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nba.305 nba.news, 24 Aug 97

Trail Blazers sign Brian Grant to seven-year deal PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug 23, 1997 - 23:40 EDT) -- The Portland Trail Blazers, hoping another set of young, athletic legs will carry them past the first round of the playoffs, signed free agent forward Brian Grant to a seven-year, $63 million contract on Saturday. The Blazers also re-signed center Chris Dudley to a one-year deal. To clear salary-cap room, the Blazers renounced their rights to veteran forward Clifford Robinson and guards Rumeal Robinson, Mitchell Butler and Marcus Brown. Grant, who played only 24 games last season because of a shoulder injury, turned down a seven-year, $48 million deal from the Kings. Grant's contract, which makes him the highest paid player on the team, also includes an opt-out clause after the third year, agent Mark Bartelstein said. The 6-foot-9 Grant was the eighth overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft. His best season was 1995-96 as he averaged 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds while the Kings made the playoffs for the first time since the franchise moved from Kansas City to Sacramento in 1985-86. Grant said he had received a more lucrative offer from another team, but chose Portland because owner Paul Allen and president Bob Whitsitt showed a strong commitment to winning. Grant also likes the potential of the Blazers' younger players. "When you have people like Rasheed Wallace, Kenny Anderson, Arvydas Sabonis, J.R. Rider and young people like Jermaine O'Neal you can grow along with for the next seven or 10 years, you really can't pass up an opportunity like that," Grant said. Dudley averaged 3.9 points and 7.3 rebounds last season and then decided to opt out of the final three years of his contract. There had been speculation in recent days that the Trail Blazers would re-sign Dudley, then trade him to an Eastern Conference team. In renouncing Clifford Robinson, the Blazers lost their last link to the teams that made the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. Robinson, who had spent his entire eight-year NBA career in Portland, averaged 15.1 points and 4.0 rebounds last season -- his lowest numbers in five years. Robinson was seeking $5 million to $6 million a year, but poor performances during the playoffs the past few years dropped his stock. Portland has been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round each of the past five years. Grant said the Blazers should be contenders in the Western Conference despite their lack of experience. "I don't even want to say how good they could be," Grant said. "They're a hungry team and I'm definitely proud to be a part of that." Grant, 25, joins a team that now has only two players over the age of 30 -- Sabonis and Dudley, both 32. New Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy, who had previously met Grant only once -- at the NBA rookie All-Star Game in 1995 when Dunleavy coached the Bucks -- said he and Whitsitt felt Grant was the best free agent available. "He really makes things happen on the basketball court," Dunleavy said. "He'll be an integral part of the Blazers' foundation of young and athletic players for many years to come." Grant could start at small forward for the Blazers, or at power forward beside Wallace, who emerged as a star in his second pro season last year. "That kid's gonna be an All-Star. I definitely want to play alongside him wherever I can," Grant said. Grant averaged 10.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and just over one blocked shot per game last season. During his three years in Sacramento, he averaged 13.4 points and 7.1 rebounds. He averaged 14.7 points and 9.2 boards in four years at Xavier. He's sixth on the Musketeers' career scoring list (1,179) and third in rebounding (1,080). Grant said he considered offers from Detroit and Cleveland, and signed with Portland after much soul-searching about leaving Sacramento. "I can't say anything bad about Sacramento, and I do feel bad about leaving Sacramento," he said. "If Portland has fans as good as Sacramento, that's just going to be the icing on the cake to this deal." Grant said he will move to Portland with his wife, Gina, and their 17-month-old son Elijah in the next few weeks.

nba.306 nba.news, 24 Aug 97

Former ABA players gather for league's 30-year reunion INDIANAPOLIS (Aug 23, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Julius Erving is a busy man. But when it came time to see his old ABA family, he found a way. Like all of the former American Basketball Association players in Indianapolis for the league's 30-year reunion celebration this weekend, Erving was he's glad he did. "Coming back is important," Erving said. "You have the opportunity to turn the clock back a bit to days when things were a little more innocent." Erving, recently named the ABA's all-time most valuable player, has plenty on his agenda after taking a job in the Orlando Magic's front office this summer. But nothing was going to keep him away from the weekend-long event that featured a memorabilia show and autograph session Saturday afternoon before the evening's black-tie reception honoring the all-time ABA team and coach. "I could have been in a lot of different places this week. There's a lot of demand for this time. But I said 'this time's taken. I'm going to be at the ABA reunion,"' said Erving, who played five years in the ABA before finishing his career with the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. In his ABA career, Erving won two championships, three MVP awards and three scoring titles before the league merged with the NBA in 1976. Erving was especially looking forward to seeing his former ABA teammates from the Virginia Squires and New Jersey Nets. But his fondness doesn't stop there. "Everybody I competed against helped me be the type of player that I was and the type of person that I am today," he said. One of those former foes, fellow all-time ABA selection Artis Gilmore, echoed Erving's sentiments. "It's neat having an opportunity to visit and reminisce with a number of guys I haven't had the chance to see in quite some years," said Gilmore, a center who started in the ABA before going on to a solid NBA career. "This is a great concept." Gilmore wouldn't have heard much disagreement from the hundreds of fans who lined up for autographs on the floor of the RCA Dome Saturday. "It's great. And not just seeing the Pacers," said Ed Urban of Indianapolis, a long-time ABA fan who was decked out in Indiana Pacers' gear from head to toe. "I used to consider guys like Artis Gilmore the enemy. But after all these years, I love all the guys. "The whole ABA, for the players and the fans, was like one big happy family." That fact was demonstrated frequently as former players, coaches and even referees caught up with each other with animated conversations between hugs and handshakes. "We had fun. It was like family," long-time ABA referee Joe Bavetta said as he hung his arm around former Pacer Bill Keller. "It was," Keller agreed. "And we've all had so much fun just reminiscing, telling stories and remembering different games and instances. "In some cases," he continued, "we haven't seen these guys in 15 or 20 years. And who knows? It could be the last time we'll be able to get together."

nba.307 nba.news, 25 Aug 97

We'll miss Grant, but not his game (Aug 24, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- For the record, Brian Grant was one of the nicest Kings anyone would ever want to meet. Unfailingly polite, introspective and even thoughtful, he was a cut above the immature tyrants in baggy shorts who hold the majority vote in the NBA. That being said, the Kings and their shrinking company of fans shouldn't mourn Grant's departure to the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite his engaging personality and cool Rastafarian tattoos, Grant was living proof that a soft power forward can't make the difference between 35 and 50 victories. Grant was one of those players who had accomplished pretty much every thing he could in Sacramento. As an enthusiastic rookie, he helped revive the club's stone cold spirit. He was a major factor in the Kings' ability to stumble into the playoffs in 1996. But while the brief postseason burst was treated around here as a feat equal to a second gold strike on the banks of the American River, it meant nothing east of Sparks, west of Fairfield, north of Smartsville and south of Ceres. It was, as they say in Hollywood, a local hit in limited release. And the Kings still don't have legs. The Kings weren't going anywhere with Grant. Nor had they been anywhere with him. The Rastaman's importance was vastly overblown, another example of the Kings seeing the silver lining in a scrap of tissue paper, another case of the ballclub getting pork and beans mixed up with tenderloin. It can't be avoided. The Kings have been down so long they treat any good news as a sign from heaven that their suffering is soon to end. If wishful thinking counted, the Kings would be wearing championship rings forged by answered prayers. Wishful thinking doesn't count, and that's why Grant was irrelevant in Sacramento. In the end, he developed into a younger, more injury-prone version of Otis Thorpe, which is another way of saying Grant became a guy who was nice to have around but who would lead you in small circles. Like Grant, Thorpe spent his formative years playing for the Kings, so the comparison isn't beyond the scope of the club's present management. Both Thorpe and Grant are strong, silent types who take a few shots, grab a few rebounds, make a few turnovers, and generally avoid serious embarrassment. Matched up against Karl Malone or Charles Barkley, Grant and Thorpe are useless -- but what mediocre journeyman isn't? Facing other tomato cans in the low post, Grant and Thorpe hold their own. Fact is, players such as Grant and Thorpe don't make a difference. Their position -- power forward -- is the easiest to fill in the NBA, which is why the Kings always have a roster stuffed with them. On most teams, the power forward is the last guy to touch the ball -- the only guy who never has plays drawn up in his behalf. Power forwards are basic necessities, like bread and water. Ideally, they are rarely seen and never heard. If the league decides to downsize, power forward will be the job that goes. Given this reality, something is very wrong when a power forward seeks to become the highest paid person on the squad. The aforementioned Malone and Barkley are exceptions that prove the point. Grant, unfortunately, is no exception. He's a nice guy who will be lucky to stay healthy for 82 games. Grant put the Kings in a tough position when he became a free agent. He turned down offers of $42 million and $48 million from the Kings, hoping someone richer if not dumber would come along and offer more. The Trail Blazers were just such a team. The Portland franchise is owned by Paul Allen, a bearded grizzly bear who co-founded a company called Microsoft. Allen did OK with Microsoft. He measures his worth in the billions of dollars, and likes to share his fortune with people such as Grant. It's not fair that Paul Allen has all that money to burn. It's not fair that the Kings must rebuild around the dressing stall left empty by a once and former promising young athlete. But the Kings can take consolation in the fact that nothing important changed with Grant's exit. It's not as if they lost Michael Jordan. The Kings were nothing special with Grant. Now they are nothing special without him.

nba.308 nba.news, 26 Aug 97

Suns sign Clifford Robinson for $1 million PHOENIX (Aug 25, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- The Phoenix Suns tried to trade for Clifford Robinson. When NBA free agency began July 1, he was the first player they called. Their courtship of the 6-foot-10 free agent paid off Monday, when Robinson accepted a one-year, $1 million contract -- all the Suns could offer under their salary cap exemption. Robinson, who ranks second in Portland history in block shots (726) and 3-pointers (492) after eight years with the Trail Blazers, said he was influenced by the desire to remain close to his two sons in Portland and by the fact that Suns coach Danny Ainge is a former teammate. "It's not the best situation as far as salary is concerned but, all things considered, next year they'll have a lot of capital and I'll be able, hopefully, to go out there and show what my value is," Robinson said. Robinson was seeking up to $6 million a year, but poor performances during the playoffs the past few years dropped his stock. Portland has been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round each of the past five years, and Robinson's career playoff scoring average is 10.3 points, compared with 16.2 during the season. Agent Bradley Marshall said he discussed his client with teams on both coasts. "Of course, everyone wanted Clifford to come there," Marshall said. The deal is similar to one that brought Danny Manning to the Suns three years ago. Manning turned down better money on the promise that he would be rehired after his initial contract ended and compensated for the one-year loss of income. Even though Manning tore a tendon midway through the 1994-95 season, Suns president Jerry Colangelo kept his word and gave him a multiyear contract worth about $6 million a year. Ainge said he pushed for the acquisition because of Robinson's ability to play any of the three inside positions, as he often did for the Blazers. That ended Saturday, when Portland renounced its rights to Robinson, 30, and three other players to clear cap room to sign Brian Grant and re-sign Chris Dudley. "One thing that stands out in my mind about Cliff is his effort, his intensity, his ability to play a versatile style of basketball," said Ainge, who spent two seasons with the Blazers before he came to the Suns as a free agent in July 1992. Mark Bryant, who played seven of his nine seasons with Portland, also is on the Suns' roster. Robinson was the last link to the Blazers teams that made the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992 and has been in the playoffs every season of his career. The Suns also have made eight straight playoffs. He averaged 15.1 points and 4.0 rebounds last season, his lowest numbers in five years, but still became the fifth Blazer to score over 10,000 career points and finished the season third on the list with 10,045.

nba.311 nba.news, 26 Aug 97

Bulls' Parish retires LOS ANGELES -- Center Robert Parish, whose durability allowed him to hang around long enough to capture one more NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls last season, announced his retirement Monday with the record for most NBA games played. Parish made the announcement on ESPN's "UpClose" interview show. "This is it I'm going to retire," Parrish said. "I wanted to be on another championship team and I got that chance with the Bulls. "I was blessed health-wise and took care of myself. But I won't be back. I'm all done playing basketball." The pivotman in what is widely considered one of the greatest frontcourts in NBA history, Parish departs with 1,611 games played. In 21 seasons -- also a record -- he averaged 14.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. The nine-time All-Star shot 53.7 percent from the field and 72.1 percent from the line. Known as "The Chief," Parish played 14 seasons for the Boston Celtics, who retired his familiar 00 uniform number in April 1994. He teamed with forwards Larry Bird and Kevin McHale to lead the Celtics to NBA titles in 1981, 1984 and 1986. All three were among the 50 Greatest Players selected last year. "He had fears he'd be forced to retire because of injury but he has his health and he's decided to end the playing portion of his career," agent Jim McLaughlin said by telephone from his Boston-area office. "He goes out with a ring for each finger -- three with the Celtics, one with the Bulls and one for being picked as one of the Top 50 NBA players." McLaughlin also said Parish is considering coaching or broadcast commentary as a second basketball career. "He is going to take some time off and see what people offer him." The 7-footer also played for the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets before joining the Bulls last year. His 23,334 points are 13th on the all-time list, while his 14,715 rebounds and 2,361 blocks rank him sixth all-time. His 10,117 defensive boards are an NBA record. Parish, who will turn 44 on Saturday, started his career with the Warriors in 1976-77 -- the year of the NBA-ABA merger -- and became a Celtic in 1980. He was signed as a free agent by the Hornets in 1994. He played in 43 games for the Bulls last season, averaging 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds, and participated in just two playoff games as Chicago rolled to its fifth title in seven years. "If it wasn't for the Bulls signing me," he said, citing their high probability of winning a fifth NBA title. "I would have retired last year." Never the biggest star on the Celtics, Parish instead was a model of consistency. In a seven-year stretch starting in 1980 in which Boston made the NBA Finals five times, Parish averaged between 16.1 and 19.9 points and 9.5 and 10.7 rebounds and was named to the All-Star team in each season. During his prime, Parish had a consistent rainbow jumper and ran the floor as well as any big man in the league. But he was best recognized by his loping walk, with his long arms dangling at his sides, prompting Celtics teammate Cedric Maxwell to dub him "The Chief," after the character Chief Bromden in the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Perhaps Parish's best all-around season came in 1988-89, when he averaged 18.6 points and a career-best 12.5 rebounds per game. As a member of the Hornets, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time games leader on April 6, 1996, at Cleveland, playing in his 1,561st contest. Parish also played 184 playoff games, averaging 15.3 points and 9.6 rebounds. He holds the all-time playoff record with 571 defensive rebounds. The Shreveport, La., native attended Woodlawn High School, the same school as former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw. He played collegiately at Centenary, and was selected eighth overall by the Warriors in the 1976 draft.

nba.309 nba.news, 26 Aug 97

Pistons sign Sealy to bolster backcourt AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Free agent Malik Sealy, who plays guard and small forward, signed Monday with the Detroit Pistons. "He will fit in well with our rotations, giving us the flexibility and versatility we like to have on the perimeter," Pistons coach Doug Collins said. "He has also demonstrated the ability to score in the NBA and we will be looking for that dimension from him." The Pistons did not disclose terms of Sealy's contract. The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday that the one-year deal was worth at least $1 million. "I think this is a great opportunity for me," Sealy said. "This is a winning team whose goals are to keep improving and get to the championship level. I want to be part of it." The Los Angeles Clippers renounced their rights to Sealy earlier this month, saying they had too many guards and needed to boost their front court. Sealy averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 29.5 minutes during his three years 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. Sealy, who played collegiately at St. John's, is the second free agent to join the Pistons. Brian Williams, who played with Chicago last season, also signed with Detroit earlier this month. Joe Dumars and Lindsey Hunter, who were both free agents, re-signed with the team. Terry Mills signed with the Miami Heat last week.

nba.310 nba.news, 26 Aug 97

Snow sticks in Seattle Seattle, WA (TSN) - The Seattle SuperSonics have re-signed free agent point guard Eric Snow to a two-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not released. The 24-year-old Snow averaged 3.0 points and 2.4 assists per contest last season as a backup to All-Star Gary Payton. He was originally drafted in the second-round of the 1995 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. Seattle acquired him in a draft day deal. He will be entering his third season with the Sonics. Snow led Michigan State in assists three consecutive years. He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the year as a senior.

nba.312 nba.news, 26 Aug 97

Robert Parish's career statistics CHICAGO (Aug 25, 1997 - 23:05 EDT) -- The career statistics of Robert Parish, who retired Monday: Regular season Year Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts 1976-77 G.S. 77 .503 .708 543 74 9.1 1977-78 G.S. 82 .472 .625 680 95 12.5 1978-79 G.S. 76 .499 .698 916 115 17.2 1979-80 G.S. 72 .507 .715 783 122 17.0 1980-81 Bost 82 .545 .710 777 144 18.9 1981-82 Bost 80 .542 .710 866 140 19.9 1982-83 Bost 78 .550 .698 827 141 19.3 1983-84 Bost 80 .546 .745 857 139 19.0 1984-85 Bost 79 .542 .743 840 125 17.6 1985-86 Bost 81 .549 .731 770 145 16.1 1986-87 Bost 80 .556 .735 851 173 17.5 1987-88 Bost 74 .589 .734 628 115 14.3 1988-89 Bost 80 .570 .719 996 175 18.6 1989-90 Bost 79 .580 .747 796 103 15.7 1990-91 Bost 81 .598 .767 856 66 14.9 1991-92 Bost 79 .535 .772 705 70 14.1 1992-93 Bost 79 .535 .689 740 61 12.6 1993-94 Bost 74 .491 .740 542 82 11.7 1994-95 Char 81 .427 .703 350 44 4.8 1995-96 Char 74 .498 .704 303 29 3.9 1996-97 Chi 43 .490 .677 89 22 3.7 Totals 1611 .537 .721 14715 2180 14.8 Playoffs Year Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts 1976-77 G.S 10 .481 .654 103 11 12.1 1980-81 Bost 17 .493 .672 146 19 15.0 1981-82 Bost 12 .488 .680 135 18 21.3 1982-83 Bost 7 .483 .850 74 9 14.7 1983-84 Bost 23 .478 .646 248 27 14.9 1984-85 Bost 21 .493 .784 219 31 17.1 1985-86 Bost 18 .471 .652 158 25 15.0 1986-87 Bost 21 .567 .767 198 28 18.0 1987-88 Bost 17 .532 .820 168 21 14.7 1988-89 Bost 3 .455 .778 26 6 15.7 1989-90 Bost 5 .574 .944 50 13 15.8 1990-91 Bost 10 .598 .689 92 6 15.8 1991-92 Bost 10 .495 .714 97 14 12.0 1992-93 Bost 4 .544 .857 38 5 17.0 1994-95 Char 4 .545 .400 9 1 3.5 1996-97 Chi 2 .143 .--- 4 0 1.0 Totals 184 .506 .722 1765 234 15.5

nba.313 nba.news, 26 Aug 97

Magic, Anderson draw nearer on deal ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Orlando Magic and free-agent guard Nick Anderson could reach agreement this week on a six-year contract worth close to $40 million, the Orlando Sentinel reported Monday. The newspaper said that Anderson's attorney and Magic officials were set to meet Monday and possibly Tuesday. "We'd like to bring this issue to closure soon with Nick in a Magic uniform," said Magic president Bob Vander Weide. "And I think he knows that." The Magic's latest offer, presented late Friday, increased the guaranteed portion of the deal to an estimated $20 million for four seasons, the Sentinel reported. To get the rest of the money, Anderson would have to meet performance criteria. Anderson has averaged 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in eight seasons in Orlando. He has shot 45.9 percent from the field and 68.2 percent from the free-throw line. Because of a poor past season and because so many other NBA teams are over the salary cap, Anderson doesn't have a lot of negotiating leverage. Late last week Anderson said he had offers from two Eastern Conference teams, but Magic officials have not been overly concerned about being outbid.

nba.314 nba.news, 26 Aug 97

Dudley, Blazers again accused of circumventing salary cap PORTLAND, Ore. -- Chris Dudley is taking on the NBA again. For the second time in four years, the NBA has accused Dudley and the Portland Trail Blazers of trying to circumvent the league's salary cap. This time, the case involves the Blazers' plan to re-sign Dudley at a low salary, then trade him to the New York Knicks, who couldn't sign him as a free agent this summer because they are over the salary cap. After the trade, the Knicks would then be able to re-sign Dudley after next season at whatever salary they wished, regardless of the salary cap. Several newspapers have reported that the deal also would involve the Toronto Raptors, with the Knicks' John Wallace going to Toronto and the Blazers getting a first-round draft pick. On Monday, Blazers president Bob Whitsitt insisted that no trade was in the works for Dudley. "He's just like all our other players," Whitsitt said. "We have no trades going. We are happy with the roster we have." But the NBA and the players association have scheduled an arbitration hearing on the Dudley case Sept. 2 before systems arbitrator Kenneth Dam. The NBA is contending the proposed trade would circumvent the salary cap by allowing, in effect, the Knicks to acquire a free agent even though they don't have the money to do so. Dudley, the players association and the two teams involved say that Dudley's contract goes with him from Portland to New York, and the Knicks should have the same rights under league rules to re-sign him that the Blazers do. After last season, the Blazers' 6-foot-11 backup center exercised an opt-out clause in his contract, giving up $13 million over the final three years of the deal. Last week, he re-signed with Portland for one year at the league minimum salary of $272,250. His agent, Dan Fegan, did not return a call to his office Monday. Dudley, a Yale graduate and member of the players association executive committee, has fought, and won, a similar battle before. In 1993, he signed a contract with Portland far below what he had been offered by his former team, the New Jersey Nets. The Blazers' deal had a clause that allowed Dudley to opt out of the deal after one year. Portland then could re-sign Dudley at a much higher salary because the Blazers no longer were bound by salary cap restrictions. NBA commissioner David Stern labeled the move a blatant attempt to circumvent the salary cap, and the league fought the move through arbitration and the courts before finally giving up. Dudley ended up doing just what the NBA had warned he would do. He signed a six-year, $24 million contract with Portland in 1994. Dudley's re-signing was quietly announced by the Blazers on Saturday and was overshadowed by Portland's signing of free agent Brian Grant the same day.

nba.315 nba.news, 26 Aug 97

Trail Blazers don't see risk in Grant PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug 26, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Portland Trail Blazers president Bob Whitsitt scoffs at suggestions that he took a huge gamble in signing free agent Brian Grant to a big contract. Grant signed a deal Saturday that, sources say, is worth $63 million over seven years. Signing a largely unproven young player for that kind of money could leave the Blazers stuck if he doesn't live up to expectations. After all, Grant's best season was his rookie year, three years ago, and last season he played in just 24 games because of a arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Not to worry, Whitsitt said Monday. "He's the premier free agent on the market, a 25-year-old player who already is ready to do a lot of positive things, and a player we think will continue to improve," Whitsitt said. "He is a guy who really wanted to be in Portland, and a quality guy, a first-class person. "If that's a gamble, these are the gambles we want to take every single day." Whitsitt wouldn't talk about specifics of the deal, but he said the Blazers did not exceed Grant's market value. "I know there was even more money available from other teams than what he signed for with us," Whitsitt said. "That's a good sign. He's not trying to bleed us for the last dollar." Grant's agent said Cleveland came up with a late offer that exceeded Portland's, but Grant wanted to play for the Blazers. Grant is listed at 6-feet-9, although some scouts say he's shorter than that. He has played mostly at power forward, but that spot is reserved for Rasheed Wallace in Portland. The Blazers figure Grant can play small forward against most teams. Grant and Wallace "are two of the best running front-court guys in the game and running together, they should be quite a tandem," Whitsitt said. Whitsitt said Grant gives the Blazers yet another option in what has become a roster crowded with front-court players. "I don't think we have to label the forwards," Whitsitt said. "If you just take the forwards on our team, whether it's Rasheed, Brian Grant, Jermaine O'Neal, Gary Trent, Dontonio Wingfield or Stacey Augmon, there are a whole bunch of ways you can match up." "The more strengths we have on the floor, the harder it will be for visiting teams to take anything away from us," Whitsitt said. "I think we're very, very strong in the front court. If that's the problem -- that we have too many good players in the front court -- that's something we can sort out down the road." Trent, who has had several brushes with the law this year, could be trade material. His contract is up after one more year. Wingfield also could be trading material. But the biggest question mark surrounds backup center Chris Dudley. The Yale graduate's decision to opt out of the final three years, and $13 million, of his contract with Portland seems hard to understand. Now he's re-signed with the Blazers for the league minimum of $272,250. While Whitsitt denies any trade is in the works, an arbitration session is scheduled Sept. 2 on Portland's efforts to send Dudley to the New York Knicks. The hearing between the NBA and the league's Players Association is scheduled before systems arbitrator Kenneth Dam. The NBA blocked the deal, contending that the Blazers and Knicks are trying to circumvent the salary cap by Portland's signing of Dudley and trading him to New York. The Knicks, far over the salary cap, could not afford to sign Dudley at his market value as a free agent. But the Blazers and Knicks contend that, since Dudley has signed with Portland, his contract would transfer to New York and he would be subject to the "Larry Bird" exemption, which allows a team to pay a player about to become a free agent any amount without regard to the salary cap. This is Dudley's second foray into arbitration. When he first signed with Portland in 1993, his contract included a clause that allowed him to opt out of the deal after a year, thus clearing the way for a big raise from the Blazers. The NBA accused Portland of trying to circumvent the cap, but the Blazers and Dudley eventually won in arbitration and in court. Several newspapers have reported that the Blazers wanted to send Dudley to New York in a three-team deal that would send John Wallace to Toronto and a first-round draft pick to Portland. Whitsitt insisted the Blazers have no deal in the works involving Dudley. "He's just like all our other players," Whitsitt said. "We have no trades going. We are happy with the roster we have." Grant has become the highest-paid player on the Blazers' roster, but that might not be the case for long. Whitsitt plans to talk soon with Bill Strickland, Wallace's agent. Wallace has one year left on his contract, and the Blazers consider him the cornerstone of their future. "There's a willingness on both sides to talk," Whitsitt said. "We definitely have a desire to sign him."

nba.316 nba.news, 26 Aug 97

Agent no Minny problem for Timberwolves Forget Jerry Maguire, at least what we learned about him after the first reel. In terms of respect, trustworthiness and believability, sports agents traditionally have ranked far behind used-car salesmen and slightly ahead of 1968 Heisman Trophy winners. And yet, in the Twin Cities, the profession somehow had managed to plummet to new lows in recent days. Several news events involving popular sports figures made agents about as welcome in Minnesota as Robert Goulet at an Elvis memorial. Kevin garnett, the basketball prodigy around whom the woeful Minnesota Timberwolves figured to rebuild, was on the verge of signing a contract extension in excess of $103 million. Never mind that it would pay him, over six years, more money annually than even Shaquille O'Neal gets from the Los Angeles Lakers. The beauty of Garnett's potential deal was that it would end just as he was turning 28, in the prime of his NBA career. Then, of course, he could sign for the really big money. It would have, if Garnett's agent, Eric Fleisher, hadn't stepped in to make sure pen never touched paper. Not only wasn't the offer big enough, Fleisher said others besides the principals knew about it -- that the Timberwolves went public -- which violated a trusted. Therefore, according to Fleisher, the 6-foot-11 forward never, ever was going to play for Minnesota again after the 1997-98 season. Ron Simon, the Minneapolis-based representative for many of the state's top athletes, acknowledged that a former legal secretary from his office had embezzled an estimated $580,000 from his clients. Gail Bowar-Hyster was charged by the U.S. attorney with mail fraud and filing fraudulent tax returns after bleeding money from the accounts of Paul Molitor, Kent Hrbek and Keith and Jim Fahnhorst, among others. She apparently stole the money -- as much as $357,000 in Molitor's case -- to feed a gambling addiction dating back to the early 1980s. Simon, through insurance and seizure of the woman's retirement account, reportedly has reimbursed all of his clients. Still, Hrbek said of Bowar-Hyster: "It's tough when you work with someone, get to know someone as a friend and then have them stab you in the back." Over the weekend, Fleisher resurfaced in reports that Dean Garrett, a free-agent center from the Timberwolves and another of his clients, would sign a multiyear contract with the Detroit Pistons. Previously, Garrett, a savior of sorts for the team last season, had been expected to stay in Minnesota. But the frosty situation involving Garnett put a chill in Fleisher's talks about the center, leaving the Timberwolves with a potentially huge hole in the middle. Just when it looked like agents might give Svengali a good name, one of their ilk stepped forward to salvage some reputation for the industry. He did it by breaking ranks, voicing what nearly every man, woman and child in the Twin Cities was thinking. "Eric Fleisher better make sure he does the right thing for that young man, or he could really screw it up,'' said Charles Besser, who represents several pro athletes, including Wolves guard Terry Porter. "It's in the best interest of Kevin Garnett to make a deal by Oct. 1," Besser said, noting the NBA deadline for the Wolves and Garnett to reach an agreement this year. "Why would he start dribbling a basketball with a $100 million offer hanging over him? If it was my guy, I wouldn't let him walk on a court. I'd lock him up in a padded room, and I'm not sure I'd let his wife in to see him. "An injury could cost him $60 million. You add up the games and he'll have 100 opportunities, not to mention practices, to get hurt and lose anywhere from $30 million to $60 million. It is absurd to take that chance." It wasn't an original thought. But since Besser also is in the business of extracting the best possible deals from owners and teams, it was rather surprising. And brutally candid. Of course, with Porter's deal still to be negotiated for this season, Besser's stance surely didn't hurt his relations with Timberwolves management. Still, it was refreshing. A glimmer of sanity in an insane sports world. "The No. 1 issue for a player who's 21 years old is security," Besser said. "He cannot afford not to sign this. "Then, once he's 28 years old, he can ask for $80 gazillion and, if he doesn't like their offer, he can go sit on a beach. He'll already have $100 million. But he doesn't have that now."

nba.317 nba.news, 26 Aug 97

Top 75 NBA draft picks (August 25, 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 James C 7-1 300 Florida A&M 15. Pat Garrity PF 6-9 230 Notre Dame 16. Charles Jones PG 6-3 180 Long Island 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 G. 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. Lamar Odom* SF 6-9 220 No College 41. Ansu Sesay SF 6-9 220 Mississippi 42. Bonzi Wells SG 6-5 210 Ball State 43. Mirsad Turkcan PF 6-9 225 Turkey 44. Michael Dickerson SG 6-5 190 Arizona 45. Tyson Wheeler PG 5-10 155 Rhode Island 46. Earl Boykins PG 5-7 140 Eastern Michigan 47. Jahidi White PF 6-9 290 Georgetown 48. Mike Jones SG 6-3 210 TCU 49. Corey Louis PF 6-9 225 Florida State 50. Andre Miller PG 6-2 204 Utah 51. Casey Shaw C 6-11 260 Toledo 52. Evan Eschmeyer C 6-11 240 Northwestern 53. Lee Nailon* PF 6-9 235 TCU 54. Clint Harrison SG 6-4 175 N.C. State 55. Derrick Dial SG 6-4 190 Eastern Michigan 56. Ruben Patterson SF 6-6 225 Cincinnati 57. Jerod Ward SF 6-9 220 Michigan 58. Roshown McLeod SF 6-8 220 Duke 59. Felipe Lopez SG 6-6 190 St. John's 60. Galen Robinson PF 6-8 265 Houston 61. Corey Brewer PG 6-2 190 Oklahoma 62. Rashid Bey PG 5-11 160 St. Joseph's 63. Ronnie Fields* SG 6-2 195 Rockford (CBA) 64. Aaron Hutchins PG 5-10 170 Marquette 65. Melvin Watson PG 6-1 195 South Carolina 66. Adebayo Akinkunle F 6-8 218 Bradley 67. Tyrone Weeks PF 6-7 260 Massachusetts 68. Kelly Thames SF 6-8 220 Missouri 69. Pete Lisicky SG 6-5 200 Penn State 70. Jimmy Carroll SG 6-6 210 Nevada 71. Todd Burgan G-F 6-7 225 Syracuse 72. Deteri Mayes SG 6-3 195 Murray State 73. Kris Johnson SG 6-3 222 UCLA 74. Curtis Staples SG 6-3 186 Virginia 75. Chad Austin G 6-2 200 Purdue *-Underclassman

nba.318 nba.news, 27 Aug 97

Wilkens set to sign $20 million contract with Hawks ATLANTA (Aug 26, 1997 - 22:05 EDT) -- Lenny Wilkens, the winningest coach in NBA history, has finalized details of a four-year, $20 million contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks. The team called a news conference for Wednesday to announce the deal, which takes effect after Wilkens finishes the final year of a five-year, $6 million contract. He will be paid $1.4 million this year. Wilkens has guided the Hawks to four straight playoff berths, including the Eastern Conference semifinals two years in a row. Last season, Atlanta was 56-26, beating Detroit in the first round before being eliminated by eventual NBA champion Chicago. Wilkens had said Monday that he expected the new contract to be finalized "in the next few days and I'm very pleased because I think we've got something very good going here." The cost of keeping Wilkens took a dramatic leap during the offseason after Rick Pitino and Larry Bird signed lucrative deals with Boston and Indiana, respectively. The Orlando Magic asked the Hawks for permission to talk to Wilkens about their opening, but were rebuffed. Wilkens said he was excited about the prospects for the coming season "because this is the first time we won't have major changes in our team. We will grow together now."

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Lakers reach agreement with Fox INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Aug 26, 1997 - 20:34 EDT) -- Free agent swingman Rick Fox has agreed to contract terms with the Los Angeles Lakers. "We've reached a verbal agreement with him, he's going to play for us," Lakers public relations director John Black said Tuesday. "He's going to come to Los Angeles on Thursday and we expect that he'll sign the contract that day." Contract terms were not announced. Fox, 28, averaged 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals with the Boston Celtics last season -- his sixth with the team. The 6-foot-7 Fox, who played for Dean Smith at North Carolina and tied a school record by playing in 140 career games, was the 24th overall selection in the 1991 NBA draft. Fifth in the NBA in steals last season, Fox was one of only two players in the league who averaged 15 points, five rebounds and two steals. The other was Atlanta's Mookie Blaylock. Fox is averaging 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.24 steals in his career. Fox figures to contribute significantly for the Lakers during the upcoming season, since they have lost forward Travis Knight and guard Byron Scott. Knight signed a free agent contract with the Celtics, and Scott signed a contract to play with Panathinaikos AC of Athens, Greece. Returning to the Lakers next season are starters Elden Campbell, Robert Horry, Shaquille O'Neal, Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones, and reserves Kobe Bryant, Corie Blount, Sean Rooks and Derek Fisher. The status of free agent forward Jerome Kersey is uncertain. Possible newcomers to the roster along with Fox are free agent forward James Forrest, who signed a contract over the summer, and second-round draft choice DeJuan Wheat, a guard from Louisville.

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Jordan, Reinsdorf ready to deal in the desert CHICAGO -- Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf reportedly left for Las Vegas on Tuesday to meet with Michael Jordan and David Falk, Jordan's agent, in hopes of reaching a contract agreement possibly as soon as Wednesday. The Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday that Reinsdorf traveled to Nevada and hopes to sign Jordan to what probably will be Jordan's last contract as a player with Bulls no later than Thursday. Both Reinsdorf and Falk declined comment to the Tribune. Jordan, in Las Vegas to run a fantasy basketball camp, reportedly wants a one-year deal worth no less than $36 million, a 20 percent raise from last season. After leading the Bulls to their fifth title in seven years, Jordan actually is a free agent, but the Bulls can exceed the league's salary cap to re-sign him. A $36 million salary would exceed the salary cap by itself. Reinsdorf told the Tribune he is not prepared to promise Jordan that forward Scottie Pippen will not be used as trade bait. Pippen, who feels he is underpaid at $2.7 million, was almost traded just before the June draft. Jordan reportedly torpedoed a deal at the last minute by threatening to retire. Jordan also said he wanted it written into his contract that Pippen would stay with the Bulls in 1997-98. Last summer, Jordan and the Bulls reached a one-year agreement after a two-hour meeting between Reinsdorf and Falk that concluded less than two days of negotiations. Reinsdorf also told the Tribune that he hopes to sign free-agent forward Dennis Rodman while in Las Vegas. Rodman and his agent, Dwight Manley, are in Los Angeles. Reinsdorf wants assurances that Rodman will avoid the kind of antics that caused him to miss 14 games because of suspensions last season, the Tribune reported. Including injuries, Rodman missed 27 games in 1996-97. Manley said he is prepared to fly to Las Vegas to meet with Reinsdorf. "Once Michael is done, I'm willing to come in and seal it this weekend," Manley told the Tribune. "We're just sitting here waiting. I'm a short plane trip away. We can go meet him."

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Iverson receives three years probation for weapons charge NEW KENT, Va. -- Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson pleaded no contest Tuesday to carrying a concealed weapon and was placed on three years' probation. A marijuana possession charge was dropped in a plea agreement. Under the agreement the Iverson reached with prosecutors, he must also undergo monthly drug testing for two years and may not own a gun during that time. Neither Iverson nor his attorneys would comment after the 10-minute hearing in New Kent County General District Court. 76ers president Pat Croce also left the courtroom without commenting. "I am relieved that these proceedings are now behind me and I will work hard to fulfill my obligations," Iverson said later in a statement issued through his attorney. "I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to my family, my team and my fans for any embarrassment that this incident may have caused them. "I look at this situation as a learning experience and I hope to grow from it." Iverson, 22, a native of Hampton, was a passenger in a car that was stopped early Aug. 3 for speeding on Interstate 64 near Richmond. 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 and two marijuana cigarettes -- one under Iverson's seat, another in the back seat. Iverson was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of firearms with a controlled substance. Under the plea agreement, Iverson must also perform 100 hours of community service, and Commonwealth's Attorney Linwood Gregory told reporters that holding a basketball camp for children would not suffice. Gregory also said he did not want Iverson to perform his community service in New Kent. "He's a media icon, but I don't think he's a very good role model for children," Gregory said. The gun charge, a misdemeanor, will be expunged from Iverson's record if he meets all the terms of his plea agreement. Had he been convicted in a trial, Iverson could have gotten a 30-day jail term and a $500 fine on the drug charge and a year in jail and a $2,500 fine on the gun charge. "I don't think he's gotten off easy," Gregory said. He said a first offense of marijuana possession usually results in a year of probation, and the gun charge was "a close call" that he was not sure would stick. Except for softly saying "yes, sir" and "no, sir," in response to two questions from Judge William H. Shaw, Iverson said nothing during the hearing. This was not Iverson's first scrape with the law. On Valentine's Day 1993, Iverson, then 17, was arrested for his role in bowling alley brawl between rival groups of black and white high school students. Iverson was convicted on three felony counts of maiming by mob and given a five-year sentence. He served four months before then-Gov. L. Douglas Wilder granted clemency in December 1993. The Virginia Court of Appeals overturned the conviction in June 1995, and authorities decided not to pursue lesser charges. After he was granted clemency, Iverson spent two seasons at Georgetown before leaving for the NBA. The 76ers made him 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.322 nba.news, 27 Aug 97

Lunacy made possible only by the salary cap Another round of NBA Salary Cap Follies was set in motion this week, and it inevitably will result in the same old series of circumvention charges, arbitrations, lawsuits and scrutiny of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Don't sneer at the messenger here. We know you don't want to read about this stuff again, but we're providing this as a public service -- OK, and as a public nuisance -- so you can emotionally prepare yourself for the judicial quagmire that lies ahead. Usually, the salary cap is a subject you bring up when you want to be forced out of a room with a cattle prod, but it has hit another contentious crossroad. For the second time in three years, a 6-11 center who can't hit a free throw has become the cause celebre for the fine line between cap sanctity and true freedom, and it has placed the league and the players' union at odds once again. If you missed it, Chris Dudley signed a one-year, $272,500 contract with Portland this past Sunday -- just two months after opting out of a deal that had three years and $13 million remaining. Suffice to say, the guy badly misread the market, and after turning down a $16-million deal from the Pistons because not even Terry Mills wants to play in Detroit, swallowed his pride and accepted the minimum-salary offer with the understanding that he would be traded to the Knicks. The league said that's fine -- only Dudley would have to relinquish his so-called Larry Bird rights when he becomes a free agent again next summer. That means the Knicks would be able to offer him no more than a 20-percent increase on his minimum-wage deal, whereas Portland could sign him for any amount if the Blazers retain him because he has put in the obligatory three seasons under the Bird rule. So the matter is going to arbitration next week. The league will argue that no team which trades for Dudley can exceed its cap to re-sign him next summer and that such sign-and-trade transactions are attempts to circumvent the cap. The union sees it differently: "Clearly, under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a team is free to sign (its own) free agent and trade him, and if he has Bird rights, they follow him to the team he is traded to," asserts Bill Hunter, the union's executive director. "I am convinced we are going to prevail. And we have to get a decision made quickly, because it impacts a lot of players in the same position." If this sounds vaguely familiar, it is. In October 1994, Dudley turned down an $18-million deal with his old team, the Nets, in order to sign an $11-million deal with Portland that included an opt-out after one season. The league said the contract circumvented the cap, and after going through the arbitration process, lost its argument in federal court. The league never forgot that setback, and on Sunday, Dudley gave it another reason to remember. Longtime Chief To fully appreciate the longevity of Robert Parish, who officially announced his retirement last week, consider this: When he played his first NBA game 21 years ago -- that would be during the Ford Administration -- guys like Bill Bradley, Lou Hudson, and Dave Bing were still in the league. Stephon Marbury, Kobe Bryant, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim weren't born yet. And nobody had ever heard of Larry Bird, or Earvin Johnson, or even David Stern for that matter. Though there was that nasty business regarding alleged spousal abuse in recent years, we can only vouch for Parish as a player and come to this conclusion: He left an impressive legacy of durability and consistency during his tenure with the Celtics, his length-of-service record probably will never be matched, and he is a surefire Hall-of-Famer. Scattershooting Before he signed the one-year, $1-million deal with Phoenix, Clifford Robinson turned down a $21-million package from Detroit. Before he signed a one-year, $1-million contract with the Lakers, Rick Fox turned down between $18 and $20 million from the Cavs. Just two guys exercising their freedom to select the places they want to live. So, one might ask, why can Dudley do the same thing? . . . The final numbers on Nick Anderson's contract: Six years, $40 million -- but only four years and half the cash are guaranteed. . . . Last money item, promise: Denver opened negotiations with Antonio McDyess this past weekend, and the Nuggets must be wondering: If Kevin Garnett turned down $103 million, what does Dice think he's worth? ... Remember all that nasty talk coming from Muggsy Bogues about his being overlooked in Charlotte? It worked: Owner George Shinn says he expects Bogues to return to the Hornets -- he has two years left on his contract -- and that a front office job awaits him upon retirement.

nba.323 nba.news, 28 Aug 97

Jordan re-signs with Bulls CHICAGO (Aug 28, 1997 - 01:40 EDT) -- Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Almost impossible to imagine one without the other. For one more year at least, they'll stay together. Jordan, acknowledged as the game's greatest player, has agreed to a contract for one more season and will be trying to lead the Bulls to their sixth NBA title this decade. "I'm delighted and excited to be back again. I look forward to helping bring another NBA championship to Chicago," Jordan said in a statement released Wednesday by the Bulls. Jordan, a nine-time scoring champion, four-time regular-season MVP and the MVP of the NBA Finals all five times the Bulls have won, made a record $30.14 million last season. He met Tuesday with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in Las Vegas. No one in the Bulls organization would comment on Jordan's new contract. A television report said the deal was worth $38 million and would increase to $41 million with incentives. A source close to the team said that figure appeared to be high. Initial reports had said Jordan would ask for at least $36 million. "Jerry and I have a special relationship which enables us to work cooperatively. I am committed to Chicago and to winning. So is Jerry," said Jordan, who is in Las Vegas this week to run a fantasy basketball camp. Reinsdorf made a fast trip to Las Vegas, leaving Tuesday and returning Wednesday, as for the second straight year negotiations with Jordan were quick. "After sitting down with Michael, it was quite evident in our conversation that both of us continue to care very deeply about the Bulls organization, its fans and where this franchise is headed," Reinsdorf said in the same release. "That made Tuesday's discussion easy. Now we can turn our full attention to bringing a sixth championship to the city of Chicago." Reinsdorf was not available for further comment Wednesday night. Earlier this summer, the Bulls met one of Jordan's demands for returning by re-signing coach Phil Jackson to a one-year deal worth $6 million. Another major consideration for Jordan, 34, was the status of sidekick and good friend Scottie Pippen, whom the Bulls were ready to trade in June. Reports have said Jordan was seeking a promise that the team would not trade Pippen, his teammate on all five NBA title teams. It was not known late Wednesday if Jordan received that assurance as part of the deal. Pippen will make $2.7 million next season in the final year of an eight-year contract. It is his future free agency, as well as the fact that he turns 32 in September, that had the Bulls considering a trade. General manager Jerry Krause has said it would be Jackson's final season with the Bulls. Pippen will probably not be back after 1997-98 and the team may look to rebuild, meaning Jordan's future after one more season is unclear. Reinsdorf now must deal with the decision of whether to sign another member of the last two championship teams. Bad boy forward Dennis Rodman, the six-time NBA rebounding champion who missed 27 games last season because of suspension and injury, is a free agent. Jordan made a strong plea after a six-game victory over Utah in the Finals to keep the Bulls together for another shot at a championship. He said they had earned that right and encouraged Reinsdorf not to break up the team, whatever the cost. Jordan was at his best in that series against the Jazz. He hit the winning baskets in Games 1 and 5 and set up Steve Kerr's winning jumper in Game 6. He averaged 32.3 points in the series and 31.1 in the playoffs. Never did he prove his value more than in pivotal Game 5. Stricken with a stomach virus, a weakened, nauseous and fatigued Jordan scored 38 points and made the decisive 3-pointer with 25 seconds to go. For his career, he has scored 5,307 points in 158 postseason games, a 33.6 average. Since 1991, the only two years the Bulls didn't win the title were 1994, when Jordan was playing baseball, and 1995, when Jordan had just come out of retirement. He retired suddenly in October 1993 after the Bulls had completed their string of three straight titles, gave baseball a try in the Chicago White Sox organization and returned in March 1995 to the game he's ruled.

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Lakers sign Jon Barry INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Aug 27, 1997 - 19:52 EDT) -- Free agent guard Jon Barry, who played in 58 games for the Atlanta Hawks last season, has signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Terms were not announced. "Jon is a solid player who can play at both guard positions," Lakers executive vice president Jerry West said Wednesday in announcing the signing. "He'll help us with both his ability and his professionalism, and is a welcome addition to our team." Barry, 28, averaged 4.9 points and 2.0 assists last season -- his fifth in the NBA. He was originally selected by the Boston Celtics as the 21st overall selection in the 1992 NBA draft. The signing came a day after the Lakers announced that free agent swingman Rick Fox, who played for the Celtics for the last six seasons, had agreed to contract terms. Fox, 28, averaged 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals with the Celtics last season. Fox was taken by the Celtics as the 24th overall selection in the 1991 draft.

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Anderson agrees to six-year deal with Magic ORLANDO, Fla. -- Free-agent guard Nick Anderson, Orlando's all-time leading scorer, agreed to a six-year contract with the Magic on Wednesday. The team didn't disclose terms of the contract. Terms of the agreement were not released. Anderson made $3.97 million last season in the final year of a four-year contract. Anderson, 29, was the first player ever drafted by the Magic and the last remaining member from the original team in 1989. "We're very excited to re-sign Nick," Orlando general manager John Gabriel said. "As our first draft selection, Nick has been a solid contributor to our success on the floor while also representing a large part of our tradition and history. We look forward to the years to come and having Nick retire in a Magic uniform." Anderson is coming off the worst season of his NBA career. His average dipped to 12.0 points per game and he shot a career-low 40.4 percent from the foul line, just better than his 39.7 shooting from the field. He shot just 33 percent from the field and averaged 5.6 points per game during Orlando's loss to the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs. "We put incentives in (the contract), hoping to help Nick get back to being the kind of player he was," Gabriel said. "We feel that this is a chance to reward a player for performance." Anderson, who last week announced he would entertain offers from other teams, said he never really wanted to leave the Magic. "I started in Orlando and I wanted to finish here," he said. "I just had a bad year last season. That will change. This is my opportunity to shine the way I know I can."

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Blazers agree to terms with Crotty PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug 27, 1997 - 22:05 EDT) -- The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to contract terms with well-traveled point guard John Crotty. Team spokesman John Christensen said Wednesday that Crotty is expected to sign his contract soon. He is expected to back up starting point guard Kenny Anderson. Crotty, 28, has played for Utah, Cleveland and Miami. Last year he played with Bologna in the Italian League before being picked up by the Heat on Jan. 6, because of Gary Grant's back problems. Crotty averaged 13.7 minutes, 4.8 points and 2.1 assists in 48 regular-season games as the backup to Tim Hardaway. Crotty, who played college basketball at Virginia, was not drafted by the NBA. He played for the Greenville Spinners of the Global Basketball Association in 1991-92 before signing with Utah. Terms of the deal with Portland have not been disclosed, but The Oregonian reported that Crotty turned down a $326,000 one-year offer from Miami. Crotty has shot 81 percent from the free throw line and 46 percent from the field during his NBA career.

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Wilkens cashes in with contract extension ATLANTA -- With all the money that's been handed out to coaches like Rick Pitino and Larry Bird, it's only appropriate that Lenny Wilkens joined the big-dollar ranks. The winningest coach in league history finalized a four-year contract extension Wednesday with the Atlanta Hawks that's worth a reported $20 million. "We all made a commitment five years ago to bring a championship team to Atlanta," said Wilkens, who will earn $1.4 million in the final season of the original five-year deal he signed with the Hawks. "I'm happy to say that's a goal I'm going to be a part of." Wilkens' contract is the latest indication that the salary bar for NBA coaches has been raised significantly during this offseason. The Boston Celtics signed Pitino to a $50 million, 10-year contract as coach and president, and Larry Brown received about $25 million over five years to coach the Philadelphia 76ers. To replace Brown, the Indiana Pacers hired Bird, who never had coached at any level, for between $4 million and $4.5 million per year. Phil Jackson agreed to stay one more year with the NBA champion Chicago Bulls for $6 million, and Chuck Daly was lured out of retirement by a $15 million, three-year offer from the Orlando Magic. "There's a heavy emphasis on the importance of coaches right now," Lonnie Cooper, Wilkens' agent, said. While Wilkens and team officials declined to reveal financial details of the contract, the figure of $20 million was widely reported during negotiations and no one disputed it at Wednesday's news conference. Team president Stan Kasten said the contract was set up so that most of the money would be paid over the final three years of the new contract, after the Hawks move into their new $200 million downtown arena. For the next two seasons, the team will split its home games between the 21,000-seat Georgia Dome and the 10,000-seat arena on Georgia Tech's campus. "We're a small-revenue team, but that's going to change in two years," Hawks president Stan Kasten said. "We structured the contract so it would work for Lenny and work for the franchise." Wilkens, 59, is the only coach in NBA history to surpass 1,000 wins, with a record of 1,070-876 after 24 seasons. His four-year mark in Atlanta is 201-127, including two 50-win seasons, but the Hawks have yet to advance past the second round of the playoffs. "There's only one player who was here when I took over," said Wilkens, referring to point guard Mookie Blaylock. "We have been rebuilding this team, but we did it without taking a step backwards. I'm proud of that." Wilkens said he was pleased to work out a contract extension before starting the final year of his current deal. "When you get into the season, sooner or later it's going to come up," he said. "I want to focus on the team. I didn't want to go through the season being asked about it." General manager Pete Babcock considered it essential to keep Wilkens after all the changes that have occurred on the court, including trades that brought Christian Laettner and Steve Smith and the free-agent signing of Dikembe Mutombo. "I consider him to be a major part of the nucleus to having a championship contender in this town," Babcock said of Wilkens. While assuring that Wilkens will remain with the team through the 2001-02 season, the Hawks have been stymied in attempts to further bolster their roster during the offseason. Rick Fox, who the Hawks were hoping to sign as a starting small forward, went to the Los Angeles Lakers instead. Still, Wilkins believes the Hawks can improve on their 56-26 record of last season. "I'm excited about the direction this franchise is going," he said.

nba.328 nba.news, 29 Aug 97

Jordan reportedly earning $33-million for one more year with Bulls CHICAGO (Aug 28, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- He all but demanded the Chicago Bulls be kept together for another run at an NBA title. Michael Jordan, of course, can get away with those kinds of things. His leverage? The threat of retirement. But Jordan's coming back. And he's commanded another record salary -- $33 million, according to a source close to the team -- to lead that quest for a sixth championship of the 1990s. The Bulls have not commented on the value of the contract that follows Jordan's record $30.14 million deal last season. But reports that he will receive anywhere from $36 million to $41 million "are way out of line," the source, who requested anonymity, said today. "The number is $33 million." Money is not the only object -- at least not for a man who has been making millions in off-court endorsements for years. Jordan can now preside over what might be a last running of these Bulls. He agreed to a one-year deal after a quick Las Vegas meeting Tuesday with team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. His return was announced Wednesday. "Jerry and I have a special relationship which enables us to work cooperatively. I am committed to Chicago and to winning. So is Jerry," said Jordan, who is in Las Vegas this week to run a fantasy basketball camp. "I'm delighted and excited to be back again. I look forward to helping bring another NBA championship to Chicago," he said in a statement. A nine-time scoring champion, four-time regular-season MVP and the MVP of the NBA Finals five times, Jordan laid out requirements for returning and a major one was met earlier this summer. Threatening retirement, Jordan said he'd only play for coach Phil Jackson. And Jackson -- also after a face-to-face meeting with Reinsdorf -- agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal. Jordan also said he wanted a promise in his new deal that his good friend and teammate Scottie Pippen, who was nearly traded in June, would remain with the Bulls. That assurance was not granted. "I can tell you flat out that isn't in there," Jerry Krause, the Bulls' general manager, said today. Pippen will make $2.7 million next season in the final year of an eight-year contract. It is his future free agency, as well as the fact that he turns 32 in September, that had the Bulls considering a trade. Krause has said it would be Jackson's final season with the Bulls. Pippen will probably not be back after 1997-98 and the team may look to rebuild, meaning Jordan's future after one more season is unclear. He will be 35 in February. "After sitting down with Michael, it was quite evident in our conversation that both of us continue to care very deeply about the Bulls organization, its fans and where this franchise is headed," Reinsdorf said in the team release. "That made Tuesday's discussion easy. Now we can turn our full attention to bringing a sixth championship to the city of Chicago." Reinsdorf now must deal with the decision of whether to sign another member of the last two championship teams. Bad boy forward Dennis Rodman, the six-time NBA rebounding champion who missed 27 games last season because of suspension and injury, is a free agent. He certainly will not get the $9 million he received last year. "My main desire is to re-sign with the Bulls," Rodman told the Chicago Sun-Times this week. "Our next order of business will be Dennis," Krause told the Chicago Tribune, adding that he hoped to start negotiations next week. About an hour after the Bulls had wrapped up a six-game victory over Utah in the Finals in June, Jordan was strong in his opinion on the team's future. He said the Bulls had earned the right with what they had accomplished -- 72- and 69-win regular seasons and two more titles -- to come back and defend, no matter the cost to Reinsdorf. Jordan had been pretty much unstoppable in the series victory over the Jazz. He hit the winning baskets in Games 1 and 5 and set up Steve Kerr's winning jumper in Game 6. He averaged 32.3 points in the series and 31.1 in the playoffs. Never did he prove his value more than in pivotal Game 5. Stricken with a stomach virus, a weakened, nauseous and fatigued Jordan scored 38 points and made the decisive 3-pointer with 25 seconds to go. For his career, he has scored 5,307 points in 158 postseason games, a 33.6 average. Since 1991, the only two years the Bulls didn't win the title were 1994, when Jordan was playing baseball, and 1995, when Jordan had just come out of retirement. He retired suddenly in October 1993 after the Bulls had completed their string of three straight titles, gave baseball a try in the Chicago White Sox organization and returned in March 1995 to the game he has ruled.

nba.329 nba.news, 29 Aug 97

Fox feels alive again in Los Angeles INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Aug 28, 1997 - 1997 EDT) -- Free agent Rick Fox, fed up with losing in Boston, turned down big bucks in Cleveland and a guaranteed starting spot in Atlanta for the championship potential of the Los Angeles Lakers. "I feel alive and I haven't felt really alive from a basketball standpoint in a number of years," Fox said Thursday at the Forum. He signed a one-year, $1 million deal, ending a two-month pursuit by the Lakers, whose salary-cap limitations didn't allow them to come close to Cleveland's four-year offer worth $20 million. "The Lakers won out over all of them slightly because they had all those things and a little more," he said. "I turned down a lot of money, but when you're not blinded by money, you're able to see the total picture. If money was the only factor, I would be in Cleveland, but it isn't." While the Lakers couldn't offer a big salary now, the veteran forward said his chances of playing on a championship team are better in Los Angeles than Cleveland, Atlanta or New York. "You have to be pretty blind not to see that championships are going to be going through here for the next 10 years," he said. "I want to win now. After losing for four years, I've had enough." Fox, who played his first six years in the NBA with Boston, left the Celtics despite the interest of new coach Rick Pitino, who couldn't keep the team captain because of the salary cap. The Celtics were 15-67 last year, the worst season in club history. "I opted out of my contract primarily for the reason of not being able to really sustain any more of the losing," Fox said. "Mentally and physically, it was draining." The Lakers finished with a 56-26 record but failed to get past the Western Conference semifinals for the third straight season. Fox, 28, said his goal is to help the Lakers win 60 or more games, something they haven't done since winning 63 in 1989-90. He averaged a career-high 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 76 games with the Celtics last season. Fox figures to contribute significantly since the Lakers have lost forward Travis Knight and guard Byron Scott. Knight signed a free-agent contract with the Celtics, and Scott signed a contract to play with Panathinaikos AC of Athens, Greece. There's no guarantee Fox will crack the starting lineup of Elden Campbell, Robert Horry, Shaquille O'Neal, Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones. "I look at myself more as a glue. I do a lot of different things and I do them well," he said. "I'm capable of starting, I don't know what other guys on the team are comfortable with." The Lakers used all their resources to try and lure Fox from his longtime home on the East Coast. He grew up in the Bahamas, played at North Carolina and wanted to stay close to family and friends. The persuasion included phone calls from Shaquille O'Neal and ex-Laker Magic Johnson, along with Hollywood power brokers. Like O'Neal, Fox has acting ambitions. "This is the culmination of an awful lot of phone calls," Lakers general manager Jerry West said. "He's really strong and has great anticipation. He can shoot the ball and we got another great free-throw shooter. He doesn't have to be taught the nuances of the game." Even though Fox signed a one-year deal, he expects to be in Los Angeles "a long time." "I look at it as a one-year deal financially, but it's also for me a start to a new career and a new beginning," he said. "I hope that one will turn into many years."

nba.330 nba.news, 29 Aug 97

NBA puts Grant's Blazer pact on hold The NBA reportedly is upholding approval of the seven-year contract free-agent forward Brian Grant signed with the Portland Trail Blazers last weekend. League sources say the NBA's disapproval of the one-year contract center Chris Dudley signed with Portland for the minimum of $272,500 has raised questions regarding the Blazers' salary cap room. Dudley opted out of a deal that had three years and $13 million remaining in hopes of re-signing with Portland at the minimum and retaining his rights to the exception that allows teams to re-sign their own free agents without regard to salary cap. That way, had the Blazers traded Dudley -- and a deal with the New York Knicks has been rumored -- he would be able to re-sign with that new team next summer for a huge sum. Dudley's case is scheduled to be heard in New York on Tuesday by the league's system arbitrator, Kenneth Dam. If Dam rules Dudley's new contract with the Blazers is invalid, the team might have to renounce Dudley to create enough salary-cap room to fit Grant's contract. It was first reported that Grant's deal was worth $63 million over the seven years. But a Blazers source said that it's closer to $56 million because $625,000 of the power forward's first-year salary was comprised of "unreachable" incentives. Grant's contract, which makes him the highest paid player on the team, also includes an opt-out clause after the third year, agent Mark Bartelstein said. To clear salary-cap room before signing Grant, the Blazers renounced their rights to veteran forward Clifford Robinson and guards Rumeal Robinson, Mitchell Butler and Marcus Brown. Grant, who played only 24 games last season because of an injury, turned down a seven-year, $48 million deal from the Kings. The 6-foot-9 Grant was the eighth overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft. His best season was 1995-96, when he averaged 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds as the Kings made the playoffs for the first time since the franchise moved to Sacramento. Grant, 25, said he had received a more lucrative offer from another team, but chose Portland because owner Paul Allen and president Bob Whitsitt showed a strong commitment to winning. "I'm just unbelievably excited about joining a team that has a chance to compete for a championship," Grant said. "Paul Allen and Bob Whitsitt really impressed me with the interest they showed, the efforts they went through to get the deal done and the commitment they both have to winning. "This is like a dream come true," he said. "I can provide financial security for my family, I'll be playing in a great basketball city with great basketball fans." Grant also likes the potential of the Blazers' players. "When you have people like Rasheed Wallace, Kenny Anderson, Arvydas Sabonis, J.R. Rider and young people like Jermaine O'Neal you can grow along with for the next seven or 10 years, you really can't pass up an opportunity like that," Grant said. "They're a hungry team and I'm definitely proud to be a part of that." Grant could start at small forward for the Blazers, or at power forward beside Wallace, who averaged 15.1 points and shot 56 percent from the field last season. "That kid's gonna be an All-Star. I definitely want to play alongside him wherever I can," Grant said of Wallace, who turns 23 on Sept. 17.

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Vancouver's Orca Bay selects new CEO VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Aug 28, 1997 - 21:10 EDT) -- Drawing from the local corporate community, Orca Bay, the company that operates the city's two major professional sports teams, named Stephen Bellringer its new president and CEO on Thursday. The appointment places Bellringer, 51, in daily command of the Seattle-based Orca Bay's sports and entertainment holdings in Vancouver: the NBA's Grizzlies; NHL's Canucks; and the facility they play in, GM Place. Bellringer, who has two business degrees including one from Harvard University, joins Orca Bay from BC (British Columbia) Gas Inc., where he served as president and CEO since January 1996. Although he has no sports management experience, Bellringer was confident that he was a comfortable fit for the job. "It's going to be a hands-on kind of job. Obviously, it's building the two teams which is Stu's and Pat's responsibility," said Bellringer, referring to Grizzlies president/GM Stu Jackson and Canucks president/GM Pat Quinn. "But I think all the fans appreciate there's a third component, the business component. We have to support those people financially. We have to support them with the proper promotion and the proper product." Bellringer, who will serve as an alternate governor for the NBA and NHL, added, "We have to have winning teams on both sides. Particularly with the signings that have gone on over the summer, it's very apparent that John McCaw wants to have winning teams here and I think he also appreciates that he wants to have winning teams in the back office, so it has to be combination of all of us." Orca Bay, which has 2,000 employees, is owned by Seattle's John E. McCaw Jr., who made his fortune -- reported to worth more than $500 million -- in the cellular phone business. McCaw was brought in as a partner in 1994 to help former owner Arthur Griffiths finance landing the Grizzlies as an expansion team and the construction of the privately-built GM Place. McCaw took over majority control from Griffiths a year later, and currently owns 100 percent of the Grizzlies and GM Place, and 86 percent of the Canucks. Bellringer, born in England and raised in Canada, replaces John Chapple, who will return to Seattle to work in another capacity for McCaw's Orca Bay Capital.

nba.332 nba.news, 29 Aug 97

Cavs, Kings join Clippers in NBA's Siberia Upon signing as a free-agent last week with the Detroit Pistons, Malik Sealy said, "It's nice to be back in the NBA.'' The reference was to the Clippers and that franchise's standing as an NBA wasteland. Yet as the free-agency period continues, the Clippers no longer stand alone as a team for whom nobody wants to play. In fact, just by being situated in cosmopolitan Los Angeles, the Clippers might have moved out of the NBA's lowest-rent district. Instead, it appears Cleveland and Sacramento are becoming the league's least-desirable locations. Cleveland, in particular, has undergone as much damage to its reputation in the past week as it did in the days of the Lake Erie fires. In little more than four days, nearly $90 million in contract bids were rejected from the Cavaliers by free-agent forwards Brian Grant and Rick Fox. First understand that neither Grant nor Fox ever has been an All-Star, and neither likely will have to worry about setting aside future plans during that annual weekend off in February. Yet instead of opting for riches offered nowhere else but in the northeast corner of Ohio, Grant turned his sights toward Portland and Fox settled on the Shaq-and-star-studded life of a Laker. Cleveland offered in excess of $70 million to Grant. Yet Grant took nearly $10 million less to play for the Blazers. And Fox, who reportedly was offered nearly $20 million by the Cavaliers, instead settled for a 1997-98 salary of $1 million from the Lakers. Such are the dynamics of today's NBA, where lifestyle obviously counts -- even at the cost of millions. For Cleveland, this has been an excruciating free-agency period. While Bobby Phills and Chris Mills likely were going to take the Cavaliers no farther than their annual .500 finish, replacing the two now might be impossible, even with about $11 million in cap space available. For now, Danny Ferry is Cleveland's starting small forward, with Donny Marshall the only true small forward under contract. Meanwhile in Sacramento, there is a gaping hole at power forward after Grant's traipse down Interstate 5. Michael Smith is about the only true option at power forward, although we could be in for another round of Corliss Williamson and Billy Owens used out of position. Even worse for the Kings is that the cap space that could be cleared with Grant's departure might not even go toward replacement parts. Instead, it might have to be used to get grossly underpaid Mitch Richmond a contract commensurate with his skills. Of course, the Kings could just trade Richmond -- as is his desire -- but that would just about be the final straw for a franchise that has demonstrated an inability to lure (or even keep) quality free agents. As the struggles continue in Cleveland and Sacramento, it makes the Nets look even better with their decision to trade for Keith Van Horn even at the cost of adding the burdensome contracts of Lucious Harris and Don MacLean. With a potential salary-cap windfall for the free-agent market of '98, New Jersey was wise enough to realize it would take more than money to land prized free-agents to the swamplands. It is a lesson Cleveland is learning today -- and one Sacramento might have to learn tomorrow. As for Sealy, he said he took Detroit's offer of $1 million for '97-98 because he wanted to move to a franchise with championship potential. Still, Sealy's role with the Pistons is expected to be minimal, with the former Pacer likely having to vie with Aaron McKie for playing time. The Pistons also had an eye on Dean Garrett, but their three-year offer and the five-year demand by the Minnesota free-agent center could scuttle those discussions ... Cavaliers general manager Wayne Embry has denied a rumored deal between Cleveland and Seattle that would send big men Vitaly Potapenko and Zydrunas Ilgauskas to the Sonics for disgruntled power forward Shawn Kemp. Embry said the Sonics want far more for Kemp, who could get the restructured contract he wants from the Cavaliers ... Like the Cavaliers, the Pistons also have had their contretemps on the free-agent market. Not only did forward Terry Mills depart for a lesser contract from the Heat, but Blazers free-agent forward Clifford Robinson turned his back on a five-year, $21 million bid from Detroit to instead accept a one-year, $1 million package from the Suns. Pistons coach Doug Collins had hoped to convince Robinson of the benefits of playing in Detroit, but Robinson instead moved quickly to take Phoenix's offer ... The Lakers' full-court press on Fox included phone calls from center Shaquille O'Neal and part-owner and franchise legend Magic Johnson. Fox turned down a chance to start for the Atlanta Hawks, but still could get than opportunity in Los Angeles, with Robert Horry moved to power forward and Elden Campbell shoved to the bench. With Fox in, Jerome Kersey appears to be out of the Lakers' plans ... With his seven-year, $46.6-million deal with Portland, Grant becomes the highest-paid player on the Blazers, earning $5.6 million this coming season. The Blazers have yet to decide which would be the power forward and which the small forward, but Grant and Rasheed Wallace are expected to start in tandem on Portland's front line.

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Hoop it up R&B singer R. Kelly, who plays in the CBA during his spare time, is organizing a celebrity basketball game on Chicago's South Side, says the Chicago Sun-Times. The Aug. 31 event will raise money for several Chicago-area charities, and Kelly will also pick up the tab for 2,500 kids to attend the game. Snoop Doggy Dogg, Da Brat, Ice Cube, Xscape, Salt-N-Pepa and Jaleel White, who plays Urkel on the sitcom "Family Matters," have been invited to play. Washington Wizards star Juwan Howard will drop by as an honorary coach, and Kelly said he'll be "reaching out" and inviting another famous NBA player to play. You know, the one responsible for the Chicago Bulls' winning all those championships.

nba.334 nba.news, 30 Aug 97

Mookie agrees to extension with Hawks ATLANTA -- Atlanta point guard Mookie Blaylock, who led the NBA in steals last season, has agreed to a four-year contract extension Friday with the Hawks. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. A Hawks spokesman said Blaylock, who earned $2.8 million last season, will sign the contract Tuesday. Blaylock, 30, chose the extension with Atlanta over becoming a free agent on July 1, 1998. He would have been among the top players available next summer, along with Anfernee Hardaway, Kevin Garnett, Damon Stoudamire and Joe Smith. Blaylock, entering his ninth NBA season and sixth with the Hawks, averaged a career-high 17.4 points per game in 1996-97 with 5.9 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals. After being selected to the NBA All-Defensive first team in 1993-94 and 1994-95, Blaylock has been a second team selection each of the past two seasons. He has surpassed 200 steals in each of the last five seasons. Blaylock, 30, was acquired by Atlanta from New Jersey in 1992 for guard Rumeal Robinson and forward Roy Hinson. The Nets drafted Blaylock 12th overall out of Oklahoma in 1989. He is the Hawks career leader in 3-pointers with 883 and played in the 1994 All-Star Game.

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Blazers' O'Neal gets some garbage time COLUMBIA, S.C. -- NBA teenager Jermaine O'Neal's hopes of working with youngsters to repay his community service after a run-in with police were dashed. He was assigned to garbage duty instead. The Portland Trail Blazers center has been spending his days collecting roadside trash as part of Richland County's public works program, officials said. The 7-footer has completed about half of the required 100 hours. "He's a good worker," said George Wilson, the county's director of special services. "I'd suggest that if he wants to be in shape for basketball, he can go on and get in shape out there." O'Neal, 18, was ordered to perform the community service after cursing at sheriff's deputies and mall security guards in June. A 15-day jail sentence was suspended after he apologized for his mistake. When he registered for his sentence earlier this month, O'Neal said he hoped to speak to school groups and other youth-oriented activities to knock off the hours. Instead, a sullen O'Neal said this week, "The judge doesn't want me talking to kids." Asked why not, O'Neal replied: "You'll have to ask the judge." Magistrate William Smith said he plays no role in assigning duties, which falls to the Public Works Department. "They don't tell me how to run my court, and I don't tell them how to run their program," the judge said. Wilson said his department does not have the staff to send a supervisor with one person to a speaking engagement. He also would have to pre-approve the speech's content. Instead, O'Neal reports to the county's dispatch site before 8 a.m. for his tasks. Usually he is assigned to a roadside crew or a truck that picks up garbage from neighborhood beautification projects. He would say little about it. "I don't want to get into that," O'Neal said. Athletes in legal trouble at times have fulfilled part of their community service requirements through public speaking or working with youth camps, but that is not always the case. Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson this week was given 100 hours of community service in a plea agreement on a weapons charge, but prosecutors stipulated he could not work basketball camps. O'Neal has until Sept. 28 to complete his service, barely in time to rush back to Portland for workouts. The Trail Blazers open training camp Oct. 3 and the regular seasons starts Oct. 31. Wilson suggested that might be the best time for O'Neal to talk about his experiences. "He needs to be educated here," Wilson said. "Then he can go out and give it from his heart."

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Report: Woman files suit against Campbell LOS ANGELES -- A woman who alleges she was drugged and raped by Los Angeles Lakers forward Elden Campbell during a party at his Redondo Beach home has sued him, a television station reported. The suit, filed in Torrance Superior Court by a 29-year-old Rosemead woman, alleges sexual battery, assault and false imprisonment, KNBC-TV reported Friday night. The alleged incident occurred Aug. 30, 1996, during a party at Campbell's home. A report was filed with Redondo Beach police, who got conflicting statements about what happened, KNBC-TV said. Reginald Johnson, Campbell's cousin, also is named in suit. Prosecutors declined to file criminal charges because of insufficient evidence, KNBC-TV said. "For whatever reason the district attorney decided it was not a crime or there wasn't a crime they could prove," said Joe Hopkins, the woman's attorney. Phone messages left for Lakers spokesman John Black were not immediately returned late Friday night. On July 3, 1995, Campbell, 29, was arrested for driving drunk after he crashed his car in Simi Valley. Johnson, 27, of Los Angeles, also was in the car. Both sustained minor injuries.

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Jordan did not get the real deal TACOMA, Wash. (Aug 29, 1997 - 05:34 EDT) -- For a guy synonymous with the spectacular, Michael Jordan can use some tips on the art of the deal. The other day, the highest-paid athlete in the history of team sports signed a contract that ensured he will remain the highest-paid athlete in the history of team sports. He did this with all the fanfare of buying a muffler. There was no tense stalemate, no threat to resume another line of work. Even Jordan's agent, David Falk, did not gloat. On the contrary. When the new deal -- reported to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $33 million for the 1997-98 season -- was announced after Jordan met with Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf in Las Vegas, Falk was circumspect, almost defensive. He sounded as if he was a Seattle Mariners executive taking calls on KJR about the Jose Cruz Jr. trade. "Michael," Falk said, "wouldn't have accepted an agreement unless he deemed it to be fair." So that's the headline: JORDAN DEEMS $33 MILLION 'FAIR.' I'm happy that Jordan will play basketball for one more season, and I'm happy that he deems the deal fair. But, drats, it had the potential to be so much more. Here he was, in Las Vegas, home of Sigfried and Roy and the Liberace Museum and the Unsinkable Debby Reynolds. In Las Vegas, furthermore, with Jerry Reinsdorf, who is as attached to his power trip as Liberace was to his candelabra. The most valuable sports personality in the world has a Las Vegas-style showdown with the most vilified sports owner, and all we get is a $33 million deal that's got the news punch of a hockey trade? It is times such as these when we need an extra helping of Don King's home-cooked hyperbole. "Ladies and gentlemen," I can hear King say, "we are here to announce a truly glorifcanious moment of historical magnatapulation -- an event of such superplendipity that it will obviscerate everything else you have ever ponderated! Without further adagio dancing, it is my monumeticulous honor to announce that Michael Jeffrey Jordan has exstansabated the salarious standard of fiscal wonderment!" Nobody would know what Don was talking about, including Don, except that it had something to do with an amount of money so ridiculous that no dictionary could define it. Even without Mr. King's English, Jordan could've made the milestone worthy of an exclamation point. He could've set the salary bar at $100 million per season, which would've put him on a par with his pal Oprah Winfrey. Or he could've demanded $82 million, which would translate to a flat $1 million a game. The once-startling notion of pro sports' first Million Dollar A Season Man long ago lost its luster: Was it Rickey Henderson? Reggie Jackson? I forget. But the first Million Dollar A Game Man, now that's a label. And who better than Michael to wear it? Instead, Jordan came away with fat contract thin on details. It's worth more than the $30.14 million he earned last year, but less than the $41 million originally rumored. Estimates are fixed at around $33 million, which will buy the kids some nice new school clothes and pay the cable bill. What's it mean, though? What's the cosmic significance of $33 million? Jordan is 34; he will turn 35 in February. Why not a contract of $34 or $35 million? Jerry: "Michael, I think you'll like the package we've put together for you this season. How does $33 million sound?" Michael: "Jerry, I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night. I'm 34, soon to be 35. Give me the respect of paying me my age." Here is my take on superstars' salaries: I'm numb. I prefer to tune it out and not feel a thing. If I start thinking about it logically -- if I start to break it down, and realize that Michael Jordan will make $426,829 a game, as much as the average American worker earns in 15 years -- then I can't enjoy sports, and I can't enjoy sports' greatest player. That playoff game last year in Utah, when Michael looked as though he eaten an entire jumbo tub of buttered popcorn at the shopping-mall cineplex, I could relate to that. I've done the jumbo popcorn tub. The way he fought through his sickness and delivered a majestically clutch performance, I get chills just thinking about it. But if I start to think about the money -- if I remember that he makes more per game than the average American does in 15 years -- the chills fade, and all I'm left with is a realization that leaves me cold. Strange as it sounds, I'd be lots happier to hear Michael Jordan signed for an obnoxious round number -- a billion bucks a season , a trillion, whatever -- than to learn that three smart men huddled in a hotel suite and decided $33 million was fair. Don't give me fair. Please. Give me fanfare. Give me Las Vegas. Give me Don King and his home-cooked hyperbole. Give me anything but the opportunity to take it seriously.

nba.338 nba.news, 30 Aug 97

Iverson is becoming NBA's worst nightmare (Aug 29, 1997 - 15:10 EDT) -- Allen Iverson is not only a supremely gifted athlete who has the ability to redefine the guard position -- although you'd think that would be plenty for one person. Iverson is also the NBA's worst nightmare. He's the anti-Magic. He's the anti-Michael. The NBA wants you to concentrate on Shaq's smile and Grant Hill's personality and a game that, outside of Denver, is the sport of the '90s. But Iverson's face keeps popping up, often on a wanted poster. If that's the face of the new NBA, the league could be in trouble. Yeah, the games have lost a little spontaneity as Pat Riley has changed the league's focus from Showtime to Slowtime. Even so, the NBA is the envy of the professional sports world, boasting demographics that any company would kill for. It's even bigger than that other hot, hot Nike subsidiary -- the Tiger Woods PGA Tour. Of course, there are problems. Kevin Garnett, who's barely old enough to have his own stock broker, turns down a $103.5 million offer over six years from the Minnesota Timberwolves and is mad -- that's right, mad -- because word of the deal got out. He's mad because, well, you know why. It makes him look like a self-centered, money-grubbing ingrate when, of course, all he wants to do is make $104 million somewhere else. Is that fair? The NBA will survive the Garnett affair. So will Garnett, by the way. The NBA will even survive the $64.8 million deal that Vancouver paid Bryant "Big Bank Account" Reeves. There's plenty of money for everybody, although you wonder if there is enough to keep Antonio McDyess in Denver. But that's another story. What concerns the NBA is its carefully managed image as the hip, dressed- for-success sports league that the kids love and the sponsors love even more. In other words, what worries the NBA is too much Iverson, the reigning rookie of the year. His image is different. His image is of the out-of-control athlete who respects no one, probably not even himself. As you probably heard, Iverson got three years' probation in a Virginia court the other day after pleading no contest to the charge of carrying a concealed weapon. The weapon was found when he was stopped in his car -- a buddy was driving -- doing 93 in a 65-mph zone. The cop smelled marijuana and found a marijuana cigarette under Iverson's seat. He also found a. 45-caliber pistol. And now if Iverson is found in violation of his probation, he can do a year in prison. He has been there before, of course. His college career at Georgetown University was delayed while he served time on a charge that later was overturned by the courts. The hope in Philadelphia, and in NBA commissioner David Stern's office, is that, in the future, Iverson limits his appearances to basketball courts, where, even in these days when the fast break is out of favor, speeding rarely gets you in big trouble. The NBA is coming to a crossroads. Everyone expects this to be the last season for Michael Jordan, who has had a greater impact on the sports world than anyone since Babe Ruth. His face is as familiar to you as your children's. His face is probably more familiar to your children than yours. When Jordan retires, the holy trinity of Jordan and Bird and Magic will be committed to memory, as Wilt (or Russell) and West and Robertson were before them. It's commonly said, and yet it's true, that Bird and Magic saved the NBA, which, for decades, had been predicting just such a breakthrough. But it was Jordan, with a boost from Nike, who made the NBA the monster that it is today. It is Jordan who, if the Bulls pay him $50 million this season, still will be underpaid. What does the star-driven league do without him? Not to worry, there are stars aplenty. But few are as exciting, or as intriguing, as Iverson. And he is not what the folks from Nike and Gatorade and McDonald's are looking for in an athlete, which, to the ad boys, is just another product. They want a product that doesn't threaten. They want a product you can feel comfortable with in your home. Iverson doesn't make anyone comfortable. He's the point guard who shoots too much. He's the selfish player who sets scoring records in losing causes. He's the personification of the player who gets too much too soon. He fights with Michael Jordan. He fights with Charles Barkley. He's on three years' probation. The Virginia prosecutor in the gun case called Iverson "a media icon but not a good role model " What he might have said was, he's famous, but he's not the guy who's going to sell you any Wheaties.

nba.339 nba.news, 30 Aug 97

Fan cost list from the four major North American sports (Aug 30, 1997 - 00:05 EDT) -- A list of the average ticket prices and fan cost index for the four major leagues: Major League Baseball Team Tix FCI 1991 $8.64 $77.40 1992 $9.30 $86.24 1993 $9.60 $90.84 1994 $10.45 $95.80 1995 $10.55 $96.83 1996 $11.19 $102.55 1997 $11.98 $106.20 National Football League Team Tix FCI 1991 $25.21 $151.55 1992 $27.19 $163.19 1993 $28.68 $173.33 1994 $30.56 $182.72 1995 $33.52 $199.09 1996 $35.58 $207.80 1997 $38.09 $221.17 National Basketball Association Team $ Tix FCI 1991-92 $23.24 $144.10 1992-93 $25.16 $158.17 1993-94 $27.12 $168.68 1994-95 $28.63 $177.12 1995-96 $31.56 $191.31 1996-97 $34.08 $203.38 National Hockey League Team $ Tix FCI 1994-95 $32.75 $193.10 1995-96 $34.75 $203.46 1996-97 $38.34 $220.72

nba.340 junior, 31 Aug 97 -> #311, nba.news

> "I was blessed health-wise and took care of myself. But I won't > be back. I'm all done playing basketball." To je mislio i Tommy Chambers pa se vratio. :) Zamislite, za 2 godine, neko pozove Parisha u ekipu, i baja se vraća u 45-oj ..

nba.341 nba.news, 31 Aug 97

Parish spent 21 years in shadows of others BOSTON (Aug 30, 1997 - 14:52 EDT) -- Red Auerbach didn't know how good a player he was getting when he traded for Robert Parish in one of basketball's most lopsided deals. And now, 17 years later, it's doubtful fans fully appreciate the achievements of the stoical center who shunned the spotlight throughout the longest playing career in NBA history. Larry Bird and Kevin McHale got the publicity. Yet the three championships they won with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s might not have been possible without the 7-foot-1 Parish, the biggest part of the Big Three frontcourt. "He was always the third man to get shots behind Larry and Kevin and he never raised a fuss," says K.C. Jones, who coached them to titles in 1984 and 1986. "I asked him about that one time and he said, 'As long as we win, it's no problem.' " Night after night, year after year, the dependable Parish was the anchor of one of the NBA's greatest teams. He ran the pick-and-roll with precision, defended with passion, lofted unstoppable jumpers and slammed down breakaway dunks. Now all that is in the past. After 21 seasons, an NBA record 1,611 games, nine All-Star appearances and selection as one of the top 50 players in history, Parish announced his retirement Monday in his typical understated way. No gala news conference. Just a matter-of-fact statement in an ESPN interview five days before his 44th birthday. "I'm all done playing basketball," he said with his usual lack of sentimentality. Parish, rarely injured and always in shape with a regimen that included yoga, began his pro career with four solid seasons with Golden State. He ended it with three seasons as a backup -- two with Charlotte and one with Chicago, where he won his fourth title but appeared in just two playoff games. The greatness occurred in between. "He's done about everything he could possibly do," Bird says. "He was so easy to play with. He was a very unselfish guy and he did whatever it took for your team to win." "He was as important as (Hakeem) Olajuwon and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar)," Jones says. "He was the quiet, intelligent man who just laid in the background and let the other guys have the limelight. But he was the foundation." The day before the 1980 draft, Auerbach, then Boston's general manager, made his move. He sent the first and 13th picks to the mediocre Warriors for Parish and the No. 3 pick overall. The Warriors chose Joe Barry Carroll and Rickey Brown. The Celtics drafted McHale. "If I said I knew how good he (Parish) would be, I'd be lying," Auerbach says. "What I did see was a guy that just kept his mouth shut and played hard. "There was nothing spectacular about his game. But you knew what you got out there, and you're going to get it every night." In the Big Three's first season, the Celtics won the championship. They did it again three years later and two years after that. Parish was just as steady: In the first 12 of his 14 seasons with Boston, his field goal percentage ranged between .535 and .598 and his scoring average held between 14.1 and 19.9 points. "He was probably the best middle-range jump shooter for a big man in the history of the game," says Bill Walton, Parish's backup when the Celtics won their last title in 1986. "What defines Robert Parish is his consistency. Chief was an absolutely terrific teammate who never got the recognition he deserved." Parish got that nickname from Boston teammate Cedric Maxwell, who saw in his stone-faced, distinguished manner a similarity to the American Indian character from the film, "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest." But there was a side of Parish the public rarely saw. "Away from the game, he was just a ball of fire," Walton says, "always playing practical jokes on the team bus." "Robert kind of stuck to himself a lot," Auerbach says. "He didn't say much but he had a dry sense of humor and when you finally got him to talk he was pretty clever." He cleverly -- and quietly -- would slip out of the locker room when reporters descended on the quotable Bird and McHale for post-game interviews. Yet in his final season with Boston -- 1993-94, after Bird and McHale had retired -- he was witty and available after games as the team's elder statesman. He also departed from his emotionally detached image when he punched Bill Laimbeer during the 1987 playoffs after a tussle under the basket with Detroit's annoying center. It cost Parish a $7,500 fine and a one-game suspension. "Robert was a very calm, competitive guy who didn't say much but did his job," Auerbach says, "but he couldn't stand a guy like Laimbeer who would blindside you." Later on, Parish faced allegations by his ex-wife that he had abused her, something Walton said was out of character for Parish. Those were uncomfortable moments of notoriety for Parish. On the court, off the court and in the locker room, he guarded his privacy as if he were defending the basket. He even kept his plan to retire quiet. He told Jones about it last month over lunch in a suburban Boston restaurant, then waited nearly six weeks to announce it. "He said he just had enough," Jones recalls. For 14 years, Parish gave the Celtics and their fans much more than enough. "He just came every day with a big smile on his face and gave his best," Walton says. "You don't win championships unless you've got guys like Robert Parish."

nba.342 nba.news, 01 Sep 97

Deals bring ominous undertones for NBA Reading the headlines, it would seem to be a great week to be a denizen of the NBA: Lenny Wilkens -- four years, $20 million. Michael Jordan -- one year, $33 million, give or take a few crumbs from Jerry Krause's last supper. Brian Grant -- seven years, $63 million. Brian Grant? But consider two stories, both emanating from Portland, that have received far less attention but bear notice. Why? For their reflection of an ominous financial situation that could result in the termination of the league's collective bargaining agreement next summer -- and a strike by the players. Within days of each other, Trail Blazers veterans Chris Dudley and Cliff Robinson signed contracts for pay cuts, rare in this age of spiraling salaries. Dudley, who opted out of a contract that was to pay him $12.8 million over the next three seasons, signed a one-year deal for the NBA minimum, $272,500. Then, Robinson, who made $3.2 million last season in the final year of a long-term deal, signed a one-year contract with Phoenix for the $1 million exception. These are two solid NBA players who, through some bad luck, bad advice and bad decisions on their own part, got screwed by the system. Dudley and his agent, Dan Fegan, chose free agency July 1, presumably because they were all but certain the veteran center would do better financially than he could in Portland. Then bad karma intervened. Detroit, with a four-year, $16 million deal in mind for Dudley, got serious about Brian Williams. Suddenly, the Pistons' offer to Dudley got smaller, which ticked Dudley off. Portland, meanwhile, reached agreement with New York and Toronto on a three-way deal that would require the Blazers to sign Dudley for a little more than $1 million. Portland then would trade him to the Knicks, who would send second-year forward John Wallace to Toronto, which would send a future first-round draft choice to Portland. Dudley, 32, was willing to go to New York because he figured that, under the Larry Bird Exception, he could then sign with the Knicks at any price after next season -- and surely they had made some promises. The Blazers were willing to cooperate because they were going to get a draft choice for a player they were going to let go. The NBA blocked the deal, however, on the grounds that the proposed trade was an attempt to circumvent the salary cap, since the Knicks weren't close to being able to pay Dudley true market value. The NBA and its Players Association have scheduled an arbitration hearing on the matter for Tuesday. Recall that Dudley and the league have gone down this road before. In 1993, Dudley -- then a free agent who had played in New Jersey -- signed a contract with Portland at far less than the Nets had offered him, with a one-year opt-out clause. The league disallowed the contract, then lost a battle in court when an arbitrator ruled in Dudley's favor. The next season, Dudley opted out and signed a six-year, $24 million deal with the Blazers. Shortly after the proposed Portland-New York-Toronto deal was 86ed by the league, Portland, which had indicated all last season to Dudley and Fegan that it wanted to retain the center, got serious with Grant, a 25-year-old, free-agent forward who had only mildly distinguished himself through three seasons in Sacramento. Portland had to renounce its rights to Dudley in order to clear room for Grant's megadeal. The Blazers, by now over the salary cap, gave Fegan and Dudley two hours to decide whether or not to accept a minimum contract, which was all they had to offer at that point. Had he declined, Dudley would have become a free agent ineligible for the Bird exception. To preserve Dudley's rights -- at least by their interpretation -- they agreed. The Blazers, incidentally, contend they have signed Dudley with the intention of keeping him. "We have no trades going," president/general manager Bob Whitsitt told the Associated Press. "We are happy with the roster we have." Added new coach Mike Dunleavy: "Things aren't always what they seem." This one is, though. Several other sources confirm the Blazers indeed had the three-way deal laid out before the NBA stepped in. If they wind up keeping Dudley at the minimum, it will be only through a very lucky chain of events for them. Dudley and Fegan are confident their Bird rights would carry with them to New York, since they had re-signed with Portland before the trade. The league contends it is an obvious circumvention of the salary cap, since the signing was made with the express purpose of trading Dudley to the Knicks, who have no cap room. The court will decide which side is right. If it rules in favor of the league, the Blazers would presumably renounce Dudley to facilitate the Grant deal. He could then go out on the free-agent market, perhaps to get a nice contract from one of the few teams with remaining cap room this year, or maybe to be rewarded during the bountiful summer of '98. Whatever, Dudley's decision to opt out was ill-advised. He gave up $12.8 million to test the waters, and he winds up at the mercy of the courts once again. There is no guarantee he will ever approach a contract worth the $4 million annually he was to make in Portland. Robinson's is an even sadder tale. A one-time All-Star with versatile skills but a history of choking in the playoffs, he could have signed an extension with Portland in 1995 that would have earned him about $12 million over the next three years. But agent Brad Marshall -- who says Whitsitt twice reneged on extension promises in recent years -- was convinced he was worth up to $12 million a season at that point. And Marshall was still talking $7 million per when Robinson, who turns 31 in December, became a free agent July 1. Not even close. "Cliff is the poster boy for the $1 million exception this summer," an agent predicted in June, and he was right. "They made a mistake," the agent said. "There was too much risk involved. They tremendously overestimated his value on the market." Marshall still believes Robinson will reap a bonanza on the free-agent market next summer. "I can't anticipate what Phoenix is going to do because we don't know," Marshall said. "We don't have any kind of a deal. We'll go out into the market. But I can say that Cliff hasn't lost anything. If he'd have signed that contract with Portland two years ago, it would have further obligated him to a contract that was undervalued. We know exactly who will be on the market next summer and what they bring to the market. Whatever he gets, we know it's going to be significantly more than if he'd signed that contract with Portland." Unless Robinson has an absolutely boffo season, that's doubtful. Teams are looking for younger talent -- look what Grant got this summer -- and Cliff will be fortunate to get more than a couple of million annually for a couple of years. The Suns can give him only $1.2 million -- a 20-percent increase -- next season. Robinson has company. Remember what happened last summer to veteran free agents, such as Walt Williams and Rex Chapman, who wound up playing for minimum contracts this season? It's a trend: Up-and-comers and reigning superstars will get taken care of; middle-echelon players will increasingly get passed by for the big bucks. "You're going to have 25 guys in the Williams/Chapman category next summer," the agent said. "The number of players who will be out there (on the free-agent market) is staggering. The great rookie class of two years ago (Kevin Garnett, Damon Stoudamire, Rasheed Wallace, et al.) is just the tip of the iceberg. The biggest young names will get a lot of money. The other guys ..." The league doesn't like what is happening, either, with the collective-bargaining agreement. League officials would like to tighten some restrictions, including those having to do with the Bird exception. They have the option to terminate the deal next summer. Though they'd rather not go through another work stoppage via a player strike, they might do it. More things to look forward to in the dollar-driven world of the NBA.

nba.343 nba.news, 02 Sep 97

T h e y e a r i n c r i m e If it wasn't for the Portland Trail Blazers, marijuana and the tax man, the NBA would be having a somewhat quiet year when it comes to crime. Below is a list of the 19 reported incidents so far this year in which players and other NBA figures were reported to have been arrested for alleged crimes, plus any cases in which the courts ruled on alleged crimes from previous years. August Philadelphia G Allen Iverson charged with marijuana possession and carrying a concealed weapon without a permit after an early-morning search of his car. He pleaded no contest to carrying a concealed weapon and was placed on three years' probation. Drug charge dismissed in plea bargain that called for him to undergo monthly drug testing for two years; he also cannot own a gun during that time. Sacramento G Gary Grant arrested and charged with battery, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct after getting into a fight with police officers outside a nightclub. July Portland F Jermaine O'Neal cited for disorderly conduct for an incident at a shopping mall in his home state of South Carolina. He received a 15-day suspended sentence. Seattle F Terry Cummings arrested with a loaded handgun in boarding area of Los Angeles International Airport. Houston G Sedale Threatt arrested for driving under the influence in Scottsdale, Ariz., after wrecking his Mercedes in a crash. Portland F Gary Trent arrested for punching another man outside Portland's Center for Self Enhancement, where the man works as a counselor. He pleaded innocent. Phoenix F Cliff Robinson, then with Portland, stopped by police in his car and cited for marijuana possession. Charges were dropped after his brother claimed responsibility and pleaded guilty. June Toronto F Marcus Camby arrested on a marijuana charge after police noticed his car drifting across a Connecticut road. He avoided prosecution by agreeing to do 16 hours of community service. Miami G Tim Hardaway cited in a police report for threatening officers who pulled him over after racing his $200,000 blue Ferrari in excess of 100 mph in a 40-mph zone. He was fined $500. Portland G Isaiah Rider arrested for possession of marijuana and four illegal cellular phones. He pleaded no contest and was placed on 18 months probation, ordered to serve 100 hours of community service and told to pay up to $3,500 in restitution. May New York F John Wallace turned himself in to police after being accused by his girlfriend of punching her in the face. Prosecutors abided by the woman's request to have the charge dropped. April NBA referee Jess Kersey indicted on tax evasion charges for allegedly failing to pay income taxes on money he saved by downgrading league-issued plane tickets. He pleaded guilty, was fined $20,000 and sentenced to three years' probation. March Denver F Eric Williams, then playing for the Boston Celtics, arrested after a state trooper trailed his car for four miles at speeds in excess of 100 mph. He paid a fine of $200; the charge of driving to endanger will be dropped if he avoids legal trouble for six months. February NBA referee Henry Armstrong indicted by federal grand jury on tax evasion charges for downgrading first-class airline tickets provided by the league to coach-class tickets, and pocketing the difference without paying taxes. NBA referee George Toliver indicted by federal grand jury on tax evasion charges for downgrading first-class airline tickets provided by the league to coach-class tickets, and pocketing the difference without paying taxes. He pleaded guilty. Atlanta G Mookie Blaylock, already on probation for marijuana possession and drunk driving, arrested in Vancouver after police found him with two ounces of marijuana as the Hawks boarded a plane. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay $35 ($28 U.S.) fine. NBA referee Mike Mathis indicted by a federal grand jury on five counts of tax fraud on charges of understating his income by $69,000 from 1989-92. January Portland F Gary Trent arrested for harassing his pregnant girlfriend in a domestic dispute in which he allegedly hit her in the face and kicked her in the ribs. He was placed on one year's probation. Portland F Gary Trent jailed again for several hours for failing to pay for or respond to repeated false burglar alarms at his home. He was fined $2,650, including $2,000 for contempt of court.

nba.344 nba.news, 02 Sep 97

1997 NBA free agents (*-Player option; **-Team option; ***-Conditional player option) Atlanta F Tyrone Corbin, F Darrin Hancock, F Henry James, F Ivano Newbill, G Eldridge Recasner. Boston F Frank Brickowski, F Marty Conlon, G Todd Day, G-F Nate Driggers, C Steve Hamer, G Michael Hawkins, C Alton Lister, C Brett Szabo. Charlotte F Rafael Addison, F Malik Rose, F Donald Royal. Chicago F Dennis Rodman, F Matt Steigenga, C Bill Wennington. Cleveland F Danny Ferry***, G Reggie Geary, F Antonio Lang, C Shawnelle Scott, G Carl Thomas, C Mark West. Dallas None. Denver G Jerome Allen, F Vincent Askew, F LaPhonso Ellis***, G Keith Jennings, G Jimmy King, G Sarunas Marciulionis, G Kenny Smith, G Brooks Thompson, F Joe Wolf**. Detroit G Litterial Green, F Rick Mahorn**, F Don Reid. Golden State G Melvin Booker, C Jon Koncak, F Marcus Mann, F Ray Owes. Houston F Matt Bullard, C Charles Jones, G Randy Livingston, F Sam Mack, G Sedale Threatt. Indiana F Darvin Ham, F Brent Scott, F-C LaSalle Thompson. L.A. Clippers C Kevin Duckworth, C Rich Manning, F Charles Outlaw, C Dwayne Schintzius. L.A. Lakers F Jerome Kersey, F George McCloud. Miami G Willie Anderson, F Ed Pinckney, F Mark Strickland. Milwaukee F Chucky Brown, F David Wood. Minnesota C Dean Garrett. New Jersey C Joe Kleine, F Xavier McDaniel, F Reggie Williams. New York G Scott Brooks. Orlando C Danny Schayes. Philadelphia C Mark Bradtke, F Adrian Caldwell, F Mark Davis, F Mark Hendrickson, G Frankie King, C Eric Montross***. Phoenix C Mike Brown, F Ben Davis, F Wayman Tisdale. Portland G Marcus Brown, G-F Mitchell Butler**, G Rumeal Robinson. Sacramento G Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf*, F Jeff Grayer, G Bobby Hurley*. San Antonio F Greg Anderson, G Vernon Maxwell, F Charles Smith*, F Monty Williams*. Seattle F Terry Cummings, F Larry Stewart. Toronto G Hubert Davis, F Martin Lewis, G John Long, C Oliver Miller, F Clifford Rozier, F Reggie Slater. Utah G Jeff Hornacek. Vancouver G Greg Anthony, F Doug Edwards*, C Eric Leckner, G Lawrence Moten. Washington G Jaren Jackson, C Gheorghe Muresan**.

nba.345 nba.news, 03 Sep 97

Suns land McCloud PHOENIX -- Free agent forward George McCloud joined his fourth NBA team in seven months Tuesday by signing a one-year contract with the Phoenix Suns. McCloud, who is entering his eighth season in the league, played the first 41 games of the 1996-97 campaign with the Dallas Mavericks before being acquired by the New Jersey Nets in a nine-player trade on Feb. 17. He was leading the Mavs in free throw percentage, steals, 3-pointers and 3-point field goal percentage prior to the deal. Three days later, he was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Joe Kleine and a pair of draft picks. In 64 total games with Dallas and L.A., he averaged 10.3 points and 2.8 rebounds and shot 39 percent from 3-point range (99-of-254). The 30-year-old was originally the seventh overall pick in the 1989 draft by Indiana and played four seasons with the Pacers before joining Dallas in 1994-95. He was the runner-up for the 1995-96 Most Improved Player award after averaging personal bests in scoring (18.9) and rebounding (4.8) and sinking a career-high 257 three-pointers. McCloud is the second free agent to join the Suns in the last week, as Clifford Robinson signed last Monday after eight years in Portland.

nba.346 nba.news, 03 Sep 97

Report: Bulls sign Joe Kleine CHICAGO -- Free agent Joe Kleine is reportedly the next in a long line of seven-footers to play for the Chicago Bulls. Kleine told KGME Radio in Phoenix Tuesday that he has signed with the Bulls, pending a physical examination. The deal would likely be for one year at the NBA minimum. Kleine, 35, began the 1996-97 season with the Phoenix Suns before being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 10 in a four-player trade. But less than a month later, Kleine was on the move again, getting dealt to the New Jersey Nets on Feb. 20 for forward George McCloud. In 59 total games last season, he averaged 2.8 points and 3.4 rebounds. Kleine was originally the sixth overall selection in the 1985 draft by Sacramento and played three-plus seasons with the Kings before being acquired by Boston in February 1989. After four-plus years with the Celtics, he signed as a free agent with Phoenix in 1993. The Bulls, who did not confirm the report, have thrived with an interchangeable group of centers over the past 10-plus years. Last year's squad included Luc Longley, Bill Wennington, Robert Parish and Brian Williams. Parish has retired, Wennington is a free agent and Williams signed with the Detroit Pistons.

nba.347 nba.news, 03 Sep 97

Pacers' Antonio Davis has right knee repaired INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana forward-center Antonio Davis, the only Pacer to appear in all 82 games last season, underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee on Tuesday. Team physician Dr. Sanford Kunkel, who performed the procedure at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, said, "We anticipate him beginning light workouts in seven to 10 days and we're hopeful he'll be at full speed by the start of training camp (on Oct. 3)." Davis, who is entering his fourth year with the Pacers, averaged career highs of 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds last season. He also led the team with 84 blocked shots, tying his personal best set in 1993-94. He was a second-round draft pick by Indiana in 1990, but elected to play in Greece for two seasons.

nba.348 nba.news, 03 Sep 97

Jordan says Bulls will have harder time winning another title CHICAGO (Sep 2, 1997 - 14:45 EDT) -- Michael Jordan says another NBA championship will be harder this season but within the grasp of the Chicago Bulls. "Mentally, we're so much stronger than other teams," he said in an interview published Tuesday in the Chicago Sun-Times. "We know what it takes to win, we know the work involved and we have the confidence because we've had success. That allows us to overcome some things that might stop other teams." Nonetheless, he said, "I think it's going to be harder without a doubt." Jordan minimized speculation this will be Scottie Pippen's final season with the Bulls. Pippen has said he doesn't think the team will be willing to pay him what he believes he is worth when his contract expires next year. "I've always believed that Jerry (Reinsdorf, the Bulls' Bulls' chairman) would take care of myself. I don't have any doubts that Jerry is going to take care of Scottie when the time comes. I know that Jerry has a lot of respect for Scottie and what he's meant to this team." Jordan last month agreed to another record-setting one-year contract, worth $33 million. Jordan has campaigned for re-signing Dennis Rodman, but hopes the bad-boy rebounder returns with a new sense of dedication. "I'd like to see him limit his distractions as much as possible and avoid the suspensions and ejections he had last season," Jordan said. Rodman, 36, lost much of what was supposed to be $9 million in salary last season because he was suspended three times. Jordan dodged commenting on whether this would be his final season if coach Phil Jackson leaves. Jordan has said he won't play for any other coach. "At this point of my career, I don't want to look too far into the future," Jordan said. "I just want Phil to do what he feels is best for him."

nba.349 nba.news, 04 Sep 97

Bulls sign free agent C Joe Kleine to one-year deal CHICAGO -- Free agent Joe Kleine signed a one-year contract today with the defending champion Chicago Bulls, filling the roster spot vacated last week by the retired Robert Parish. Terms were not disclosed, although the deal is believed to be for the NBA minimum of $272,500. The 35-year-old Kleine made $1.235 million last season, playing for three teams. "I am looking forward to having my best chance ever to be on a world championship team," Kleine said. "I am joining an organization that knows how to win and I am eager to prove that I can be an asset to this organization." A member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, Kleine began the 1996-97 season with the Phoenix Suns before he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on January 10th in a four-player deal. Less than a month later, Kleine was on the move again, getting dealt to the New Jersey Nets on February 20th for forward George McCloud. In 59 games last season, Kleine averaged 2.8 points and 3.4 rebounds. He originally was chosen sixth overall by Sacramento in the 1985 draft and played three-plus seasons with the Kings before being acquired by Boston in February 1989. He signed as a free agent with Phoenix in 1993. The Bulls have won five championships in the last seven seasons with an interchangeable group of centers. Last year's big men were Luc Longley, Bill Wennington, Brian Williams and Parish. Parish, the all-time leader in games played, retired last week. Wennington is a free agent and Williams signed with the Detroit Pistons. "Joe is exactly what we have been looking for as we sought to add another veteran center to our team," Bulls vice president Jerry Krause said. "He is strong, a fine post defender and shoots from the spots on the floor that are key to his position in our system. Joe is an extremely knowledgeable player and has an outstanding work ethic."

nba.350 nba.news, 04 Sep 97

Sixers stabilize bench by keeping Davis PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers kept one of their best bench players by re-signing free agent forward Mark Davis on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The 6-foot-7 Davis averaged 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 75 games last season, leading the bench in scoring 16 times. He started the final 13 games and averaged 14 points and 6.8 rebounds in that span. "Any time you have the chance to re-sign a quality person and player, you have to be excited," said vice president of basketball administration Billy King. "Mark's versatility and defensive prowess will complement the players we have on our roster." Davis, 24, was a second-round draft pick by Minnesota in 1995 and averaged 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 57 games during his rookie season with the Timberwolves.

nba.351 nba.news, 04 Sep 97

76ers expected to sign Terry Cummings PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to announce the signing of free-agent veteran forward Terry Cummings at a news conference Thursday. The 76ers have scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m. ET to announce an undisclosed player signing. An unidentified source and a report in the Philadelphia Daily News indicated that it would be Cummings, a 15-year veteran who spent the second half of last season with the Seattle SuperSonics. Cummings, 36, averaged 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds in 45 games with the SuperSonics. He is a two-time All-Star who also has played for the San Diego Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and San Antonio Spurs. Cummings made a prorated minimum salary last season. Because the Sixers are over the salary cap, Cummings would be entitled to just $272,500, unless he is offered the club's $1 million salary cap exemption. While with the Spurs, the 6-9 Cummings played for new Sixers coach Larry Brown. He reportedly was to meet with Brown on Tuesday night. His signing would come one day after the Sixers re-signed forward Mark Davis to a one-year, $326,700 deal. The second overall pick in the 1982 draft, Cummings has career averages of 17.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in 1,037 games. He was the 1983 Rookie of the Year and averaged no less than 17.3 points per game his first 10 seasons. An ordained minister, Cummings made headlines this summer when he was arrested and briefly jailed for possession of a handgun at a California airport.

nba.352 nba.news, 04 Sep 97

Wizards' Strickland arrested, charged with DUI WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Rod Strickland of the Washington Wizards was released from jail Wednesday after his arrest on charges of drunken driving and disorderly conduct. The 31-year-old point guard appeared briefly in court and pleaded innocent. He faces trial Jan. 21. Strickland's lawyer, Billy Martin, said his client had been treated "unfairly" and should not have been jailed overnight. "I think he was charged as a result of driving an expensive Mercedes- Benz," said Martin, adding Strickland will plead innocent. "... He was charged because of who he is. Most people who are arrested and charged with DUI or refusing to take a Breathalizer are released from the station." Police said Strickland was stopped early Wednesday after making an illegal left turn in downtown Washington and became a "little disorderly." He is also charged with failing to show his driver's license. Strickland refused a sobriety test. In court, Strickland, wearing a gray, short-sleeved shirt and blue pants, stood with his hands clasped behind his back. When asked if he understood the charges, he responded "yes" in a low voice. As Strickland waited his turn, a defendant in another case recognized him and shook his hand. Strickland left by a back door and would not comment. He got into a black BMW with several other people. Wizards general manager Wes Unseld, who had not spoken with his player, said the matter is not one the team would "take lightly." "Until we have further information surrounding these events, we will have no other comment," he said. Martin, who has represented Wizard's forward Juwan Howard and Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson, has requested a jury trial. Howard was arrested last November and charged with drunken driving. Howard agreed to enter an alcohol rehabilitation and education program, after which the charge was dropped. Strickland pleaded guilty in April 1996 to hitting a former girlfriend and was ordered to attend a program for batterers. He was acquitted of a battery charge filed in 1994 when he and a teammate got in a shoving match with a truck driver in a Chicago parking lot. Strickland was a first-round draft pick of the Knicks in 1988. After two seasons in New York he was traded to San Antonio. He left the Spurs in a dispute with management and signed as a free agent with Portland. He was acquired by Washington a year ago and has become one of the team's top three players. He was a major factor in the team making the playoffs last season, averaging 17.2 points and 8.9 assists a game.

nba.355 nba.news, 04 Sep 97

Recovery time The car crash that killed Princess Diana over the weekend rang familiar with Toronto Raptors center Sharone Wright. "It was the same car," Wright told the Toronto Sun. "A Mercedes-Benz S600. I thought about it then and I think about it now. How come I lived? Five weeks ago in Georgia, Wright, with two of his friends, was driving too fast and rolled his car three times after he swerved to avoid hitting a dog. Wright said he looked down to see the bone sticking out of his arm. "I started breathing really quick and kind of went into shock," he said. Wright is still unsure if he'll play in the NBA again. He said he has no feeling in his fingers, hands and arms. Two iron rods are holding his broken left shoulder in place, and he has another iron rod in his left arm. He has glass in one eye and fragments of glass in his back. His left elbow was crushed. His left knee was injured. "It hurts all the time," said Wright, who was projected to start at center for the Raptors this season. "It's hard ... it's like being a doctor and having someone cut your arms off.

nba.353 nba.news, 04 Sep 97

Still no decision in Blazers-Dudley arbitration case PORTLAND, Ore. -- The fate of Portland Trail Blazers center Chris Dudley is still being determined by an arbitrator and a ruling is not expected Wednesday night, a league spokesman said. NBA arbitrator Kenneth Dam heard arguments Tuesday and Wednesday from the NBA and the NBA Players Association regarding the validity of a trade that would send him to the New York Knicks. The issue at stake would be Dudley's status for the off-season after the 1997-98 season. Dudley, who was a free agent this off-season, signed a one-year deal for the league minimum of $272,000 with the Trail Blazers. He was supposed to be dealt to the Knicks, who likely would sign him to a larger contract the next off-season as per the "Larry Bird" rule, which allows teams to re-sign their free agents at any cost without it counting against the salary cap. Dudley's agent, Dan Fegan, said the center agreed to the deal with the team after Portland general manager Bob Whitsitt promised he would be traded, along with the Bird rights. Whitsitt, who was at Tuesday's hearing, hasn't acknowledged any such agreement. A decision by arbitrator Kenneth Dam, a University of Chicago law professor, is expected to take a week to 10 days, at which time both sides can appeal. If Dudley does not have Bird rights when he goes to the Knicks, all he could get next year is a 20 percent increase on his current agreement because New York is over the $26.9 million salary cap. The league already has voided one such contract. Malik Sealy signed a one-year deal for the league minimum with the Los Angeles Clippers, who then traded him to the Miami Heat. The deal contained the clause that would allow Sealy to be a free agent after the 1997-98 season. The league vetoed the trade, and Sealy wound up signing a $1 million salary cap exemption deal with the Detroit Pistons. It is unknown if the decision will affect this case.

nba.354 nba.news, 04 Sep 97

Sixers to Coleman: Freedom has its price Now that we have entered the drip-drip-drip phase of the offseason, we'll bring you up to date on all the NBA minutiae brought to our attention over the last few weeks: The Sixers seemed to have gotten through to Derrick Coleman: Freedom has its price. If Coleman wants out, they've been telling him, he'd better scale down his contract to make himself more attractive to potential suitors. So Coleman's agent -- whose client still has two years' pay coming to him, at $8 million this coming season and $13 million in '98-99 -- proposed a buyout. It's still being discussed, and it has consequently resurrected trade talks with Detroit, Chicago, and Miami. The Hornets are quickly becoming the CBA Alumni Association -- David Wesley, Anthony Mason, and Bobby Phills have all served time there. This gave Mason a common ground when he took part in the Phills recruitment process. "He reminds me a lot of myself: When he first showed up, the NBA said, 'Puh-leeze, we aren't even entertaining the idea of keeping you," said the Hornets' meal ticket, alluding to Phills' being cut by Milwaukee in his rookie season. "He showed a lot of determination to get this far." And $33 million later, the shooting guard may help Charlotte become the most improved team in the East this coming season. Rick Fox is in LA now, and that's not so bad. But he could have remained a Celtic if not for "a total ineptness in understanding the cap rules," according to agent Bill Strickland. In short, Strickland explained, Boston could have accomplished its free agent goals this summer and still not renounce Fox, who was arguably their best all-around player. If you're keeping score, the league has already vetoed one sign-and-trade deal depriving a free agent of his right to play in the city of his choice. Earlier this summer, the Clippers signed Malik Sealy to a one-year, $272,000 deal, with the proviso that he would retain his Larry Bird rights and be traded to Miami. The league nixed it, and Sealy subsequently signed a $1 million deal with Detroit. Speaking of the Pistons, they're as interested as anyone in how the Chris Dudley arbitration case shakes out. If he's declared free once again, they'll reiterate their $4-million-per-year commitment to him. If he declines again, they'll try to put all their eggs in Dean Garrett's basket. The amount of guaranteed money wasn't the only holdup in the Nick Anderson deal. Orlando management and agent Bill Pollak also spent time haggling over the existence of a morals clause, which is standard in most NBA contracts and allows teams to terminate a deal in the event of -- here's a term to pass along to the kids -- "moral turpitude." They continued to bicker over it even after the deal was sealed: Magic president Bob Vander Wiede said it was a minor disagreement over a major issue; Pollak called the Magic "unprofessional," and stated that he had never seen a morals clause such as the one Orlando tried to insert into the contract. The Cavaliers, who are learning how hard it is to bring free agents to Cleveland, have in fact inquired about Shawn Kemp. Problem is, there's not a single player on the Cleveland roster that the Sonics would want, and don't think they're so desperate as to settle for the two unproven centers (VItaly Potapenko, Zydrunas Ilgauskas) in return, as has been widely rumored. The Cavs are also trying to get their hooks into Joe Smith, but they'd probably have to part with Terrell Brandon to get it done. Notorious malcontent Ken Norman, who has two years and $7 million left on his contract with Atlanta, has informed his team that he'd like to negotiate a buyout so he could retire and do nothing for the rest of his life in his hometown of Chicago. Needless to say, this took the Hawks by surprise, as they had believed Norman already was retired and doing nothing with his life in his hometown of Chicago. Scattershooting If you missed it, George McCloud signed with Phoenix for the minimum last week -- that makes it four teams (with the Mavs, Nets, and Lakers) in eight months. . . . Now that John Crotty appears headed for Portland (pending the completion of the Dudley case), what does Miami do for a backup point? Among the names that have come up are Greg Anthony, Eldridge Recasner, and Spud Webb. . . . By request, here's a list of Bulls with guaranteed contracts after the season: Randy Brown, Ron Harper, Toni Kukoc, and Dickey Simpkins. That adds up to $12.6 million, leaving about $17 million for the Post Jordan Rebuilding Project, assuming Scottie Pippen bolts to free agency or is traded for another expiring contract. . . . Taking the obligatory parting shot at the Clippers, Sealy's first words upon signing with Detroit were, "It's nice to be back in the NBA.". . . If we were cynical, we'd say that Pippen's ongoing foot pain is another way of saying, "Better not trade for me, or this thing might not heal until next summer." You know, if we were cynical. . . . Call this a warning from Jerry West, who said after the Fox signing, "I'll be candid with you. We have a championship-caliber team. Period." End quote. . . . Citizens of Toronto, lock the fridge: The Raptors are still mulling the idea of inviting Oliver Miller to camp next month, as a stopgap for Sharone Wright's absence.

nba.356 nba.news, 05 Sep 97

Mavs sign Hubert Davis DALLAS -- Free-agent guard Hubert Davis joined his third NBA team in as many seasons when he signed a six-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. Terms were not disclosed, but the Dallas Morning News reported the deal is worth $4.5 million. The newspaper said the package starts at $500,000 for the first season and leaves the Mavericks roughly $600,000 under the salary cap. Davis, 27, played last season for the Toronto Raptors after four seasons with the New York Knicks. In Dallas, Davis is reunited with Mavericks general manager Don Nelson, his former coach with the Knicks during most of the 1995-96 season. "We're glad to have Hubert," Nelson said. "He's one of the better shooters in the league. Having coached him, I know he has great character and a great work ethic. We hope he'll be a Maverick for a long time." Davis was slowed by injuries and averaged 5.0 points in 17.3 minutes over 36 games for the Raptors last season. He missed 21 games with a bone contusion in his right knee and the final 14 games with a left ankle sprain. A first-round draft choice of the Knicks in 1992, Davis averaged 10.5 points on 48 percent shooting in his final three seasons in New York. He shot 44.9 percent from 3-point range in his New York career and has a career scoring average of 9.0 points per game. Davis will join a backcourt that includes Robert Pack, Erick Strickland, Derek Harper and Khalid Reeves.

nba.357 nba.news, 05 Sep 97

Cummings signs with Sixers PHILADELPHIA (Sep 4, 1997 - 20:39 EDT) -- The Philadelphia 76ers have signed power forward Terry Cummings to a two-year contract reportedly worth $2.15 million. The 6-foot-9 Cummings, a 15-year NBA veteran, played with Seattle last season, averaging 8.2 points per game and 4.1 rebounds in 45 games. Cummings has played for four other NBA teams, including a stint with San Antonio, where he was coached by the current 76ers coach, Larry Brown. "One of the major reasons I (came) with Philadelphia is my relationship with Larry Brown," Cummings said Thursday. Cummings, 36, also said he was interested in working with the young players on the Philadelphia team. "I feel like I've been born to lead," he said. "This is a very young team with a lot of talent, and I'm looking forward to helping this team win." For his career, Cummings has averaged 17.7 points and 7.7 rebounds.

nba.358 nba.news, 05 Sep 97

Jazz sign second-round pick Erdmann to make-good deal SALT LAKE CITY (Sep 4, 1997 - 20:39 EDT) -- The Utah Jazz have signed Nate Erdmann, their second-round draft pick from Oklahoma, filling out the team's 12-man roster with the notable absence of last season's starting shooting guard Jeff Hornacek. But Hornacek doesn't have to worry about job security. Erdmann signed a make-good contract, meaning to earn the NBA rookie minimum of $240,000, he has to play his way onto the team. Hornacek has assured he will return to Utah and is expected to be in training camp Oct. 3. That means the only way for Erdmann to make the team would be for the Jazz to trade, cut or place one of their players on the injured list. Hornacek made $2.4 million last year and averaged 14.5 points and 4.4 assists. The Jazz picked Erdmann, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, with the 57th pick of the draft. In his senior season at Oklahoma, Erdmann averaged 20.5 points, 3.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.

nba.359 nba.news, 05 Sep 97

Schrempf out 6-8 weeks after hand surgery SEATTLE -- Seattle SuperSonics All-Star forward Detlef Schrempf underwent surgery Thursday to repair a bone in his left hand and his status for the start of the regular season is uncertain. He is expected to be out of action six to eight weeks, the team said. The Sonics open training camp Oct. 3, the first exhibition game is Oct. 10 and the regular season opens Oct. 31. Schrempf, 34, broke the third metacarpal bone on his non-shooting hand on Feb. 5 in a game against Utah. He reinjured the hand in an exhibition game last month in Japan. He was limited to 61 games last season, missing time with a partially torn tendon in his right foot. He averaged 16.8 points and 6.5 rebounds, and he shot 35 percent from 3-point range. Schrempf is entering his fifth season with Seattle after three-plus years with Dallas and four-plus in Indiana. He is a two-time winner of the Sixth Man Award and played in his third All-Star Game in February after being selected as an injury replacement.

nba.360 nba.news, 05 Sep 97

Third NBA official pleads guilty in tax case NORFOLK, Va. (Sep 4, 1997 - 20:39 EDT) -- NBA referee Henry Armstrong pleaded guilty Thursday to filing false federal income tax returns, the third game official convicted on the charge since July 30. Armstrong, 55, an NBA official for nine years, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court. Armstrong lives in nearby Virginia Beach; his phone was not listed. Jesse Kersey, an NBA referee for 24 years, and nine-year veteran George Toliver also have pleaded guilty. Both resigned shortly afterward. The NBA said it did not know if Armstrong planned to resign. Another referee, Mike Mathis of Cincinnati, Ohio, is awaiting trial on similar charges. He was suspended with pay pending the outcome. All four referees were accused of exchanging first-class airline tickets supplied by the league for cheaper seats, then pocketing the difference without reporting the gain as income. Prosecutors say Armstrong concealed $160,464 in income from downgrading the tickets. He could face three years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on Dec. 2. Kersey and Toliver also await sentencing. Armstrong admitted using several means to conceal income generated from downgrading seats, including obtaining bogus airline receipts and invoices from a travel agent. Armstrong reported the higher expenses of the bogus tickets to his tax preparer and to the IRS, overstating expenses and understating income on his federal tax returns.

nba.361 nba.news, 05 Sep 97

Suns' honesty has players coming back for more By itself, the Suns' recent signing of swingman George McCloud is no watershed moment in the franchise's history. By the end of last season, McCloud's value had dipped so much in the view of Lakers coach Del Harris that the 3-point ace was left off Los Angeles' playoff roster. Instead, McCloud's free-agent signing with the Suns is significant because it continues a legacy of Phoenix landing the salary-cap disadvantaged at a fraction of their market value, a pattern of faith that Suns president Jerry Colangelo will do right by his players. Because of that type of bond found so rarely in sports between employee and employer, the Suns have been able to land players such as McCloud, Cliff Robinson and Rex Chapman this off-season on faith -- rather than on funds. It all started on Sept. 3, 1994, when Phoenix got forward Danny Manning to bolt from the Hawks as a free agent for little more than a $1 million, one-year free-agent contract -- far less than Manning's market value after he had helped lead Atlanta to a division title. At the time, Manning could have received far more elsewhere, from the Hawks and Heat among others. But implicit in the Suns' bid was a vow that he would be taken care of the following season, when the salary cap would not have such a severe stranglehold on the Suns. Manning blew out his knee in that initial season with the Suns -- but he still got his Phoenix payoff. The Suns' way of doing business was enough last summer to get Chapman to sign for the league minimum of $247,500 and then accept no more than $327,000 for this season. As a free agent with two years' experience with the same team, Chapman knows his next Phoenix payday will be for about $2.5 million in '98-99. Similarly, McCloud understood that while a $272,250 contract hardly is market value in today's NBA, he, too, would have a chance to get his down the road from the Suns. There are few franchise's in all of sports that are as consistent in their treatment of their players. As for Robinson, his acceptance of a one-year, $1 million offer from the Suns also has plenty to do with the promise of future riches. With the Suns to drop well below the salary cap next off-season, Robinson could recoup plenty of the free-agent money he left on the table this off-season. "There were offers for more money,'' Robinson said, "but nothing I was comfortable with.'' For the Suns, the immediate impact will be an undersized but not underscoring team. The points should flow in Danny Ainge's offense, perhaps providing as entertaining, if not as efficient, a show as during the Barkley Era. "We really have a chance to do something now,'' Ainge said after the addition of Robinson. "I don't look at this as a transition year.'' Then, when Kevin Johnson finally departs following this coming season, the Suns may yet land the big man that can make their roster complete. With only Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and Manning under contract after this season, the Suns could have upwards of $15 million to spend on free agents in '98. Until then, it's all about a leap of faith for many who have jumped without a financial safety net. But with Phoenix, there is little risk in the leap, just a history of making good to its players when the time is right. Did Mookie do the right thing? Even with spending expected to be particularly aggressive on the free-agent market in the '98 off-season, Hawks point guard Mookie Blaylock still thought it prudent to re-up now. For that, Rod Strickland, Travis Best and the rest of the '98 free-agent class of point guards should offer thanks. While the four-year, $18 million extension Blaylock recently accepted from Atlanta sounds impressive, it starts with a relatively mundane $600,000 raise from this coming season's $3 million salary. Blaylock, however, sought the extension before last season and was eager to finally get Hawks management to come around. With one less competitor on the free-agent market, Blaylock's signing should open the door for lesser-talented peers to possibly earn more next off-season, when teams such as Milwaukee and Denver should be in the market for point guards. Tip-ins The Suns become McCloud's fourth team in less than a season. He started last season in Dallas, literally spent a day in New Jersey, and then was shoved to the end of the Lakers' bench. In Phoenix, though, he should find the type of attack that made him so efficient in Dallas' pre-Jimmy Cleamons offense, now that he has been reunited with Kidd ... The Bulls' signing of Joe Kleine continues a recent Chicago trend of adding reserve centers quicker with their wit than their talents. Kleine continues a legacy that has included Cliff Levingston, Will Perdue and John Salley during Chicago's championship run in the '90s. Robert Parish, the stoic Chief, clearly was the exception to that legacy.

nba.362 nba.news, 06 Sep 97

Nuggets sign free-agent C Dean Garrett, release two DENVER -- The Denver Nuggets continued their massive rebuilding project today by signing free-agent center Dean Garrett, who had been with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Terms were not disclosed, but ESPN is reporting the deal is worth $14 million over five years. Garrett made the NBA minimum of $247,500 last season, when he averaged 8.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 68 games as a 30-year-old rookie. New vice president of basketball operations Allan Bristow has used the off-season to entirely overhaul the Nuggets, who were 21-61 last season. He acquired improving forward Eric Williams in a trade with the Boston Celtics and three first-round picks in separate deals. After seven years in Europe, the 6-10 Garrett began last season as a reserve but soon stepped into the starting lineup for the foul-prone Stojko Vrankovic. Playing on a front line that included All-Stars Tom Gugliotta and Kevin Garnett, he scored a season-high 25 points against Vancouver on February 19th and grabbed 20 rebounds against San Antonio on January 31st. In a three-game, first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Houston Rockets, Garrett was matched up against Hakeem Olajuwon and averaged 12.7 points and 11.7 rebounds, with 26 points and 15 rebounds in Game Three. "We are pleased to add Dean to our front line," Bristow said. "He's an outstanding scorer inside and gives us a tenacious rebounder. We are pleased with his maturity and think he will be an excellent addition." Garrett was a member of the 1987 Indiana University team that won the national championship. He was a 1988 second-round pick of the Phoenix Suns but opted to play in Europe. He played six seasons in Italy before jumping to PAOK in the Greek League for the 1995-96 campaign. To clear salary cap room for Garrett, forward Tom Hammonds was waived and the rights to free-agent guard Brooks Thompson were renounced. Hammonds made $1.07 million last season and Thompson received $1.18 million. The Nuggets have renounced all of their free agents except guard Anthony Goldwire, who was re-signed.

nba.363 nba.news, 06 Sep 97

Magic sign free-agent F Outlaw, second-round pick Lawson ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Orlando Magic bolstered their frontcourt today, signing free-agent forward Bo Outlaw and center-forward Jason Lawson, a second-round draft pick. Terms of both contracts were undisclosed, but the Magic reportedly offered their $1 million salary cap exemption to Outlaw, who made $600,000 with the Los Angeles Clippers last season. One of the hardest-working players in the NBA, the 6-8 Outlaw averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 82 games. Despite often playing out of position at center, he has missed just three games in three seasons since signing as a free agent with the Clippers in 1994. "Bo is one of the better shot blockers from the forward position in the league," Magic general manager John Gabriel said. "Last season, he ranked in the top 10 in blocked shots per minute. His presence will be felt immediately on the defensive end of the court." The 6-8 Outlaw brings athleticism to the Magic frontcourt, something they lacked last year when forward Horace Grant went down with an injury. Outlaw joins a frontcourt that includes Grant, forwards Derek Strong and Amal McCaskill and center Rony Seikaly. The 6-11 Lawson was chosen 42nd overall by Denver and acquired by Orlando in a draft-day trade. He averaged 12.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game as a senior at Villanova and was named Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He set the single-season school record with 105 blocks last season. "We're delighted about signing our second-round selection Jason Lawson," Gabriel added. "He has great defensive skills and is a tremendous shot-blocker. He also is flexible and can play at the power forward and center positions. I'm excited about his addition to our lineup."

nba.364 nba.news, 06 Sep 97

Kings waive Grant, Fish SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento Kings on Friday waived guard Gary Grant and center Matt Fish, both of whom were obtained in a trade with the Miami Heat last month. The Kings, who open training camp Oct. 3, traded center Duane Causwell to the Heat on Aug. 12 in exchange for Grant, Fish and a conditional second-round draft pick. Grant, 32, averaged 3.9 points, 1.6 assists and 1.4 rebounds playing just 28 games last season due to back surgery on Jan. 30. The former Michigan standout played his first seven NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers before moving on to the New York Knicks for 1995-96. He has averaged 8.1 points, 5.7 assists and 1.54 steals in 521 regular-season games. Fish, 27, played in just six games with Miami last season. The 6-foot-11 center has averaged 3.9 points on 50.4 percent shooting and 2.3 rebounds in 45 games over three NBA campaigns with the Heat, Denver Nuggets, Knicks and Clippers. Causwell averaged 2.6 points and 2.8 boards in 46 games for Sacramento last season.

nba.365 nba.news, 06 Sep 97

Dudley's arbitration hearing ends after 3 days NEW YORK -- An arbitration hearing to determine the fate of Portland Trail Blazers center Chris Dudley concluded Thursday night following three days of testimony. NBA arbitrator Kenneth Dam heard arguments from both the NBA and the NBA Players Association regarding the validity of a trade that would send Dudley to the New York Knicks. A decision is expected within the next few days. The issue at stake would be Dudley's status for the off-season following the 1997-98 season. Dudley, who was a free agent this off-season, signed a one-year deal for the league minimum of $272,000 with the Blazers. He was supposed to be dealt to the Knicks, who likely would sign him to a larger contract the next off-season as per the "Larry Bird" rule, which allows teams to re-sign their free agents at any cost without it counting against the salary cap. The league already has voided one such contract. Malik Sealy signed a one-year deal for the league minimum with the Los Angeles Clippers, who then traded him to the Miami Heat. The deal contained the clause that would allow Sealy to be a free agent following the 1997-98 season. The league vetoed the trade, and Sealy wound up signing a $1 million salary cap exemption deal with the Detroit Pistons. It is unknown if the decision will affect this case.

nba.366 nba.news, 07 Sep 97

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 Jon Barry, g LA Lakers Atlanta undisclosed John Crotty, g Portland Miami undisclosed Terry Cummings, f Philadelphia Seattle 2 years, $2.15 million Michael Curry, g Milwaukee Detroit 2 years, $1.05 million Hubert Davis, g Dallas Toronto 6 years, $4.5 million Terry Dehere, g Sacramento LA Clippers undisclosed Andrew DeClercq, f-c Boston Golden State 5 years, $8.4 million Tyus Edney, g Boston Sacramento undisclosed James Forrest, f LA Lakers Europe undisclosed Rick Fox, f LA Lakers Boston 1 year, $1 million Dean Garrett, c Denver Minnesota undisclosed Brian Grant, f Portland Sacramento 7 years, $63 million Stephen Howard, f Seattle Utah undisclosed Joe Kleine, c Chicago New Jersey 1 year, undisclosed Travis Knight, c Boston LA Lakers 7 years, $22 million Tony Massenburg, f Boston New Jersey undisclosed George McCloud, f Phoenix LA Lakers 1 year, undisclosed Chris Mills, g-f Boston Cleveland 6 years, $26 million Terry Mills, f Miami Detroit 2 years, $2.15 million Bo Outlaw, f-c Orlando LA Clippers undisclosed Bobby Phills, g Charlotte Cleveland 7 years, $33 million J.R. Reid, f Charlotte Europe undisclosed Cliff Robinson, f Phoenix Portland 1 year, $1 million James Robinson, g LA Clippers Minnesota undisclosed Malik Sealy, g Detroit LA Clippers 1 year, $1 million David Wesley, g Charlotte Boston 7 years, $22 million Brian Williams, f-c Detroit Chicago 7 years, $45 million FREE AGENTS SIGNING TO PLAY WITH THEIR PREVIOUS TEAM PLAYER TEAM TERMS Nick Anderson, g-f Orlando 6 years, $40 million Shandon Anderson, f Utah 2 years, $2.5 million David Benoit, f New Jersey undisclosed Mark Bryant, f Phoenix 2 years, undisclosed Antoine Carr, f Utah 1 year, $1.6 million Sam Cassell, g New Jersey 6 years, $21 million Rex Chapman, g Phoenix 1 year, undisclosed Emanual Davis, g Houston undisclosed Mark Davis, f Philadelphia undisclosed Chris Dudley, c Portland 1 year, $272,000 Joe Dumars, g Detroit undisclosed Howard Eisley, g Utah 3 years, $4 million 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 Michael Jordan, g Chicago 1 year, $33 million Tim Legler, g Washington undisclosed Voshon Lenard, g Miami 6 years, $21 million 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, $20 million Kevin Salvadori, c Sacramento undisclosed Eric Snow, g Seattle 2 years, undisclosed Erick Strickland, g Dallas 6 years, $14 million 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 David Wingate, g-f Seattle 1 year, undisclosed

nba.367 nba.news, 08 Sep 97

Arbitrator approves Dudley deal; NBA appeals NEW YORK -- The proposed trade that would send center Chris Dudley from the Portland Trail Blazers to the New York Knicks is valid, an arbitrator ruled Sunday, saying it was not an attempt to circumvent the salary cap. "It's a major victory for the association and the player," said Bill Hunter, executive director of the National Basketball Players Association. "The players have abided by the agreement and the arbitrator ruled that our interpretation was correct." Arbitrator Kenneth Dam also ruled that Dudley should be paid the $1.13 million salary he originally was offered, not the NBA minimum $272,250, Hunter said. The NBA, which filed an appeal Sunday, was expected to ask Dam on Monday to stay his ruling until after the appeal is heard. Hunter said the union will ask for Dam to allow the deal to proceed immediately. Knicks general manager Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement that he was pleased by the ruling. "I understand that the league has appealed the decision, which is their right," Grunfeld said. "We will abide by any decisions of arbitrator Dam and the appeals panel." Under the collective bargaining agreement, the deal cannot be completed until after the appeal is ruled on. At issue is whether Dudley -- who opted out of a contract with three years and $13 million remaining on it to sign a minimum-salary deal with the Trail Blazers -- could retain his Larry Bird exception-rule rights. The rule gives a player who plays three or more years with the same team the ability to re-sign with his current team, regardless of the salary cap. It would grant Dudley the right to secure a long-term deal with the Knicks after playing for the minimum salary this season. If Dudley had not retained his Bird rights, the Knicks -- who are over the salary cap -- would only have been allowed to give Dudley a 20-percent raise on his $272,250 salary. Last month, the league voided the deal, which also consists of the Knicks sending forward John Wallace to Toronto for a draft pick, which would then be sent to Portland. The NBA ruled it was an attempt to evade the salary cap. The 6-foot-11 Dudley would provide important depth in the frontcourt for New York, backing up Patrick Ewing at the pivot. He also may play some at power forward if coach Jeff Van Gundy opts for a taller lineup. Dudley, 32, is a strong rebounder and shot-blocker. He has averaged 7.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in only 20.8 minutes per game during his 10-year career with Cleveland, New Jersey and Portland.

nba.368 nba.news, 08 Sep 97

Gunman opens fire at Scott's party; two wounded TYSONS CORNER, Va. -- A gunman opened fire at a hotel during a 29th birthday party for NBA player Dennis Scott early Sunday, leaving two guests hospitalized in serious condition. Police said the party for the Orlando Magic forward, which was attended by some 1,000 revelers, was held Saturday night at the Sheraton Premiere Hotel in Tysons Corner, outside of Washington. A 21-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man from Oxon Hill, Md., were wounded in the shooting and admitted to Fairfax Hospital. Authorities have no description of the gunman, and Scott was not charged. The hotel had been contracted by Ju-Ju Productions, which charged admission to partygoers, and a dozen county police officers were hired to provide security, said Lt. Mike Fish, a spokesman for Fairfax County police. After the ballroom was filled to capacity, no further guests were allowed in the hotel. A crowd of several hundred people who had tickets gathered outside the hotel, rushed the ballroom doors and overwhelmed the officers, Fish said. Several fights broke out as the officers called for assistance and the party was shut down. It has not been an easy off-season for the NBA veteran Scott. In July, he had to apologize for an outburst before a group of children at his basketball camp in Sterling, Va. The outburst followed a question about whether Scott has ever used drugs. Scott had backed a sports utility vehicle onto a basketball court and, while explicit rap music blared from the rear, he threatened to sit out next season because, among other things, he's underpaid. "Don't ask me for my autograph, because 28 years ago, I was broke. You ask for my autograph now because I've got millions of dollars. Do not ask me for my autograph. Ask me to explain the rage that exists inside of me," Scott said in a scene caught on videotape at the camp. Magic general manager John Gabriel had said Scott's behavior and comments were unacceptable. He added that Scott had not asked to be traded. "I asked him if he wanted to play for us and his answer was 'Yes, I want to stand behind my obligations and play,"' Gabriel said in July. But Scott, who is scheduled to earn $3 million in the final season of a three-year contract, told sportscaster Ryan Baker, of WCPX-TV in Orlando, in a telephone interview that month that he is ready to move on. "You all want to talk about me and not respect me and talk about trades behind my back year in and year out, well I don't want to be here," Scott told Baker, with whom he co-hosted a weekly highlights show last season. "I'd rather go somewhere and play for a little bit of money where I feel wanted or sit out the whole year." Also in July, The Tampa Tribune reported that Scott's days with the Magic could be numbered. "If we can do it, No. 3 (Scott's uniform number) is out of here," a source who requested anonymity told the newspaper.

nba.369 nba.news, 08 Sep 97

NBA players raise plenty for charity SEATTLE (Sep 8, 1997 - 02:21 EDT) - Cedric Ceballos of the Phoenix Suns scored 56 points Sunday to lead Team Black to a 168-155 victory over Team White in the Gary Payton AT&T All-Star Classic. A total of $300,000 was raised through the game and an All-Star auction on Saturday for the Big Brothers of King County and the Gary Payton Foundation. All proceeds will be used to help less fortunate kids in Seattle. "It went even better than I expected," said Payton, who had 28 points and 11 assists for Team White. "The fans support in Seattle has always been great. I couldn't have done it without the support of my friends in the NBA." Penny Hardaway of the Orlando Magic added 39 points and 10 assists for Team Black before a crowd of 13,456 at Key Arena. Shareef Abdur-Rahim of the Vancouver Grizzlies led Team White with 40 points and Malik Sealy of the Detroit Pistons added 38 points. Former Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson interrupted a vacation in Italy and flew back to Seattle for his only charity game appearance this summer. "Lots of guys out there aren't giving back to the community, but it's good to see Gary do this," Johnson said. "He's giving back and that's what it's all about." Payton said he plans to make the benefit game an annual event. Before the game, Lenny Wilkens, the winningest coach in NBA history, was awarded the Gary Payton Foundation's "Helping Hand Award," given to a member of the community who best represents a role model for young people.

nba.370 nba.news, 09 Sep 97

Hornacek re-signs with Utah SALT LAKE CITY (Sep 8, 1997 - 21:33 EDT) -- As expected, the Utah Jazz on Monday re-signed free agent guard Jeff Hornacek to a two-year contract. "It was a simple matter," Hornacek said. "I knew where I wanted to play and where my family wanted to live." Terms of the contract were not disclosed. Hornacek, 34, reportedly earned $2.4 million last season. Hornacek's signing keeps the Western Conference champions essentially intact. Although six Utah players became free agents at the end of last season, only 12th man Stephen Howard left the team. "The only regret we have about Jeff is that we didn't draft him," Jazz vice president of basketball operations Scott Layden said of the 11-year NBA veteran. "He's typical of what this organization is all about." "Everybody knows that the Jazz stick with their guys," Hornacek said. "You know that if you put your heart on the court, you'll be part of a winning team." Although Hornacek was an unrestricted free agent, he never seriously entertained other offers. He and his family live year-round in Salt Lake City, and his children were already enrolled in local schools last month. Hornacek is also building a house in the area. "I don't have an agent. My only demand in the contract was 20 shots a game, but they'd only give me 15," he joked at a news conference. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard has averaged 14.9 points and 5.1 assists in the NBA. Originally a late second-round draft pick out of Iowa State in 1986, Hornacek became an All-Star during six seasons with the Phoenix Suns. He was Phoenix's primary sacrifice in the Suns' 1992 trade with Philadelphia for Charles Barkley. But after a season and a half with the 76ers, Hornacek was traded to Utah for Jeff Malone. Almost immediately, Hornacek became Utah's most consistent outside scoring threat. He has averaged 15.3 points per game since joining the Jazz and has missed only one game in 3 1/2 seasons. Hornacek also has averaged 16.4 points in eight NBA postseasons. He averaged 14.6 points during Utah's run to the NBA Finals last spring. The Jazz open training camp Oct. 3 in Boise, Idaho. In addition to 11 returnees, Utah has draft picks Jacque Vaughn and Nate Erdmann under contract.

nba.371 nba.news, 09 Sep 97

Boston signs Billups, Mercer BOSTON (Sep 8, 1997 - 23:45 EDT) -- Guards Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer, first-round draft picks and key building blocks in Rick Pitino's reconstruction of the Boston Celtics, signed contracts Monday. Terms were not disclosed. Billups was chosen third in this year's draft and Mercer was picked sixth. They are expected to begin the season as Boston's starting backcourt or move into those roles not long after it begins. The top two picks in the draft, Tim Duncan of San Antonio and Keith Van Horn of New Jersey, already have signed. Van Horn was taken by Philadelphia with the second pick and went to the Nets in a draft-day trade. Billups, a point guard at Colorado, and Mercer, a shooting guard at Kentucky, are among eight new players brought in by Pitino, who succeeded M.L. Carr as coach after last season, the worst in franchise history. Only five players from last season's roster -- Antoine Walker, Dana Barros, Dee Brown, Greg Minor and Pervis Ellison -- remain with the Celtics. The 6-foot-3 Billups, 20, averaged 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 55 games during his two seasons at Colorado. He made 120 3-pointers and shot .857 from the free throw line. The 6-7 Mercer, 21, averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 76 games in his two college seasons. He was part of the Wildcats teams that won the NCAA championship in 1996 and lost to Arizona in the 1997 championship game. Boston, which opens the season Oct. 31 at home against the NBA champion Chicago Bulls, from its 15-67 record, the second-worst in the NBA last season. The Celtics turnaround began on May 6 when they finally lured Pitino from a lucrative, successful career as coach at Kentucky. He wasted little time assembling a young squad better suited to his uptempo offense and pressing defense than the team he inherited. Besides Billups and Mercer, he has added center Travis Knight, forwards Chris Mills, Tony Massenburg, Andrew DeClercq and Bruce Bowen and guard Tyus Edney.

nba.372 nba.news, 09 Sep 97

Wennington re-signs with Bulls CHICAGO (Sep 8, 1997 - 18:51 EDT) -- Veteran center Bill Wennington re-signed with the Chicago Bulls on Monday, agreeing to a one-year deal. Wennington said he was offered more money and longer contracts by other teams, but chose to stay in Chicago because he and his family enjoy living there. Wennington and recently acquired Joe Kleine will be the backup centers behind starter Luc Longley. "I wanted to continue to be a part of this great organization," he said. Terms of the contract were not disclosed, although Wennington's agent William Pollak said it was worth "significantly more" than the $1 million he averaged in his last contract. Wennington, a 10-year NBA veteran who has spent the last five seasons with the Bulls, averaged 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds last season before rupturing a foot tendon March 31. He did not play in the postseason. A former first-round draft choice from St. John's and a member of the 1984 Canadian Olympic team, Wennington has averaged 4.7 points over his career while playing for the Bulls, Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks. New York, Detroit, Minnesota and Houston all made inquiries into Wennington this summer. The most tempting offer came from Indiana, where former St. John's teammates Chris Mullin and Mark Jackson play, Pollak said. Indiana, using their $1 million exemption, offered a two-year, $2.15 million deal. Bulls operations chief Jerry Krause said the team is delighted Wennington chose to return. "His character, both on and off the court, experience in key situations and his ability to function in our system have made him a great contributor to our most recent two world championships," Krause said.

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Pacers sign free-agent C Mark West, F Mark Pope INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers, already one of the NBA's biggest teams, added more frontcourt size today when they signed free-agent center Mark West and forward Mark Pope. Terms were not disclosed. The 37-year-old West is a 14-year veteran and one of the NBA's most durable players, while Pope was a second-round pick in 1996 who played in Turkey last season. The 6-10 West joins his sixth team. Last season, he averaged 3.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 70 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also has played for Dallas, Milwaukee, Phoenix and Detroit in a career of 1,004 games, including 521 in a row until suffering an injury in 1994. "I'm very excited about becoming a Pacer," West said. "I think one of the main things I bring is experience. I've been playing 14 years on teams that haven't been doing well or teams that were vying for a title or teams trying to break into the playoffs or traditional playoff teams. I've witnessed just about every situation there is." West has averaged 6.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in his career. He is expected to back up 7-4 center Rik Smits after Erick Dampier was traded to Golden State in the Chris Mullin deal. The 6-10 Pope led the Pacers in scoring in the 1997 Atlanta Summer League with 12.3 points per game. After helping Kentucky win the 1996 NCAA championship, he was selected 52nd overall by Indiana in the 1996 draft. "We're happy to have Mark with us," Pacers president Donnie Walsh said. "He had a real good summer and we were impressed with his play in Atlanta." In addition to Smits, the Pacers also boast 6-11 Dale Davis, 6-9 Antonio Davis and 6-10 Derrick McKey along their front line.

nba.374 nba.news, 09 Sep 97

Rockets re-sign F Matt Bullard HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets today re-signed forward Matt Bullard, who played for last season's squad and the 1994 championship team. The 6-10 Bullard is a seven-year veteran who also has played for the Atlanta Hawks and in Greece. He averaged 4.5 points and 1.6 rebounds in 71 games last season, including 12 starts. One of the better three-point shooters among big men, Bullard has career averages of 5.3 points and 2.1 rebounds. He played for Houston's 1994 NBA championship team and jumped to Greece the next season. In 1995-96, he returned to the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks. "Matt's ability to convert from the new three-point range fits our offensive scheme," Rockets executive vice president of basketball Carroll Dawson. "He knows this team's philosophy, both offensively and defensively. He has been and will continue to be a vital part of our team."

nba.375 nba.news, 09 Sep 97

Magic sign Kempton Orlando, FL (TSN) - The Orlando Magic have signed eight-year veteran forward/center Tim Kempton to an undisclosed contract. "Tim brings a veteran leadership to our camp roster," said Magic general manager John Gabriel. "He is a very capable defensive player and rebounder that can play both the post and power forward positions." The 33-year-old Kempton was originally selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the sixth round (124th pick overall) of the 1986 NBA draft. He has seen action with the Clippers, Charlotte, Denver, Phoenix, Cleveland, Atlanta, and San Antonio. Last season, he played in 10 games with the Spurs, scoring just four points, and grabbing eight rebounds in 59 minutes of action. In seven NBA seasons, Kempton has averaged 4.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, and 1.1 apg in 272 contests. His best NBA season was with the Hornets in 1989-90, when he averaged 6.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per contest.

nba.376 nba.news, 09 Sep 97

Denver has to sign McDyess (Sep 9, 1997 - 08:39 EDT) -- It's not the money, one wise man said. It's the money. Antonio McDyess, as you must have heard, is negotiating with the Denver Nuggets. They have until Oct. 1 to reach an agreement or they must wait until the end of the season. And, gosh, it must be a tense time in the McDyess household. Because here are the stakes: Either the Nuggets sign him for an ungodly amount of money or he can become a free agent at the close of the season, and somebody else pays him an ungodly amount of money. You want to talk ungodly. Well, Kevin Garnett turned down $103.5 million over six years. That's $17 million a year for a guy who has never averaged 17 points a game. And, get this, he's mad, too, because the Minnesota Timberwolves leaked the fact that he spit on their $103.5 million. Now, it turns out, some people think Garnett might be a jerk. Hmmmm. And McDyess? The dilemma he's facing is not exactly the lady and the tiger. But, I'm guessing, it might not just be the money. There might be other factors. There's the story about McDyess when he was a rookie and he went to the Nike employee store. They said he could have $10,000 worth of merchandise. So he got a shopping cart and filled and asked how much that was. It was $500. How much money is enough money? No, if I'm McDyess, and the Nuggets are willing to pay something like market value, I've got other factors to consider. It is his decision, unless this is one he gives up to his agent, who, by contract, gets to make 10 percent of his decisions. And there are, if you look hard enough, reasons why McDyess might actually resist conventional wisdom -- the word around the NBA is that McDyess is gone -- and actually stay put with the Nuggets. For instance, McDyess is not a big city guy. He doesn't fit the NBA star mold of one who necessarily gravitates to where the lights are brightest and the endorsement money is carried home in gigantic chauffeured limousines. He likes Denver. He likes it even though the Nuggets trade away all his friends. Nuggets vice president Allan Bristow has been telling McDyess that he wants to build a team around him. That can't be all bad. And besides, if you're McDyess (and, yeah, you'd have to be about a foot taller), ask yourself this: Do you want to go to Chicago and take on the pressure of replacing Michael Jordan? How about replacing Dennis Rodman? And his wardrobe? If it's me, it isn't just the money. And it isn't whether I like Denver or mountain vistas or buffalo steaks. For me, if I'm going to stay, I have to believe Bristow and Bill Hanzlik are smart enough to turn the Nuggets around. And, here's the truth, as rehabilitation assignments go, this is the NBA equivalent of putting Newark, N.J. , back together. That requires a lot of belief. For McDyess, it will require probably a six-year commitment and no prenuptial agreement. That's overwhelming belief, particularly when the Nuggets, until Friday, looked as if they were willing to sacrifice the coming season altogether. But after letting all the available point guards go, they finally signed a center, meaning rookie Tony Battie won't have to suffer an 82-game humiliation. Or maybe he will. Signing Dean Garrett is not quite the same as signing Shaquille O'Neal, but it did suggest, at least, that the Nuggets are actually going to field a team this season. The move may be, in part, a bid to persuade a certain young forward that the Nuggets have a plan. The plan, to this point, has simply been to clear all the cap room possible in order to sign free agents for the 1998-99 season. The problem is, there is no guarantee that any of the big-name potential free agents -- Jerry Stackhouse or Damon Stoudamire or Joe Smith or Rasheed Wallace, to name a few -- would actually come to Denver. History says top free agents don't go to bad teams. Maybe the new rule is the teams with the most money to offer under the cap will get the best players. But why did Garnett turn down Minnesota? Is he coming to Denver? I asked Bristow why McDyess should stay with the Nuggets. He said he didn't want to negotiate in the press, but he did offer this: "We understand it's a recruiting type situation. We have to make sure we don't get caught up in the things we have no control over, like whether it's 80 degrees all year round here. But it's a player-friendly city and hopefully Antonio sees that we're doing the things to make the Nuggets better and that he's an important part of all that." He's important, all right. The memory of the Dikembe Mutumbo situation looms large here. The Nuggets can't afford to blow this one. But the decision belongs to McDyess. Should he stay or should he go? I think you'd know what you'd do.

nba.377 nba.news, 09 Sep 97

Bass gets new title, contract extension with Hornets CHARLOTTE (Sep 8, 1997 - 10:09 EDT) -- Bob Bass, formerly the vice president of basketball operations for the Charlotte Hornets, has a new title and a contract extension. Bass will be the Hornets' executive vice president and will represent the Hornets on the NBA Board of Governors, the team announced Monday. Although the team did not release terms of the contract, it was believed to have added six years to the one year remaining on his contract. "Bob has done a tremendous job putting the pieces together for our team and I have all the respect in the world for his basketball knowledge," team owner George Shinn said. "This well-deserved move provides stability and continuity for the organization and allows Bob to continue to build this team into a championship contender." Bass spent 20 years with the San Antonio Spurs, serving in a variety of capacities, including vice president of basketball operations from 1990 to 1994. He joined Charlotte in June 1995. "I feel very privileged that George has given me this chance in Charlotte," Bass said. " ... We are in a team-oriented business, so any success is a direct reflection on our owner, George Shinn, the success of head coach Dave Cowens and the success and improvement of our players." During his tenure, the Hornets have enjoyed a record number of wins -- 54 in the last season. He was involved in the hiring of Cowens, the 1996-97 runner-up for NBA coach of the year and in acquiring Glen Rice, Anthony Mason and Vlade Divac. Over the summer, Bass acquired three players: David Wesley, J.R. Reid and Bobby Phils.

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Agent says Dudley deal will go through if ruling upheld PORTLAND, Ore. (Sep 8, 1997 - 21:27 EDT) -- Arbitrator Kenneth Dam on Monday denied a request by Chris Dudley and the NBA Players Association to allow his trade to the New York Knicks to go through while the league appeals Dam's ruling from the previous day. Still, Dudley's agent says there is no doubt the backup center will become a member of the Knicks if the latest ruling in his favor holds up on appeal. The NBA and the Portland Trail Blazers, the team that re-signed Dudley this summer, were keeping quiet Monday about the ramifications of Sunday's ruling. The ruling validated the proposed trade of Dudley to the Knicks under terms that would allow New York to give him a huge pay raise after one season. "It was a clean sweep," Dudley's agent, Dan Fegan, said. "Chris is happy. He felt vindicated. It's an important victory, not only for him but for the Players Association." The issue now will go before a three-person arbitration panel to make the final decision on whether the trade should be valid. Both sides must agree on who serves on the panel, meaning a resolution could be several weeks away. The NBA had contended in the arbitration hearing that the trade would circumvent the league's salary cap and open the door for other free agents to take same route. Dudley and the Players Association had contended that Dudley, as a re-signed free agent, should be able to take his "Larry Bird rights" to New York with him. Those rights allow a team to re-sign a free agent at any amount regardless of the salary cap. That would allow the Knicks to re-sign Dudley after this season for a hefty pay raise. According to the arbitrator, the Blazers agreed to sign Dudley for $1.13 million, then trade him to the Knicks, reportedly as part of a three-team deal with Toronto that would send a first-round draft pick to Portland. When the NBA blocked the trade, the Blazers had to reduce their offer to Dudley to have room to sign free agent Brian Grant to a seven-year deal worth between $56 million and $63 million. Dudley, who gave up $13 million by opting out of the final three years of his Portland contract, wound up re-signing with the Blazers for the league minimum of $272,250. As part of his ruling, Dam said Dudley should be paid the original $1.13 million that was offered. NBA spokesman Chris Brienza said the league would not comment on the ruling because the case remains unresolved. The Blazers won't even acknowledge that the trade was in the works. Team spokesman John Christensen would say only that the Blazers had received the ruling and were reviewing it. Team president Bob Whitsitt did not return calls to his Seattle and Portland offices. Bill Hunter, executive director of the NBA Players Association, said Dam ruled that the Blazers "have entered into a binding sign-and-trade agreement with respect to Dudley." The ruling means the Blazers must go through with the trade, even if they now prefer not to do so, Fegan said. Even if the ruling is overturned, it would be difficult for Dudley to play for Portland, Fegan said. "I think at this point it's very likely that the bridges are burned, but you never say never," Fegan said. Dudley, a member of the Players Association board of directors and a Yale graduate, has been in this type of battle before. Four years ago he signed a contract with Portland for an amount far below what he was offered by his old team, the New Jersey Nets. The deal with the Blazers had a one-year opt-out clause that allowed Dudley to make himself a free agent, thus clearing the way for the Blazers to re-sign him at a much higher salary after one year. The NBA fought Dudley and the Blazers through arbitration and into court, losing on all fronts. Dudley wound up doing just what the NBA said he would do, signing a six-year, $24 million contract with Portland. It was that contract that Dudley opted out of this summer.

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Air Jordan to fly solo with shoe, clothing line NEW YORK -- Michael Jordan is about to become head of his own line of athletic shoes and clothing enterprise which will bear his name. He said it's something to keep him involved with basketball when he quits playing, but he made it clear there is no farewell in his immediate future. "I don't think so," he said when asked Tuesday morning whether the upcoming season with the Chicago Bulls would be his last."I think we are going to win again and go for seven." He said the most important thing right now "is to win the sixth title." Jordan made his remarks on the "Today" show Tuesday on NBC-TV. He was promoting his new enterprise, something being done with Nike, Inc., according to published reports. "My connection to the game doesn't always have to be coaching or broadcasting," he said. "To design shoes and apparel for the athlete and possibly the consumer, I can retain a certain creativity and my competitiveness can be high." So can his bankroll. Jordan last month got a $33 million one-year contract from the Bulls. He made no excuses Tuesday morning for making that much money. "When you think about what I make and what other players make ... someone's got to pay for it, so evidently the business is there," Jordan said. "If they can afford to pay me or pay any of the other players the type of money that they're getting paid, certainly the business has grown." Jordan's new venture, the Jordan Brand, was to be announced Tuesday. It marks the first time a team sports player has entered into a solo venture on such a sweeping scale. "It's a stage in my career and in my life where I want to take control of things instead of letting someone else do it," Jordan told USA Today in Tuesday's editions. The NBA superstar has long helped sell Nike's lucrative Air Jordan line, which will fall under the new Jordan Brand division. It will continue to feature the Jumpman logo, a silhouette of Jordan dunking. Jordan won't invest money in the new spinoff division, and Nike refuses to discuss his contract, but he stands ready to profit. "It's part of me; it's part of the creative personality I have," Jordan told the New York Times. "When I walk away from the game, this is my means of staying in tune with the game." The new enterpriseis expected to generate more than $250 million in gross revenues during the 1998 fiscal year. The most expensive shoe sold by the new Nike division will be the $150 Air Jordan, a totally different looking sneaker with a 3-D hologram on the heel and high-tech quilting on the sides. Jordan has led the Chicago Bulls to five NBA titles in the 1990s and recently signed a $33 million, one-year contract that will keep him the highest paid player in basketball. He has been heavily involved in pulling together the first Jordan brand collection, which debuts in November, and could ultimately become its chief executive officer when he retires from the basketball court. "Once I'm done (playing), I think I can contribute more time," Jordan said. "It doesn't have to be a 9-to-5."

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1997-98: Last chance to defy The Jordan Rule Bill Russell had Wilt Chamberlain. Magic Johnson had Larry Bird. Michael Jordan has nobody. This is the essential difference between Jordan and all the superstars basketball has known before him. As he enters what could be his final season, the challenge before him is not merely continuing to be the best in the world. The challenge before him is maintaining perfection. Conversely, for the rest of the stars of Jordan's generation, the coming season represents something of a last chance. Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon are assured their places in the Basketball Hall of Fame, but none has ever vanquished Jordan for a championship. Not once. Even Russell, the dominant force on the most dominant team in NBA history, tasted defeat in pursuit of the title. Bob Pettit and the St. Louis Hawks beat a young Russell and the Celtics for the 1958 championship, and Chamberlain finally broke through with the 76ers to oust Russell from the 1967 Eastern Conference finals, halting Boston's unmatched streak of eight consecutive titles. The Celtics would bounce back to win the next two, bringing to 11 Russell's amazing total. Still, he was not perfect. Johnson and Bird played out perhaps the league's greatest rivalry through the 1980s, raising the level of the game to new heights and spreading its religion around the globe like missionaries. But neither could ever dominate, because the other always stood in his way. Between the two of them, they would control eight of nine championships between 1980 and 1988, with Johnson winning five and Bird three. The decade's other transcendent player, Julius Erving, snuck in for the other, in 1983. But what distinguishes Jordan from these great stars is that, since he led the Bulls to their first championship in 1991, none of his contemporaries has been able to challenge him. Olajuwon and the Rockets managed back-to-back rings in '94 and '95, but only while Jordan was miscasting himself as a baseball player, escaping the suffocating attention reserved for super-heroes by proving he could be mediocre doing something else. The Jordan Rule since '91 has been devastatingly simple: Give him and the Bulls a full season together, and no one can touch them. Every other major star of his time has taken his best shot. Ewing and the Knicks have the misfortune to play in Jordan's conference, and the indignity of being ousted from the playoffs by the Bulls in four of Chicago's five title runs. The Knicks got through to the finals only in '94, with Jordan in retirement, and even then the ring escaped Ewing. Barkley mounted his challenge in '93, reaching the finals with Phoenix and bowing in six games. Malone made his this year, reaching the finals with Utah and, likewise, bowing out in six. Olajuwon, oddly, has never made it to the finals with Jordan around, despite taking advantage of his abdication in '94 and '95. Jordan has vanquished others along the way as well. Johnson fell to him in '91 as the aging Lakers passed the torch. Clyde Drexler's heroics brought Portland to the championship series in '92, only to fall to Jordan in six. The Glide would finally get his ring in '95 with Hakeem -- but only in Jordan's absence. Even the young stars of a new generation -- Seattle's Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton -- have choked on Jordan's dust, falling in six -- the number of choice for Jordan's victims -- in '96. Now, every season represents risk for Jordan, the potential that his perfect run -- five full campaigns since '90-91, five championships -- finally will be marred. But each new season also represents the chance to stretch the amazing streak further, to distance himself even more from the game's mortals. For Barkley, Ewing, Olajuwon and Malone, each season represents one more chance to beat him, one more chance to prove they don't belong in some lower tier at the Hall of Fame. Is their inability to challenge him a measure of their inadequacy or of Jordan's otherworldliness? Ultimately, the question is academic. Jordan will turn 35 this season. So will Barkley and Olajuwon. Ewing's already there. Malone will be 35 next summer. Time is running out on their generation. Time is running out on the challengers to the unvanquished.

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Mason and friends have Hornets' nest stirring Sometimes money, opportunity and environment aren't enough. If you want to entice Player X to your city, you have to engage in a full-blown recruiting process, including a bombardment of visits, phone calls and entreaties. But if you're trying to draw a free agent to Charlotte, you simply sic Mase on 'em. "I'm two-for-two this summer," Anthony Mason says. "I'm the best damn recruiter in the league. I just tell guys, 'Come play with me, and we'll challenge for a title.' I oughta be working for UCLA or Kentucky or something." There is a growing belief the Hornets have helped themselves more than any other team this summer -- yes, even without the benefit of a draft pick. And if you don't believe that, all you have to do is listen to Mason and hear the enthusiasm in his voice. "We made the best moves out of everybody," he says, alluding to the pickups of Bobby Phills and David Wesley. "You're talking about two guards who go 190 and 220, who aren't going to get pushed around by anybody. Everybody seemed to think we lost in the playoffs last year because of the guard position -- well, we've got a remedy for that. We have so many weapons now, it's insurmountable." The Hornets invested more than $50 million in their new backcourt, and although it represents a vast improvement on paper, it is by no means a guarantee of success. A year ago, Portland and New York changed their guard tandems. And it took months before the chemistry was where it should be. Charlotte is in a similar situation now -- a good team that aspires to be great -- with two-fifths of a starting lineup looking for its niche. But both guards have the skill to justify Mason's optimism. Phills isn't the traditional scorer you want at off-guard, but he gets to the rim, he's a good post-up player and he can defend with the best at his position. Wesley is not a great playmaker at the point, but he has a marvelous offensive repertoire and also is one of the better defenders at his position. There is great potential for a team that now goes 10 deep, assuming good health for Muggsy Bogues and Matt Geiger. It's an amalgam that's perfectly suited for success in the '90s: players with formidable offensive games, who strike a nice balance between perimeter skill and post-up power, many with well-earned reputations for defense. For Mason, who was asked by coach Dave Cowens and management to tell the free agents about the team's potential, it was an easy sell. "Every player knows, whether he's a free agent or not, that this is a talented team with a player's coach who gives you a lot of freedom -- sometimes too much," Mason says. "So Dave was the first reason why it was easy to believe in what I had to say -- he's a great coach, a guy who gets inside on the jokes, a guy who's personable, a guy who's a friend. "Second, the team had fun. Everybody on the bus is involved in one conversation. It's not like there are three or four cliques, or 12 guys with their heads in a book. Everybody got involved with each other. "Then, most important, we were arriving as a team. Everybody said we would win 30 games last year, but we overachieved and won 54 games without a big name." That last statement is a stretch, of course. Glen Rice evolved into perhaps the second most-feared offensive player on the planet -- he led the league in scoring after January -- and he wasn't even Charlotte's MVP. That distinction belongs to Mason, one of those rare players -- and the only power forward -- who can get you a triple-double on any given night. Now he has to add one more item to his vast talent inventory: the ability to lead a team that is trying to discover its true level of competitive potential. Mason admits he is capable of alienating as many teammates as he befriends, if only because not everyone shares his extraordinary, though often unsettling, intensity. But if the Hornets are to take another step toward June, they must follow his lead. "The only thing that can stop us is us," he says. "If everyone sees the mission, we're there."

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"I'm too old to guard anybody." -- Magic Johnson, before the start of Gary Payton's charity game on Sunday. Stoudamire to test free agency Toronto Raptors guard Damon Stoudamire, heading into the final year of his contract, says he probably won't look to sign anything before the season starts so he can become a free agent next summer. "I think I'm going to wait and become a free agent," he said. "I think it would be interesting to see what I can do on the open market. "I want to see what I can command. I would like to stay in Toronto, but you should never limit your options." Look for more Li'l Penny Orlando Magic guard Anfernee Hardaway said he's scheduled to shoot three new Li'l Penny commercials for Nike later this month. Although he's unsure of the story line, he says the ad agency that handles them, Wieden & Kennedy, let him have veto power. "They let me have some input," he said. "If I don't like something, I tell them and they can change it." So who's idea was it to include supermodel Tyra Banks? "Oh, that was their idea," Hardaway said. "But I thought it would be a good addition. And no one has complained about it." The new commercials will be ready by the start of the NBA season, Hardaway said. The next Shaq? Phoenix Suns forward Cedric Ceballos stayed busy this summer playing a little summer league basketball and working on his new rap album. "It's a real upbeat, enjoyable, party kind of album," Ceballos said of his record. "I'm not into techno-high energy stuff. This is more laid-back." Ceballos said the Lost Boys, Heavy D, Snoop Doggy Dogg and Onyx all participated on the album. "I originally started talking to people to find out about how to put an album together and they offered to help with some tracks," he said. So with the album due to hit store shelves in December, we're left with one question: Who's the better rapper, Shaquille O'Neal or Ceballos? "Shaq is right now because he has a multi-platinum album," Ceballos admitted. "But if I sell a multi-platinum album, we'll see." Magic moment What is it about Gary Payton that made Magic Johnson cut short a vacation in Italy, just so he could make it to The Glove's charity game? "I love Gary because he loves to play," said Johnson. "And he backs up his trash talk. We got to know each other pretty well just through our trash talk on the court. "A lot of the players today talk, but they don't back it up. Even the 12th man talks now. Gary is one of the few who can talk and back it up." Johnson has been keeping busy lately with his growing movie theater business, which will soon open branches in Houston, Carson, Calif., Cleveland, New York, Chicago and Detroit. And he's also preparing for his own debut on the small screen -- a late-night TV talk show on Fox which will air at the end of the year. "I am going to book the 'A' guests," said Johnson, who vows to compete with the other late-night shows for musical guests and celebrities. "It's what I did for the pilots and it's what I'm going to do once the show is on." Johnson said Mel Gibson, Salma Hayek, Cher, Babyface, Tyra Banks and Laurence Fishburne all appeared in his pilot shows. Pssst ... What was Payton's motivation behind putting on this All-Star charity basketball game? "I was going to all these other games -- Penny's game in Memphis, and Magic's games -- and I just started asking guys if they wanted to play in my game. I just want to get the kids off the street and into doing something." Phoenix Suns guard Jason Kidd got married to his longtime girlfriend, Joumana, on Aug. 30 in San Francisco. But he wasn't too involved with planning the wedding. "With that you let the wife take care of it," Kidd said. "It can be a very touchy situation. We weren't trying to make it a big public event, we just wanted to do something nice for both of our families. It turned out to be beautiful. My wife did a great job." San Antonio Spurs guard Avery Johnson said he's already figured out what the Spurs need to do to be successful this year. "We need David Robinson to be healthy, first of all, but we need good chemistry. That's what's most important." Stoudamire spent the summer traveling the world, with visits to Japan, Barbados and Jamaica. "I wish I could say I learned the language in Tokyo -- but I didn't really," he said. "I just learned how to eat sushi, though. It was good!" The premiere of the movie "Hoodlums" was held at Johnson's theater in Los Angeles last week. Attendees included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Diana Ross, Babyface, as well as Tim Roth, Fishburne and Andy Garcia, who star in the movie. Sacramento's Mitch Richmond made the trip to Payton's charity game, but served as an honorary coach and stayed on the bench in street clothes, rather than play in the game. "The Kings wouldn't give me clearance to play," Richmond said somberly. Were they fearing injury? "That and some other things I better not get into right now."

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Grizzlies sign free-agent G Marcus Brown to two-year deal The Vancouver Grizzlies, who had one of the weakest benches in the NBA last season, signed free-agent guard Marcus Brown to a two-year contract today. Financial terms were not disclosed. The 23-year-old Brown averaged 3.9 points in 21 games for the Portland Trail Blazers in his rookie season. He also shot 40.6 percent from three-point range but had his rights renounced when Portland signed free-agent forward Brian Grant to a $63 million deal. The 6-3 Brown can play both backcourt positions. He was the 46th pick of the 1996 NBA draft out of Murray State, where he scored 26.4 points per game and was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year as a senior. "Marcus has very versatile offensive skills," Grizzlies general manager Stu Jackson said. "He's a talented player who will give us depth at two positions and add to our nucleus of young players." Brown likely will play behind rookie Antonio Daniels at point guard and Anthony Peeler at shooting guard. The Grizzles were a league-worst 14-68 last season and had no bench player average more than eight points per game.

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Magic GM criticizes Scott over birthday brawl ORLANDO, Fla. (Sep 9, 1997 - 15:45 EDT) -- The Orlando Magic is "very disappointed" with Dennis Scott concerning a shooting at his birthday bash that left two people wounded, general manager John Gabriel said. "Dennis needs to use better sense, better judgment about what he does," Gabriel said. "This organization expects more. We don't try to control the personal lives of our players, but we're very disappointed about this." League sources told The Orlando Sentinel that Gabriel has let NBA teams know that Scott is available for a trade. The DeVos family, which owns the Magic, has expressed concern about Scott's future with the Magic, the newspaper reported. Two people were shot last weekend at the suburban Washington hotel where Scott threw the party. Scott rented the ballroom at the Sheraton Premiere Hotel in Tysons Corner, Va., for his 29th birthday and allowed an entertainment company to advertise and charge $25 to $100 for admission. More than 1,000 people attended the party Saturday night, and another 300 to 400 people showed up with tickets but were denied entry because the ballroom was full. Ticket holders who were shut out overpowered security guards, stormed into the ballroom and started a brawl. Seventy police officers were called in and shut down the party. Gabriel spoke with Scott twice Monday, expressing the team's displeasure with the party and an incident earlier in the year. Scott was fined by the Magic this summer for a profanity-laced speech at his youth basketball camp in Reston, Va. "The latest situation not only affects him, but it affects the entire organization and our fans," Gabriel said. "I'm not passing immediate judgment because we're still looking into it, but we made our displeasure clear to him."

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Domestic abuse charges against Kings' Polynice dismissed SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Sep 9, 1997 - 21:04 EDT) -- A misdemeanor charge of domestic abuse filed last year against Sacramento Kings center Olden Polynice involving his then-fiancee was dismissed by the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office. Polynice, who was free on $10,000 bail, had his bail returned and the charge dismissed Friday in Sacramento Superior and Municipal courts after prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to try the case. "It was not her desire to proceed with the case," Patrick Marlette, special assistant chief deputy district attorney, said of the alleged victim, Rachel Taylor, who is now married to Polynice. "They have remained together and successfully participated in counseling," Marlette told the Sacramento Bee. "In light of these factors, we asked the court to dismiss the case." Polynice, 32, was arrested last October after police were called to his home, according to court records. When the officers arrived, they found Taylor, who was 25, with a small cut on her lip and a swollen ring finger on her left hand. The case was filed as a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, $6,000 fine or both. At the time, Polynice described the incident as "a family situation that got out of hand." Police said they had been to the home twice before on reports of domestic incidents, which never led to any charges or arrests. The 7-foot Polynice, played all 82 games for the Kings last season, averaging 12.5 points and 9.4 rebounds. He joined the Kings in the 1994-95 season in a trade with Detroit. Polynice, who played at the University of Virginia, has also played in the NBA for Seattle and the Los Angeles Clippers.

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Grinker, agent for Manning, Huggins, dies CINCINNATI -- Ron Grinker, a Cincinnati attorney who acted as agent for numerous athletes and coaches, died of cancer Monday. He was 57. Brian Goldberg, the agent for Ken Griffey Jr., said he was inspired by Grinker, whom he called a mentor. "He lent some respect to the business part of professional sports that is not always portrayed in the most positive light," Goldberg said. Grinker's most famous client was Danny Manning, the first overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft. He also represented University of Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins and former coach Ed Badger, and Xavier University coach Skip Prosser and former coach Pete Gillen. "I think in his last days what he was doing was running around trying to make sure everyone else was taken care of, all his clients," Huggins said. "He was making sure all their affairs were in order. He put that before himself."

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Jordan's key endorsement deals (Sep 10, 1997 - 01:21 EDT) - Michael Jordan stands to earn an estimated $40 million in the next year from endorsement contracts. That is in addition to the $33 million he will make playing this season for the Chicago Bulls. Jordan's endorsement deals range from cereal to cologne. The key ones, according to The Sports Marketing Letter, a Connecticut-based newsletter that tracks such deals are: Nike shoes and apparel Rayovac batteries Gatorade sports drinks Ballpark Franks Hanes underwear Coach Leather products Wheaties cereal Bijan fragrances WorldCom long-distance telephone service Upper Deck trading cards Oakley Sunglasses Wilson signature basketballs, watches and sports equipment CBS Sportsline web site Chicago Chevyland dealers NBA Entertainment/CBS-Fox home videos Michael Jordan's Restaurant.

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Miami Heat sign free-agent guard Eric Murdock The Miami Heat, coming off the best season in franchise history, added another free agent today when they signed guard Eric Murdock. Terms were not disclosed. The 29-year old Murdock is entering his seventh NBA season and joins his fifth team. He averaged 3.8 points and 2.0 assists in 12 games with the Denver Nuggets last season before he was released. Murdock signed with Bologna Fortitudo in Italy, where he averaged 19.5 points, 2.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists. "Eric Murdock's signing brings in a veteran NBA point guard and gives us the depth and experience that we need at our point guard spot," said Heat general manager Randy Pfund. The 6-1, 200-pound Murdock was a first-round pick of the Utah Jazz in 1991. After spending his rookie season in Utah, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks and spent three seasons there before joining the Vancouver Grizzlies. He averaged a career-high 15.3 points and 6.7 assists in 1993-94 with Milwaukee. Murdock has career averages of 11.5 points, 5.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 371 games. He is the second free agent to sign with the Heat in the off-season, joining forward Terry Mills. The Heat captured the Atlantic Division championship with a 69-30 record before losing to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference championship.

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Hornets sign free agents Farmer, Williams CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Sep 10, 1997 - 16:27 EDT) -- The Charlotte Hornets announced Wednesday that forwards Travis Williams and Tony Farmer have been signed to free-agent contracts. The two will be in the team's preseason training camp beginning Oct. 3. The 6-foot-7 Williams is a six-year veteran of the Continental Basketball Association. He played with four teams in the league, and made the CBA's 1997 all-star team as a member of the Florida Beachdogs and the Rockford Lightning. Williams, an all-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player at South Carolina State, finished the CBA season fifth in scoring with 19 points per game. Earlier this week, he led the USA men's team to a gold medal at the Tournament of the Americas in Uruguay. His 20 points helped the Americans stop Brazil 93-89. Farmer, 6-9, spent time last season on the Miami Heat's injured list with a sprained back. He had been signed by the Heat as a free agent last October. Before that, he averaged 24.4 points and 7.5 rebounds a game while playing for Bescanson of France. In all, Farmer spent four seasons playing in Europe and in the CBA.

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Daugherty joins Cavs broadcast team CLEVELAND (Sep 10, 1997 - 12:45 EDT) -- Retired Cleveland Cavaliers center Brad Daugherty will join the television team that covers the Cavs. The club announced Wednesday that Daugherty will be the analyst for 20 games to be broadcast on the Cavs Television Network anchored by WUAB in Cleveland. Daugherty also will do commentary on the pre-game CavsLine radio talk show. He will take over the analyst duties from Quinn Buckner, who handled that work for four years. Buckner's contract expired. Daugherty, who played college ball at North Carolina, retired with back problems last year. He spent his entire 10-year NBA career with the Cavs and is the team's all-time scoring and rebounding leader.

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Boylan, Nolan fill out Grizzlies staff VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Vancouver Grizzlies head coach Brian Hill filled out his coaching staff Wednesday with the additions of Jim Boylan and Jack Nolan. Boylan comes to Vancouver after spending the last five years as an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also served a year in the CBA as director of basketball operations and assistant coach with the Rochester Renegade and was an assistant at Michigan State from 1986-89. Nolan was an assistant with Dallas Mavericks last season after eight years as a scout and video coordinator for the Atlanta Hawks. He was a part-time assistant coach at Georgia State from 1985-88 prior to entering the NBA. "As a coach, Jim Boylan played an important role with the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise and his skills as a teacher and his understanding of the game will be a tremendous asset in developing our young players," said Hill, who was named coach on June 26th. "Jack Nolan has a thorough knowledge of the game. We believe Jim and Jack are great additions to our organization." They join Lionel Hollins on the bench beside Hill.

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God is now a Wizard WASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards signed the first of their two 1997 second-round draft selections Wednesday when Providence point guard God Shammgod agreed to a deal. The 6-foot Shammgod, who was chosen 46th overall, left Providence after his sophomore season, when he averaged 10.8 points, 6.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game. He raised those numbers to 14.0 points and 7.3 assists in four NCAA Tournament games, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. "We are happy to have signed God Shammgod at this time," said Wizards executive vice president and general manager Wes Unseld. "This will give him an opportunity to experience the NBA beginning with our team's training camp." Washington, which did not have a first-round pick, also chose Yugoslavian center Predrag Drobnjak with the 49th pick.

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Knicks' Wallace escapes prosecution GREECE, N.Y. (Sep 10, 1997 - 19:57 EDT) -- Provided he stays out of trouble for a year, New York Knicks forward John Wallace won't be prosecuted for allegedly punching and choking the mother of his two sons, a judge ruled Wednesday. "You'll never see him again," defense attorney David Murante said during a brief court hearing as the former Syracuse University basketball star stood silently beside him. Wallace's former girlfriend, Michelle Bolger, told police he threw her into a wall, punched her in the face and choked her during a quarrel at her home in this Rochester suburb on May 23. Wallace, 23, turned himself in the next day and could have been charged with harassment, a violation that carries a maximum penalty of 15 days in jail. However, Bolger later asked that her complaint be withdrawn. Judge Charles Rogers agreed to dismiss the complaint in one year, provided the prosecutor's office does not seek to reopen the case. "I believe in my heart that's unlikely," Murante told reporters after Wallace left the courtroom without commenting. "These are two good individuals who are doing the best they can to ... take care of their children." Wallace and Bolger dated in high school, continued seeing each other during his college career and have two sons, ages 4 and 1. The quarrel apparently erupted when Wallace came by the night after his son's fourth birthday, intending to take him out. Police said Bolger's injuries were not serious enough to constitute a charge of assault. Wallace played in 68 games for the Knicks last season, averaging 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.6 minutes as a rookie. He is likely to be traded to the Toronto Raptors this month. The proposed deal, challenged by the NBA, would bring Portland Trail Blazers center Chris Dudley to the Knicks.

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Plea agreement reached in Camby extortion case HARTFORD, Conn. (Sep 10, 1997 - 12:09 EDT) -- The lawyer accused of trying to blackmail former Massachusetts All American Marcus Camby into signing him as an agent has reached an agreement that avoids a trial. Wesley Spears had pleaded innocent to charges of attempted first-degree larceny by extortion and promoting prostitution. He was accused of providing Camby with gifts and arranging sexual liaisons with prostitutes for Camby and his friends. Camby left school after his junior year to enter the NBA draft. He now plays for the Toronto Raptors. Spears was due in West Hartford Superior Court on Thursday. The prosecutor's office said today an agreement has been reached that will avoid a trial. Camby's agent, James Bryant of Pro Serv Inc., said today he was told by prosecutors that Spears will have to perform some type of community service as part of the agreement. He did not know the specific terms. "Marcus has the right to object to this. I don't think he will object," Bryant said in a telephone interview. Spears' lawyers had sought to get the charges dismissed. They did not immediately return phone calls to The Associated Press.

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Magic re-sign veteran center Danny Schayes Danny Schayes, who has played for seven teams in a 16-year NBA career, re-signed with the Orlando Magic today. Terms were not disclosed. The 37-year-old Schayes averaged 3.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 45 games for Orlando last season. The high point of his season came in an April 4th start against the New York Knicks in which he had 21 points and 11 rebounds. "We're excited to bring back a player of Danny's experience," said general manager John Gabriel. "His return brings us depth at the center position, while strengthening our frontcourt presence. He played a valuable role for us last season." The Utah Jazz made Schayes the 13th overall pick in the 1981 draft. He has averaged 8.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in 1,045 career games that has included stops with the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat. Schayes is the son of Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes, who was named one of the NBA's 50 greatest players.

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Sacramento adds three big men Sacramento, CA (TSN) - The Sacramento Kings have signed free agents center/forward Stacey King, center Michael Stewart and forward Derek Grimm to one-year contracts. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed. The 6-foot-11, 240-pound King spent most of last season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the Continental Basketball Association. He also earned 10-day contracts from the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. The 30-year-old averaged 2.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11 NBA games last year. The eight-year veteran has played in 438 career games with Chicago, Minnesota, Miami, Boston and Dallas. The former Oklahoma player sports career averages of 6.4 points and 3.3 rebounds. He was a member of three Chicago Bulls World Championship squads (1991, 1992, 1993). The 22-year-old Stewart averaged 4.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.77 blocked shots in 117 games for the University of California. The 6-foot-10, 230-pounder is the Golden Bears' all-time career leader in blocks. The 6-foot-10 Grimm averaged 9.0 points and 4.4 rebounds during a four-year collegiate career at the University of Missouri. The 23-year-old poured in 11.9 points and grabbed 4.9 boards as a senior, helping lead the Tigers to the championship game of the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

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Cavs sign Scott CLEVELAND (Sep 11, 1997 - 14:33 EDT) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost three free agents this summer, signed Shawnelle Scott to a contract Thursday. Scott averaged 1.3 points and 3.1 minutes as a rookie for Cleveland last season. The Cavs were 42-40 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time in six years. They lost free agents Bobby Phills, Chris Mills and Mark West this summer. Phills signed with Charlotte, Mills with Boston and West with Indiana.

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Rockets coach Tomjanovich injured in crash HOUSTON (Sep 11, 1997 - 20:27 EDT) -- Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich sustained a slight concussion Thursday when his sport utility vehicle veered off the road and hit a tree. Police said Tomjanovich ran his vehicle off the road in southwest Houston. They said the crash remained under investigation, but had no additional details. Doctors who evaluated Tomjanovich at Hermann Hospital said he had a bump on the head, according to hospital spokeswoman Kelly Jo Golson. "He's got a big, big headache, but he appears to be fine," Rockets spokesman Tim Frank said. Team doctors said blood tests show Tomjanovich was not intoxicated, hospital spokeswoman Gabrielle Cosgriff said. In 1994, Tomjanovich was arrested and charged with drunken driving but Harris County prosecutors later threw out the charges because of insufficient evidence. Tomjanovich, 48, a former NBA All-Star and coach of the Rockets since 1992, was listed in stable condition Thursday afternoon. The Rockets won consecutive NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.

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Lawyer in Camby case gets community service HARTFORD, Conn. (Sep 11, 1997 - 20:27 EDT) -- The lawyer accused of trying to blackmail basketball star Marcus Camby into becoming his agent agreed to a deal Thursday in which charges against him will be dropped. Lawyer Wesley Spears is to perform hundreds of hours of community service. He said he agreed to the special probation to avoid the time and expense of a trial. The case against Spears was built on a confession by Camby, a former All-American at Massachusetts now playing for the Toronto Raptors. Spears was accused of giving Camby gifts and arranging sexual liaisons for the basketball star and his friends, then threatening to disclose all if Camby did not pick him as his agent. Camby, who left school after his junior year, eventually signed with Pro Serv Inc. and completed his rookie NBA season this year. Camby's actions prompted the NCAA to strip UMass of its semifinal finish in the 1996 NCAA tournament. The NCAA ordered UMass to repay $151,000 in tournament revenue as a result of Camby's involvement with agents. Camby pledged $151,000 to repay the school for the lost tournament money. Charges against Spears will be dropped in two years if he performs 30 straight days of community service in each of the next two years, an additional 100 hours at his discretion, and makes a $5,000 charitable donation. Spears spoke outside Superior Court in his first public remarks since the accusations against him surfaced last summer. He said the player used him and then made the allegations to prevent Spears from filing a lawsuit that might have hurt Camby's career. "Marcus Camby stated that he was scamming me," he said. "This is the word he used. We know now that he was scamming others, including the University of Massachusetts." The Raptors said Camby planned to discuss the matter in a conference call Friday. His agent, James Bryant, disputed Spears' remarks. "Marcus Camby has come forward and told the truth to everybody," Bryant said. "He has told everything. And Mr. Spears should know better. He's a grown man." Bryant said he was satisfied with the outcome, noting Spears would have to give up his law practice and his income for the two full months he must perform community service. Spears was charged in December with attempted first-degree larceny by extortion and promoting prostitution. Before Judge Patrick Clifford granted the special probation, the charges were reduced to second-degree attempted larceny and third-degree promoting prostitution. "I don't necessarily think it's a slap on the wrist, knowing what I know about the case," prosecutor James Thomas said.

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Sexual misconduct complaint at home of Hornets owner TEGA CAY, S.C. (Sep 12, 1997 - 00:21 EDT) -- Police picked fibers off carpet and pored through vacuum debris at the home of Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn while investigating a woman's accusation of sexual misconduct there. State police on Thursday confirmed the woman first complained to police in Charlotte, N.C., but they would not say if she named Shinn or provided other details. "I can't say whether it's him or the butler or anybody else," said state police spokesman Hugh Munn, adding no arrests have been made. Charlotte police spokesman Tom Barry said the FBI also was investigating. A spokeswoman in the bureau's Charlotte office would neither confirm nor deny that. City Judge Grady McMehan in this upscale suburb about 15 miles south of Charlotte said he issued a search warrant for Shinn's home Wednesday night at the request of city police and State Law Enforcement Division agents. "They took a lot of stuff: strands, fibers, vacuum debris, swabs of this and that," McMehan said. "Did they find anything of any significance? I don't know." He said no one had asked for an arrest warrant. Police said several times during the day they would release a copy of the search warrant, but McMehan blocked its release after consulting with Circuit Judge John Hayes. McMehan said he is a part-time judge of a small town that had dealt with only two or three search warrants. "I think to charge off and say 'Here, take this, take this, take this' would violate the level of trust placed in me," he said. McMehan said he would consider any media requests filed under the state's open-records law. Shinn's lawyer, William Diehl, said Thursday his client was holding up well. "This is not very pleasant, but he's hanging in there," Diehl said. Diehl would not say whether Shinn is the focus of the complaint or when the sports mogul would comment on the case. "We're not going to talk; there isn't anything to say," Diehl said. "This is one of those situations where it's in everybody's best interest to keep their own confidences. We hope the government does the same." Tega Cay Police Chief Joseph Gebbia would not say why he asked for state police help nor would he comment on the investigation. "Right now, we've got too many questions and not enough answers," Gebbia said. Tega Cay police received the initial call Wednesday afternoon, Munn said. Barry said Charlotte police did not have a written report of the woman's complaint. Shinn, 55, a native of Kannapolis, N.C., amassed a fortune by founding a chain of business schools. His Hornets joined the NBA in 1988 and quickly become one of the league's perennial attendance leaders. In addition to the Hornets, who are coming off a franchise-record 54 victories this season, Shinn owns the WNBA's Charlotte Sting. He is selling his Class AAA baseball team, the Charlotte Knights of the International League. Shinn and his wife, Carolyn, have two sons, Chris, 22, and Chad, 16, and a daughter, Susan, 20. Tega Cay, on Lake Wylie's shore, also was home to former televangelist Jim Bakker and his wife, Tammy, when Bakker's PTL ministry collapsed in the 1980s.

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Hornacek signing latest example of Utah's mastery of free agency In Minnesota, there is a sense of betrayal. The Timberwolves, after all, helped revive Dean Garrett's career from the European scrap heap. In return, Garrett bolts for Denver's free-agent nuggets. In Cleveland, the disappointment also could be understood. Before being placed in a system that played to his strengths, Bobby Phills was a CBA nobody heading nowhere fast. In gratitude, Phills jumped at the free-agent loot offered by the Hornets. Yet in Utah, where the air is thin, the lifestyle simple and the publicity minuscule, Jeff Hornacek took a road as high as the Wasatch Range. For the Jazz, there are no rumbling stomachs when it comes to free agency, no fears of being left in a lurch, as the Cavaliers and Kings have been this off-season. Just as John Stockton waited his turn last year before accepting an undervalued free-agent contract from the Jazz just before the start of training camp, so, too, has Hornacek kept the free-agency game relatively simple for Utah this off-season. Utah, which went into the off-season with six free agents, quietly has re-signed the five most important members of that group. And while 12th man Stephen Howard may be gone to Seattle -- face it, he already was forgotten. Otherwise, Hornacek, Shandon Anderson, Antoine Carr, Howard Eisley and Bryon Russell all are back. More money was offered from elsewhere, but not more stability. "It has been a happy and gratifying summer", owner Larry Miller said. A year ago, it was a similar story, as Utah kept its free-agent batting average at .800. Eisley, Stockton, Greg Foster and Felton Spencer all re-upped as free agents, with Spencer then traded to Orlando. The only '96 free-agent loss was forward David Benoit, who well may have been as invisible in Utah as he proved to be in New Jersey, what with the emergence of Russell as the Jazz's small forward of the future. For years, Utah had been viewed as the black hole of the NBA, with its overwhelmingly white population and lack of nightlife. Yet Jazz management has excelled in recent years at getting the right players for the right situation -- and then retaining them. The quick-and-to-the-point Hornacek negotiations are just the latest example of how easy the free-agent game can be when played with precision. "It was a simple matter,'' Hornacek said. "We weren't going anywhere.'' As for the two-year length, it made perfect sense in a Jazz sort of way. Franchise mainstays Karl Malone and John Stockton also now have two years remaining on their contracts. When either of those two go, well, the Jazz won't really be the Jazz anymore, anyway. Two-time losers? The delay on an ultimate decision on Chris Dudley's status (the case is headed to the appeals process), ultimately could leave both the NBA and the Pistons as losers. With a chance to sign Dudley as a free agent if his case against the NBA flops, Detroit may have waited too long in pushing forward in its pursuit of Garrett. Instead, the former 'Wolves big man is now with the Nuggets and the Pistons may have no option but to play Brian Williams out of position as a full-time center. With Dudley apparently headed to the Knicks, now that the initial arbitration ruling has gone in his favor, Detroit may be out of luck when it comes to finding a big body to round out its roster. (You know it's reached that stage around the league when the Magic have to reach to the depths of a Tim Kempton.) By contrast, Denver now no longer will be forced to play rookie power forward Tony Battie out of position in the middle. Still, is Garrett that much better than departed Nuggets starting center Ervin Johnson? The Great Conciliator In the wake of Dennis Scott's most recent offcourt contretemps, the genius of Magic coach Chuck Daly once again has come to the fore. Instead of jumping on the anti-Scott bandwagon, Daly has moved forward with his skills as the Great Conciliator. Just as he did with all those little messes in Detroit featuring Isiah, Laimbeer, Salley and Rodman, and just as he soft-peddled his misery with Derrick Coleman in New Jersey, Daly again turned a maelstrom into a minor inconvenience. "I can't judge someone I haven't been involved with yet,'' Daly said. "There is a basketball side to Dennis (Scott) that we want to see. He can win games for us. He can be very valuable for a team like us, with post-up scorers.'' That said, Daly turned to the Scott scenario into a basketball issue. And somehow, he turned Scott into a viable threat, despite struggles by the small forward last season. "I was watching film earlier, and I was wondering where is all our scoring going to come from,'' Daly said. "I saw Dennis making shots, being active on defense. I want to see what he can do for us.'' Extra range In re-signing with the Rockets, forward Matt Bullard said his extended range, even with the new, longer 3-point distance, should prove to be an added benefit. "I do think the line moving back helps me,'' he said, "but it also will keep some of those guys who can't really shoot threes, like Charles Barkley, from throwing them up there.'' Wisecracks, aside, Bullard is one of several players who see the NBA's list of 3-point specialists dwindling, with the move back to the initial 3-point distance.

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A Nugget of hope In the NBA business, there is this eternal truth: Patience is not a virtue. It is, rather, a minor form of despair disguised as virtue. Head coaches who believe otherwise are often doomed to spend the rest of their careers as assistant coaches. Duly noted, Bill Hanzlik says. But that reality will not -- and cannot -- change the way the Denver Nuggets coach is going to approach his new job. Some of it has to do with the hand he's been dealt. But much of it has to do with his personality: The 39-year-old Hanzlik is a buoyant, genial sort, a guy whose idea of profanity is a mumbled "Aw, shoot." And perhaps that is the very personality that is required in the dust-covered restoration project they've undertaken in Denver. "The one thing Lenny Wilkens told me when I left was that I'll have to be very patient," Hanzlik said, referring to his former boss in Atlanta. "So, as of now, that's my motto: Don't be so focused on tomorrow or the next day, keep the long-term plan in mind. I think I can do that. Be demanding, yes, but don't overburden the young players we have now. Don't ask for more than they're ready to give." It's hard to tell what a team whose rotation includes three rookies and a pair of second-year players is ready to give, but it will undoubtedly be more interesting to watch than last year's 21-win edition. The Nuggets weren't just bad, they were bad in every conceivable area: Seventh worst in shooting; fourth worst on defense; third most turnover-prone; eight worst in rebounding. They were even among the worst teams ever in defending the 3-pointer. So Allan Bristow tore it all up. The Denver vice president brought in eight new players (as of Sunday, stay tuned) and an energetic, resourceful coach who wants to reintroduce the Nuggets to their traditional winning formula of speed, athleticism, motion, and eventually, prosperity. There are now some young legs upon which to build a nice foundation. The frontcourt rotation will comprise Timberwolves refugee Dean Garrett, Tony Battie and Joe Wolf at center; with Antonio McDyess, Eric Williams, Danny Fortson, and -- come January -- LaPhonso Ellis at forward. Should just one of the rookies (Battie and Fortson) contribute, and if Ellis heals from his Achilles tear, Denver could be two-deep at each position up front. The backcourt, however, is a different story. There is a decent -- OK, slightly better than average -- off-guard combo in Bryant Stith and Johnny Newman but Bristow and Hanzlik must address the point guard spot if they expect to keep their sanity. As of now, Anthony Goldwire -- far better at 15 minutes than he is at 35 -- is the starter, and rookie Bobby Jackson is beginning what could be a long apprenticeship. "We're not necessarily done dealing, though -- just give Allan some time," Hanzlik said. "I really like how it's rounding into shape, though: I think we're real solid at most positions, but the problem with that is you never know how much rookies can help. All three look great, but it's been my experience that you can't depend on them to help you on a nightly basis." Which suggests, of course, that perhaps Denver is basing too much of its optimism on Jackson, the 5-11 swing guard from the University of Minnesota. "He'll have a chance to win the job -- actually, I'm approaching it like every position is open," Hanzlik said. "But you'll like Bobby. He has quickness and speed, and he can really harass you defensively -- he's way ahead of most rookies that way. But yeah, he has more of a scorer's mentality and he has to improve his handling if he's going to be a good point." The Nuggets looked at Erick Strickland and James Robinson this summer and concluded neither were worth the investment. They still might be able to entice Eldridge Recasner to Denver, but he'll probably re-sign with Atlanta. Other than Greg Anthony, who nobody seems to be willing to take, there are no starting-quality points left on the market. Hanzlik's other concern is McDyess, the marvelous second-year forward who has yet to re-sign. His agent, Arn Tellem, had told the Nuggets that he and Dice would be in town last week to talk contract. Dice never showed. Even Tellem couldn't find him. Hence, no talks have been scheduled, and Denver runs the risk of losing him to free agency next summer. "We finally located him the other day," Hanzlik said. "So he'll come in next week. I'm not going to worry about that now. We love Dice, but the entire future of the team is completely up in the air. Financially, we can put ourselves in a position to take a huge leap next year. Depending on what Dice does, we can get up there (in cap space) pretty good." Indeed, the Nuggets will have but five players under contract next summer -- Stith, Garrett, and the three rookies. If they were to renounce all their free agents, they could get as much as $18 million under the salary cap. No one, save for Phoenix and Chicago, can come close. Until then, Hanzlik will try to establish his core group for the long-term. It should be a lengthy process, but it may not take much to make it a rewarding one. Thirty wins would do it. A few more -- in a division that has three potential 60-win teams -- would probably make Hanzlik do cartwheels. "We've got good quality people here now, guys who can grow together and build a camaraderie," he said. "Like I said, all we need is patience." And, perhaps, a point guard.

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NBA Beat: Orlando keeps an eye on 3-D The Magic is furious with Dennis Scott after a birthday party given in his name last week at a Northern Virginia hotel ended with the shooting of two people, apparently among hundreds of ticket-holders who were unable to get into the hotel's ballroom. The team told Scott in no uncertain terms to get down to Orlando right now and stay there until training camp opens. Scott is complying. Although Scott maintains he couldn't control what went on outside the hotel ballroom, the DeVos family, which owns the team, is not happy with Scott's off-court activities this summer, which began with his tirade about his contract status to pre-teens at his basketball camp in July. According to The New York Post, Orlando has talked to the Bucks about a deal for point guard Sherman Douglas, which would finally move Penny Hardaway to the off-guard spot. Orlando might also be willing to deal Scott for a future first-round pick, but because of the Hardaway situation, it would have to be a pick after 1999. Hardaway will almost certainly opt out of his contract after the 1998-99 season, and Orlando doesn't want rookies to tie up money that could be used to re-sign Hardaway. Wishing for an All-Star The Warriors are looking to pare down their point guard surplus before camp. B.J. Armstrong's name keeps coming up, most recently in discussions with Milwaukee about forward Armon Gilliam. But word is Golden State has also talked to Cleveland about Terrell Brandon in a proposed swap of Brandon and Tyrone Hill for Joe Smith and Armstrong. The Cavs continue to deny that they're shopping their All-Star point guard. NBA loses one of its good guys Basketball lost one of its true good guys Monday when longtime agent Ron Grinker's battle with cancer ended. Grinker had been around the game for three decades, and while he occasionally represented superstars like Danny Manning, he made a living fighting for lower-rent guys who needed an advocate. He had Craig Ehlo when Ehlo was an unknown coming out of college in the mid-'80s. He represented the Dave Feitls and Steve Schefflers of the world. He was a lifelong friend of the late Derek Smith, whom Grinker helped honor last season by having players like Manning, John Starks and Jim McIlvaine wear wristbands with Smith's initials on them. In a time when agents are as much to blame for the bad changes in basketball as anyone, Ron Grinker was an old-fashioned, unashamed fan of honor and of the game. He will be missed.

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Don't diss Sheryl There was an awkward moment during Michael Jordan's press conference when he launched his new Brand Jordan line of shoes and clothing Tuesday in New York, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The players Jordan chose to wear his Brand -- Ray Allen, Vin Baker, Derek Anderson, Michael Finley and Eddie Jones -- were all introduced, but Sheryl Swoopes and her baby son Jordan were left standing in the wings. "Sorry, Sheryl," Michael said of the snub. "Don't let it happen again," she reportedly snapped.