bulked-up Bradley?
From the We'll-Believe-It-When-We-See-It Dept.: Folks around Dallas
swear you won't recognize Shawn Bradley this season. He is said to
have gained 30 pounds -- count 'em, 30 -- in his offseason weight
program.
Credit Mavs conditioning expert Chad Lewis with succeeding where the
Nets and Sixers had failed.
nba.304nba.news,
ABA alumni to hold 30-year reunion
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug 22, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- It was the new league with
the funny red, white and blue ball, a revolutionary 3-point shot and
players nobody ever heard of or cared about.
Yet the American Basketball Association lasted nine years, changed the
pro game with its wide-open, flamboyant style and launched the careers
of many future NBA stars.
"I think it's a special thing, but it was a special league," former
Indiana Pacers coach Bob Leonard said Friday at the start of a weekend
reunion celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the founding of the
ABA.
"It was a wonderful era in professional basketball. We challenged the
establishment, and as far as the Indiana Pacers are concerned, we won
the battle, and we won the war because we ended up with an NBA
franchise."
The Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and New York Nets were
the four ABA teams absorbed by the NBA in 1976. But there were others
that came and went throughout the league's brief existence, such teams
as the Anaheim Amigos, Memphis Sounds, Minnesota Muskies, Oakland
Oaks, Pittsburgh Condors, San Diego Conquistadors and Virginia
Squires.
The names of ABA alumni dotted NBA rosters for years after that,
including Julius Erving, Moses Malone, George Gervin, Rick Barry,
Artis Gilmore, Maurice Lucas, David Thompson, Dan Issel and George
McGinnis.
"It gave a lot of players an opportunity they may not have had to play
professional basketball," Leonard said. "And it gave a lot of players
an opportunity to start their careers who later went on to the NBA
after the merger and became great stars. So I think we accomplished a
lot."
The ABA struggled in its early years, dismissed by NBA purists as an
inferior league made up of players who couldn't make it in the older
league. Barry, the NBA rookie of the year in 1966, was the first big
name to defect to the ABA, crossing the bay from San Francisco to
Oakland in 1968. He played four years in the ABA before returning to
Golden State in 1972.
With Leonard as coach, the Pacers dominated the ABA most of its
existence, winning the championship three times with such players as
McGinnis, Mel Daniels, the late Roger Brown, Freddie Lewis, Bill
Keller and Bob Netolicky, one of the organizers of the reunion.
"The NBA had probably the bigger players, maybe more a power-type game
than what the ABA had, but I don't think they had the excitement and
the flamboyant style the ABA had," Keller said.
"I think the 3-point play made it a faster game, a more wide-open
game, more of an opportunity for players to express themselves. I
think about Julius Erving, for example. He was such ... a guy who
could create and do things, to make the game more exciting to watch."
Erving, Barry, Gervin and Issel now are in the Basketball Hall of
Fame. Brown, who died of liver cancer in March, was nominated for the
Hall of Fame last year.
The year after the NBA merger, Thompson was first-team All-NBA and
Erving, McGinnis and Gervin were second-team picks. The next year,
Erving, Gervin and Thompson were on the first team and Lucas was a
second-teamer.
The most valuable players in three of the first four NBA All-Star
games after the merger were from the ABA -- Erving, Thompson and
Gervin.
"We revolutionized basketball ... with the 3-point play," Leonard
said. "They use it in high school now, they use it in college and they
use it in the pro game. It is a major part of the game."
Leonard, who won a record 387 games in the ABA and coached the Pacers
their first four years in the NBA, said the two leagues were about
equal at the time of the merger.
"The ABA lasted nine years. The last two years, I think we could have
competed," said Leonard, now a Pacers radio analyst.
' ... The New York Knicks still refer to the club with Dave
DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier
as the greatest Knick team of all time. It was '73, we won the ABA
championship and they won the NBA championship. They came in in
October, we had an exhibition game at the Fairgrounds Coliseum, and in
the middle to latter stages of the third quarter, we had them down 15.
"I let it speak for itself."