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nba.406 nba.news, 13 Sep 97

Rockets coach Tomjanovich released from hospital Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich was released from a hospital this afternoon after being held overnight following a one-car accident Thursday evening. Tomjanovich was diagnosed with a mild concussion and kept overnight at Hermann Hospital in Houston as a precaution. All other tests were negative. Tomjanovich completed his sixth season as Rockets' coach in 1996-97, going 57-25 before losing to the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference finals. Earlier this summer, he had his contract restructered, extending it four years through the 2000-01 campaign. Tomjanovich owns a 281-159 regular-season coaching record and 48-33 playoff mark, including NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. He also was named coach of the U.S. team at the 1998 World Championships.

nba.405 nba.news, 13 Sep 97

T-Wolves sign first-round pick Grant MINNESOTA -- Center Paul Grant, who played his way into the first round of the NBA draft with a strong performance at the pre-draft camps, signed a three-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Financial terms were not disclosed, but as the 20th overall pick, Grant could receive a maximum total of $2.71 million under the rookie salary scale. The 23-year-old Grant is a 7-footer who transferred to Wisconsin after three years at Boston College. His stock soared after being named to all-tournament team at the Portsmouth Invitational Camp, where he averaged 12 points and 8.7 rebounds. He also averaged 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds as one of the 10 Portsmouth invitees at the Nike Desert Classic in Phoenix and played well at the pre-draft camp in Chicago, impressing scouts with his ability to run the floor. "It is nice to get Paul's contract complete," Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale said. "He has already been in town the last couple of weeks working out with some of the coaches and veteran players. He has a tremendous work ethic and is eager to learn." With the departure of free-agent center Dean Garrett to Denver, Grant will vie for playing time with Stanley Roberts and fellow rookie Gordon Malone. As a senior, Grant averaged 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, helping the Badgers reach the NCAA Tournament. He also led the team in blocked shots.

nba.408 nba.news, 13 Sep 97

Camby says scandal bothered him during rookie season AMHERST, Mass. (Sep 12, 1997 - 16:57 EDT) -- A penitent-sounding Marcus Camby said Friday that a scandal over his accepting improper gifts as a college player has hurt his NBA play. But he claimed vindication from the outcome of a legal case against one sports agent in Connecticut. "You will see the real Marcus Camby from now on," he said at a news conference. "It was hard for me to focus and concentrate. You only saw a glimpse of what I can do." However, a spokeswoman for the University of Massachusetts, his alma mater, said it can't end its role yet in the affair, partly because Camby won't talk to campus investigators about whether he also took gifts during his sophomore year. "I think you could say there's some frustration here," Kay Scanlan, a spokeswoman for the school, said. "We're at a standstill." Camby said Friday he did not take gifts during his sophomore year. Camby, an All-American, was taken by the Toronto Raptors as the No. 2 pick in the 1996 NBA draft. A 6-foot-11 forward, he averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game as a rookie. But he was also at the center of a dispute over cash and gifts he took from sports agents while playing for Massachusetts. The NCAA, which governs college sports, stripped the school of its record from the 1996 NCAA tournament for playing Camby, who admitted accepting improper gifts in his junior year before he entered the NBA draft. On Thursday, lawyer Wesley Spears agreed to perform community service to resolve Connecticut charges that he tried to blackmail Camby. "If I was innocent, I wouldn't accept that ... bargain," Camby said Friday. He said the agreement, though, saves him from testifying at a trial. "It's a long process," he said. "I don't want any more distractions." Camby previously said he took money and jewelry from Spears, and Spears was threatening to make that public. Spears said this week he was a victim of Camby's scam. "There was no scamming going on. The whole agent process is corrupt," Camby said. He said he believes college athletes should get a modest stipend for out-of-pocket expenses. He said he was overwhelmed by the tempting offers in his final year in college from people who wanted to cash in on his NBA earning potential. "There's a lot of constant flashes of money -- and I just got caught up. From the beginning. I knew it was wrong," he said. Though Camby said earlier he had taken only $2,000 worth of gifts from another agent, John Lounsbury, he appeared to admit tacitly Friday to much more. Asked about the worth of the gifts -- which was $40,000, according to Lounsbury -- Camby said, "I've repaid the $28,000 he asked for." Camby had once said he supplied that money to save Lounsbury from loan sharks, but he didn't repeat that Friday. Camby also has paid back $151,000 to the university -- the amount that it was fined for his violations. But the university must still forward its findings on any sophomore year violations to the NCAA, which could impose more penalties. Scanlan said campus investigators hope to finish their inquiry in less than two weeks. But she also complained that Lounsbury won't talk either.

nba.407 nba.news, 13 Sep 97

Police report adds new questions in Shinn case TEGA CAY, S.C. (Sep 12, 1997 - 23:39 EDT) -- A judge on Friday blocked the release of documents related to the search of Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn's suburban home after a woman's allegation of sexual misconduct. However, the woman told Charlotte, N.C., police the assault took place across the state line in North Carolina, more than five miles from Shinn's home near Lake Wylie, according to an incident report released late Friday. A duty captain who would not identify himself made the report available to The Associated Press and said it was the one filed by the woman. All of the victim's identifying information was removed from the two-page document. "Victim reported that she was unlawfully restrained and assaulted in the vicinity of Rock Hill/Pineville Rd. (Hwy 51) and Downs Circle," is the brief description on the report. The location is near Pineville, N.C. The report lists the time of the attack as 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 5. It says the woman reported the attack five days later, at 12:16 p.m. this past Wednesday. There is no explanation for the delay, but the dates correspond to what police have said previously in the case. The woman's injuries were listed as minor and the only weapon used was physical force, the report said. Local and state police and the FBI have been involved in the investigation. Police searched Shinn's home Wednesday night and Thursday morning, but have refused to say whether he is the target of the investigation. WBTV and The (Rock Hill) Herald said he is. Shinn and his lawyers have refused to discuss the case or confirm that Shinn is the target. "I'm amazed that people have asked me that question. It defies my common sense," lawyer William Diehl said. WBTV said South Carolina officials met with Charlotte police Friday morning and decided that York County prosecutor Tommy Pope would coordinate the investigation. Pope did not return calls to his office seeking comment. Local Judge Grady McMehan, who issued the search warrant, said State Law Enforcement Division agents picked fibers off carpet and pored through vacuum debris at the house in Tega Cay, an exclusive community about 15 miles south of Charlotte. The judge was ready to release the search warrant on Friday. However, Circuit Judge John Hayes blocked that at the request of Shinn's lawyers. He also issued a gag order covering all the South Carolina investigators and officials involved in the case. Hayes set a tentative court hearing for midday Monday. "For as long as this goes on, it's not the public's business to know," Diehl said.

nba.410 nba.news, 13 Sep 97

NBA players' union expected to reveal presidency vote on Saturday New York, NY (TSN) - The NBA players' association is expected to announce on Saturday who won a secret ballot vote for the organization's president. The voting was conducted among the 29 team player representatives. Among the expected contenders for the job is New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing, who ironically in 1995 was a key figure in an effort to decertify the union. That was while the players were considering the collective-bargaining agreement that is now in effect. Ewing suffered a loss in that effort as players voted, 226-134, against decertification. Ewing's desire to be the union president has the support of his agent, David Falk, who says the center's experience in the decertification process prepared him for the job. "Patrick, who has really become a very savvy businessman, understood the agreement better than (former executive director) Simon Gourdine," Falk told the Bloomberg News Service. "It would be well deserved for the role Patrick has played in educating the players." Ewing already has a union role, as he is vice president of the nine-member executive committee. The union's current president is Ewing's teammate, Buck Williams.

nba.409 nba.news, 13 Sep 97

Sears donates $10,000 to Michael Jordan program Hoffman Estates, IL (TSN) - Sears, Roebuck and Co. has donated $10,000 to the Michael Jordan Golf Youth Program, a non-profit foundation that provides disadvantaged and at-risk kids with the opportunity to learn and enjoy the benefits of playing golf. The Sears gift was presented during the Sears Michael Jordan Golf Center Camp Challenge for kids. More than 40 boys and girls played golf with Jordan after being selected as winners through a recent sweepstakes contest in local Sears stores. The event took place at the Michael Jordan Golf Center in Aurora, Illinois. "I'm especially excited about the Youth Program because it will provide an opportunity for kids of all ages to learn about and get involved in golf," said Jordan. "The self-discipline and dedication that are so important to golf will help kids stay committed to their goals and give them the will to succeed."

nba.411 nba.news, 14 Sep 97

Thorpe already seeking trade from Grizzlies VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Vancouver Grizzlies wanted Otis Thorpe. Too bad Thorpe doesn't feel that way about them. Vancouver acquired the veteran power forward last month from the Detroit Pistons for a first-round draft pick. But his agent said Thorpe -- viewed by the Grizzlies as a major step toward respectability -- would like to be traded. "It's nothing against Vancouver, the management, the team or the city," agent Phyllis Freed said. "Let's just put it this way: He would be much more enthusiastic with a contender or a realistic playoff team." Freed said Thorpe, 35, will be at the start of the Grizzlies' training camp Oct. 3 in Calgary, Alberta, and will not create a fuss. The Ohio-based agent refused to respond when asked if she had asked Vancouver general manager Stu Jackson to trade Thorpe. But Freed and Jackson have talked on several occasions since Thorpe was acquired and it's clear his tenure in Vancouver has been the topic. Thorpe, who was unavailable for comment, has two years and $11 million left on his contract. The Grizzlies described Freed's comments as posturing. "This is not an issue," Jackson said. "I know that when he arrives he will be productive and professional." "He may not have a smile on his face, but we expect him to be here," assistant general manager Noah Croom said. Among the Detroit's reasons for trading Thorpe were his high salary and his strained relationship with coach Doug Collins.

nba.412 nba.news, 14 Sep 97

Bill Hanzlik Find out how the new coach of the Denver Nuggets is preparing for the upcoming NBA season. Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET.

nba.413 nba.news, 15 Sep 97

These small transactions might pay big dividends Most general managers this time of year speak as though they have experienced an epiphany. They have spent three months examining, pondering, theorizing, projecting, and when the mood or opportunity finally struck, acting. They speak with a pop-eyed enthusiasm over what their summer of activity has created and try to convince you their labor will prompt a chemistry transformation no less powerful than that wrought by Dr. Jekyll's magic elixir. It is as though they have witnessed the metamorphosis of a caterpillar. Look, they will tell you: We have taken something ugly and landlocked and turned it into something beautiful and ready to take flight. Some of them are delusional, of course. A few others will be reminded of Pat Williams' old definition of general manager ("It's like a nervous breakdown with a weekly paycheck.") Some will actually downplay expectations. And the rest do not have to say a word, because their actions speak for themselves: Everyone expects Chris Mullin to be the impact trade acquisition of the offseason; everyone predicts Brian Grant and Brian Williams to be the impact free-agent purchases. But what about the other summer transactions, the overlooked acquisitions that can help make or break a team? Quite often, these players stay overlooked and then leave town. And occasionally, they find their niche -- the beneficiaries of a right-place, right-time proposition. We found a few who have the potential to be in the latter group. Here is a look at our preseason All-Overlooked team: G -- Tyus Edney, Celtics: A kid with toughness, quick feet and a disruptive defensive style -- three qualities that Rick Pitino can use and improve upon. Of course, Pitino has no other choice: He is starting a rookie at the point (Chauncey Billups) who will be exhausted by early December. G -- Eric Murdock, Heat: If the Heat had a glaring weakness last year, it was backcourt depth. Tim Hardaway (38.7 mpg) looked on the verge of collapse during the postseason, so all they need is a reliable sub who can give them 12 to 15 minutes per game running the second unit. Murdock could be the guy. F -- Rick Fox, Lakers: Who said a million bucks does not go as far as it used to? To take the next step, L.A. needed some depth, versatility and professionalism. Fox will provide all three, and before long he will become a starter (supplanting Elden Campbell, with Robert Horry moving over). F -- Clifford Robinson, Suns: Another member of the million dollar exception club, with plenty to prove. He saw the road to riches close up this summer, so he chose the perfect venue in which to pile up big numbers and play off a supremely talented guard tandem. C -- Dean Garrett, Nuggets: Last year, he saved the Timberwolves from having to watch Stojko Vrankovic, averaged 10.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks over the last 44 games and stood up well against Hakeem Olajuwon in the playoffs. A good fit here. Pushing the envelope If Chris Dudley winds up with the Knicks, he belongs on the All-Overlooked team as well. As of Sunday, New York was on the verge of completing a three-way trade for him that involves the Blazers and Raptors, pending the outcome of more arbitration. (The deal has been ruled valid by an arbitrator, but the decision has been appealed by the NBA, which contends the trade is an attempt to evade the salary cap.) For years, the Knicks had sought an adequate reserve for Patrick Ewing; with Dudley, they would have arguably the best backup center in the league. Regardless of the outcome, credit Dudley with salvaging a grim free-agent experience and pursuing a rewarding alternative to being miserable with the Pistons, whose offer did not satisfy him. For the second time in his career, Dudley' situation is cause celebre for a player's right to choose where he wants to play. This could have all been played out a few weeks earlier, when the Clippers and Miami wanted to complete a sign-and-trade agreement involving Malik Sealy. But the NBA forbade it, neither team wanted to go through the hassle of an arbitration fight and Sealy subsequently signed with Detroit. Portland, too, tried to back out, so it was up to Dudley and the Knicks to take up the fight. Now, four years after he survived a series of arbitrations and a lawsuit to win the right to sign an opt-out contract with the Blazers, one must wonder: Does he have a nagging feeling the league has it in for him? Or is this merely a coincidence that one man has been entangled in two of the biggest salary-cap snafus the league has had? "I've got to assume it's nothing personal," Dudley says. "Although at times, you want to think it is, it gets so (bitter) sometimes. But I hope not. . . . "Frankly, I didn't know it would get this involved. There was nothing in the (Collective Bargaining Agreement) that seemed to forbid it, and the Knicks and my attorneys agreed, so we decided to go forward. We thought the NBA might disagree, but not this strongly. I was just trying to exercise my right to control my own destiny."

nba.414 nba.news, 16 Sep 97

McGrady signs three-year deal with Raptors TORONTO (Sep 15, 1997 - 18:21 EDT) -- Having signed with the Toronto Raptors, Tracy McGrady is looking ahead to more pressing issues such as winning the NBA's slam-dunk competition and rookie of the year award. "I really think I have a good chance of winning (slam dunk title)," the Raptors' first-round draft pick, No. 9 overall, said Monday. "Whatever you want I can give to you, that's all I can say. "The rookie of the year award thing is for me to play my best. If I do produce on the court, I can get more minutes to showcase my skills so then I can shoot for rookie of the year." Lofty expectations for an 18-year-old who last season was playing high school basketball. But McGrady hopes to follow in the footsteps of Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett, former high school stars who successfully made the jump to the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively. "Kobe is one of my best friends and he told me there are going to be times when I feel down because I'm not playing much," McGrady said. "He told me to stay focused because my day will come." McGrady averaged 27.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists in leading Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., to a 26-2 record. The 6-foot-8 swingman signed a three-year, $4.7 million contract with Toronto, the most allowed under the NBA salary cap. Prior to the draft he agreed to a $12 million endorsement deal with Adidas. But McGrady didn't rush out to buy a car with his newfound wealth. Instead, he purchased a house for his grandmother and a home and car for his mother. "The money is always going to be there so it's not something I'm going to worry about," McGrady said. That impressed Raptors general manager Isiah Thomas. "I'm pretty pleased with the young man," Thomas said. "He never talked about where the disco was or where he could go to have a good time. "He talked about working hard and being a good player. It's refreshing to see a new-school kid with old-school values."

nba.415 nba.news, 16 Sep 97

Vancouver signs C Ivano Newbill to one-year contract The Vancouver Grizzlies added depth to the middle today, signing undersized free-agent center Ivano Newbill to a one-year contract. The 6-9, 245-pound Newbill averaged 1.4 points and 2.8 rebounds over 12 minutes in 72 games for the Atlanta Hawks last year. His best game was a 15-rebound, 44-minute effort against the Toronto Raptors last December 7th. The 26-year old Newbill played 34 games with the Detroit Pistons during the 1994-95 season before spending all of the following season in the CBA. Newbill will compete for playing time with centers Eric Mobley and Eric Leckner, both of whom back up starter Bryant Reeves.

nba.416 nba.news, 16 Sep 97

Ewing wins election to head union NEW YORK - New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing, who two years ago led a movement to decertify the National Basketball Players Association, has been elected president of the union. Ewing, a former vice president, succeeds teammate Buck Williams, who didn't seek re-election. Ewing and Michael Jordan were two of the most outspoken opponents of the current collective bargaining agreement, which union members approved 226-134 in September 1995. Joining Ewing on the union's executive committee: first vice president Charles Smith (San Antonio); vice presidents Tyrone Corbin (Atlanta), Juwan Howard (Washington), Dikembe Mutombo (Atlanta), Mitch Richmond (Sacramento), Mark West (Indiana) and Herb Williams (New York); and secretary/treasurer Jim McIlvaine (Seattle).

nba.417 nba.news, 16 Sep 97

Judge orders search warrant of Shinn's house released YORK, S.C. -- Concerns about privacy and media exposure aren't enough to keep a search warrant of Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn's Tega Cay home sealed following a woman's allegation of sexual misconduct, a judge decided on Monday. Circuit Judge John Hayes III, however, stayed his order until Tuesday evening to give lawyers a chance to appeal. Lawyers for Shinn and a woman who has filed a report with Charlotte, N.C., police told Hayes the warrant information would cause irreparable harm to the privacy and reputation of the man identified in court as "John Doe" and his accuser, a woman known as "Jane Doe." John Doe's lawyers also argued that his right to a fair trial would be hurt by media exposure. But John Doe can't argue he would be hurt because of media interest, Hayes said. "The fact that a particular case may take on a high profile does not in and of itself create such probability," Hayes said, citing examples of O.J. Simpson found not guilty, Susan Smith spared the death penalty and William Kennedy Smith found not guilty. John Doe also cannot say that the contents of the warrant will hurt his chances of a fair trial, Hayes said. The media already has reported the nature of the allegations and a suspect, he said. "If the individual named in the press is not the object of the search, then that individual will suffer no harm from the release of the search warrant and attachment," Hayes said. "If the person named as a suspect is in fact that named in the press, it is too late to protect that which John Doe seeks to protect." Jane Doe has no right to privacy because she started the process, Hayes said. John Doe lost the right to privacy because he was named in the search warrant, which is a public document, the judge said. Media lawyers argued that search warrants are public documents, and this case should not be treated differently than any other. "It is the openness that gives the public confidence that the rules are being applied fairly and even-handedly, no matter what the station in life of the person who is implicated in the records," said lawyer Jay Bender, who represented The Associated Press, The (Rock Hill) Herald and the South Carolina Press Association. "Part of the issue here is to ensure that John Doe, who may be rich and famous, gets the same treatment as James Doe, who is not," said lawyer James Middlebrooks, who represented The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer. Shinn's lawyer, William Diehl, compared the case to the FBI investigation of Richard Jewell, who was identified in the media as a suspect in the Atlanta Olympic Park bombing but was eventually cleared. "If there isn't a charge, it would be a travesty, a monumental travesty, to permit this type of material to be on the front page," Diehl said. No arrest has been made in the case, and no suspects have been named by police. WBTV and The (Rock Hill) Herald have identified Shinn as the target of the investigation. Tega Cay City Judge Grady McMehan was ready to release the search warrant on Friday. However, Hayes blocked the release at the request of Shinn's lawyers. A Charlotte police report said a woman reported she was unlawfully restrained and assaulted in the vicinity of Pineville, N.C. The report lists the time of the attack as 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 5. It says the woman reported the attack five days later. The woman's injuries were listed as minor and the only weapon used was physical force, the report said. Local and state police and the FBI have been involved in the investigation. Authorities, including prosecutor Tommy Pope, have said they do not oppose the release of the documents.

nba.418 nba.news, 16 Sep 97

Conversation with Allen Iverson The 1996-97 NBA Rookie of the Year, Allen "The Answer" Iverson, has been in the spotlight since his arrest stemming from a fight at a bowling alley while in high school. The exciting, talented guard of the Philadelphia 76ers has brought his game to the highest level, but has struggled to leave off-the-court problems behind. Iverson sat down with ESPN's Stuart Scott to talk about his play on the court and his attempts to stay out of court. Scott: Are you the answer, or at least one of the answers to the question, "Who will carry the NBA torch once Michael Jordan retires?" Iverson: I want to be. I want to take on that responsibility. Scott: A lot was made last year when, during a game, Jordan said to you, "Allen, you have to respect the game." And you shot back at him, "I don't have to respect anybody." What did you mean by that? Iverson: We're trying to win. I'm hungry, I want to win. For somebody on the opposing team to say something like that to me, that's just the way I responded. I have a lot of respect for Michael Jordan -- What he's done for himself, his family, his team, the Chicago Bulls. I have a lot of respect for him. I have a lot of respect for the older guys who have already been in the league. They made me want to play basketball. They made me want to come to the NBA and display my talents." Scott: The events from 1993, your conviction that was later overturned, the latest event, when you were arrested in the car ... has that made you a better person? Iverson: Definitely. It has made me a lot wiser. I just try to learn from every experience in my life. Everything that goes on in my life, I try to learn from. I make mistakes; I think I'll make more mistakes in my life. I'm just praying that it's not with the law. Scott: Former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder set you free back in 1993. He said back then that he wanted you to go out and show the world who the real Allen Iverson is. Who is the real Allen Iverson? Iverson: A father, first. I think that's really the most important thing to me. And just having a daughter and wanting her to learn from me and the things that I have been through. Scott: So what do you tell her then, when you're stopped in a car that's going 93 mph that has a gun in it and marijuana? What do you say to her? Iverson: That I made a mistake. I made a mistake and it won't happen again. Please learn from what daddy did, don't do what daddy did. Just learn from it and make sure it doesn't happen to her. Scott: You even admitted recently that you carried a gun for a lot of last season. It was registered, you had a license for it, but why did you feel like you had to carry one? Iverson: I want to be able to protect myself, that's all. I never had any intention of going out and shooting anyone. I never wanted to hurt anybody, but I always want to protect myself. Scott: Do you think that the people you choose to associate yourself with, do you think they ever have been, or some of them have been a bad influence on you? Iverson: I don't think so. I'm my own man. I think I always try to do what's right for Allen Iverson. I don't let anyone tell me what's right for me. I take that advice, but I'm going to be the one that makes that decision on what's right for me.

nba.419 nba.news, 16 Sep 97

NBA calendar (Sep 15, 1997 - 10:09 EDT) -- Upcoming events in the NBA: Sept. 18-21 -- League meetings, Orlando, Fla. Sept. 29 -- Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, Springfield, Mass. Oct. 3 -- Training camps open. Oct. 16-18 -- McDonald's Championship, Paris. Oct. 30 -- Opening Day rosters set by 6 p.m. EST. Oct. 31 -- 1997-98 regular season begins. Jan. 5 -- 10-day contracts may be signed. Jan. 10 -- All player contracts guaranteed for full season. Feb. 6-8 -- All-Star Weekend, New York. Feb. 19 -- Trading deadline, 6 p.m. EST. Apr. 19 -- Regular season ends. Apr. 20 -- Playoff rosters set by 3 p.m. EDT. Apr. 23 -- Playoffs begin. May 17 -- Draft lottery. June 24 -- NBA Draft, Vancouver, British Columbia.

nba.420 junior, 16 Sep 97 -> #414, nba.news

> McGrady signs three-year deal with Raptors Kockice šampionskog tima se polako slažu. :) PS. > McGrady averaged 27.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists in > leading Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., to a 26-2 > record. ;)

nba.421 gligo, 16 Sep 97 -> #416, nba.news

> NEW YORK - New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing, who two years > has been elected president of the union. Union? Sta im je to? Nesto kao sindikat igraca sta li?

nba.422 nba.news, 17 Sep 97

Woman accuses Hornets owner of sexual assault, kidnapping COLUMBIA, S.C. (Sep 16, 1997 - 20:21 EDT) -- A 28-year-old woman has accused Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn of kidnapping and sexually assaulting her in his home, according to a search warrant released Tuesday. Shinn has not been charged. Police searched Shinn's lakefront home last week, the search warrant says. William Diehl, Shinn's lawyer, said his client would not make a statement. "There are two sides to most stories. There are two sides to this one. At the proper time and proper place, Mr. Shinn will give his side," Diehl said. The accuser also had no comment, said a woman who answered the phone at the number given by the accuser on the search warrant. The woman identified herself as the accuser's mother, but would not give her name. "She stands by her story," said the accuser's lawyer, Bill Whittaker. According to the warrant, the woman and Shinn met Sept. 4 at a place identified in the warrant as "Amethist." The address on the warrant belongs to Amethyst, a center that treats substance abuse and other behavioral health problems, a facility spokesman said. The spokesman would not say whether the woman was being treated at the facility, which is owned by Charlotte-based Carolinas Health Care System. She and Shinn met the next day, and Shinn told her that "Dill" was waiting at his house, the documents say. "As we were riding, George Shinn while driving, ran his hand up my dress," the woman said. "I pushed his hand away ... he then took his hand and went up underneath my shirt and grabbed my breast." The woman said she asked to be taken back to where they had met, but Shinn refused. After arriving at Shinn's Tega Cay house, she asked again to be driven back. "He started telling me his wife was out of town," the woman said in the warrant. "I kept telling him to take me back ... but he acted like he did not hear me." After going inside the house, Shinn took the woman on a tour of the house, which ended in the master bedroom, the documents say. "I was sitting on a bench in front of his bed, when he pushed me onto the bed and got on top of me," the woman told the police. The warrants say the woman told him she was having her menstrual cycle. "He then grabbed me by the hair and made me have oral sex," the woman told the police. Shinn then took her back to North Carolina, the warrants say. "He offered me $200," the woman told police. "I told him that I did not want his money. Just as I was getting out of the car, he patted me on the knee and said we will do this again sometime." A Charlotte, N.C., police report said the woman reported she was unlawfully restrained and assaulted near Pineville, N.C. on Sept. 5 and reported the incident to police five days later. The woman's injuries were listed as minor and the only weapon used was physical force, the report said. Local and state police and the FBI have been involved in the investigation. The warrant was released by the South Carolina Supreme Court, which upheld a lower court's decision that the document was public despite an appeal from Shinn's lawyers. Media lawyers had argued that search warrants are public documents and this case should not be treated any differently. Shinn, 55, a native of Kannapolis, N.C., amassed a fortune by founding a chain of business and vocational 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 past season, Shinn owns the WNBA's Charlotte Sting. He is selling his Class Triple-A baseball team, the Charlotte Knights of the International League. He owned the Single-A Gastonia Rangers from 1989 to 1992. In 1992, he was part of a group that failed to win ownership of the San Francisco Giants. 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 Faye, when Bakker's PTL ministry collapsed in the 1980s.

nba.423 nba.news, 17 Sep 97

Hanzlik: McDyess meeting set for Wednesday The Denver Nuggets want Antonio McDyess to be part of their future, but only if they can find a deal that is in the best interest of the team, according to coach Bill Hanzlik. Denver's rookie coach told users that team officials are planning to meet with McDyess on Wednesday, and that he hopes the two sides can reach a deal that fits within the Nuggets' salary structure. Hanzlik also revealed his goals for the upcoming season and talked about his revamped roster. If you missed his Sept. 16 chat, an edited transcript is listed below: Bill Hanzlik: I'm excited for the start of the season. I can't wait for training camp to open, settle on our roster and build on our team. Scott: Do you see any of today's Nuggets having the same defensive tenacity that T.R. Dunn had? Bill Hanzlik: Is this TR? I see our backcourt having two guys with exceptional defensive abilities, Bryant Stith and Bobby Jackson. I see Anthony Goldwire going up in that area, too. Ralphie: I have been a Nuggets fan my entire life and you were one of my favorite players. I am very pleased that you are the new coach. Is there any truth to the rumors that Antonio McDyess will be traded for Eddie Jones? If not, what is your feeling on him re-signing after the season? Bill Hanzlik: I don't think there is any truth to the rumor that we'll trade him for Jones. We're working on signing him, but we must do what's best for the team. We must make his salary work with the cap and for this club. Conseq: How does it feel to be back home in Denver? Bill Hanzlik: It feels great. I love Colorado. I have lived in a lot of parts of the country and I love it here. It is a great place to bring up your family and I am looking forward to putting the Nuggets back on top again. Scott: Has Antonio been found? Bill Hanzlik: There has been an Antonio sighting ... we are supposed to meet with him tomorrow. Brian: I'm a big University of Cincinnati fan and followed Danny Fortson through his college years here. How do you see him fitting into the Nuggets playing rotation this year? Will he get a lot of minutes? Bill Hanzlik: I answer that in a couple of ways. Any time you're dealing with a rookie, you have to be patient and bring him along at his own pace, at the three or four spot. He has progressed well in our rookie drills. He came in a month and a half early, and we're excited with what he can provide for us. Nelson: Do you think that Bobby Jackson will start at point guard this year? Bill Hanzlik: I'm really looking forward to our competition in camp. He does have a shot to start, yes. Corrado: Dean Garrett played here in Italy for several seasons and he was often disappointing. I think last year he played a great season mainly because of Stephon Marbury. Don't you think you could have used his money for a better point guard? Bill Hanzlik: I think you fill different needs and different areas on our team. We don't look at Dean as a big-time scorer, but as a shot blocker and rebounder who will get some double-figure points. Overseas, a lot of times people just look at scoring. We look at how he'll help our team, and his production will come on the defensive end and rebounding. Celts: What do you see as Eric Williams' role on your team? Bill Hanzlik: His toughness and competitive ability intrigues us. He can defend threes and fours, he defends hard and he gives us flexibility. Hugo Da Hornet: Your team seems much improved this year, any predictions on where you will finish? Can you make the playoffs? Bill Hanzlik: I'm not going to be predicting wins or playoffs this year. We have goals, but we look at this as a growth year. You have to set your goals high, and I'll leave that to your imagination on where that will take us. Eric: What coach did you admire growing up and what coach do you admire today? Bill Hanzlik: I was a little different growing up in high school because I played for three different coaches, so I picked up a lot from all three of them. I played at Notre Dame and I played on three different overseas teams, so I hit a wide spectrum. Jim: What do you feel is your biggest need in terms of position players? Bill Hanzlik: Because we're so young, our biggest need is experience. I like the young players we've obtained, so we have to let them grow into that experience. T-BOZ: How tough do you think competition in your division is going to be this year? Bill Hanzlik: Any division is tough in the NBA. Utah is just going to be good any time you've got a team which has been together for so long. Getting David Robinson back and adding Tim Duncan makes San Antonio up and coming. Houston, with Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley, is so strong inside that they will win a lot of games. I think other teams, which weren't as good in the past, will challenge for more wins. Craig: Besides winning of course, what ways to you think you can help spur the interest of Nuggets basketball here in Denver? Bill Hanzlik: We discussed that. One of the problems in recent years is image. We are working with our players and we're working on being involved in the community. Denver is such a great sports town that if you reach out to them, they will reach back. T-BOZ: Do you think the league should consider taking severe action the next time Dennis Rodman flips out on the court? Bill Hanzlik: If he shoots a bra strap at anybody, he would need some more suspension time. Mike Fruitman: Watching some of the off-season moves made by the Nuggets this year, what do you hope for from LaPhonso Ellis this year? Bill Hanzlik: We just would love to have a healthy LaPhonso back. When he's healthy, he has been one of the best players in the league. It would be a real boost if he was healthy. Marc: With rookies becoming free agents after three years, how can teams convince players to stay when larger-market teams can offer to pay more? How can you avoid this problem with McDyess? And how can a team be built with youth? Bill Hanzlik: If I had all of those answers, I'd be commissioner and I'd be making more than David Stern right now! I think our league has been very good at addressing problems as they arise, probably the best in pro sports. Those are issues we must take up and resolve. Brian: How will Tony Battie fit in the future? With Antonio McDyess and Dean Garrett in the fold, I know Battie can't come off the bench forever if he blossoms like he is capable of. Bill Hanzlik: Tony has seen his basketball game go up over the last couple of years. We hope that will continue at the same pace. I think he's going to be a player where his best position is power forward, but he will have the ability to play some center and power forward. Kemp in 2000!!: Is there any update to the McDyees for Kemp rumor, or is that just totally squashed? Bill Hanzlik: Rumors in the NBA are like grains of sand on the beach! Chris: In overhauling the team this year, was your main objective to develop a new team chemistry? The talent has always been there year after year, but it has somehow resulted in disappointing seasons. Bill Hanzlik: We addressed a number of issues. We wanted to add youth and athleticism to our team. Guys with great character, and good quality individuals which the Denver community could be proud of. We worked really well with our salary cap while preparing for the future, too. Nuggetman: What is the worst part of the 81-game NBA season? Bill Hanzlik: The worst part is that 82nd game when you're out of the playoffs. The toughest part to me as a player and coach is the January grind when you have four games in five nights coming up and the playoffs aren't right around the corner. That's tough. Scott: Have you started looking at next year's lineup, since this may be a building year? If so, what college players are you watching closely? Bill Hanzlik: Too early for college players next year, from my end. Allen Bristow and Mike D'Antoni are already putting together lists to look at people. Conseq: Why did you release Brooks Thompson? He is a great basketball player. Bill Hanzlik: He was an unrestricted free agent who got a great offer to play in Europe, so that's where he's going. Laker Die Hard: Many people worry that underclassmen, and even regular rookies, may not be able to resist a lot of the vices associated with externalities. Did you see such vices, and how were you able to keep a level head? Bill Hanzlik: I would look at it this way: if you care how good you'll be and how the team will be, you want to make sure you make the right choices. Packmeister: What was your major at Notre Dame? And do you see yourself outside the sports arena? Bill Hanzlik: My major was mechanical engineering and I got my degree in four years. I did see myself outside the sports arena. I have 3-4 job interviews, accepted one and I thought I would be drafted. I asked the company if I could come back and they said fine. That's 17 years ago, and they're still waiting. TimBug: How much of a say do you have in the personnel decisions for the Nuggets? Do you have as much of a say as Alan? Bill Hanzlik: I think one of the things we like about the organization is we talk everything over, from personnel moves on and off the court. You need a GM and coach who get along together, have the same philosophies and team chemistry. I think that's one of the reasons teams are successful and others aren't. Thanks for all of your questions. Take care. ----- Hanzlik's file On May 29, 1997, one of the most beloved players in the history of the Denver Nuggets returned home, as Bill Hanzlik was named the 14th head coach in Nuggets history. Hanzlik worked the 1996-97 season as an assistant coach to Lenny Wilkens in Atlanta. As a player, Hanzlik spent 10 years as a versatile reserve in the NBA, including eight for coach Doug Moe's high-powered Nuggets ballclub. On a team loaded with scorers, Hanzlik often came off the bench as a defensive stopper. He helped lead the Nuggets to eight straight playoff appearances, two division titles and a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 1985. Hanzlik was drafted in the first round of the 1980 Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics despite averaging only 5.9 points over a four-year college career at Notre Dame. He retired at the end of the 1989-90 season, having accumulated career marks of 7.2 points, 2.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. Prior to joining the Hawks last season, Hanzlik spent five seasons as an assistant coach for the Nuggets.

nba.424 nba.news, 18 Sep 97

Heat sign Day for league minimum MIAMI -- The Miami Heat continued to tinker with their roster Wednesday, signing free-agent swingman Todd Day, who had his rights renounced during the off-season restructuring of the Boston Celtics. The five-year NBA veteran, who made $2.9 million last season, will play for the league minimum of $272,000. The Heat are well over the salary cap and already offered their $1 million exception to Terry Mills. "It's kind of hard for me to deal with," Day said of the pay cut. "When the ball gets in the air, I'll leave that stuff behind." Day had an offer for considerably more money to play in Greece, but he opted to remain in the NBA. Day, 27, averaged 14.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 81 games last season, his first full campaign with the Celtics. He shot 36 percent from three-point range and led the team in scoring 12 times. "The situation I was in, especially last season, knowing I was going to be a free agent, made me push myself more to take bad shots," he said. "It's hard being somewhere where they're not used to winning, and it's easy to get away from what needs to be done." "Todd's a scorer who can play multiple positions," Heat general manager Randy Pfund said. "He gives us size at the guard position and quickness at small forward. He has the ability to score inside and gives us another outside threat." The 6-6 Day was chosen eighth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1992 draft. He spent three-plus seasons with the Bucks before he was dealt to Boston with center Alton Lister for guard Sherman Douglas. On Dec. 12, 1995, he matched Larry Bird's team record with 24 points in a quarter. In five seasons, Day has averaged 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He is a career 41 percent shooter, including 34 percent from three-point range. The Heat, who won a franchise-record 61 games and reached the Eastern Conference finals last season, re-signed guard Voshon Lenard, signed reserve guard Eric Murdock and acquired center Duane Causwell in a trade. "We feel very fortunate to land a player with Todd's talent," Pfund added. "His addition gives us more depth and versatility."

nba.425 nba.news, 18 Sep 97

Pistons re-sign veteran C Mahorn to one-year deal DETROIT -- The Detroit Pistons gave Rick Mahorn an early birthday present, re-signing the free-agent center to a one-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed on the new deal for Mahorn, who turns 39 on Sunday. A serious foot injury limited the 16-year veteran to just 22 games last season, when he averaged 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while shooting 37 percent. Mahorn suffered ligament damage in his right foot in a January 2nd game against Boston. He underwent surgery to have screws inserted to repair damage to the second metatarsal bone and appeared in just one more game thereafter. The Pistons picked up Mahorn prior to last season after he spent four seasons in New Jersey and two years with Philadelphia. He previously played four years in Detroit and was a major part of the Pistons "Bad Boys" squad that won the title in 1989. The 6-foot-10 Mahorn, who played his first five NBA seasons with the Washington Bullets, has averaged 7.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in 1,042 career games.

nba.426 nba.news, 18 Sep 97

NBA overrules Rodman's offer for performance-based pay CHICAGO (Sep 17, 1997 - 12:57 EDT) -- Dennis Rodman's idea of being paid according to how he behaves has been shot down by the NBA as the wrangling continues over the star forward's future with the Chicago Bulls. The NBA on Tuesday overruled Rodman's offer to play for a salary based on his performance, his agent said, and debate again centered on how much of his contract should be guaranteed. Officials at NBA headquarters said they don't discuss ongoing contract negotiations. Rodman signed a guaranteed one-year $9 million contract last season and wants to be paid about $10 million for the upcoming season. But the Bulls want to guarantee only two-thirds of that amount because of their concerns about Rodman's disorderly conduct. So Rodman proposed that the club pay him nothing in advance, instead putting the $10 million in an escrow account until after the season. If he was suspended, he wouldn't be paid for the time he loses. Rodman's agent, Dwight Manley, said several other teams seem interested in signing Rodman, who remains the league's top rebounder. Manley refused to identify the teams. Last season, the Bulls reportedly paid about $2 million of Rodman's salary to the league to pay for fines and for the 14 games he was suspended. The Bulls ended up footing the bill for 27 games Rodman didn't play, including 13 games he missed because of injuries. "We're working on it," Bulls operations chief Jerry Krause said about the negotiations. "Something like this takes time."

nba.427 nba.news, 18 Sep 97

Magic assistant coach Rollins arrested on wiretap, forgery charges ORLANDO, Fla. (Sep 17, 1997 - 21:51 EDT) -- Orlando Magic assistant coach Wayne "Tree" Rollins was charged Wednesday with wiretapping his estranged wife's house and forging her name on an application for a home equity loan. Rollins, who is in the process of divorcing his wife, Kathy, was charged with felony wiretapping by Orlando police and forgery and attempted grand theft by Orange County sheriff's deputies. "He tapped his wife's phone in his own home. He put a tap on the wire and it was illegal," said Sgt. Bill Mulloy, a spokesman for the Orlando police department. Rollins' attorney said his client had the line tapped because he was concerned about the safety of his children. "It became known to him that his estranged wife was involved in some relationship with an individual who had a lengthy criminal record who was dealing in drugs," said attorney Robert Leventhal. The forgery and grand theft charges stemmed from an application for a home equity loan Rollins signed in January. Rollins reportedly signed his wife's name on the loan application without her permission, according to police documents. Rollins and his wife jointly owned the home, but Kathy Rollins was supposed to receive it under an impending divorce settlement. Rollins wrote two checks worth a total of $90,000 on the home equity loan and deposited them in his personal checking account, according to police documents. His wife didn't receive any money from the loan. Kathy Rollins told investigators her husband admitted forging her name. He told her that she had given him power of attorney rights, which would allow him to sign her name on documents. However, Rollins couldn't produce the power of attorney contract for his wife's attorney, according to documents. Rollins has spent three seasons as assistant coach with the Magic. He played for 18 years in the NBA for the Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers before retiring in 1995. The Magic said in a statement that they would support Rollins as he faced the charges. "Tree is an important part of the Orlando Magic family, and we will be discussing this matter privately with him," the statement said. The Magic begin training camp Oct. 3 at Walt Disney World's Wide World of Sports Complex.

nba.428 nba.news, 18 Sep 97

Prosecutor says any charges in Shinn case may be weeks away YORK, S.C.(Sep 17, 1997 - 16:21 EDT) -- A prosecutor said Wednesday he may not decide until next month whether to charge Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn, who is accused by a woman of kidnapping and sexually assaulting her in his home. Police are waiting for laboratory results on items taken from Shinn's home and collecting evidence, solicitor Tommy Pope said. "I'm not going to rush the decision," he said. "I'm going to take whatever time is needed." Pope said it could be October before he has enough information to make a decision. Police searched Shinn's lakefront home last week, according to a search warrant released Tuesday. Pope would not say whether Shinn had been interviewed by police or whether his accuser had been given a lie detector test. Shinn and his accuser both refuse to comment, according to their lawyers. The 28-year-old woman told police that Shinn took her from a Charlotte, N.C., area substance-abuse treatment center to his suburban home, just over the South Carolina line, on the pretense of introducing her to a divorce lawyer. The woman says Shinn then sexually assaulted her before taking her back to North Carolina and offering her $200. A Charlotte police report said the woman's injuries were minor and the only weapon used was physical force. In addition to the Hornets, Shinn owns the WNBA's Charlotte Sting. He is selling his Charlotte Knights Class AAA baseball team. He and his wife have two grown children and a teenage son.

nba.429 nba.news, 18 Sep 97

Kemp, McDyess on block on eve of NBA conference ORLANDO, Fla. (Sep 18, 1997 - 00:04 EDT) -- The NBA league meetings are set to begin, and trade-minded general managers are eyeing Shawn Kemp of Seattle and Antonio McDyess of Denver as the two top prizes. The 3 1/2-day meetings are expected to draw every coach and general manager from the league's 29 teams. It is the first time the bi-annual meetings have been held since 1993 in Palm Desert, Calif., as the 1995 session was canceled because of the lockout. Among the arrivals Wednesday was Seattle general manager Wally Walker, who will be one of the major players in trade talks before everybody heads home Sunday to get ready for the start of training camps Oct. 3. Several teams are trying to swing a trade for Kemp, the Sonics' disgruntled All-Star forward. "I've said all along we'd only do something if it's in our best interest," Walker said Wednesday night. "We're not in a situation where we're compelled to do anything -- unless it's something we really like." Kemp, who feels he is underpaid and perceives a lack of respect from the Seattle organization, stated in May that he had worn the Sonics uniform for the final time. Over the summer, he missed teammate Gary Payton's wedding so he could avoid contact with Sonics executives, then sold his home in Seattle and trucked his belongings back home to Elkhart, Ind. He has promised to hold out from camp if he's not traded by then. Although the Sonics have maintained publicly that they have no plans to trade Kemp, sources around the league say Walker has come to the conclusion that a trade would be for the good of the team. Walker wants a legitimate All-Star in return. The Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets are among the teams involved in the bidding, according to league executives and player representatives who spoke on the condition they not be identified. Los Angeles has dangled Eddie Jones, but a straight up Jones-for-Kemp -- which would work under salary cap guidelines -- wouldn't solve Seattle's need for a power forward. If the Lakers were to include Elden Campbell and take back Jim McIlvaine and Hersey Hawkins, the deal might be more enticing to Seattle. A McDyess-for-Kemp proposal has been rumored for months, and Milwaukee is said to be pondering a Vin Baker-for-Kemp offer (which also works cap-wise), although the Bucks would rather part with Glenn Robinson. "I won't comment specifically on any rumors other that to say I'll do whatever I can to further the success of the Bucks franchise," general manager Bob Weinhauer said. One rumor that was shot down this week had the Vancouver Grizzlies offering Shareef Abdur-Rahim to the Sonics for Kemp. "I spoke to Wally Walker and (Grizzlies GM) Stu Jackson and there was no truth to the story," agent Aaron Goodwin said. "The Grizzlies love Shareef and are committed to keeping him." McDyess is perhaps the most sought after member of the so-called Draft Class of '95 -- the first group of players to enter the league under the rookie salary scale that mandates three-year contracts for first-round picks. Included in that group are Kevin Garnett (who turned down $103.5 million from Minnesota), Joe Smith of Golden State and Damon Stoudamire of Toronto. Their contracts expire after the coming season, and their teams aren't allowed to offer them extensions after Oct. 1. With that deadline less than two weeks away, it speeds up the timetable for teams to either sign their second-year stars or trade them to avoid the possibility of losing them as free agents next summer with nothing in return. Such a scenario is what's pushing the Nuggets to consider a trade of McDyess. Sources say two of the teams most active are the Lakers, again dangling Jones, and the Phoenix Suns, who have 16 players under contract for the upcoming season and could package several of them to the talent-shy Nuggets.

nba.431 nba.news, 18 Sep 97

Chris Mullin The five-time All-Star will stop by to answer your questions and talk about his off-season trade to the Pacers. Thursday at 4 p.m. ET.

nba.430 nba.news, 18 Sep 97

Raptors' McGrady makes mark before ever hitting court TORONTO (Sep 17, 1997 - 10:45 EDT) -- There's a fine line between being brash and charming, overconfident and self-assured and a big-talker and just colorful. If Toronto Raptors rookie Tracy McGrady can play anywhere near as well as he negotiates that thin edge, fans are in for a treat this coming National Basketball Association season, both off and on the floor. In town to announce he had signed a three-year contract with the team that selected him ninth over all in the NBA draft in June, the affable 18-year-old served notice that if he has his way, his first season will be memorable. McGrady on his goals for his rookie season: "I'm shooting to be slam-dunk champion this year, and I'm shooting to be rookie of the year. ... I have a very high confidence level on slam-dunk contests. You heard it from me first, I think I'll be able to win it." The 6-foot-8, 210-pound player on whether he's planning a trademark dunk: "I think so ... but I'm not going to give it to you." The Florida native on his plans for a Canadian winter: "Oooh, I don't know. I guess I'm going to have to break out the fur." Indeed, it's McGrady's poise in the spotlight and easy-going personality that Raptors part-owner and general manager Isiah Thomas said has been the most refreshing surprise since he selected McGrady out of high school at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C. "That was the concern when we first drafted him," Thomas said. "We knew that he had the physical skills, but we didn't know if had the mental skills to compete at this level. "But after spending a lot of time with Tracy, I'm more impressed with him mentally than I am physically, and physically he's very gifted. But his mental approach to life -- and you can thank his mom for that -- he has the head of a 25, 26-year-old pro here. He's got a lot to learn, but he's going to be a solid, solid person and a solid, solid player." Perhaps no one was happier to hear Thomas's assessment of the rookie than McGrady's mother, Melanise Williford, who accompanied her son. She's planning many more visits to Toronto. "I'm just very proud of Tracy," said Williford, 36. "It's very good to hear someone say nice things about your son. The only thing I can say is that I raised him -- I'm a single mother -- and I taught him right from wrong." The Raptors chose McGrady over several proven college players because of his tremendous athletic and basketball skills. He is said to have a vertical jump of more than 39 inches and complements that ability with a playing style modeled after the triple-threat styles of the Chicago Bulls' Scottie Pippen and the Orlando Magic's Anfernee Hardaway. Thomas said he expects McGrady to come off the bench to play shooting guard and point forward, with occasional appearances at the point-guard spot. Although the Raptors didn't reveal the terms of the contract McGrady signed with the club, the NBA's rookie salary cap dictates that the ninth pick is eligible for as much as $4.7-million over three years. Not that McGrady is hurting for money. Even before his name was called on draft night, sportswear giant adidas had won a bidding war with rival Nike for McGrady's endorsement services, signing him to a deal worth $12-million over five years. His first purchases were a new house and car for his mother, grandmother and younger brother and sister. An added bonus was that his mother could give up her job as a housekeeper at Walt Disney World in Orlando and the 90-minute round-trip commute that went with it. "I want to be with Tracy every step of the way, I already booked my ticket for his first game," she said. The contract announcement was another step on a very improbable road for the young basketball star. Only 18 months ago, McGrady was a virtually unknown as a junior at Auburndale High, a low-profile school in central Florida. A family friend put McGrady in touch with Joel Haskin, the basketball coach at Mount Zion, one of a handful of preparatory schools that specialize in churning out talent for major college basketball programs. McGrady burst onto the U.S. high-school scene with an all-star performance on the summer recruiting circuit last summer and led Mount Zion to 26-2 record and a top-10 national ranking this past season. He averaged 27.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 2.8 steals a game. Although recruited by all the major college basketball programs, McGrady decided to follow the path blazed by Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers in recent years and forsake college for the NBA, although he plans to take correspondence courses this winter. Turning professional has put him in rare company at a young age, but he's getting used to the concept. "It's sunk in, especially after (playing in Magic Johnson's all-star game in August) with the guys in L.A.," he said. "I was just amazed being in a locker room with Magic and Penny (Hardaway) and all those guys. I realized that I was up to this level." Like her son, Williford is sure her baby belongs where he is: "I'm not scared. I have every confidence in Tracy."

nba.432 vpoznanovic, 18 Sep 97 -> #421, gligo

>> Union? Sta im je to? Nesto kao sindikat igraca sta li? To je klasično udruženje kakvo postoji i u raznim drugim djelatnostima. Ono brani interese i prava igrača kad su oni ugroženi od strane lige, nekih drugih organizacija, državnih i ostalih institucija ili pojedinaca. Pregovori oko potpisivanja kolektivnog ugovora u julu prošle godine, koji se spominju u tekstu, su jedan od najznačajnijih slučajeva djelovanja NBPA u posljednje vrijeme.

nba.433 nba.news, 19 Sep 97

Bulls to find out if Pippen needs surgery CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bulls could find out this weekend if they'll have All-Star forward Scottie Pippen for the beginning of the season. Pippen will test his troublesome left foot Saturday during his charity basketball game at the United Center. If he isn't satisfied that the pain and discomfort have subsided, he'll consider surgery which would force him to miss the first two months of the season. Pippen currently is in Europe, where he is touring with a group of NBA stars on a Nike promotional tour. "I haven't been playing in the Nike games so I could rest my foot," Pippen told the Chicago Tribune. "Now I've rested it another month and I want to test it during my (charity) game. If it's better, I'll be in camp. If it still hurts, I'll consider surgery." Pippen is waiting until game time to decide if he will play in the game. A decision on surgery could come early next week. He is plagued by a persistent tendon problem in his foot. Pippen and the Bulls have hoped a summer of rest would help. "I've really only picked up a basketball once this summer," Pippen told the Tribune, referring to Vin Baker and Ray Allen's charity game. "That was in mid-August and my foot felt pretty good." Pippen, who turns 32 on Sept. 25, has missed just 18 games in the last eight years, eight in the past three seasons combined. He is coming off one of his best all-around seasons. He averaged 20.2 points per game and led the Bulls in assists, steals and 3-pointers made as Chicago won its fifth NBA championship in the past seven years.

nba.434 nba.news, 19 Sep 97

Meetings provide details on Garnett, T-Wolves ORLANDO, Fla. -- One of the summer's most perplexing unanswered questions -- why Kevin Garnett turned down $103.5 million from the Minnesota Timberwolves -- is no closer to being answered. There were, however, some details disclosed Thursday during the NBA meetings. Minnesota general manager Kevin McHale, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and Garnett's agent, Eric Fleisher, all described a tense stalemate since negotiations broke off in July. Each side also offered differing opinions on whether the standoff can be amicably settled. "We've asked to sit down with Kevin and discuss this, but his agent gave us an unconditional no," Taylor said. "We can keep waiting, but it's in Kevin's interest to do this now so he doesn't have it following him around all season." The Timberwolves have until Oct. 1 to sign Garnett to an extension. After that, talks are forbidden until July 1 -- the day Garnett would become a free agent. Taylor and McHale both expressed extreme frustration at not being able to speak to Garnett, who is currently in South Carolina and has made no public comments this summer. "We don't want to negotiate with Kevin, and we don't want to bring him into a room without his agent. We just want to sit down with him and discuss everything," Taylor said. "This franchise is being built around him, and how he wants to deal with that -- the leadership responsibilities that are involved -- is all-important." The talks broke down after Taylor publicly announced that Fleisher had rejected the Wolves' initial $103.5 million six-year offer. So upset was Fleisher by this perceived breach of confidence that he announced Garnett would never re-sign with Minnesota. Fleicher, in a telephone interview, said Garnett's position hasn't softened. Asked if he expects negotiations to resume, he replied: "I tend to think probably not, given the fact that both positions are clear and there has been no dialogue." Taylor, who said he is "flexible' on the amount of money available, says he made a conciliatory gesture one week ago by phoning Fleisher in Jamaica and speaking for 30 minutes. "I suggested that we don't wait until the last minute because this is not an easy contract. If we're going to talk again, let's do it. And if we're not going to do it, let's decide not to and say so. "He didn't respond either way, so I'm not sure what he's thinking." A $103.5 million extension would make the 20-year-old Garnett, who will make $2.1 million in the 1997-98 season, one of the five highest-paid players in the league. If Garnett chooses to become a free agent next summer, the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns would be the only teams with enough salary cap space available to offer him a similar deal. The Bulls, however, could sign Garnett only if Michael Jordan decided to retire. "If nothing happens by Oct. 1, we're all going to have to put everything behind us and move on. You still have a season to play and Kevin will have to come in and have a tremendous year for himself and the team," McHale said. "The whole thing with Kevin (being worth $103.5 million) isn't what kind of a player he is today, it's what kind of a player he'll be two, three or four years down the road. "I'm a basketball person, not a negotiator. I like to put a good basketball team on the floor and go out and play and have some fun. Unfortunately, all this other crap has taken over." Taylor said there's been no discussion of possibly trading Garnett before Oct. 1 if the standoff continues. McHale also said the Wolves would rather keep Garnett for the final year of his current three-year contract and then try to sign him next summer. "I don't see where trading him -- unless you get something that absolutely knocks your shots off coming back -- makes any sense."

nba.435 nba.news, 19 Sep 97

Kantner could soon hold court as NBA's first female ref It was in the moments before what would prove to be a momentous NBA exhibition game (now there's a non sequitur for you), when a fan shouted to respected NBA referee Hugh Evans, "Are you going to help her on the court?'' Replied Evans, "She doesn't need any help.'' That Women go back to NBA training camp was last season. Today, the NBA needs plenty of help when it comes to its officiating situation. And because of that, the NBA could well become the first of the four major sports leagues to unveil female officials this season. Last year, the NBA experimented during the exhibition season with two female officials, Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner. It was during a Celtics-Cavaliers exhibition worked by Kantner that Evans stood up for his colleague. Now it is possible that Evans could be standing alongside Kantner during games that count. Already, the NBA has put arenas around the league on alert to the possible need for separate changing areas for female members of the officiating staff. For the league, the timing for such a debut couldn't be better. Rocked last season by an internal revenue service probe into expense-account irregularities by its referees, the NBA has seen three veteran officials resign this off-season: Jess Kersey, George Toliver and Hank Armstrong. Further, veteran referee Mike Mathis has yet to have his fate determined in that probe. Several other veteran referees also are expected to be investigated. It is under that cloud that the NBA could shift the focus from the courts back to the court. Further, Kantner spent this past summer as supervisor of officials for the Women's National Basketball Association. It would be interesting to see how the NBA could say a prospective referee is not prepared enough to work in the NBA but is qualified to supervise the entire officiating structure of the WNBA. Both Kantner and Palmer will be back at the NBA's training camp for officials later this month. New officials are not added until the end of the exhibition season, as was the case last year when former NBA veteran Leon Wood landed on the league's referee roster. Because league executives rarely discuss specific referees, NBA vice president Rod Thorn said this week the recent overtures regarding locker facilities for female referees were, "in case we went to that, we wanted an alternative locker room.'' Thorn said the NBA is considering 10 or 12 overall new candidates for four or five officiating vacancies. Thorn said the league has expanded its typical tryout pool because of the uncertainty created by the IRS investigation. Kantner has been positioned by the league for such a breakthrough. She said last year she was advised by NBA chief of officiating staff Darell Garretson not to work as a WNBA official, "because we do not want to confuse the issues of men's and women's basketball.'' Also, Kantner said a year ago in the Utah Jazz-produced HomeCourt magazine, "I guarantee it, in a couple of years, we'll be in the NBA.'' The reception toward the two female officials was favorable during the '96 exhibition season. After Palmer's initial appearance, then-Warriors coach Rick Adelman said, "She belonged out there more than we did.'' Around the rim Unlike former Magic forward Terry Catledge, who offered to sell his number to then-Magic rookie center Shaquille O'Neal, Grizzlies forward Pete Chilcutt has handed over his No. 33 to Vancouver rookie point guard Antonio Daniels. For Daniels, the number is especially significant because it honors his late brother, Chris, a former Dayton center who died at age 22 of an irregular heartbeat. ... Two years ago, Raptors executive vice president Isiah Thomas said if his team drafted Kevin Garnett, he was considering a limited schedule for the teen sensation, one that may have included only home games. Now in possession of another teen phenom, No. 9 draft pick Tracy McGrady, Thomas has bigger plans. "We knew he had playing skills, but we didn't know about his mental skills,'' Thomas said. "He may be an 18- or 19-year-old teen-ager, but you're talking about the head and maturity of a 24-, 25-year-old pro. Even though he's in a young body, we've discovered he's got an old head.'' ... Having traded him once already (in the nullified Dino Radja deal with Boston), the 76ers now may be looking to move forward Clarence Weatherspoon to Golden State as part of a deal for center Felton Spencer. ... Among the reasons Tyrone Hill has been mentioned so frequently in trade speculation is the Cavaliers' power forward is expected to exercise an opt-out clause in his contract after this season. He already has been mentioned as part of a package, along with Cleveland point guard Terrell Brandon, for Golden State's Joe Smith.

nba.436 nba.news, 19 Sep 97

Their favorite Sun? The Phoenix Suns reportedly have cleared several million dollars with hopes of signing Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett next summer, says the New York Daily News. "It's gonna be between Phoenix and Chicago," one NBA insider told the paper Wednesday. "The Suns really love him. He's the one guy they're targeting, and they're gonna be far enough under the cap (about $15 million) to pay him $105 million to $110 million, if not more. So he's out of Minnesota." If the T-Wolves can't re-sign Garnett, who already turned down a $105-million offer, look for Stephon Marbury to bolt when he becomes a free agent in '99.

nba.437 nba.news, 19 Sep 97

NBA beat: Grant's deal blazes new ground Brian Grant's seven-year, $63 million deal with the Trail Blazers has produced its first ripple. His contract has upped the ante for the Chicago Bulls in their attempt to re-sign Dennis Rodman, who wants to be paid the average of the five highest-paid forwards in the league. The average is $10 million, and Grant just joined that exclusive club -- the other members are Juwan Howard, Horace Grant, Derrick Coleman and Elden Campbell. Although Rodman's likely to return to Chicago, he is contemplating a return to Detroit if negotiations fall through with the Bulls. The Pistons can only offer their remaining $3 million of cap room, but Detroit, as well as all the other teams you'll hear about, are longshots. However, Rodman is more comfortable with Detroit's locker room now that Joe Dumars and Rick Mahorn -- old Bad Boys -- are back for this season. Admiral's ship to sail slowly The Spurs plan to take it easy with David Robinson going into camp. He'll likely practice just once a day until deep into the preseason, and he won't scrimmage as long as the other players. While he began playing five on five last month for the first time this summer, the Spurs would still rather have Robinson lose some conditioning going into the regular season than push his return from his back injury too fast. Agents get more power The revenge of the dissident agents is complete. Last week's elections for the executive committee of the player's union resulted in the stacking of the committee with players who were among the most vehement opponents to the current collective bargaining agreement - -- as well as their agents. For example, new union president Patrick Ewing and two vice presidents -- Juwan Howard and Dikembe Mutombo -- are all represented by David Falk, who is among the most bitter opponents of the collective bargaining agreement. But the union still has to heal the schism between its high-profile players and the rank and file, more and more of whom are playing for the league minimum this season.

nba.438 nba.news, 19 Sep 97

Mullin: No longer the first option For some aging NBA veterans it is a difficult concept to handle, but five-time All-Star Chris Mullin said he has enthusiastically embraced the fact he is no longer his team's first option on offense. In his Sept. 18 chat with Zone users, Mullin talked about his unique role on his new team, the Indiana Pacers. He also talked about playing for his Dream Team teammate Larry Bird and even gave his forecast for the St. John's basketball season. All that and more is entwined in an edited transcript below: Chris Mullin: I'm getting situated here in Indiana. The fans are great here. I'm ready to go. James: How does it feel to be coached by a former teammate (from the 1992 Olympic team)? Chris Mullin: I'm looking forward to it. I think more importantly, I fit in well with this group. It's almost the same team that made the Eastern Conference finals two years ago, so I want to blend in and try to help make them a better team. Juice: Which team do you realistically think will take over the league after the Bulls finish their run? Chris Mullin: I think there are a lot of teams that have a good chance. It's hard to say with free agency coming up for that first rookie class from the three-year system -- guys like Kevin Garnett, Joe Smith and Antonio McDyess. There are a lot of good teams. Until someone beats the Bulls, that's the measuring stick. Knick Fan: Any regrets playing out West (most of your career) and not in New York? Chris Mullin: New York is always a special place for me. My wife is from there, I have family there and a home there. I got a little bit of everything out West. It helped me mature as a player and as a person. At this point in my career, this is a good opportunity to fit in and use my talents on a good team. I'm not looking back, I'm looking ahead. I enjoyed my time out there. I am really concentrating on fitting in here and helping the team. Scott: Honestly, doesn't it slightly bother you to be the third or fourth option after all of your glory? Chris Mullin: Not at all. It's actually something I've been working toward. I talked to Chuck Person about this today. As your career goes on, being able to adjust to the role is important. I was trying to do it in Golden State, but they needed me to be more than that. On a team like this, with so much talent, I can be effective and help the team. I don't look at it as a demotion; I look at it as being able to help here. Jon: Why do you think Golden State is so jinxed, meaning to have all that talent -- Tim Hardaway, Billy Owens, Latrell Sprewell, Mitch Richmond, Chris Webber, etc., and yourself -- and yet Golden State has mediocre seasons every single year? Chris Mullin: One thing is that there has been a lot of change, not only player turnover but ownership, coaching, GM. There has not been much consistency. With that, guys don't grow together, go through winning and losing and seeing things through together. It's skimming the surface at best. If they stayed together a little bit, there would have been more success. Mike: What's your feeling on the state of St. John's basketball? Chris Mullin: I think they will be great. They are working hard and playing a great schedule. They're on track, making great improvements. Shane: Have you talked to Felipe Lopez or Zendon Hamilton about the pro game? Do you keep up with St. John's hoops in general? Chris Mullin: I have. They asked me a lot about it. I told them to do their work now and they can get there. I also said you have to work harder to stay there. If you want to stay, you have to work at it. They're at the point now where they have to work at it. They went overseas with Coach Carnesecca this summer and they have been in the gym all summer. I hope they have a good year this year. I have worked out with Jayson Williams, Shawnelle Scott, Malik Sealy, Mark Jackson and scrimmaged with some of the St. John's players this summer. There were some good workouts. GG Collins: If you had to start a team with one and only one N.Y. city playground legend, who would you choose? Chris Mullin: Does this mean someone who didn't make it? That's a tough one. Let me think about it. I guess Lew Alcindor came from New York, so he'd be my choice. Mop Man: Of all the teammates that came and went during your tenure here, which player did you enjoy playing the most with and which one did you dislike the most? Chris Mullin: My favorite teammate was ... it's hard to pick one. I enjoyed the time when Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and I were together. They pushed each other in a positive way. The guy I spent the most time with and I respect is Rod Higgins, who is a coach now. Rod was a team guy. Rocket Fan: Do you belive that a player has the right to holdout just to renegotiate a contract that he signed? Chris Mullin: I don't think that teams can just rip up your contract any more. The new collective bargaining agreement takes care of both sides in a lot of ways. Elie: My favorite player in the league is Mario Elie, because I'm a Rockets fan. I know you spent a season with him, and he wears the No. 17 in honor of you. How does that feel? Chris Mullin: That's a great, great feeling. Mario and I played together at Power Memorial. We've been close ever since. When he bounced around overseas, someone from the Warriors asked me about him. I told him I knew him and he had a great work ethic and was a winner. He plays so hard and for the right reasons, and losing a guy like that hurt the Warriors. I have the utmost respect for him. I love him and am so happy for what he has accomplished in the league. Tom: Would you ever consider following in the footsteps of your current coach and coach when your career is over? Chris Mullin: I wouldn't rule it out, but right now it is not No. 1 on my priority list. Warrior Fan: I have always wondered why you wear No. 17. Is there a story behind it? Chris Mullin: Pretty short one. John Havlicek was a player I'd admired, and No. 20 -- my college number -- was taken with the Warriors when I came out. Terry Teagle had it then. There is also the luck of the Irish with St. Patrick's Day on March 17th. Bama Boy: In your opinion, who are some of the most underrated players in the NBA? Chris Mullin: Mario Elie is important to his team. The really good teams, with so much info out there, everybody knows everybody, so there are few underrated guys. Each team has a few guys which do things that go unnoticed. Without them, things don't work. It could be a guy who sets a pick, role players nowadays are not around as much. Mark: What has been your most memorable season/moment in your career? Chris Mullin: I would have to say spending the summer of '92 with the Olympic team. Playing at a high level was a great feeling, and so was spending time with these great people away from the court. I learned that they had it together on and off the court, and that helped explain why they were so great on the court. We had an All-Star team which played together like an All-Star team, and that was unique. D-love: Have you talked to Tim or Mitch lately? Chris Mullin: I spoke to Mitch not too long ago. I last saw Tim at a Knicks playoff game. I haven't talked to him since the trade. We do stay in contact and touch base quite a bit. VI: Can you tell us if coach Bird has explained to you what your role will be with the Pacers, and what that role will be? Chris Mullin: We have not sat down. I've seen him almost every day as he's at the gym where we work out. It will all take care of itself. I look forward to a lot of different roles. A player who has been in the league like I have can be a team guy, flexible, and night to night the role will change. A coach needs a guy who can accept it and go do it. Thanks a lot for the questions. ----- Mullin's file After spending the first 12 years of his career with Golden State, it was time for Mullin to move on. And the Indiana Pacers, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 1989, welcomed the Warriors' legend with open arms. Mullin, who ranks fourth on the Warriors' all-time scoring list, was traded for Duane Ferrell and Erick Dampier on Aug. 12. Mullin had his first injury-free year since 1991-92 last season and averaged 14.5 points in 79 games for the Warriors. The two-time Olympic gold medalist (1984, 1992) averaged more than 20 points from the 1987-88 season through 1992-93, with his best mark 26.5 in 1988-89. In Indiana, Mullin will be reunited with rookie head coach Larry Bird, who played with Mullin on the 1992 Olympic Dream Team.

nba.439 gligo, 20 Sep 97 -> #432, vpoznanovic

>>> Union? Sta im je to? Nesto kao sindikat igraca sta li? > > To je klasicno udruzenje kakvo postoji i u raznim drugim > djelatnostima. Ono brani interese i prava igraca kad su oni > ugrozeni od strane lige, nekih drugih organizacija, drzavnih i > ostalih institucija ili pojedinaca. Hvala za ovo, al' ako ti nije mrsko mogao bi da objasnis pojam 'salary cap'. Otprilike, znam nesto malo i to se sve svodi na postojanje limita u lovi za placanje igraca. Ako bi mogao da me ispravis i ukoliko si u mogucnosti, napises nesto vise o ovome. Opet hvala.

nba.440 nba.news, 20 Sep 97

Shaq, Hill reportedly lead next Dream Team ORLANDO, Fla. -- Three members of the 1996 Olympic team and one member of the original Dream Team were among 10 players selected to represent the United States at the 1998 World Championships, the Associated Press learned Friday. Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill and Gary Payton, who won gold medals for the U.S. at the Atlanta Olympics, and Christian Laettner, who was the lone collegiate representative on the 1992 Barcelona team, were among the selections. The others were Glen Rice, Chris Webber, Kevin Garnett, Vin Baker, Terrell Brandon and Allan Houston, according to sources who spoke on the condition they not be identified. All 10 players will be contacted by USA Basketball, the organizing body for the national team, before the roster is officially announced. "Shaquille is honored to be chosen, and we will be looking at his schedule for the summer of 1998 before we make a commitment," said Leonard Armato, the agent for O'Neal. Two more selections will be made early in 1998. The World Championships will be held from July 29 to Aug. 9 in Athens, Greece. The 1998 world championship team will be the fourth comprised almost entirely of professionals. Along with the 1992 and 1996 Olympic squads, a team of NBA players won the gold medal for the U.S. at the 1994 World Championships in Toronto. Another team of NBA players will be chosen in the fall of 1999 to represent the U.S. at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. "Tell them we'll trade Athens for Sydney," quipped Aaron Goodwin, the agent for Payton, upon hearing the news. The 10 selections were first reported by The New York Times.

nba.443 nba.news, 20 Sep 97

NBA commissioner says league considering lockout for summer '98 ORLANDO, Fla. (Sep 19, 1997 - 16:45 EDT) -- The NBA is considering whether to re-open the collective bargaining agreement and impose a lockout next summer, commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Russ Granik said Friday at the league meetings. The six-year labor agreement finalized last summer between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association includes a re-opener clause that gives the league the right to effectively rip up the accord after the 1997-98 season. "It's something we're going to have to consider," Granik said in a formal meeting with reporters. "We do feel that the salary system is becoming out of whack ... and over the last couple years things are heading in the wrong direction." Granik said more than a third of the league's 29 teams lost money last season -- up from just two or three teams that sustained losses two years ago. The league also is concerned about the shrinking middle class among players caused by a system in which superstars earn an unfair bulk of the money. Stern said the current situation of Kevin Garnett turning down $103.5 million was "a sort of snapshot of what's going on now about money." Bill Hunter, executive director of the players' union, expressed no surprise at the league floating the idea of a lockout for public consumption. "The commissioner and his staff are astute business people, and it seems the same pattern is developing as we've seen in past years -- they throw out bits and pieces of lockout talk while speaking in generalities," Hunter said. "If the league is so inclined to set aside that deal, so be it. Everything will be back on the table. But I anticipate the commissioner and I will be meeting at various times this season to see if we can resolve the matter." Stern and Granik spoke to reporters on the busiest day of the league meetings. A general assembly of all league personnel was held in the morning before coaches, general managers, marketing representatives, WNBA people and others broke off for separate sessions. During the morning meeting, Granik showed a videotape of himself disclosing the re-opener clause at last summer's news conference announcing the six-year agreement with the union. At the briefing with reporters, he claimed one of the reasons for possibly re-opening would be to keep ticket prices from further escalating. "We find ourselves in a situation where we're in negotiations on a new television deal and teams are doing what they can do to increase local revenues, but salaries still go up dramatically and the answer is to raise ticket prices. "We want to find a system where -- since there's going to be enough money flowing into the NBA for the next several years -- the players can get a fair share, the owners can make a reasonable profit and we don't have to undergo extraordinary ticket (price) increases on a regular basis. "That goal may not be achievable under the current system, and the owners are going to have to consider whether we need to go back to the bargaining table," Granik said. On other matters, Stern expressed dismay at the number of off-the-court incidents that have landed NBA figures in the sports pages for alleged transgressions. Among the incidents were Allen Iverson of the 76ers being arrested for weapons and marijuana possession, two people being shot at a party hosted by Dennis Scott of Orlando, Charlotte owner George Shinn being investigated to sexual assault and NBC broadcaster Marv Albert facing trial in Virginia for sexual assault. "We have 400-plus players, and the overwhelming majority of them not only are law-abiding but also preach respect for the law," Stern said. Still, Stern said: "We think illegal, criminal activity that results in convictions is something that we have to hold all people associated with the NBA accountable for -- and not just players." Stern also acknowledged a certain culture of lawlessness among team executives and agents who look for ways to exploit loopholes in the salary cap rules. "We've spent a fair amount of our adult lives unsuccessfully dealing with this issue," Stern said. "Our teams have rules, but frankly they seem more interested in how many rebounds somebody can get or how many assists they can get or what contribution they can make to a team rather than enforcing their rules. "That's something we're going to have to take another look at. It's not whether there should be rules, but whether they should enforce them."

nba.442 nba.news, 20 Sep 97

Iverson passenger in car stopped for speeding PHILADELPHIA (Sep 19, 1997 - 19:45 EDT) -- After NBA rookie of the year Allen Iverson was arrested in Virginia on marijuana and gun possession charges last month, the Philadelphia 76ers told the 22-year-old star to start acting like a model citizen. On Friday, after broadcast and newspaper reports that Iverson was a passenger in a car stopped for doing 99 mph early Thursday morning, team officials wondered whether the focus on Iverson's off-the-court activities had become too intense. "He's a public figure and that puts him in the fishbowl," said an indignant Dave Coskey, the team's spokesman. "But you've got to scratch the glass on the bowl to have a problem, not just swim around in it. "What did he do wrong to generate a news story? Seriously, I'm speechless." Iverson was riding in a car driven by his uncle, Gregory Iverson, leaving a toll booth on the Walt Whitman Bridge. A Delaware River Port Authority officer clocked the car going 99 mph in a 45 mph zone and ticketed the driver. No charges were filed against the Sixers point guard. "It was a routine traffic stop," port authority spokesman Joe Diemer. Coskey said he hadn't spoken to Iverson and had no further comment. Other team officials were in Orlando, Fla., for a league meeting and were unavailable for comment. Iverson's agent, David Falk, did not return phone messages to his office. Iverson averaged 23.5 points last season, sixth in the league, and had five straight 40-plus-point games, an NBA rookie record. But the point guard created controversy off the court. On Aug. 3, Iverson was a passenger in a car stopped for speeding near Richmond, Va. The trooper smelled marijuana and searched the car. He found a .45-caliber pistol on the floorboard. Iverson pleaded no contest to the gun charge three weeks ago, and a marijuana possession charge was dropped. He must undergo random monthly drug testing for two years and may not own a gun during that time. He also must perform 100 hours of community service. "You can say you weren't driving the car, that you didn't smoke that joint, but that doesn't mean anything. It's not acceptable for anyone, let alone someone who is a public figure and represents so many people," said coach Larry Brown at the time.

nba.441 nba.news, 20 Sep 97

Drexler reconsiders retiring after season HOUSTON -- Clyde Drexler had planned to end his playing career after the upcoming NBA season. Now, he's not so sure. "I was thinking all along about this being my last year," the Houston Rockets' All-Star guard said. "But I've gotten some inquiries over the summer and they have sort of renewed my interest in playing longer. They are coming from teams that might need a veteran scorer who can play 25 or 30 minutes a game." Teams showing interest probably would be considered championship contenders that might need one more veteran to help complete their puzzle, Drexler says. "After all that extra interest, it's only natural to think twice (about retirement)," he said in an interview published Friday in the Houston Chronicle. During the 1995-96 season, Drexler agreed to a two-year deal worth about $11 million that would take him through this season. "I'll say this: I'm a Rocket. After I finish this season, then we'll look to the future," he said. "This is the last I'm going to talk about it. But it's going to be something I'm going to consider very strongly." How much interest the Rockets have in extending Drexler's career remains to be seen.

nba.444 nba.news, 21 Sep 97

Still no trades as NBA meetings wind down ORLANDO, Fla. -- The NBA meetings have featured get-togethers, golf outings, speeches, caucuses and everything else -- Goofy or not -- that is standard fare for a three-day convention at Disney World. But as the meetings went through their final full day Saturday, everybody was still waiting for the first official trade. A deal that would have sent Dennis Scott from the Orlando Magic to Dallas for Derek Harper and Ed O'Bannon was squashed at the last minute by Mavericks ownership, sources told the Associated Press. Another deal that would send oft-injured swingman Scott Burrell from Golden State to Chicago for Dickey Simpkins was expected to be finalized early next week. Perhaps the biggest prize in all the trade talks -- Shawn Kemp of Seattle -- was still a member of SuperSonics by the time general manager Wally Walker departed the meetings Saturday afternoon. "I'm a popular guy, but we're in no hurry to do anything," Walker said. Still, Walker conceded that he is talking to several teams and would like to trade Kemp to the Eastern Conference. "We'd much rather see him two times a year that four times," Walker said. One general manager and one coach -- not from the same team -- said they had heard that the Chicago Bulls were again floating the idea of trading Scottie Pippen. "I'm not going to comment on that," Bulls general manager Jerry Krause said early Saturday evening. Pippen, who was nearly dealt to Boston on the night of the draft for three No. 1 picks and Antoine Walker, did not play in his All-Star exhibition game at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday night. Pippen, still bothered by an injured left foot, had said he would use the charity game to test his injury, then decide whether to have surgery that would sideline him for about two months. "I don't think I'll be playing, guys. Sorry to disappoint you. It's no test at all," Pippen said before the game. "I find I'm not going to push myself. We'll just have to wait and see." Other teams active in trade talks are the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks. The Bucks, still thought to be pondering a Vin Baker-for-Kemp offer, were said to be shopping Elliot Perry, Andrew Lang and Armon Gilliam. One rumor had Milwaukee sending Lang to the New Jersey Nets, who are desperate for a center, in exchange for Jayson Williams. Gilliam was rumored to be headed to Golden State for B.J. Armstrong. Other teams were checking with the Warriors on the availability of Joe Smith, one of the marquee members of the draft class of 1995 who is slated to become a free agent next summer. Also in that category is Antonio McDyess of Denver, who met -- along with his agent, Arn Tellem -- with Nuggets executives and ownership last Thursday. Tellem said no financial issues were discussed. There were rumors last week that the Lakers were considering an offer of Eddie Jones for McDyess. And another Jones rumor -- to Sacramento for disgruntled Mitch Richmond -- made its way through the lobby at the Dolphin Hotel. But Sal DeFazio, the agent for Jones, said he had spoken with Los Angeles general manager Jerry West on Friday and was assured that the Lakers were not shopping his client. Cleveland and Atlanta are both looking for a starting small forward, and both made offers to Phoenix for Cedric Ceballos that were turned down. San Antonio was said to be getting several offers for backup center Will Perdue, and the Suns were hearing from teams interested in third-string point guard Steve Nash. "There are a lot of people talking, but there are still 1Ż weeks until training camp," Pacers general manager Donnie Walsh said. "Things get talked about here, then the GMs go home and talk it over with their owners. Something could happen here (at the league meetings), but it usually doesn't."

nba.445 nba.news, 21 Sep 97

Bulls, Warriors swap forwards CHICAGO -- The trade stalemate during the NBA meetings ended on Saturday as the Chicago Bulls have reportedly traded power forward Dickie Simpkins to the Golden State Warriors for small forward Scott Burrell. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, details of the trade were completed by Friday, but its announcement was delayed because the general managers of both teams were in Orlando, Florida, attending the meetings. "So at this rate, nothing will probably be official until Monday," said Sean Holley, who represents both players. The trade will end Simpkins' disappointing three-year stay with the Bulls. After being drafted in the first round out of Providence in 1994, the 6-foot-10 Simpkins averaged 3 points, 2 rebounds and about 10 minutes with the Bulls and was left off the team's playoff roster each of those seasons. "I appreciate all the Bulls have done for me," Simpkins said. "But I want to play more. That's the only way I'm going to grow as a player." The 6-foot-7 Burrell was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 20th pick out of Connecticut in 1993. He has been plagued serious injuries, averaging 48 games a season. Last year he averaged 5 points and 3 rebounds while playing 16 minutes a game in a season split between the Hornets and Warriors. His best season was in 1994-95, when he averaged 11 points, 6 rebounds and shot 41 percent from three-point range. "Burrell simply wanted to get back on a winner," Holley said. "So this is a trade that should turn out good for everybody."

nba.446 nba.news, 21 Sep 97

Pippen decides not to test foot in charity game CHICAGO -- It was billed as the Scottie Pippen Ameritech All-Star Classic. However, the marquee player decided to sit this one out Saturday night. The Chicago Bulls forward was dressed in a suit and stayed on the bench during the charity game as he continued to nurse a foot injury he sustained in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat. "I don't think I'll be playing, guys," Pippen said before Saturday's game. "Sorry to disappoint you. It's no test at all. I find I'm not going to push myself. We'll just have to wait and see." The Bulls are scheduled to open training camp on Oct. 3, and it had been reported that if the pain persists, Pippen would consult with a doctor about what further action to take, including the possibility of surgery. "I've rested it another month and I want to test it during my (charity) game," Pippen told the Chicago Tribune earlier this week. "If it's better, I'll be in camp. If it still hurts, I'll consider surgery." Surgery could sideline Pippen for the first two months of the season. Proceeds from the NBA-sanctioned exhibition game went to a number of charities, including the Scottie Pippen Youth Foundation, Cabrini Green Tutoring Program and the Chicago Sun-Times Literacy Program. The Classic was expected to raise at least $100,000 for the participating charities. The attendance at United Center was announced as 17,485. As for the game, which was a free-wheeling, offensive showcase, Dallas' Michael Finley, who was on Pippen's team, was the high-scorer with 45 points and teammate Antoine Walker of the Boston Celtics added 33. Pippen's team lost 145-143 as Seattle's Gary Payton and Atlanta's Steve Smith each had 28 points for the winners.

nba.447 nba.news, 21 Sep 97

Family of Timberwolves assistant fights through son's illness (Sep 20, 1997 - 09:57 EDT) -- Two weeks before last Christmas, Kevin Garnett, Cherokee Parks and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coaches Jerry Sichting and Mike Schuler visited the cancer ward of Children's Health Care-Minneapolis. They posed for photographs, signed autographs, handed out T-shirts and caps, and went from room to room, chatting with some very sick kids. Garnett played pool with a couple of children who were able to leave their beds. It was a difficult morning. "Kevin had a hard time with it," Sichting said. "We all did." In the hours they were in the hospital, the Wolves folks did what they could to bring a little cheer into the lives of the kids. When Sichting left the hospital, he said a silent prayer of thanks that he had four healthy children -- ranging in age from 6 to 14 -- whose spirits did not have to be lifted by young athletes in such a poignant way. Jerry Sichting thought of himself as the luckiest man in the world. There was no way for Sichting to know that 10 days later, he would be back on the same floor of the same hospital, saying another silent prayer, this time for his 7-year-old son, Jordan, who had just undergone surgery to remove a golf ball-sized tumor in his scrotum. A father finds no comfort in such irony. "To have just been there with all those kids on the same floor, and then to find yourself back there with your son and he is having cancer surgery," Jerry Sichting said. Nine months have passed since Jordan Sichting underwent surgery twice within a week, the first time to remove the mass, the second to remove part of the scrotum and one testicle. Nine terrifying-yet-inspiring, exhausting-yet-uplifting months for the Sichting family. It all began when Jordan was late getting dressed for school and his mother, Joni, walked in and noticed an alarming swelling. The next day, Jordan had surgery. "You start out in a fog," Joni Sichting said. "They can't tell you why, or where it came from. So you have days when you throw yourself on the bed and just cry." There can be no preparation for seeing your child undergo 27 weeks of chemotherapy. Some of those weeks included treatments on five consecutive days. There were the usual side effects: nausea, weakness, nerve damage, loss of hair. He would miss three days of school a week. Jordan spent many of his nights sleeping in the fold-out bed in his parents' bedroom. The Sichtings called it "Sick Bay." Yet through it all -- the tears and the long nights -- Jerry and Joni Sichting consider themselves lucky. Not simply because the type of cancer -- rhabdomyosarcoma -- could have nestled in muscles in other areas of Jordan's body where detection would not have come so quickly. Not simply because doctors have given Jordan a 94 percent chance of full recovery, and the Sichtings know several other families fighting tougher odds. Not simply because the family has such a strong religious faith. There are other things that make them feel lucky. The generous outpouring of support they have received from the Wolves organization, from friends and from family has been a gift. The Sichtings have one daughter, Jenna, 6, and three sons, Jared, 14, Jason, 12, and Jordan, now 8. Jason wrote a report for school on childhood cancer, and got his head shaved so his younger brother would not be the only one in the house missing his hair. "When you have three boys that age, they're likely to fight a little bit," Jerry said. "Well, when this happened, they closed ranks." The Wolves players -- especially Stephon Marbury and Garnett -- have been supportive. Last season, Garnett put the name "Jordan" on the top of his socks. This was not to salute Michael. And when the Wolves beat the Lakers on Dec. 21, Jordan Sichting got the game ball. "You learn how much it means to these kids when they are visited by an athlete, or somebody who takes interest in them," Joni said. "There were times during the year when literally nothing picked up Jordan like going to a game, or getting a high-five from Kev or Steph. Jordan would lay down, sick as a dog, in the players' wives lounge, but he still wanted to be there because it was the one thing that would pick him up." Then there were the neighbors and friends who did whatever they could to help. "I'm one of those people who likes to do everything on my own," Joni said. "But what you learn is that at times like these, (you) let your friends help you. "Some family reading this article is going to be just starting this whole process, and they probably think the darkness will never lift. But with the help of people around you, and the love and strength they provide, you will get through it." The Sichtings also are thankful for Jordan himself, who has shown remarkable resilience. "He's a bright little boy, and we've been pretty honest with him," Jerry said. "The hospital staff does a tremendous job helping you communicate what is going on. They said, 'You have a bad lump and we have to take it out. It's like a small patch of weeds, and if you don't take it out, the weeds will take over the whole garden."' Jordan's sense of humor also has inspired his family. As his hair started falling out and his weight dropped, Jordan told his parents that he was starting to look more and more like his buddy, Garnett. When a reporter recently visited the Sichting home, Jordan cracked up everybody in the room by declaring: "I'll sign for $103 million," in reference to the contract the Wolves have offered his buddy. Jerry Sichting says he would dearly love for Garnett to re-sign with the Wolves. But the issue just doesn't seem quite as important to him right now.

nba.448 nba.news, 22 Sep 97

Three-point line moved out; Leaping timeout calls prohibited ORLANDO, Fla. (Sep 21, 1997 - 17:21 EDT) -- Most people in the NBA feel it was a mistake to shorten the 3-point line three years ago. "Some would say so, but I won't," league vice president Rod Thorn said Sunday on the final day of the NBA meetings. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time." That's as close as he would come to criticizing the shorter shot as coaches, general managers and team personnel headed back to their respective cities to prepare for the start of training camps on Oct. 3. One of the few pieces of business Sunday was a meeting of the Competition Committee at which a change in illegal defense rules was recommended to the Board of Governors. If the Board approves the recommendation in the next 7-10 days, teams will no longer have to station weak side defenders above the foul line when an offensive team sends two players beyond the 3-point line. "It just looked bad. Teams would put two guys way out in left field who weren't a part of what was going on. This should made our game look a little better," Thorn said. Thorn also disclosed that each team has been ordered to set up a separate locker room for female officials. Two women, Dee Kantner and Violet Palmer, will be among 10-12 referees trying out during the exhibition season for five vacancies. Two female officials also worked preseason games last year. Kantner is the supervisor of officials for the WNBA and Palmer is a WNBA referee. Both have worked NCAA Final Four women's games and officiated men's games at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City this summer. Thorn explained several other rule changes that were approved earlier this summer. A dotted semicircle will be painted beneath each basket, marking a four-foot arc in which secondary defenders will not be permitted to draw charging fouls. "We feel it will encourage more perimeter players to drive to the basket," Thorn said. Defensive players will no longer by able to keep a forearm on their man when he is facing the basket, unless the defender is fighting through a pick. Players will not be allowed to call timeout while in the air and falling out of bounds. But by far the most sweeping change will be the move of the 3-point line back to its original distance of 23 feet, 9 inches. It has always been 22 feet in the corners. "A lot of people who were taking 3-point shots shouldn't have been taking them, and it was too easy to double-team in the low post," Thorn conceded. "The huge consensus was that the shorter 3-point line was causing a game that was not fluid. There were too many 3-point shots being taken." The league expects 3-point attempts to drop to about nine per team per game. They had more than doubled since the line was moved in. "As far as medium-range (shooting) skills, there are fewer players that have them," Thorn said. "That used to be a skill that players on every team had. Now we think you'll see more 15- to 18-foot shots attempted."

nba.449 nba.news, 23 Sep 97

Bulls acquire F Burrell from Golden State for F Simpkins CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bulls may have taken their first step to protect themselves against forward Scottie Pippen's desire to test the free-agent market by acquiring talented but oft-injured small forward Scott Burrell from the Golden State Warriors today. Chicago sent reserve power forward Dickey Simpkins to Golden State for Burrell, who played in 57 games last season and averaged 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds while playing less than 17 minutes per game for Golden State and Charlotte. "The deal with both parties was for me to broker since both players are my clients," said Sean Holley, who is the agent for both Burrell and Simpkins. "Because it made sense, we continued dialogue over the summer." Burrell missed 24 games after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on December 27th to repair torn cartilage in his right knee. "He is excited," said Holley about Burrell. "Scott sees the opportunity to seize the moment. He wants to play with some of the best players, the world champions. By the same token, he has an opportunity to show the Bulls what he can do." Pippen, who has thrived under Michael Jordan's wing during the Bulls' run of five titles the past seven years, repeatedly has butted heads with general manager Jerry Krause and already has expressed his desire to leave following the season. Jordan, who signed a one-year deal worth $33 million in the off-season, might also be playing his final season in Chicago. Before the 1995 trading deadline, Krause offered Pippen to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for power forward Shawn Kemp. This off-season, he reportedly was offering Pippen as part of a trade package to Rick Pitino and the Boston Celtics, who had two of the first six picks in this year's draft. The 26-year-old Burrell, once a hard-throwing pitcher in the minor-league organization of the Toronto Blue Jays, was the 20th pick in the 1993 draft and averaged 11.5 points in the 1994-95 season before a torn Achilles' tendon knocked him out of the final 17 games. He suffered through an injury-plagued 1995-96 campaign in which he completed his rehabilitation from the Achilles' injury, but dislocated his right shoulder after 20 games. Before returning, Burrell averaged 13.2 points per game, but dislocated the shoulder again in practice and had season-ending surgery. Burrell was shipped to Golden State last season for forward Donald Royal and appeared in 29 games with the Warriors. The 6-10 Simpkins averaged 1.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 48 games with the Bulls. He was the 21st overall selection in the 1994 draft but both his games played and scoring average were career lows. Simpkins was never put on the playoff roster in his three years with the Bulls. "Dickey knows that he can seize the opportunity to re-start his career," said Holley. "Dickey, being a Big East guy, is familar with and excited to play for P.J (Carlesimo). Jerry (Krause) and (Warriors general manager Garry) St. Jean through former Providence player Michael Smith. He's not leaving with hard feelings, but it's best for his future."

nba.450 nba.news, 23 Sep 97

Cavs sign free agent F Henry James CLEVELAND -- Free agent forward Henry James, who began his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is returning to the team after signing an undisclosed contract today. James, 32, broke into the NBA with the Cavs in 1990-91 and averaged career highs of 8.1 points and 2.1 rebounds over 37 games as a rookie. He appeared in 65 contests with Cleveland the following season before bouncing around between the CBA, Italy and the NBA, where he has also played for Sacramento, Utah, the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston and Atlanta. The 6-8 long range specialist signed on with the Hawks last December 20th and averaged 6.7 points and shot a career-best 42 percent (76-of-181) from three-point range in 53 games, including 15 starts. He nailed seven three-pointers in the fourth quarter of a come-from-behind win over New Jersey on April 15th. "We are pleased to have Henry James return to the Cavaliers," said president and chief operating officer Wayne Embry. "We feel his outside shooting will be a valuable addition to our team."

nba.451 nba.news, 23 Sep 97

Lakers ink Bennett Inglewood, CA (TSN) - The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free-agent forward Mario Bennett to an undisclosed contract. Bennett was the 27th overall selection in the 1995 draft by the Phoenix Suns. The 24-year-old Bennett played for the Grand Rapids Hoops and Yakima Sun Kings of the Continental Basketball Association last season. He averaged 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Bennett saw limited action for Phoenix in his rookie season of 1995-96, appearing in just 19 games and averaging 4.5 points and 2.6 rebounds. The 6-foot-9 Bennett left Arizona State University after three years. He left as the school's all-time leader in block shots (191) and field-goal percentage (.587).

nba.452 nba.news, 23 Sep 97

Fratello, Cavs face a year in transition After Mike Fratello signed a four-year contract extension valued at $20 million earlier this summer, we didn't know whether to congratulate him or send along our condolences. That witless quandary drew a chuckle from the Cleveland coach over the phone last week, but he let it pass without further comment. Perhaps it was a case of his being on the way to his annual charity fund-raiser for terminally-ill children, which doesn't exactly evoke feelings of self-pity. Perhaps he has no alternative but to delude himself into believing things aren't as bad as they seem. But it's hard to find any other believers these days. The Cavs entered the summer with the largest bankroll to spend on the free-agent market -- about $9 million -- yet have less to show for their efforts than any other team. It's not as if they didn't try, of course: They put more than $70 million on the table for Brian Grant, who subsequently signed for less in Portland, and they tried to entice Rick Fox with a four-year package that approached $20 million, only to see him settle for a scant $1 million with the Lakers. Meanwhile, two-fifths of their starting lineup -- Chris Mills and Bobby Phills -- defected. The team had even extended a competitive offer to Mills. Now, days before the start of camp, GMs all over the league are still asking the same questions: What the hell is Cleveland doing? And: How can two of the most respected names in the business -- Fratello and GM Wayne Embry -- allow such a promising situation to turn so grim? "There's no crisis here, as some people would have you believe," Fratello says, albeit wearily. "We're disappointed with free agency, that we weren't able to re-sign our own guys, but there were circumstances behind each one. "Outsiders may not understand them, but we did." What these extenuating circumstances were, Fratello isn't willing to share. It could be that long-held suspicion of a Fratello-Embry schism, created by many hours of wrangling over personnel decisions. Lots of luck getting either man to admit it, even if it is fact. It could be something devastating, such as the emerging belief that Terrell Brandon's days are numbered, which would go a long way toward discouraging other stars to come to town. Fratello chooses to rationalize it this way: "It's probably happenstance, more than anything," he says. "But don't forget, you know as well as I do that it wasn't a great year for free agency anyway. "We tried. We were right there with the money. It just didn't work out. But now we have money left that we could easily use to our advantage in trades or future free agents as we try to put it back together again." That was one of the few times Fratello would even entertain the notion that the foundation is crumbling. He tries to dispute the belief that few free agents want to play in Cleveland, but he ultimately concedes the point. "Maybe (the city's image has) worked against us, but it's not like this has happened every year," Fratello says. "We did get (Dan) Majerle and Tyrone (Hill) and (Michael) Cage to come here. . . . This year wound up being a tough one for us, sure, but other teams didn't get what they wanted, either." In Cleveland's case, however, the tough times have only begun. Although Fratello maintains that he still likes his nucleus -- Brandon, Hill, Bobby Sura, Danny Ferry -- his short-term outlook must change dramatically. The center tandem, rookie Zydrunas Ilgauskas and burly second-year player Vitaly Potapenko, must produce -- immediately. His rookie guard tandem, Derek Anderson and Brevin Knight, must be in the rotation -- immediately. "I've never been afraid of playing rookies, so yeah, they're going to get thrown in right away," he says. "It will have to be on-the-job training, and I think they'll handle it. We needed to get guys who can play a style we wanted to get to -- quicker, more athletic, and we've got that in both of them. Add them to Terrell and Sura, and it gives us four guards who can defend and push it." Now the question becomes whether anyone will stay interested long enough in a team that is lagging at the gate and has experienced a decline in TV ratings. The team has to contend with an increasingly frustrated fan base that already might have concluded that management is asleep at the controls -- an unfair judgment, really, given that Phills was not a vital piece and would only carve into the minutes required for Sura and Anderson, and that ownership made an earnest attempt to stuff wads of cash into the void created by Mills. Still, Fratello knows he must restore some faith. When he and assistant coach Ron Rothstein sit down this week to put together the playbook, he vows it will look nothing like that of recent Cavs vintage. Part of it may have to do with the grief he has received over the past three years for the slowdown style that has characterized his teams. Just as likely, it's the sensible reaction of a great coach -- "One of the 10 best ever," Jack Ramsay will tell you -- searching for a style suitable to his personnel. "We will be playing a different style -- more up-tempo, more transition," Fratello says. "You won't recognize us. My goal this year is to be accused of not playing any defense."

nba.453 stukelj, 23 Sep 97 -> #451, nba.news

│ Inglewood, CA (TSN) - The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free-agent │ forward Mario Bennett to an undisclosed contract. Bennett was the 27th │ overall selection in the 1995 draft by the Phoenix Suns. └───────────────────────────────────────────────── Jel ovo onaj najgori izvodjac slobodnih bacanja na svetu ? ;)

nba.454 junior, 23 Sep 97 -> #453, stukelj

> Jel ovo onaj najgori izvodjac slobodnih bacanja na svetu ? ;) :) Ne bih rekao. Evo kakav mu je bio šut 1995/96. Bennett 27-42 .643

nba.455 nba.news, 24 Sep 97

Trail Blazers sign top draft pick Cato, guard Crotty PORTLAND, Ore. (Sep 24, 1997 - 00:33 EDT) -- Kelvin Cato, a former Iowa State center selected 15th overall in the NBA draft, signed a three-year contract Tuesday with the Portland Trail Blazers. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but under the NBA rookie salary scale, it likely is worth slightly over $3 million. Cato, 6-foot-11, averaged 11.3 points and 8.4 rebounds last season and broke the Iowa State record for career blocked shots with 189 in two seasons. "Kelvin is a young, athletic player who gives our roster a lot of depth and flexibility," Blazers president Bob Whitsitt said. "Hopefully the core players we have now will serve as the foundation for our team for many years to come." Portland traded the No. 18 pick to the Dallas Mavericks on draft day for the rights to Cato, who could help fill the void that likely will be left by the departure of Chris Dudley. Dudley has re-signed with Portland, but expects to be traded to New York. The deal has been held up by the NBA. An arbitrator approved the trade but the league appealed it. Even if the appeal is not resolved, Dudley has said he doesn't expect to be there when the Blazers open camp Oct. 3. The Blazers also announced Tuesday that free-agent guard John Crotty had signed a contract. Terms weren't disclosed. The team earlier had announced that Crotty had reached an agreement with the club. Crotty, expected to back up Kenny Anderson at point guard, played for Bologna in the Italian League last year before joining the Miami Heat in January. He also has played for Utah and Cleveland.

nba.457 nba.news, 24 Sep 97

Pistons' Hill signs $80 million endorsement pact, advisory role with Fila NEW YORK (Sep 23, 1997 - 19:09 EDT) -- Fila USA, which is in danger of falling from third place in the U.S. sneaker market, cemented its ties to its best-known endorser, Grant Hill, with a new $80 million contract. The pact announced Tuesday with the Detroit Pistons basketball star is for seven years. Industry experts say the $11 million-plus yearly average is about the same as Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers makes on his sneaker deal with No. 2 Reebok International Inc. Rival NBA star Michael Jordan is believed to have the only richer sneaker contract -- estimated at $20 million a year from industry leader Nike Inc. Under the new contract, Fila designated Hill as chairman of a committee that will advise the Sparks, Md.-based sneaker and sports apparel marketer on selecting other athletes for endorsement contracts and on potential licensing deals. Hill also is expected to help promote Fila sales overseas. Nike recently announced that it was putting Jordan in charge of an expanded Jordan line of basketball shoes and apparel. In that role, the Chicago Bulls leader will select players who will have shoes developed and marketed under the Jordan brand. But Hill told reporters in a conference call Tuesday that the announcements were coincidental. He said Fila approached him a year ago about giving him more responsibility and involvement in decisions at the shoe company. Hill signed a five-year contract with Fila in late 1994 after he graduated from Duke University. That deal, which generated an average $6 million a year for Hill, had about two years to go. The new deal goes through 2004. Howe Burch, the top advertising and sports marketing executive at Fila USA, said Hill helped Fila become the third-biggest shoe marketer in the U.S. last year from seventh largest in 1994. He said Fila began talking with Hill last October about renegotiating and extending the contract. "We wanted to assure he would be part of the Fila family for the long term," he said. The new contract includes a base payment, royalties on sales of the Grant Hill model shoes and other Fila shoes, bonuses based on his performance in the NBA and stock options, Burch said. The negotiations were conducted against a backdrop of slower U.S. sales growth for Fila after several years of rapid growth that left it trailing only Nike and Reebok. But John Horan, publisher of the newsletter Sporting Goods Intelligence, said Fila will probably fall to fourth in the U.S. sneaker market this year behind Adidas, which was fourth in 1996. He said Adidas has been showing strong double-digit sales growth this year due to the popularity of its running and soccer shoes while Fila's sales growth has been depressed by softer overall demand for basketball shoes. Horan said Fila has also suffered because of its reputation for marketing fashionable shoes rather than shoes that help athletes perform better. Burch said Fila and its parent, Fila Holding SpA of Italy, have invested heavily this year on improving the capabilities of its shoes. "We saw Grant as the cornerstone of our whole performance foundation," he said. Like Jordan, Hill endorses a wide range of products. He appears for Coca-Cola Co.'s Sprite soft drinks, GMC trucks and McDonald's restaurants and has a candy bar named after him. The Sports Marketing Letter estimated this past summer that he stood to make $15.5 million this year from endorsements, making him the seventh-highest paid athlete endorser. It rates Jordan as tops at $40 million while O'Neal is third at $23 million, behind golfer Tiger Woods at $25 million. The new contract was announced as Hill was in California to film a new round of Fila ads that will debut in November along with the fourth generation of Grant Hill sneakers, priced at $90 a pair. Last year, the Fila commercials showed a reluctant Hill undergoing a comical training regimen designed to make him tougher and more aggressive. "We'll be going in a different direction this year," Burch said.

nba.456 nba.news, 24 Sep 97

Magic's Scott plans to skip training camp ORLANDO, Fla. (Sep 23, 1997 - 14:21 EDT) -- Dennis Scott plans to skip training camp next month, protesting what he says are disparaging comments by Orlando Magic management. The star forward contends the team has criticized his personal life and told outsiders he has little trade value. "They keep threatening me, so I'm threatening back," Scott said. "I wanted to be part of this team. This is my home, and I love it here. But they keep telling me they don't want me." Scott said he expects to be traded to the Dallas Mavericks or the Portland Trail Blazers. Magic general manager John Gabriel said no trade is imminent. Gabriel said he wasn't aware of Scott's threat to miss camp, scheduled to start Oct. 3. Scott is in the final year of a three-year contract estimated at $3 million this season. "I don't know how to make much sense of this," Gabriel said. "What is he trying to do, force a trade?" This summer the Magic reprimanded Scott for a profanity-filled tirade in front of children at his basketball camp. Scott said Gabriel called him Monday and told him to cancel a party he had been planning at an Orlando nightclub. Scott said he canceled the party on the advice of his lawyer. Two people were wounded by gunshots and fights broke out at a birthday party Scott held for himself outside Washington earlier this month. More than 1,000 people showed up for the party, for which Scott charged admission. "They tell me 'Dennis, if you hold that party, you could be out of the NBA,"' Scott said. "'Now who is bluffing whom? They have made it pretty clear, they don't want me around."

nba.458 nba.news, 24 Sep 97

Former UConn star Burrell happy to be healthy and heading to Chicago HARTFORD, Conn. (Sep 23, 1997 - 19:04 EDT) -- A trade to the Chicago Bulls could be just what the trainer ordered for Scott Burrell. Hobbled by injuries for most of his young career, Burrell said Tuesday he's healthy again and more excited than ever to revive his wavering career now that he's a member of the NBA's best team. "That's sweet, just being on the Bulls. That right there makes you want to work even harder," said Burrell, in Connecticut this week to visit his family and friends before heading to Chicago. "I need to get back to where I was. I know I can play in the league and be a great player. I just have to stay healthy. Injuries have killed me." The 6-foot-6 swingman was still buzzing about Monday's news he had been dealt to the Bulls from Golden State for reserve forward Dickey Simpkins. Burrell, 26, said he heard rumors for a couple of months that a trade to Chicago was possible, but was not convinced until he actually got the call from Bulls vice president Jerry Krause. "Mr. Krause called me and said 'How'd you like to be a Bull?' And I said 'I'd love to.' And then he said 'How'd you like a ring?' " Burrell, who played basketball and baseball at Connecticut, was Charlotte's No. 1 pick in the 1993 draft. The Bulls are picking up the last year of his original five-year deal with the Hornets. Burrell has missed 135 of 328 games in his four NBA seasons. His best season was 1994-95, when he averaged 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Hornets before tearing his Achilles' tendon with 17 games remaining. Burrell returned to Charlotte's lineup on Thanksgiving 1995 and played 20 games before separating his shoulder and sitting out the rest of that season. He was traded to the Warriors last February, shortly after a knee injury and surgery forced him to miss 24 games. The Bulls just won their fifth NBA title in seven years and have no shortage of talent. Burrell will add some muscle to their roster and be a defensive force. "His versatility, defensive skills and toughness should be an asset to our team," Krause said. Burrell had surgery on his shoulder four months ago and has been working out and playing basketball all summer in Charlotte. "My shoulder's fine. And I rehabbed my knee all summer," he said. Burrell is looking forward to playing side-by-side with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the rest of the champions. "Everyone loves the Bulls," he said. "They have great players already. I'm going to be a role player, really. I'm going to do whatever it takes to help the team win." He had high praise for coach Phil Jackson. "A lot of teams have talent. But this team puts it together mentally and physically," he said. "Anyone who can put all those personalities and talent together and win is a great coach."

nba.459 nba.news, 24 Sep 97

In the NBA, rules are made to be broken ORLANDO -- Three days in Mickey's House could do the NBA a lot of good. For the time being, we know nothing bad came down when the NBA, all of its front offices and coaching staffs convened for a state-of-professional-basketball meeting during the weekend. They talked marketing, rules, player transactions, and the general perception of the off-court activities of today's players. Since the obvious salary-cap problems also weighed on the agenda, they continued to play a significant role. But to address that again is just being redundant. There was more to the meetings than just figuring out what to do with the spiraling money problems. "We've got to be prepared to hold people accountable for their actions," NBA commissioner David Stern said. "We are concerned about our ability to help our athletes. By holding them to standards, we are telling them that criminal conduct is not an acceptable part of life in the NBA. How much money everybody makes will be affected by the way the players and the league are perceived." At one point, Stern flipped it on the media, contending it was an issue of race, and that more was being made of athletes than should be. However, we know about Allen Iverson's problems with carrying a gun and marijuana -- along with similar marijuana arrests for Marcus Camby, Cliff Robinson, and Isaiah Rider. There are the officials being indicted for tax evasion -- which produced retirement for several and will clearly disrupt the game this season -- and disorderly conduct charges. Is it blown out of proportion? No, anyone making millions of dollars a year who is arrested for possession of narcotics or carrying a gun or driving 100 mph is worthy of headlines. They are wealthy public figures who are breaking the law. Period. The good news is, Stern concedes they will indeed deal with it on a continual basis. Who will be the first example set? That's a tough one. It will be interesting to see where Marv Albert, the top NBA play-by-play man on NBC Sports, will fit into the equation after his trial for assault and sodomy is resolved. Regardless of the outcome, his off-court habits are deplorable. "Setting standards and enforcing rules are two different things," Stern said. "Our teams have rules, frankly, but they appear to be more interested in how many rebounds a guy can get, or how many assists they contribute than enforcing rules. It's a subject we cannot avoid dealing with." The same could be said for the game itself. The 3-point line will be moved back to 23 feet, 9 inches from 22, opening up the game a little bit. No more forearms for defensive purposes. No longer can it be a charging foul if the defensive player is situated under the basket -- it's more clearly defined as a blocking foul on the defense. Perhaps the most inane development in recent years has been eradicated; players can't call timeout while falling out of bounds anymore. And finally, offenses can't clear two players away from the ball and create two-man games like they used to, if only because the rules now will allow defensive players to congregate under the basket, virtually eliminating illegal defenses under those circumstances. Additionally, there is a chance zone defenses will be allowed, for good. "We've talked about it more and more," deputy commissioner Russ Granik said. "We want the game to improve, and we want there to be more excitement in the game. We still think it's the best game on the planet, but we have to be careful not to implement change just for the sake of change." Last season, the league averaged 96.9 points a game, the lowest in 42 years. Shooting percentages have dropped way off, and the moving back of the 3-point line is expected to cut down the number of treys attempted and open up the middle of the floor. Stern also added that the new television contract negotiations are under way. It is unlikely anything will be altered regarding the desire to remain with NBC and Turner Broadcasting for the new contracts, but he did rule out pay-per-view as a source of income in the near future. "If anything, we want to televise more games over the networks," Stern said. "We want local teams to televise more games in their packages, too." This and that Most of the player-transaction discussion centered around what will happen to Seattle's Shawn Kemp, who has made it clear he doesn't want to play for the Sonics. There has been talk about Vin Baker from Milwaukee or Denver's Antonio McDyess. But the most logical places for him to go are under the salary cap, since Kemp's contract duress stretches into the next century. That leaves Toronto and New Jersey as likely candidates ... The other possibility, which was posed during the 1994 draft, is trading Kemp to the Chicago Bulls for Scottie Pippen ... Prevailing opinions regarding a lockout next summer is that the league is trying to coerce the rookie class of 1995, which features free agents Jerry Stackhouse, Joe Smith, Damon Stoudamire, Kevin Garnett, and McDyess to sign contract extensions prior to the Oct. 1 deadline. Otherwise, they will be free agents next summer, which all of their agents are encouraging them to do. However, the entire system very likely will be different when the collective-bargaining agreement is opened up after the final day of the 1997-98 season ... Training camp begins Oct. 3, and the first night of regular-season games is Oct. 31 -- trick or treat.

nba.460 nba.news, 24 Sep 97

Celtics need deep roster for Pitino's style One of the most active NBA teams in the off-season has been the Boston Celtics and the team's general manager Chris Wallace said it is due to the need for a deep bench. In a chat session with Zone users, Wallace talked about coach Rick Pitino and the new style of play he brings to the team. He also talked about the state of the league and what it will be like when Michael Jordon retires. If you missed his Sept. 23 chat, below is an edited transcript: Greenboy: How long do you think it will take until the Celtics are a playoff-caliber team? Chris Wallace: Not to be evasive but that remains to be seen. We have a lot of work to do to get Rick's system into place. We have a solid nucleus of support troops and we have eight new players (two draft picks and six free agents). Starters on other teams like Chris Mills have been added. Who on our roster will arrive and be of star caliber, that is something we must answer before we determine our playoff ability. I can't put a timetable on that. Suffice to say we want to be as good as we can as quickly as we can. Matt: How much salary cap room do you anticipate having for next year's free agents? Chris Wallace: That's hard to project because there are things we can't determine yet, such as trades. Right now, we'd probably have no money, but opportunities could arise to free up some room. Kelso: Is Antoine Walker viewed as a three or a four in the organization's eyes? Chris Wallace: To start the season off, we plan to use him mainly as a four, power forward, but that is not ruling out time at small forward as well. He has unique characteristics, such as ballhandling. He can take opposing power forwards away from the basket, expose weakness in perimeter defense, and handle the ball. Jeff: What kind of impact do you think Andrew DeClercq will have? Chris Wallace: I think he will have a positive impact. To begin with, he is a Celtic, someone who is going to lay everything he has on the line, game after game. Fans will respond favorably every time he steps on the court. He runs the court, which fits in Rick's system, a hard-working defensive player and their is no variance in his efforts. Dating back to his collegiate days in Florida, his weakness is outside shooting. He has already put in a lot of work on his jump shot this summer. I can't say if he's a starter or not, but he should log considerable minutes and we have him in our plans to contribute both initially and down the line as a playoff team. Celtic Fan Forever: Why did the Celtics release Dino Radja instead of trying to trade him to another team after Philadelphia said he failed the physical, while the Celtics said he was fine? Chris Wallace: Because of Dino's salary cap situation and the ramification of other team's cap situation. His age, and playing just 75 games over two seasons made him difficult to move. The more unlikely scenario unfolded since he desired a move back to Europe, and that gave us salary cap relief. Ryan Grant: Of all the Celtics off-season moves, which do you see as the most important? Also, do you feel Chauncey Billups is the kind of player a franchise can be built around? Chris Wallace: I don't want to put undue pressure on Chauncey, but we obviously have high expectations for him and he was the third overall pick and first point guard. When he reaches full maturity and gains experience, he can be one of the best in the NBA for a team which has deep playoff aspirations. I don't want to say he's an individual you can solely build a team around, because we want great players to put together. I feel the biggest off-season move in terms of overall ramifications of our roster was getting Dino Radja back to Europe. It helped us to pick up extra salary room, giving us the ability to sign a multitude of players. Without the Radja room, we would not have been able to pick up the quantity. Under Rick, we'll have to play 10-11 players night after night, so we needed the bodies to play his system. Quantity was important in the off-season. Ted Nickles: Would you guys have really done the Scottie Pippen trade? If yes, what would have been the reasoning? Chris Wallace: I don't want to get into that because I don't believe it is appropriate to comment on other NBA teams. I'll have to decline on that. Brad: I'm a big Pitino fan. Is it going to be like it was in Kentucky, high intensity defense and offense? Chris Wallace: Yes. That's the Pitino system. In many ways, it's the basketball equivalent of the Steve Spurrier system at Florida. Spurrier can put pressure on opposing defenses, as I saw first hand last weekend. There are few coaches whose teams can pressure on opposing defenses like Rick's can. He will utilize the fullcourt press game after game, which is why we need to beef the roster up to get enough bodies to play that system. Peter: Do you think the running game and more offense are going to make a return to the NBA? Chris Wallace: Rick is certainly going to try to bring it back to the NBA. I hope for the sake of the game, in the next few years, the offensive scoring picks up as does the shots per game. We need an injection of offensive fireworks back in the game. John: I remember Dee Brown's rookie and sophomore campaign and thought that this guy could be a real contributor. But then the injuries and frustrations followed. Is Dee ready to rebound under Pitino (who I think is an excellent fit for Dee's style of play)? Chris Wallace: Absolutely. The Pitino system is definitely up Dee Brown's alley and over the summer, he has been extremely diligent in his off-season conditioning. He has worked on his ballhandling and lost 10 pounds. We are excited to see him in a Celtics uniform this season. The early indications are this will be an excellent marriage. Bird-DJ 86: Has Pervis Ellison cleaned up his act? Will he be a team player now that he's over his papercut? Chris Wallace: Pervis has been working out in the Washington area over the summer, hitting the weights hard and working with a personal trainer. We're looking forward to seeing what condition he arrives in. If he is in the kind of condition he's capable of, he can help us. We presently lack size and shot blocking. The old Pervis Ellison, from his most productive days in Washington, would be a welcomed addition for us. Ames: I have been a long time subscriber to your Blue Ribbon Yearbook. Will you continue to be involved with the book now that you are the GM of the Celtics? Chris Wallace: Yes, but on a minor basis. The guys who are the horses, who have carried the mail so to speak the last few years, are Joe Lunardi and Chris Dortch. If you have any complaints or don't like where your team is ranked, call them. JayZ: What advice do you have for students interested in a career in sports management? Chris Wallace: My advice would be to understand very early how the deck is stacked mathematically against you. Look at the NBA for example, with just 29 teams. Include the non-coaching jobs still closely related to the basketball operations, like GM, you have in essence only 130 jobs in the whole industry. Add in the other pro sports and collegiate ranks, you still only have a few thousand, on a rough estimate. Anyone who is preparing to stake their claim in the field of sports administration should be aware of how difficult this is based on sheer numbers. With that disclaimer out of the way, if you have the great desire to get into the administrative side of sports, you need to understand this is primarily based on advancing based on personal contact. Know as many people as possible and concentrate not only on learning the fundamentals of the trade but building up your rolodex. Davis: With 13 players under contract, can we expect a trade before the beginning of the season? Chris Wallace: Our philosophy is never say never. We didn't know a week before we signed Chris Mills and Tyus Edney that we would sign them. In this business you never know when the opportunity will present itself. At the same time, this is in all probability the roster we will take into training camp. Ken: Why couldn't you at least get a No. 1 for Eric Williams? After all two No. 1 are useless. Chris Wallace: That trade was in essence a transaction which sent Eric Williams and got us Chris Mills and Tyus Edney. We were under time constraints because Cleveland wanted to sign Mills and then trade him to any number of teams. It was imperative to move quickly. Given the time constraints we were under, the deal with Denver was the best situation available. Red: I think that the situation with Kevin Garnett and his outrageous salary demands will force the league to reconsider the rookie cap situation as well as the yearly Chris Dudley cases about the Bird cap exemption. Do you see these two issues as needing immediate addressing? And what changes would you and the Celtics like to see with regards to these issues? Chris Wallace: There are some pros and cons with the rookie cap. It saves you from yourself. If you make a mistake on a pick, it doesn't cripple you like in the past, when some of those guys earned $30-50 million plus. The downside is that if a player shows great promise in his first two years, that a day of reckoning is certain to come where you will re-sign him or he will go elsewhere. While there will be some casualties where some top-flight players will leave after fulfilling their initial contract, overall, I am an advocate of a rookie cap. Ames: Do NBA teams keep scouting databases to keep track of current collegiate players in addition to former collegiate players who may have gone undrafted and/or are playing in Europe? Chris Wallace: Most NBA teams definitely have a system to keep track of players who could come up in future drafts and who could come up in the future through the CBA or Europe. Dan: Do you support women refs in the NBA? Will they be able to stand up under the verbal abuse that star players such as Jordan and Malone have given them over the years? Chris Wallace: If female referees are added to the NBA's roster of officials, I'm sure they will be of high quality and just as capable of standing up to the normal abuses that normal referees take from the coaches and the fans as their male counterparts are. The NBA is very thorough and precise in everything it does. Zach Shotland: What do you think will happen to the NBA once Michael Jordan leaves? Chris Wallace: That's a very good question. Michael Jordan has transcended the athletic arena and will certainly go down as one of the great entertainers who will rank up right there with Elvis, the Beatles and anyone else you want to mention among all-time attractions. In addition to being the best basketball player to lace up a pair of sneakers. It is unrealistic to suggest that any one player currently in the league or joining it in the future will be able to equal Jordan's impact. Michael: I know it is too early, but who do you think will the top two college players in next year's draft? Chris Wallace: It's early, but entering the year, I'd say Raef LaFrentz of Kansas has the best chance to be the top overall draft pick. It's his spot to lose, sort of. Kevin Frazier: With the second round pick in the NBA Draft, you guys selected Ben Pepper, a virtual unknown. Why wasn't the pick used towards someone like Reggie Freeman or Shea Seals? Chris Wallace: We selected Pepper for several reasons. When you pick an international player, you can hold his rights forever. You don't have to worry about him making your roster this season, like you would with Seals or Freeman. With the rights to international players, it's like going to the bank and drawing interest on it. You can use him or use him as part of a trade, like Sasha Danilovic when he was put in the deal from Golden State, Seikaly for Owens several years ago. We were intrigued with Pepper's size, which we didn't have in great abundance at the time, his athleticism and upside. He has only really been playing at a high level of organized basketball in Australia for two years. We felt he compared favorably to Chris Anstey, whom Dallas selected, when you project the experience Pepper can pick up in the NBL in Australia the way Anstey did. We were Anstey fans so to speak, so when we looked at where he ranked in this draft, and considering Pepper had many of the same characteristics and same type of long-range potential, it became an easy pick for as deep as we made it in the second round. Our plans for Pepper, who recently was promoted to the Australian national team, is for him to play in Australia in October, tour with the team in the U.S. in November, the NBL plays again in January and ends in June, so the league can get on line with the schedule of the rest of the world. We plan to bring him over next July to participate in the summer program and evaluate him at that point. Thanks again for all of your questions. ------ Wallace's file Wallace was named to his current post on May 27, 1997 by Celtics coach and president Rick Pitino. Prior to taking the position, Wallace served as the director of player personnel for the Miami Heat. Wallace, who also spent four seasons as a scout for the Heat, helped construct a Miami team that won a franchise record 61 games in 1996-97. Before his days with the Heat, Wallace worked in various scouting capacities for the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks. He also served as a draft consultant for the United States Basketball League. Wallace is also well respected in media circles, having been named by Sports Illustrated as one of the most influential members of the college basketball media in 1991. Wallace is the founder of the award-winning Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, his first venture into the basketball business.

nba.461 stukelj, 25 Sep 97 -> #454, junior

│ :) Ne bih rekao. Evo kakav mu je bio sut 1995/96. │ Bennett 27-42 .643 └───────────────────────────────────────────────── Ma mora da je nekako kamuflirao svoj truli sut... :))

nba.462 nba.news, 25 Sep 97

Mavericks trade Harper, O'Bannon to Magic for Scott, cash DALLAS (Sep 24, 1997 - 23:45 EDT) -- Disgruntled Dennis Scott was traded Wednesday by the Orlando Magic to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Derek Harper and Ed O'Bannon. Dallas also got $500,000 in cash. Harper also got the deal he wanted after having asked Dallas for a trade. "Scott is the small forward we've been looking for all summer," Mavericks general manager Don Nelson said. "The acquisition of Scott should allow us to compete for one of the last playoff spots in the West. "We're a much better shooting team now." Scott, a 6-foot-8 small forward, provides the outside shooting threat the Mavericks have lacked. But he could also pose another attitude problem for Nelson, who has replaced virtually every player on the roster since being hired in February. Many of the ex-Mavs were dumped for attitude problems. On Monday, Scott threatened to sit out of Magic training camp, saying he was upset that the team had been critical of his offseason behavior. During a birthday party Scott threw for himself outside Washington earlier this month, two people were wounded by gunshots when a fight broke out. The Magic also criticized Scott for a profanity-filled tirade in front of children at his basketball camp earlier this summer. Nelson said he has "known Dennis Scott for a long time and I know he's a good guy." "I think he'll fit in nicely," Nelson said. Scott's reputation apparently worried Mavericks principal owner Ross Perot Jr. enough that he didn't approve the trade until meeting with the player on Wednesday afternoon. Scott said his meeting with Perot was "breathtaking." "Now I can say I shook a billion-dollar man's hand," he said. He added that his Orlando problems are behind him. "I think the biggest thing is understanding what's in front of me and, before I make a decision, think about, 'What if?"' he said. "What if I don't do it and what if I do? And realize that life is a lot of challenges and you've got to do the right thing." Scott, in his eighth NBA season, has played in 446 games with 322 starts and has career averages of 14.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He also brings Dallas 41 games worth of playoff experience. Last season, he averaged 12.5 points with 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 66 games. Scott sounded glad to be out of Orlando. "I want to thank God for giving me another opportunity to play basketball for all the right reasons," he said. "I'm really excited to have a fresh start here in Dallas." Harper gives the Magic more flexibility with Penny Hardaway. When he returned to Dallas last year, he expressed hope of ending his career here. But he later said he wanted to finish with a contender. "We feel great loyalty toward Derek and are happy to be able to give him this opportunity, which he wanted very much in the final year of his career," Nelson said. Nelson said he and Harper still have an agreement for the longtime Mavericks guard to work in the Dallas organization after he retires. Harper played 872 games with Dallas, averaging 14.5 points and 5.9 assists over 12 seasons. He is the team's career leader in assists, steals and 3-pointers made and attempted. The Mavericks said they would donate the $500,000 they get in the deal to their endowed charity foundation.

nba.463 nba.news, 25 Sep 97

Magic-Mavericks trade stats (Sep 24, 1997 - 22:57 EDT) -- Career statistics of the players involved in Wednesday's trade between the Orlando Magic and the Dallas Mavericks: TO ORLANDO Derek Harper Regular Season Year Team G FG FT Ast Stl Pts 1983-1984 Dal 82 .443 .673 239 95 5.7 1984-1985 Dal 82 .520 .721 360 144 9.6 1985-1986 Dal 79 .534 .747 416 153 12.2 1986-1987 Dal 77 .501 .684 609 167 16.0 1987-1988 Dal 82 .459 .759 634 168 17.0 1988-1989 Dal 81 .477 .806 570 172 17.3 1989-1990 Dal 82 .488 .794 609 187 18.0 1990-1991 Dal 77 .467 .731 548 147 19.7 1991-1992 Dal 65 .443 .759 373 101 17.7 1992-1993 Dal 62 .419 .756 334 80 18.2 1993-1994 Dal-NY 82 .407 .687 334 125 9.6 1994-1995 NY 80 .446 .724 458 79 11.5 1995-1996 NY 82 .464 .757 352 131 14.0 1996-1997 Dal 75 .444 .742 321 92 10.0 Totals 1088 .466 .746 6157 1841 13.9 Playoffs Year Team G FG FT Ast Stl Pts 1983-1984 Dal 10 .389 .714 28 11 5.0 1984-1985 Dal 4 .476 .714 20 6 6.5 1985-1986 Dal 10 .533 .750 76 23 13.4 1986-1987 Dal 4 .500 .800 27 7 16.5 1987-1988 Dal 17 .441 .729 121 32 13.5 1989-1990 Dal 3 .438 .688 23 4 19.3 1993-1994 NY 23 .429 .643 103 42 11.4 1994-1995 NY 11 .514 .750 62 11 14.3 1995-1996 NY 8 .354 .733 38 10 10.0 Totals 90 .450 .717 498 146 11.8 Ed O'Bannon Regular Season Year Team G FG FT Reb Blk Pts 1995-96 NJ 64 .390 .713 2.6 11 6.2 1996-97 NJ-Dal 64 .333 .886 2.3 12 3.7 Totals 128 .367 .755 2.5 23 5.0 TO DALLAS Dennis Scott Regular Season Year Team G FG FT Ast Stl Pts 1990-1991 Orl 82 .425 .750 134 62 15.7 1991-1992 Orl 18 .402 .901 35 20 19.9 1992-1993 Orl 54 .431 .786 136 57 15.9 1993-1994 Orl 82 .405 .774 216 81 12.8 1994-1995 Orl 62 .439 .754 131 45 12.9 1995-1996 Orl 82 .440 .820 243 90 17.5 1996-1997 Orl 66 .398 .792 139 74 12.5 Totals 446 .422 .789 1034 429 14.8 Playoffs Year Team G FG FT Ast Stl Pts 1993-1994 Orl 3 .341 .800 3 2 14.3 1994-1995 Orl 21 .413 .850 45 22 14.7 1995-1996 Orl 12 .414 .636 23 9 11.3 1996-1997 Orl 5 .261 .--- 5 2 3.0 Totals 41 .399 .777 76 35 12.2

nba.464 nba.news, 25 Sep 97

Sonics add veteran Kersey SEATTLE -- The Seattle SuperSonics added some veteran depth to their bench Wednesday with the signing of free-agent forward Jerome Kersey to a one-year contract. The move comes after forward Terry Cummings left the team for the Philadelphia 76ers last month. Kersey can also serve as a possible insurance policy due to the unknown status of Shawn Kemp. The All-Star forward has said he no longer wants to play for Seattle and will not report to training camp after eight seasons with the team. Financial terms were not disclosed for Kersey, who is joining his fourth Pacific Division team in four season. The 14-year NBA veteran spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he appeared in 70 games, starting 44, and averaged 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per contest. Kersey, 35, originally was a second-round draft pick of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1984 and played 11 seasons with the club, helping them to the playoffs each year and to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. He is one of two players in Blazers history to record 10,000 points and 5,000 rebounds. The 6-7 forward was selected by Toronto in the 1995 expansion draft, but had his rights renounced and signed as a free agent with Golden State prior to the 1995-96 campaign.

nba.465 nba.news, 25 Sep 97

Former Nets employee convicted of stealing nearly $100,000 from Anderson NEW YORK (Sep 24, 1997 - 21:04 EDT) -- A former New Jersey Nets employee, who prosecutors alleged wanted to live the fast life with the team's players, was convicted of bank fraud Wednesday for stealing nearly $100,000 from Kenny Anderson, a former Nets guard now with the Portland Trailblazers. Angel Recalde, 27, of New York, was convicted in U.S. District Court in Manhattan by a jury that deliberated 11 hours, concluding he had forged Anderson's name on checks paid to credit card companies. Sentencing was set for Jan. 7. The verdict capped a trial that featured testimony from Anderson, current Nets center Jayson Williams and Lou Carnesecca, the former coach at St. John's. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Godsey told the jury that Recalde, who met Anderson when both attended the same high school, "wanted to be a part of the crowd to run with NBA players." The trouble, Godsey said, was that Recalde made only $15,000 in 1993 as an assistant to Nets general manager Willis Reed and "to run with the NBA crowd, to hang out with the NBA players, you've got to have money." Between August 1992 and September 1993, Recalde wrote out at least 33 checks totaling almost $100,000, Godsey said. Meanwhile, Recalde bought "many of the things that the NBA players had, like cars and a large-screen TV," he said. Anderson, who was to be paid $15 million over five years with the Nets, testified during the trial that he relied on Recalde to run errands for him sometimes as often as four times in a week. He said he would send him to the cleaners or to wash his car or have it fixed. But he said he never agreed to pay him a large sum of money. Instead, he picked up the bill when they ate together and offered to pay his cell phone expenses and school bills if he furthered his education, Anderson said. He learned Recalde had written the checks when his accountant noticed checks had been sent with his name to credit card accounts held by Recalde's father, he said. "It really bothered me, kind of disappointed me because I trusted him and he was a good friend of mine. I thought I brought him into my family. My mother cooked for him," Anderson said. Robert Baum, Recalde's lawyer, told the jury that Anderson told Recalde that he would pay Recalde for all his work but that he did not want to tell his accountant or his lawyer about it. "It's about betrayal and it's about treachery, all of which were done to Angel Recalde," Baum said of the charge. Williams testified that he had known Recalde for a dozen years and sometimes relied on Williams to sign checks for him. "He never stole from me. He never lied to me and I trusted him with all my money and I trusted him with my children," Williams said. "I think he is a very honest person." Carnesecca, assistant to the president at St. John's, said he found Recalde to be "beyond reproach, honest, hard working and did a fine job."

nba.466 nba.news, 25 Sep 97

Mav get arena offer from Garland DALLAS (Sep 24, 1997 - 10:09 EDT) -- Officials in suburban Garland have offered to pay half the cost of a new basketball arena for the Dallas Mavericks. Tuesday's offer was made only hours after officials in suburban Grand Prairie took a helicopter tour of their city and possible arena sites with team owner Ross Perot Jr. Garland officials said Tuesday they would pay 50 percent of the cost to build an arena in the Texas 190 corridor of north Garland, a source close to the negotiations told The Dallas Morning News. The unidentified source said the document did not specify the dollar value of the city's financial commitment nor did it ask the team to pay back the city's investment. "It would not be a loan to the Mavericks," the source said. Grand Prairie officials have submitted a firm offer to the Mavericks. Tom Luce, the team's negotiator, would not confirm the existence of individual offers or the value of those offers. He also declined to rank the cities' proposals. But Luce said team officials plan to make a decision about the arena's new location within the next two weeks. The team's self-imposed deadline is aimed at getting a public referendum on the January ballot in whichever city it decides to build the new arena. But Perot said he won't compromise the project just to ensure a place on the January ballot. "Certainly we'd like to do a January ballot, but that's a very tight schedule," Perot said. At least four cities are vying for the new arena and for the hundreds of millions in development that Mr. Perot said he'll create along with it. Arlington has yet to submit a formal offer to the team, city officials said. The team has been talking with suburban cities since abandoning 14 months of exclusive talks with Dallas a month ago. Dallas officials said they are confident they can make a deal with the NBA team. Dallas lost the Cowboys in the early 1970s when the team moved to Texas Stadium in Irving after city officials wouldn't allow then-team owner Clint Murchison to build a stadium in downtown Dallas. The city also had a chance to build a new stadium in the downtown area for baseball's Texas Rangers before Arlington officials finalized plans to build The Ballpark at Arlington for the American League team. The NHL's Dallas Stars are also looking for a new stadium. The Stars and Mavericks now play their home games at Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas. The arena seats about 17,000 fans, but has no luxury boxes that team owners claim are essential to turning a profit.

nba.467 nba.news, 25 Sep 97

Jackson sees big drop-off CHICAGO -- Bulls coach Phil Jackson knows going after a sixth title isn't going to be easy. "I can see us dropping off considerably (in victories)," he told the Chicago Tribune Tuesday. "I don't think anybody is going to be happy about it. I'm not." He also told the Tribune he doesn't necessarily feel this is the last year for the Jordan-Pippen-Jackson trio in Chicago. But he thinks it's likely. "I'm one of those people who never says never," Jackson said. "But this really seems to be a point where we said if we come back and pull this off one more time with a group this age, this is about as long as we can push this group and expect to win it." Jackson said the 1997-98 Bulls will slightly change their style. "I'd like to establish a little change in philosophy as far as doing things differently ... We've become so reliant on our offense that we have to find a way to get easier hoops." Jackson would "refuse to comment" on Jordan's future with the Bulls, but did say, "it's hard to believe if he won a championship that Michael would go out that way ... No one wants to walk away with gas left in their tank, and he may still have a lot of gas left in the tank." As far as a possible trade of Pippen, Jackson said it depends on Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf. "His philosophy is that if he finds he can better the basketball organization in such a way that it's a great gamble or high-chance scenario, he'd do that. So there's that outside chance. But if we got off and running and in control and moving to a championship, I think that would be very inappropriate and I don't see it happening."

nba.468 vpoznanovic, 25 Sep 97 -> #439, gligo

>> Hvala za ovo, al' ako ti nije mrsko mogao bi da objasnis pojam >> 'salary cap'. Otprilike, znam nesto malo i to se sve svodi na >> postojanje limita u lovi za placanje igraca. >> >> Ako bi mogao da me ispravis i ukoliko si u mogucnosti, napises >> nesto vise o ovome. Nema problema, u narednom tekstu ću pokušati da riješim što je moguće više nedoumica oko pojma i načina funkcionisanja salary cap-a. Daću i jedan kratak uvod o situaciji u ligi koja je bila razlog za njegovo uvođenje. 'Salary cap', najjednostavnije rečeno, predstavlja maksimalnu količinu novca koju jedna ekipa može da potroši na svoje igrače u toku jedne sezone. Početkom osamdesetih zarade NBA profesionalaca su počele naglo da rastu i liga je shvatila da će tim tempom rasta na tržištu igrača vrlo brzo zavladati haos. Naime, kao i drugim sistemima vrijednosti, veći ugovor jednom igraču automatski je morao za posljedicu da ima i veći ugovor za onog ko ima bolje statistike ili koji igra presudniju ulogu u svom timu. Imajući u vidu kakva konkurencija vlada u NBA ligi, nije bilo teško zaključiti da bi za desetak godina budžet osrednjih timova, kako je neko duhovito primijetio, prevazišao nacionalni budžet nekih manjih zemalja u razvoju. :) Drugi razlog zbog kojeg se počelo razmišljati o uvođenju ograničenja je upravo kupovna moć ekipa. Bogatije ekipe (pri čemu se misli kako na ekipe sa bogatijim gazdama, tako i na one koje imaju dužu tradiciju i koje su stacionirane u bogatijim oblastima Amerike), bi u uslovima slobodnog određivanja visine ugovora bez prepreka uzimale kvalitetnije igrače, što bi za posljedicu imalo polarizaciju lige i osipanje igračkog kadra (jer bi oni koji igraju za minimalac odlazili iz Amerike u potrazi za boljim finansijskim uslovima), što bi se, naravno, u negativnom smislu drastično odrazilo na popularnost i neizvjesnost takmičenja. Zbog svega toga je 1982. godine donesena odluka o uvođenju salary cap-a. Njegova visina se definiše u sklopu kolektivnog dogovora Udruženja igrača i predstavnika lige (Legal Department of the NBA), a iznosi 53% od ukupnog godišnjeg prihoda timova. Prvobitno ograničenje je iznosilo 3.2 miliona dolara. Danas se ta cifra već popela na 26.9 miliona dolara. Međutim, uspostavljanje salary cap-a nije značilo i rješenje svih problema vezanih za plaćanje igrača u toku jedne sezone. Dešavalo se da ekipa zbog nedostatka prostora pod salary cap-om nije bila u mogućnosti da potpiše ugovor ni sa svojim igračima draftovanim te godine u prvoj rundi drafta, ili da zbog povrede igrača, opet iz istog razloga, nije u toku sezone mogla da angažuje zamjenu. Takve i razne druge okolnosti natjerale su funkcionere lige da uvedu neke izuzetke pravila. Tih izuzetaka je bilo dosta, neki od njih su davno odbačeni, dok neki važe i danas. Prvobitna pravila, kao što su recimo bili Pravilo Kevina McHalea o godišnjem kompenzacionom nivou, ili Pravilo Ralpha Sampsona o potpisivanju ugovora sa rukijima su se u početku činila vrlo prihvatljivim, međutim, svaka naredna sezona je donosila neke nove situacije i oni su se vrlo brzo pokazivali nedovoljno adekvatnim. Neki drugi izuzeci su se, međutim, pokazali vrlo primjenjivim čak i u današnjim uslovima. Najznačajniji od njih, kojim ću započeti priču o izuzecima je tzv. Pravilo Larrya Birda. Vremenom se pokazalo da postoji jedan ozbiljan problem koji je trebalo hitno riješiti. Naime, isticanjem ugovora igraču i njegovim prelaskom u slobodne agente, ekipa za koju je do tada igrao gubila je sva prava na njega i nije imala ništa veće šanse od bilo koje druge da sa njim sklopi novi ugovor. Čelnici lige su smatrali da njoj treba dati veće šanse za obnavljanje ugovora. Kako se situacija konkretno odnosila na problem odlaska Larrya Birda iz Bostona, taj izuzetak, po kome novi ugovor igrača sa svojom starom ekipom nije ulazio u okvire salary cap-a, nazvan je Pravilom Larrya Birda. Naravno, brzo se ispostavilo da ni to pravilo, ma koliko bilo dobro zamišljeno, nije bilo bez nedostataka. Neki timovi su odmah našli način da ga izigraju potpisivajući jednogodišnji ugovor sa igračem za minimalnu svotu novca, s ciljem da mu već naredne sezone ponude mnogo više. Uslijedila je modifikacija koja je izbacila tu mogućnost, i ona je do danas u upotrebi. Pravilo Larrya Birda koje je trenutno na snazi glasi: Igrač mora da bude tri godine sa istim timom ili da bude tri godine pod istim ugovorom da bi stekao uslov da mu se naredni ugovor ne uračunava u okvire salary cap-a. Drugi dio pravila konkretno znači da se status igrača sačuvava njegovim trejdovanjem i da mu se ako ispunjava uslov i u nekoj drugoj ekipi može ponuditi ugovor koji neće ulaziti pod salary cap. Drugim riječima, Pravilo Larrya Birda se može primijeniti na sve one igrače koji su bili u ligi posljednje tri godine a da u tom periodu nisu mijenjali timove kao slobodni agenti. Treba očekivati da u bliskoj budućnosti bude još modifikacija tog pravila, jer je liga već izrazila nezadovoljstvo oblikom ugovora kakav već drugu godinu zaredom potpisuje Michael Jordan. Osim te verzije pravila, postoji i još jedna koja bi se doslovno mogla prevesti kao Rano Pravilo Larrya Birda. U skladu s njim, ekipa igraču nakon druge godine može ponuditi ugovor koji će biti ili maksimalno 175% vrijednosti prethodnog, ili na nivou NBA prosjeka, zavisno od toga koja je cifra veća, pri čemu onda taj ugovor neće ulaziti pod salary cap. Takvi ugovori se moraju potpisivati na najmanje dvije godine, baš iz razloga da igrač već naredne godine ne bi mogao da stekne status koji će omogućiti primjenu standardnog Pravila Larrya Birda. Igrač koji je postao slobodan agent, a na kojeg se ne može primijeniti ni jedno od pravila Larrya Birda, u slučaju da potpisuje sa starim timom koji u tom trenutku nema prostora pod salary cap-om, može dobiti maksimalno 120% vrijednosti svoje prethodne plate. Slučaj "penzionisanja" igrača zbog zdravstvenih razloga takođe je regulisan jednim izuzetkom. Ako od strane lige određen ljekar potvrdi da igrač nije u stanju da nastavi karijeru, njegova plata će se ubuduće izuzimati iz salary cap-a. Ako se igrač povrijedio u toku sezone, tim ima pravo da dovede zamjenu, ali ona može da dobije maksimalno ili 50% plate povrijeđenog igrača, ili prosječnu prošlogodišnju NBA platu, zavisno od toga koja je cifra manja, Da bi ovaj izuzetak mogao da se iskoristi potrebno je da bude ispunjen jedan od sljedeća dva uslova: da je do povrede došlo prije 1. decembra i da je ona takve prirode da će igrač pauzirati čitavu sezonu, ili da je do povrede došlo poslije 1. decembra i da je ona toliko teška da će igrač propustiti tekuću i čitavu narednu sezonu. U prvom slučaju potrebno je da se ugovor sa zamjenom sklopi u roku od mjesec dana, a u drugom do 1. oktobra. Postoji i tzv. Pravilo Milion Dolara. Ono važi isključivo za timove koji više nemaju prostora pod salary cap-om, pri čemu igrač s kojim se ugovor potpisuje ne smije biti njihov slobodan agent. Prema tom pravilu, tim može da ponudi cifru koja počinje sa milion, ili je manja od milion dolara, ali najviše u okviru dvogodišnjeg ugovora sa godišnjim povećanjem od 15%, pri čemu taj izuzetak ne smije da iskoristi dvije godine zaredom. Najvažnije stvar kod ovog pravila je da se ponuđeni novac nikako ne smije kombinovati sa novcem koji je na raspolaganju pod salary cap-om. Pravilo Minimalne Plate jedno je od najjednostavnijih. Prema njemu, tim koji više nema prostora pod salary cap-om uvijek može sklopiti ugovor sa slobodnim agentom za minimalnu NBA platu. Ta cifra se svake sezone mijenja, a postoji i razlika između NBA minimalca za veterane i za rukije. Ovaj prvi je za nekih 10-tak posto veći. Postoji i pravilo koje timovi koji nemaju prostora pod salary cap-om moraju poštovati kod obavljanja trejda. Naime, zbir plata igrača koji se trejdom dobijaju ne smije biti veći od 115% vrijednosti zbira plata igrača koji se trejdom gube, uvećanog za 100000$. Ponekad može da se desi i da tim ponudi igraču "kupovinu" preostalih godina njegovog ugovora, čime zapravo pristaje da mu isplaćuje dio plate u zamjenu za poništenje ugovora, koji se onda dalje ne bi mogao računati pod salary cap-om. Plata igrača čiji je ugovor istekao, a čijih se prava ekipa još nije odrekla, i dalje se računa pod salary cap-om, i to sa 150% svoje vrijednosti ako je bila manja ili jednaka prosjeku lige, odnosno sa 200% vrijednosti ako je bila veća od njega. Tek odricanjem prava na igrača, salary cap tima se rasterećuje njegove plate, ali kao što je poznato, taj tim više nema prava da potpisuje ugovor s njim, niti može trejdom da ih se ponovo domogne, sve do predviđenog roka, koji je obično 55 dana od početka regularnog dijela sezone, tako da se može reći da u tom slučaju za njega prestaje da važi Pravilo Larrya Birda. To onemogućava manipulacije tipa privremenog otpuštanja svih igrača čije se plate više ne računaju pod salary cap-om, angažovanja onih čije bi se računale, pa onda ponovnog potpisivanja ugovora sa ovim prvim. To bi u osnovi bilo sve najvažnije što se tiče funkcionisanja salary cap-a za igrače sa dužim stažom u ligi. Međutim, problemi oko plaćanja novajlija su takođe aktuelni. Posljednjih godina, odlaskom nekih NBA legendi, veća se pažnja usmjerava na mlade igrače, i oni dolaze u priliku da prije svog prvog nastupa potpisuju višemilionske višegodišnje ugovore. Neminovno je da to stvara nezadovoljstvo među starijih igračima, jer oni u svoje vrijeme nisu dobili priliku za tako nešto. Zbog toga je od sezone 1995/1996. uveden 'rookie salary cap'. Radi se o ograničenju plaćanja s obzirom na poziciju na draftu, i to za naredne tri godine. Postoje tačno određene sume novca koje igrač zavisno od pozicije sa koje je draftovan može dobiti prve, druge i treće godine (uzimaju se prosječne plate rukija za svaku poziciju na draftu iz prethodnih sedam godina i uvećavaju za neki procenat), s tim da mu je kad potpiše trogodišnji ugovor zagarantovano da nakon treće godine postaje slobodan agent. Na taj način se ne samo ograničava iznos koji mogu da dobiju i vrši realnija i ravnomjernija raspodjela novca, nego se i štite interesi i prava ekipa da igrača zadrže dovoljno dugo da mogu da naprave procjenu koliko im on zaista odgovara, da bi eventualno kasnije s njim potpisali novi višegodišnji ugovor. Tim takođe ima pravo da igraču, zavisno od učinka, nakon druge godine ponudi produženje ugovora (za najviše šest godina), što će ovaj bude li zadovoljan uslovima prihvatiti, ili ne bude li odbiti, što će u principu značiti da misli da vrijedi više i da je spreman da dogodine kao slobodan agent, kako se to u žargonu kaže, "testira slobodno tržište". Ugovor potpisan pod tim uslovima neće ulaziti u okvire salary cap-a. Bitno je spomenuti da se od momenta draftovanja pa do potpisivanja prvog ugovora, pod salary cap-om tima koji je drafovao igrača uračunava ona suma novca koju igrač s obzirom na svoju poziciju može dobiti. Ona može da se eliminiše odricanjem prava na igrača, pri čemu za njega onda važe ista pravila kao za ostale slobodne agente čijih su se prava timovi odrekli. U slučaju da se draftovani igrač i tim ne slože oko ugovora o angažmanu za narednu sezonu i da igrač ode u neku drugu profesionalnu ligu, tim zadržava pravo na njega, ali se ranije pomenuta količina novca više ne uračunava u njegov salary cap. Sve u svemu, izgleda dosta obimno i komplikovano, ali jedan veliki biznis kakav je NBA liga mora imati i precizno definisana pravila igre. Nadam se da sam ovim tekstom pomogao da se ona malo bolje upoznaju.

nba.469 junior, 25 Sep 97 -> #468, vpoznanovic

> Nadam se da sam ovim tekstom pomogao da se ona malo bolje upoznaju. Šta reći. :) Ako postoji preporuka moderatora, ne vidim bolju poruku od ove, koja zaslužuje da dobije istu.

nba.470 nba.news, 26 Sep 97

Seattle trades Kemp to Cavs in three-way deal (Sep 26, 1997 - 00:33 EDT) - Shawn Kemp's saga in Seattle came to its expected conclusion Thursday night. In a blockbuster deal coming only a week before NBA training camps open, Kemp had his trade demand fulfilled when the Seattle SuperSonics made a three-way deal with Milwaukee and Cleveland, sending Kemp to the Cavaliers in a swap also involving All-Stars Vin Baker and Terrell Brandon. The Sonics will receive Baker from Milwaukee; the Bucks will get Brandon and Tyrone Hill; the Cavs will get Kemp from Seattle and Sherman Douglas from Milwaukee. The Bucks also will get Cleveland's first-round draft choice in 1998 if it doesn't fall among the first 10. A trade of Kemp had been expected since the disgruntled forward declared last May that he had worn a Sonics uniform for the final time. Kemp became increasingly frustrated last season, both with his long-term contract paying him $3.6 million this season and his belief that someone in the organization had told the media that Kemp had a drinking problem. The Sonics, who were unable -- but willing -- to redo Kemp's contract because of salary cap rules, decided this summer that the time had come for a trade -- especially with Kemp vowing to sit out training camp. "Shawn was a great All-Star and really the cornerstone of this franchise for a long time," Seattle general manager Wally Walker said. "None of us should forget that. Despite what's gone on recently, we all have a soft spot in our heart for Shawn." A straight-up Baker-for-Kemp deal had been rumored, and Walker said last week during the league meetings that he preferred to deal Kemp to an Eastern Conference team. In dealing Baker, it seems the Bucks decided that their best player would exercise an out clause in his contract and become a free agent in 1999. And in Cleveland, it was known that both Brandon and Hill were unhappy. Brandon can become a free agent in two years, Hill in one. The trade sends Kemp to one of the few teams with enough salary cap room to rip up his contract and give him a new deal. The Cavs, who were spurned by every free agent they approached this summer, currently have about $9.5 million in salary cap room. "We heard of the problems he had in Seattle, but we don't think it's a problem as far as we are concerned," Cavaliers general manager Wayne Embry said. Asked if the Cavs would immediately re-do Kemp's contact, Embry indicated they would. "I do expect that his agent will be calling and I do expect we will respond to his call," Embry said. Cleveland and coach Mike Fratello will now have an entirely new starting five. Gone from the slow-down crew that averaged just 87.5 points per game -- one-tenth of a point shy of the NBA record held by the 1954-55 Milwaukee Hawks -- are Brandon, Hill, Mark West, Chris Mills and Bobby Phills. "You just have to start over again," Fratello said. "We'll have re-teach some of the things we might have taken for granted with guys who might have been in the system." In Kemp, the Cavs get a marquee attraction who will be expected to inject some excitement into the league's dullest team. The five-time All-Star had his best year in 1995-96, when the Sonics went to the NBA Finals, as he averaged 19.6 points and 11.4 rebounds for a team that won 64 regular-season games. Kemp slumped to averages of 18.7 and 10.0 last season, and his constant sullen behavior and habitual lateness became a problem while the Sonics were on the way to being eliminated by the Houston Rockets in the second round of the playoffs. "I think in a lot of ways our mental health got better today, our focus got better today," Seattle coach George Karl said as the trade as announced. Walker stated that he wouldn't trade Kemp unless he got an all-star in return, and he got his wish by acquiring Baker. The four-year veteran and three-time all-star is one of the league's best low post players, a 6-foot-11 power forward whose averages of 21.0 points and 10.3 rebounds were an almost identical match to his numbers from the previous season. Last week, the 25-year-old Baker was selected -- along with Brandon -- for the 1998 U.S. World Championship Team. Walker described Baker as his No. 1 choice all summer for a Kemp swap. "Vin Baker's 25 years old, and he's already been a three-time all star," Walker said. "We also didn't want a guy in the last year of his deal, because that's just too risky. Those are our criteria, and there was really only one guy who met all of them. "We're as excited as we can be," said Walker, who added that he had serious trade discussions this week with one other team. Douglas, an eight-year veteran point guard, will be joining his fourth NBA team. Brandon, who will make $1.8 million this season before receiving a $7 million balloon payment next season, is one of the best point guards in the league. A steady shooter with quickness, smarts and poise, he averaged 19.5 points and 6.3 assists last season and received his second All-Star selection. He fills a gaping hole in the lineup for the Bucks, who squandered their last chance to acquire a top playmaker when they picked Stephon Marbury and then traded him to Minnesota on draft night of 1996. Hill, who averaged 12.9 points and 9.9 rebounds, will replace Baker at the power forward spot for Milwaukee. Hill will not look to score as often as Baker did, which will free Glenn Robinson to be more of a featured player in the Bucks' offense. Neither Kemp nor his agent, Tony Dutt, could immediately be reached for comment. But Walker said he spoke to Dutt, who told him: "Shawn was fine with everything. He was ready to go to Cleveland." Said Karl: "When the trade happened, I can't deny that I was a little sad. I don't think I'll coach many players better than Shawn Kemp or as talented as Shawn Kemp. Generally it was just a business thing. It was probably best to move on, put it in our rear view mirror and move forward."

nba.471 nba.news, 26 Sep 97

Analysis: Cavs win the deal of the '90s Shawn Kemp got liberated. Seattle Sonics general manager Wally Walker got another All-Star big man, and he got Kemp out of the Western Conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers got a marquee attraction, and the Milwaukee Bucks got a pure point guard and a rebounding machine. Of the players in Thursday's trade, Shawn Kemp (five), Vin Baker (three), Terrell Brandon (two) and Tyrone Hill (one) have made a combined 11 All-Star appearances. Here's how other notable '90s trades stacked up at the time the deals went through: Philadelphia sent Charles Barkley to Phoenix on June 17, 1992, for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry and Andrew Lang. Barkley was established as a sure-fire Hall of Famer; Hornacek, Perry and Lang had one All-Star bid between them (Hornacek, 1992). On draft day in 1993, Orlando selected Chris Webber with the No. 1 pick and traded him to Golden State for the rights to Anfernee Hardaway and three future first-round picks. Portland traded Clyde Drexler to Houston on Feb. 14, 1995, for Otis Thorpe, Tracy Murray and a first-round pick. Drexler was a superstar; Thorpe and Murray had one All-Star bid between them (Thorpe, 1992). Charlotte sent Alonzo Mourning, LeRon Ellis and Pete Myers to Miami on Nov. 3, 1995, for Glen Rice, Matt Geiger, Khalid Reeves and a first-round choice. At the time of the trade, Zo was the only All-Star in the crop. Phoenix sent Barkley to Houston on Aug. 19, 1996, for Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, Mark Bryant and Chucky Brown. Barkley was still Barkley; Horry and Cassell were major contributors on Houston's back-to-back title teams. It was all part of the biggest trade in the '90s: The Sonics will receive Vin Baker from Milwaukee; the Bucks will get Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill from Cleveland; and the Cavaliers will get Kemp from Seattle and Sherman Douglas from Milwaukee. The Bucks also will get Cleveland's first-round draft choice in 1998 if it doesn't fall among the first 10. Why the Cavs made the deal Brandon had emerged as a star in Cleveland, leading Mike Fratello's defense-oriented offense. The Cavs won games by outlasting opponents, but they had big problems drawing crowds. With Kemp, that should change. "Cleveland made a heck of a deal. They traded an All-Star point guard, but they got a bona fide superstar," said ESPN Radio's Quinn Buckner, a former NBA player and coach. "From a purely business standpoint, they needed star power, because they've had problems drawing people. Now they have that drawing card." Buckner said the trade puts a heavy burden on the Cleveland backcourt, most notably Bobby Sura, more of "a third guard," and rookies Brevin Knight and Derek Anderson, the team's two No. 1 picks this year. "They've gone from having really solid guard play to a very inexperienced backcourt," Buckner said. For Kemp, the deal means an escape from the Sonics, a team he said he was not going to play for this season. "I was in Japan with Shawn this summer, and he felt so betrayed by Seattle that he was definitely not going to play for them," Buckner said. "Now he goes to the Eastern Conference, which is what Wally Walker wanted, and he will be going up against a different type of power forward, guys with more strength. "I'm anxious to see how Shawn responds. And the most interesting part might be the relationship between he and Mike Fratello." Why the Sonics made the deal Seattle had to deal Kemp. Between last year's signing of center Jim McIlvaine to a $35 million deal, and unsubstantiated reports Kemp had an alcohol problem (a rumor Kemp felt was leaked from inside the organization), there was no hope he would suit up for the Sonics. In Baker, the Sonics get a versatile big man who can score inside and out and will rebound. From a production standpoint, they are similar. From a style standpoint, they are not. "Kemp is much more spectacular," Buckner said. "I think Vin would just assumed have the offense come to him; Shawn will take the ball. But I do think Gary Payton will make Vin Baker a better player and Kemp will miss (Payton)." Why the Bucks made the deal Milwaukee realized it had little chance of keeping Baker, who was expected to exercise an out clause in his contract and become a free agent in 1999. By unloading the 6-foot-11, 240-pounder now, the Bucks were able to get an All-Star point guard and a top-flight rebounder. "This trade really puts pressure on Glenn Robinson to produce," Buckner said. "With Baker around, he had another guy who was going to get shots. Now across from him, he has Tyrone Hill, and all he wants to do is rebound. And in Terrell Brandon, he gets a point guard who can get him the ball." Who got the better of the deal? The Cavaliers. Kemp, an Indiana native, comes back to the Midwest and should spark a very young team. When motivated, he can be awesome, and Kemp figures to be more charged up than ever. Both Seattle and Milwaukee did well just to get something for two players who were not going to be in their respective futures, but Cleveland might have positioned itself as a title contender in 2000, when Anderson, Knight and second-year post player Vitaly Potapenko blossom. "This was a hell of a deal for everybody," Buckner said.

nba.472 nba.news, 26 Sep 97

SuperSonics-Cavaliers-Bucks trade statistics (Sep 26, 1997 - 00:33 EDT) -- The career statistics of the players involved in Thursday's three-way trade between Seattle, Cleveland and Milwaukee: TO CLEVELAND SHAWN KEMP Regular season Year Team G FG FT Reb Blk Pts 1989-90 Sea 81 .479 .736 4.3 70 6.5 1990-91 Sea 81 .508 .661 8.4 123 15.0 1991-92 Sea 64 .504 .748 10.4 124 15.5 1992-93 Sea 78 .492 .712 10.7 146 17.8 1993-94 Sea 79 .538 .741 10.8 166 18.1 1994-95 Sea 82 .547 .749 10.9 122 18.7 1995-96 Sea 79 .561 .742 11.4 127 19.6 1996-97 Sea 81 .510 .742 10.0 81 18.7 Totals 625 .521 .730 9.6 959 16.2 Playoffs Year Team G FG FT Reb Blk Pts 1990-91 Sea 5 .386 .815 7.2 4 13.2 1991-92 Sea 9 .475 .763 12.2 14 17.4 1992-93 Sea 19 .512 .809 10.0 40 16.5 1993-94 Sea 5 .371 .667 9.8 12 14.8 1994-95 Sea 4 .579 .821 12.0 7 24.8 1995-96 Sea 20 .570 .795 10.4 40 20.9 1996-97 Sea 12 .486 .829 12.3 16 21.6 Totals 74 .505 .795 10.7 133 18.7 SHERMAN DOUGLAS Regular season Year Team G FG FT Ast Stl Pts 1989-90 Mia 81 .494 .687 619 145 14.3 1990-91 Mia 73 .504 .686 624 121 18.5 1991-92 Mia-Bost 42 .462 .682 172 25 7.3 1992-93 Bost 79 .498 .560 508 49 7.8 1993-94 Bost 78 .462 .641 683 89 13.3 1994-95 Bost 65 .475 .689 446 80 14.7 1995-96 Bost-Milw 79 .504 .731 436 63 11.3 1996-97 Milw 79 .502 .667 427 78 9.7 Totals 576 .489 .674 3915 650 12.3 Playoffs Year Team G FG FT Ast Stl Pts 1991-92 Bost 6 .360 .500 10 0 3.2 1992-93 Bost 4 .378 .667 38 4 11.0 1994-95 Bost 4 .353 .727 33 4 15.0 Totals 14 .362 .679 81 8 8.8 TO SEATTLE VIN BAKER Regular season Year Team G FG FT Reb Blk Pts 1993-94 Milw 82 .501 .569 7.6 114 13.5 1994-95 Milw 82 .483 .593 10.3 116 17.7 1995-96 Milw 82 .489 .670 9.9 91 21.1 1996-97 Milw 78 .505 .687 10.3 112 21.0 Totals 324 .494 .634 9.5 433 18.3 TO MILWAUKEE TERRELL BRANDON Regular season Year Team G FG FT Ast Stl Pts 1991-92 Clev 82 .419 .806 316 81 7.4 1992-93 Clev 82 .478 .825 302 79 8.8 1993-94 Clev 73 .420 .858 277 84 8.3 1994-95 Clev 67 .448 .855 363 107 13.3 1995-96 Clev 75 .465 .887 487 132 19.3 1996-97 Clev 78 .438 .902 490 138 19.5 Totals 457 .446 .868 2235 621 12.7 Playoffs Year Team G FG FT Ast Stl Pts 1991-92 Clev 12 .400 .750 30 3 3.9 1992-93 Clev 8 .435 1.000 17 7 6.4 1993-94 Clev 3 .632 .667 5 1 8.7 1995-96 Clev 3 .447 .867 24 4 19.3 Totals 26 .449 .871 76 15 7.0 TYRONE HILL Regular season Year Team G FG FT Reb Blk Pts 1990-91 GS 74 .492 .632 5.2 30 5.3 1991-92 GS 82 .522 .694 7.2 43 8.2 1992-93 GS 74 .508 .624 10.2 40 8.6 1993-94 Clev 57 .543 .668 8.8 35 10.6 1994-95 Clev 70 .504 .662 10.9 41 13.8 1995-96 Clev 44 .512 .600 5.5 20 7.8 1996-97 Clev 74 .600 .633 9.9 30 12.9 Totals 475 .529 .649 8.4 239 9.6 Playoffs Year Team G FG FT Reb Blk Pts 1990-91 GS 9 .643 .667 2.5 4 2.4 1991-92 GS 4 .429 .000 2.0 0 1.5 1993-94 Cle 3 .407 .541 10.3 1 14.0 1994-95 Cle 4 .310 .640 5.6 1 8.5 1995-96 Cle 3 .750 .778 5.0 0 8.3 Totals 23 .461 .595 4.3 6 5.6

nba.473 nba.news, 26 Sep 97

Baker got a bad rap in Milwaukee MILWAUKEE -- There were two ways the Milwaukee Bucks could have gone in an effort to remake their team. They chose, not surprisingly, the wrong one. The one thing you noticed over the second half of the Bucks' 1996-97 season -- apart from players quitting in the third quarter -- was the "Blame Vinnie" whispering campaign. The whispers came from within the Bucks' organization. You could see where they were heading -- toward Baker's departure. What you and I saw in Vin Baker was a three-time All-Star power forward who became the first Milwaukee player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to simultaneously average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Ah, but Baker had a "bad attitude," you were told. He was proving to be "uncoachable," you were assured. Besides, he would not stay after his contract expired. Vin Baker is not Mother Teresa. But he also is not some punk who deserves to have his reputation cheapened by an organization that hasn't sniffed success during this decade. Good or bad, his attitude stemmed from the fact that he was sick of losing. As far as his coachability, the Bucks haven't exactly been equipped with the basketball version of Vince Lombardi, so who knows? And on the question of his possible exit, if you were Vin Baker, what would make you stay? You would stay if you saw a chance to win. What evidence do the Bucks offer that progress is being made toward that goal? But the Bucks fixed the question of Baker's departure. They traded him. There will be no argument here about the other half of the deal. Terrell Brandon is an accomplished point guard and the Bucks desperately needed one of those. Tyrone Hill is a power forward, and, after moving Baker, the Bucks desperately needed one of those, too. Like Baker, Brandon doesn't have a contract that lasts forever, but why ask for consistency now? A first-round draft choice will also be nice, especially if the Bucks bring in somebody from another front office to make the selection. The issue is the choice the Bucks made in attempting to make a major change. They could have traded Baker. Or they could have traded Glenn Robinson. If you counter that they could not have received as much for Robinson, then you have just underscored the problem. People have tended to speak of Baker and Robinson as co-equals, the twin pillars around which the Bucks would be rebuilt. That notion was inaccurate. Real power forwards are harder to find than small forwards. And Baker is an All-Star. Robinson, very pointedly, is not. The limitations of Robinson's game are now more dramatic than his talents. He will score, but so will the man he is guarding. He is not a sound defensive player and he cannot handle the ball in traffic. It is not Robinson's fault that he is not Grant Hill. It is the Bucks' fault that he is not Grant Hill. There is one other Bucks player with real and largely untapped potential -- shooting guard Ray Allen. With Robinson still on hand, taking the majority of the perimeter shots, how does Allen's game get to develop? And what does he feel like doing when his contract expires? This was a trade of convenience for the Milwaukee Bucks, and not simply because it allowed them to address the need at point guard. It allowed them to maintain the convenient fiction that what happened with this team was Vin Baker's fault. Ask yourself this question: What was the last Bucks' personnel move that turned out to be brilliant? The answer is almost too painful -- drafting Vin Baker. You don't quit on a player like Vin Baker, especially when his talent has not even reached its prime. The Bucks are now down one scapegoat and one major, young talent. It was the wrong move; once more, again, still.

nba.474 nba.news, 26 Sep 97

Bucks' new GM gives up quality to get quality MILWAUKEE -- Thursday's three-team trade made national headlines because the Cleveland Cavaliers received disgruntled superstar Shawn Kemp from the Seattle SuperSonics. But the Milwaukee Bucks also benefited by receiving two quality players -- Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill -- and a 1998 first-round pick from Cleveland, and convincing Cleveland to take point guard Sherman Douglas and his $4 million salary off their hands. The Bucks lost a three-time All-Star in the process, as power forward Vin Baker was traded to Seattle. "This is no knock on anybody, but we are trying to do something to make this team better now," said Bucks first-year general manager Bob Weinhauer. "This is a fresh start for Vinny and Sherman and it's a fresh start for us. We need to move forward in an aggressive, aggressive manner." Baker, the franchise's most dominant offensive player since Sidney Moncrief, had emerged as one of the league's top players in his four years with the Bucks. But the team had never won more than 34 games with Baker, and many observers were beginning to wonder about his ability to lead the team. "When I was in Houston and we traded Otis Thorpe for Clyde Drexler, I said, 'You have to move good people to get good people,'" Weinhauer said. "We feel very confident. Not only did we get a point guard," Weinhauer said of Brandon, "but an All-Star point guard, one of the top offensive point guards in the league." The loss of Baker could well be counterbalanced by the gain of Brandon, who could emerge as the missing piece of a team that has failed to make the playoffs the last six seasons. Brandon, who averaged 19.5 points and 6.3 assists per game last season, is expected to address the Bucks' obvious problem at point guard. Even with prolific scorers such as Baker, Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen on the floor, the Bucks established a franchise low for assists last season. Neither the aging Douglas nor his backup, Elliot Perry, were able to distribute the ball in the transition game that Bucks coach Chris Ford preferred in his first season last year. As a result, the offense became quite stagnant. Although Brandon had directed a slowdown offense for Cleveland coach Mike Fratello, Ford assured Brandon those days were over. Bucks make change Milwaukee's projected starting lineup for this season differs greatly from last year's first string: 1996-97 1997-98 Glenn Robinson Glenn Robinson Vin Baker Tyrone Hill Andrew Lang Ervin Johnson Ray Allen Ray Allen Sherman Douglas Terrell Brandon "I let him know he can run here," Ford said. "Our fans are used to us pounding the ball inside and doing a lot of standing. Now with our exciting three-pronged attack from the perimeter, we can make it exciting for the fans as well as the players." The key to the trade is the fact that the Cavaliers are under the salary cap this season and have the room to take on Kemp's $3.6 million salary. Milwaukee and Seattle, which are both over the salary cap, basically have to trade dollar for dollar. The Bucks, who also will be wiping Baker's $4.1 million contract off their books, will be taking on Hill's $4.1 million salary along with Brandon's $1.5-million contract for next season. A major consideration for the Bucks is the fact that Brandon is due to receive a $7 million balloon payment in 1998-99. That would be the highest single-season salary ever paid to a Milwaukee player. Also, Hill can opt out of his contract after next season and Brandon can opt out after two more seasons, meaning the Bucks would be faced with the challenge re-signing both players. With a revised lineup that will feature Brandon at the point, Allen at shooting guard, Robinson at small forward, Hill at power forward and the recently acquired Ervin Johnson at center, the Bucks believe they finally have the makings of a team which also play defense. The Bucks replaced Baker's scoring and rebounding with Brandon's explosive offense and Hill's defensive tenacity. Both Brandon and Hill come from a system in Cleveland which demands attention to defense. At 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, Hill, who will assume Baker's spot, was almost a double-performer last season. In 70 starts Hill averaged 12.9 points and 9.9 rebounds a game, dispelling questions about his health. Two years ago, while driving to a game, Hill was rear-ended in an automobile accident and suffered a minor back injury. A one-time All-Star performer, Hill came back strong last season with an average of 34.9 minutes a season. "He's a fierce competitor and he does all the little things to help the team win," Ford said. "He bangs. He's a double-double guy. He takes good shots. He has a winning attitude. "All off-season we've been trying to build defense here. With the two guys coming in from a very good defensive system, along with Ervin Johnson and Michael Curry, we're getting some good defensive players who will hopefully get it done." During his dealings that also brought Johnson and Curry to Milwaukee, Weinhauer continually said he was not interested in trading away the Bucks' talent base of Baker, Robinson and Allen. But he always added a caveat that he would consider any move that would improve the quality of the team. "Fortunately, I said that," Weinhauer said. "I really think this is an opportunity for us to get better." There was also the question of whether Baker and Robinson, two high-profile forwards, could play together. In their four years sharing the same court, the combination never seemed to mesh in terms of chemistry or victories. Weinhauer, however, said it wasn't his intention to break up the combination. "That was never part of the equation," Weinhauer said. "I never, ever thought that was part of the problem. "Vinny and Glenn, I thought, complemented each other because of their inside-outside game rather than against each other."

nba.475 nba.news, 26 Sep 97

Ostertag Jazzed about six-year extension SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller smiled and looked up at Greg Ostertag after the team announced Thursday it had signed the 7-foot center to a multiyear contract extension. "We think Greg is going to be somewhere between very good and great," Miller said. "The answer to that question is in his hands." The Jazz did not release terms of the deal, but it was reportedly worth about $30 million over six years. Ostertag -- who averaged 7.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks last season -- had one year left on his contract. He would have become a free agent next season if Utah had not signed him by Oct. 1. Signing Ostertag, 24, to a long-term deal made Miller feel better about Jazz fortunes after John Stockton's and Karl Malone's contracts expire in 1999. Stockton will be 37 and Malone 36 after the 1998-99 season. "What happens when John and Karl are gone? What does the future look like for the Jazz? A big part of the answer to that question is sitting next to me," Miller said, referring to Ostertag. Utah was busy this summer, making sure the nucleus of the reigning Western Conference championship team stayed intact. Jeff Hornacek, Bryon Russell, Howard Eisley, Antoine Carr and Shandon Anderson were free agents, and all of them re-signed with the Jazz. "One of my goals out of college was to stay with a team and not to hop around," Ostertag said. "I love this franchise. ... We get along with each other like brothers." Scott Layden, vice president of basketball operations, remarked that when Ostertag was drafted by Utah in 1995, many doubted his future with the team. "But he worked hard and came into this organization with a good attitude," Layden said. "It's nice he's rewarded and will be with the Jazz a long time." Ostertag, who knows his current role is secondary to those played by Stockton and Malone, plans to be a big-time successor when they leave. "I know my role and that I won't be the leading scorer on the team -- at least for two more years," he said. "But I do have goals to be one." Ostertag is the second player from the 1995 draft to sign a new contract. Vancouver Grizzlies center Bryant Reeves, the sixth overall pick in 1995, became the first in the class to re-sign when he inked a six-year extension on July 8. Other members of the rookie class of '95 include Joe Smith, Antonio McDyess, Kevin Garnett and Jerry Stackhouse. Utah opens training camp in Boise, Idaho, on Oct. 3. Seventeen players will participate, including 11 veterans, draft picks Jacque Vaughn and Nate Erdmann, and nonroster invitees Nate Green, Bryon Ruffner and Troy Hudson.

nba.476 nba.news, 26 Sep 97

Rodman, Bulls locking horns on new deal CHICAGO -- Although the Chicago Bulls thought they were close to re-signing Dennis Rodman, the controversial forward's agent says there's still a wide gap. "We thought we had a deal," Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf told WMAQ-TV in Chicago on Wednesday night. "We offered a contract that included a modest base ... with lots of incentives." "But we never agreed to anything," Dwight Manley, Rodman's agent, told the Chicago Sun-Times. "You can bet that if Rodman had agreed to the deal, we would have a deal because Dennis will keep his word. "They made a proposal and we worked on a concept based on certain things being put into place that couldn't be accomplished. We're talking things like injury insurance ... winning the rebounding title, playing a certain number of games, avoiding suspensions, the team winning a certain number of games in the regular season and playoffs and other things." One source has said the Bulls offer is $6.6 million. Rodman was contracted to be paid $9 million last season, although suspensions and fines cut into that total. Reinsdorf, who already this off-season has signed Michael Jordan to a one-year, $33.14 million contract and coach Phil Jackson to a one-year, $5.75 million deal, said the Bulls are preparing to play this season without Rodman.

nba.477 nba.news, 26 Sep 97

Williams cleared to play, but probably not at full strength MINNEAPOLIS (Sep 25, 1997 - 19:57 EDT) -- Guard Micheal Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves has been cleared to resume play, but he isn't at the level he was three years ago when he was diagnosed with a foot injury. A New York doctor appointed by the NBA has cleared Williams to attend training camp next month. He has participated in informal workouts this week with other members of the team. Williams has appeared in only 10 games in the past three seasons. His last regular-season game was Nov. 28, 1995. He has fought a left heel injury that required two surgeries and hours of therapy and rehabilitation. Team trainer Chris Palmer said Williams' heel might never fully recover. "The way his foot is now is the way it always will be," Palmer said. The Wolves had asked the league for an independent doctor to examine Williams to determine if he could withstand an NBA season. If the doctor had said Williams couldn't, it would have paved the way for the team to petition the league for a settlement with Williams. He is guaranteed $6.85 million over the next two years. Releasing him still would leave his contract on the Wolves' salary cap through 1998-99. The team has been trying to work out an injury settlement with Williams to clear him off their salary cap, but he would have to initiate his retirement. Williams might play part-time this season if the Wolves keep him on their 12-man roster. "I have an injury that won't allow me to play like I used to, but I know I can still do some things," he said.

nba.478 nba.news, 26 Sep 97

Sjećate li se Marva Alberta, komentatora NBC-a, prije nekoliko mjeseci optuženog za seksualno zlostavljanje? U međuvremenu je bilo dosta govora o tom slučaju, ali ja nisam htio time da vas opterećujem, jer sam smatrao da grijesi tamo nekog sportskog komentatora, makar on bio i NBA komentator, nemaju mnogo veze sa onim za šta je ova tema namijenjena. U svakom slučaju, izgleda da se ta priča privela kraju, pa vam evo šaljem njen epilog, čisto da vidite kako to Ameri rade. Albert pleads guilty; fired by NBC ARLINGTON, Va. (Sep 25, 1997 - 22:15 EDT) -- After three days that put the details of his kinky sex life on trial, Marv Albert pleaded guilty Thursday to assault and battery charges that could bring him a year behind bars and perhaps a lifetime of humiliation. Within hours, NBC fired him. "From my point of view, I just felt like I had to end this ordeal," Albert said outside court in a weary voice after agreeing to a deal in which prosecutors dropped the more serious charge of forcible sodomy, punishable by from five years to life in prison. Albert, 56, was accused by a longtime lover of flinging her onto a bed, viciously biting her back and forcing her to perform oral sex in an Arlington hotel room Feb. 12 because she failed to bring another man into their bed. His plea came a day after a surprise witness came forward with similar accusations: that Albert -- wearing white panties and a garter belt -- bit her on the neck and tried to force her to perform oral sex on him during a 1994 struggle in a Dallas hotel room that left her holding the sportscaster's toupee. "The significance of that testimony is profound," said Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney Richard Trodden, adding that the plea bargain was endorsed by Albert's 42-year-old accuser. As he left court, Albert thanked NBC for standing by him. But less than four hours later, the network issued a statement saying it only stood by Albert because he gave assurances the charges were untrue. "Today, given Mr. Albert's plea ... NBC terminates its relationship with Marv Albert." Albert, who for three decades has been one of America's most distinctive play-by-play voices -- with his exuberant "Yesss!"' call -- later issued a statement of his own, resigning from the regional MSG cable network as the voice of basketball's New York Knicks. "I fully understand the position in which the networks found themselves due to my very painful situation," Albert said. "In the interest of my family, my friends and my many supporters, I step aside with deep humility and will seek to reconstruct my personal and professional life." Albert's lawyer, Roy Black, said his client accepted the deal because the judge had gutted his case. "If all our evidence had been allowed, we wouldn't be in this position," said Black, who successfully defended William Kennedy Smith against a rape charge in 1991. "I thought it was the best way for Marv to end this matter." Under Virginia's rape shield law, the judge is allowed to bar evidence of a sex assault victim's past. The defense intended to introduce evidence that Albert's accuser had a pattern of threatening past boyfriends and that she was mentally unstable. In their biggest coup, they played a tape for jurors Tuesday in which she appeared to coach and bribe a potential witness, a cab driver, into backing her claim that Albert was trying to procure another man for three-way sex. Outside court, cabbie Walter "Biggie" Brodie confirmed that the woman wanted him to go prosecutors with a fabricated story and she would give him a share of her award from a planned $3 million lawsuit against Albert. "She said, 'You broke and I'm broke and you got to do something for me,"' Brodie said. "'You got to call this (prosecutor) and tell her that one of the times you took Marv Albert back to the Washington Hilton he asked you to get a boy.' I said 'OK."' The accuser did not return phone calls to her home Thursday night, but her attorney, George DePolo, released a statement saying "she believes the disposition of this matter is an appropriate one" and "she feels vindicated." As Albert made his plea before Circuit Judge Benjamin N.A. Kendrick, his family and other supporters sat stoically in three rows of the courtroom, showing no visible reaction. His fiancee, ESPN producer Heather Faulkiner, sat with her hands clasped in her lap. Sentencing was set for Oct. 24; he could receive up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine for the single misdemeanor count. The judge ordered a presentencing investigation. Albert has no prior convictions. "Judge Kendrick is a tough sentencing judge in cases of this type," said Henry Hudson, a former Arlington County prosecutor and former U.S. attorney in Alexandria. "On the other hand, this is a first offender with a good record, except for some of the testimony that came out at trial," The plea came after a morning of closed-door meetings between Albert's lawyers and prosecutors. Trodden said the deal Albert accepted was the same one he had offered him before the trial. Juror Kerri Nelson told Fox News Channel that she "did not feel there was enough evidence to convict Albert." "The tape presented by the defense attorneys raised questions in my mind about (the alleged victim's) motive and credibility," she said. "Because of how compelling the tape was, I was shocked by the fact they plea bargained."

nba.479 nba.news, 26 Sep 97

1997-98 NBA Calendar September 29 -- Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies Springfield, Massachusetts October 3 -- NBA training camps officially open October 16-18 -- McDonald's Championship, Paris October 30 -- Opening Day rosters set, 6 p.m. EST October 31 -- 1997-98 NBA regular season begins November 10-11 -- NBA Board of Governors Meetings, New York January 5 -- 10-day contracts may be signed January 10 -- All player contracts guaranteed for season February 5-8 -- All-Star Weekend, New York February 19 -- Trading deadline, 6 p.m. EST April 19 -- 1997-98 regular season ends April 23 -- 1998 playoffs begin May 10 -- Early entry eligibility deadline, 11:59 p.m. EST May 17 -- Draft lottery May 31 -- Finals first possible start date June 2-5 -- Pre-draft camp, Chicago June 3 -- Finals last possible start date June 17 -- Finals last possible date June 24 -- Draft, Vancouver, British Columbia July 1 -- Free agents may begin negotiating July 29-August 9 -- World Championship of Basketball, Athens

nba.480 vpoznanovic, 26 Sep 97

Svima koji imaju ignore na nba.news skrećem pažnju na jedan od najvećih trejdova posljednjih godina, kojim je Shawnu Kempu napokon ispunjena želja da ode iz Seattlea! SPORT.3:nba/4.470-4.474.

nba.481 junior, 26 Sep 97 -> #480, vpoznanovic

> Svima koji imaju ignore na nba.news skrećem pažnju na jedan od > najvećih trejdova posljednjih godina, kojim je Shawnu Kempu > napokon ispunjena želja da ode iz Seattlea! Lele, šta uradiše od Klivlenda. Nekad je to bio fin tim, sa manje-više dobrim igračima. Ko im je sad ostao, sem Kempa? Bobi Sura? Potapenko? Otišla su 4 igrača iz startne postave - Tyrone Hill, Chris Mills, Terel Brendon i Bobby Phills. Što je mnogo, mnogo je. Mislim da to ni Kemp neće moći da nadoknadi. E sad, da je ostao Brandon i došao Kemp .. moglo bi se mnogo toga. :) Milvoki ima fantastičnu ekipu. Bez obzira na to što američki komentatori loše ocenjuju potez Milvokija, rešili su se 2 skupa igrača, od čega je jedan više štetan nego koristan, a dobila dva odlična, jeftina i korisna igrača. Vidim da potez Sietla i ne komentarišu. I nije za komentarisanje. :)

nba.482 gligo, 27 Sep 97 -> #468, vpoznanovic

> Sve u svemu, izgleda dosta obimno i komplikovano, ali jedan > veliki biznis kakav je NBA liga mora imati i precizno > definisana pravila igre. Nadam se da sam ovim tekstom pomogao > da se ona malo bolje upoznaju. Fala majstore, zbog ovakvih ljudi vredi ostati na ovom sistemu.

nba.483 nba.news, 27 Sep 97

Hawks sign Corbin, four others ATLANTA (Sep 26, 1997 - 20:09 EDT) -- The Atlanta Hawks signed five free agents to contracts on Friday, including returning starter Tyrone Corbin. The others signed were former Georgia Tech star Drew Barry, 7-foot David Crouse, a rookie from Southern California, Anthony Miller and Donald Whiteside. Corbin started 70 games for the Hawks last year, averaging 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Barry was a second-round pick of Seattle last year, but failed to make the team. He played six games in the CBA. Miller had three years of NBA experience, including two with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played in two games for the Hawks last year. Whiteside played 27 games for Toronto last year, averaging 2.2 points and 1.3 assists per game. He was a high school teacher and coach in Chicago during the 1995-96 season.

nba.484 nba.news, 27 Sep 97

Askew signs with Blazers PORTLAND, Ore. (Sep 26, 1997 - 16:27 EDT) -- Well-traveled free agent Vincent Askew has signed a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. Terms weren't included in Friday's announcement, but, since the Blazers are at the salary cap, it was believed to be for the league minimum of $272,250. The 6-foot-6 Askew gives the Blazers increased flexibility at small forward, where he is expected to back up starter Brian Grant. Askew, 31, is no stranger to Blazers' president Bob Whitsitt. When he was with Seattle, Whitsitt made a trade with Sacramento to bring Askew to the Sonics. Askew played three-plus seasons in Seattle and was part of the regular rotation in the Sonics' 1995-96 Western Conference Championship team, averaging 8.5 points per game. "Vince is a very quick, athletic player that gives us a lot of flexibility off the bench," Whitsitt said. "He's a strong defender and a good ballhandler who knows how to play and brings a lot of regular season and playoff experience to our young roster." Last season Askew averaged 5.6 points and 19.5 minutes per game with New Jersey, Indiana and Denver. Askew also played for Philadelphia and Golden State in his NBA career. He was the most valuable player in the Continental Basketball Association in 1990 and 1991.

nba.485 nba.news, 27 Sep 97

Toronto re-signs F Slater TORONTO (Sep 26, 1997 - 20:15 EDT) -- The Toronto Raptors re-signed power forward Reggie Slater to a two-year contract Friday. Financial terms were not released. Slater joined the Raptors on a 10-day contract last January and impressed enough to be re-signed for the remainder of the season. His numbers were the best of his three-year NBA career, averaging 7.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 15.6 minutes in 26 game. Slater also led the Raptors with a field-goal percentage of .550.

nba.486 nba.news, 27 Sep 97

Dunleavy adds Eyen, Brown to Blazers staff PORTLAND, Ore. (Sep 26, 1997 - 20:09 EDT) -- Jim Eyen and Tony Brown have been hired as assistants for the Portland Trail Blazers, the team announced Friday. Both have previous ties to Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy. Eyen was an assistant to Dunleavy with the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. Brown, a former NBA player, was a scout at Milwaukee when Dunleavy was coach and general manager. Eyen and Brown join Elston Turner to fill out Dunleavy's Portland staff. Eyen was a scout for the New York Knicks last season. Before that, he was an assistant for eight seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, Lakers and Bucks. Brown, a fourth-round draft pick by the New Jersey Nets in 1982 out of Arkansas, played seven seasons in the league. He was a scout for the Bucks the last three seasons. The Blazers open training camp Oct. 3 at Linfield College in McMinnville.

nba.487 nba.news, 27 Sep 97

Knicks' guard Ward has stress fracture NEW YORK (Sep 26, 1997 - 13:21 EDT) -- New York Knicks point guard Charlie Ward has a slight stress fracture of the lower right leg that will keep him from participating in full workouts when training camp begins next week. The team said Friday that Ward was diagnosed with the injury five to six weeks ago after he went to the doctor complaining of pain. Ward does not know how he injured the leg, according to Knicks spokeswoman Lori Hamamoto. He will report to camp at Charleston, S.C., along with the rest of the team next Thursday, but will be restricted to weight training and light running when practices begin Friday. "He should be at full speed in a few weeks," Hamamoto said. Ward, a three-year veteran who won the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback for Florida State in 1993, averaged 5.2 points, 4.1 assists and 22.3 minutes last season as the backup to Chris Childs. Two other New York guards are coming off injuries. Allan Houston had surgery early this summer on his right wrist and John Starks had surgery on his left middle finger. Scott Brooks, the Knicks' fifth guard last season, currently is unsigned. He is, however, expected to re-sign before camp opens.

nba.488 nba.news, 27 Sep 97

New Bucks look forward to new season MILWAUKEE (Sep 26, 1997 - 21:51 EDT) -- The newest members of the Milwaukee Bucks hope to bring the team out of a painful playoff draught, but it's going to take some hard work -- and Bucks' officials say it may mean some more personnel changes. "This is a new era," said Terrell Brandon, one of the NBA's best point guards, who was traded Thursday from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Bucks along with power forward Tyrone Hill. Hill and Brandon went before the media Friday, the day after the team announced the deal that sent All-Star forward and fan favorite Vin Baker to the Seattle SuperSonics and point guard Sherman Douglas to Cleveland. The three-way trade also included Seattle SuperSonics all-star Shawn Kemp, who went to Cleveland. In addition, the Bucks get a first-round draft pick from the Cavaliers. The pick cannot be in the top 10, the Bucks said. First-year general manager Bob Weinhauer said more changes may be on the horizon. "We are pleased and excited about our new-look Bucks basketball team," Weinhauer said. "But I wouldn't want to give anybody the thought that we're through tinkering because we still have time yet before the season starts." Hill and Brandon said part of the recipe for success is teamwork and consistency for the Bucks, who haven't made the playoffs in six years. The Bucks' 33-49 finish marked an improvement of just eight wins over 1995-96. "We knew they'd sometimes come out and play hard for the first half but not in the second half," Hill said. "We knew all we'd have to do was make a couple of runs and get them bickering at each other and then you could pull the game out." Brandon averaged 19.5 points and 6.3 assists last season. Hill averaged 12.9 points and 9.9 rebounds. "We think we have added a group of people that can put us in position to do everything we want to do," Weinhauer said. Part of that means playing tough defense -- and tough offense, coach Chris Ford. Now that power forward Baker's inside play is gone, the Bucks will become more of a perimeter team and will do some more running, he said. "I think with Terrell we're going to be able to push the ball, but Tyrone's got to do all the dirty work getting us the ball," Ford said. "He's got to be able to play good defense and bang the boards and turn Terrell and Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen loose and fast-breaking and getting the ball up the floor." "With this makeover of our roster we feel we'll be a more explosive team." Ford also wants to see more players involved in putting points on the board. "I'm not happy with the way the style of play has developed in the NBA where you isolate two or three players on one side of the court and just work on one-on-one plays," he said. "This will enhance ball movement, and I think that's the way the game is supposed to be played. It makes the five players out there all feel that they're contributing rather than just standing out there waiting for something to develop." Brandon, who comes from a Cleveland team that played a slow style of basketball, has no complaints. "When I heard about the trade and I knew exactly where I was going to and that Chris Ford would be my coach, naturally I got extremely excited and I was smiling just like I am now," he said. "Because I love to run and I haven't done it in awhile, I told Coach Ford I might be a little rusty at the beginning of training camp ... but I'm going to be OK, because this is a great opportunity for us."

nba.489 nba.news, 27 Sep 97

Cavaliers have been revamped CLEVELAND (Sep 26, 1997 - 20:09 EDT) -- Wake up, Cleveland Cavaliers fans. Meet Shawn Kemp, founding father of the NBA you've missed. He dunks, he glowers, he alley-oops. He skipped college before that became a national pastime. Kemp, traded to Cleveland in a three-way deal that also involved the Milwaukee Bucks, is an interesting fit with the Cavaliers to say the least. Dull and predictable, he is not. What does Kemp, a flamboyant finisher accustomed to the wide-open Western Conference, think about joining the league's most humdrum team? "To the best of my knowledge, I know they want to speed the game up a tad bit," Kemp said Friday, evoking laughter from the assembled media at Gund Arena and a grin from coach Mike Fratello. "Whatever Mike asks of me, I'm there to do it for him," Kemp said. All five starters on the team that averaged a modern-record-low 87.5 points per game last season are gone. The two best players of the group, point guard Terrell Brandon and forward Tyrone Hill, were traded to Milwaukee in the deal that freed the disgruntled Kemp from Seattle and sent point guard Sherman Douglas from the Bucks to Cleveland on Thursday. The SuperSonics got All-Star forward Vin Baker from Milwaukee. "There's no question that we will be a different team in our style of play, our approach to it," said Fratello, whose slowdown style resulted in some of the most boring games since the bottoms were carved from peach baskets. "We have a great deal of speed and quickness, and we want to take advantage of that." If he has any concerns about Fratello, Kemp should realize that his teams didn't always try to grind this fluent game to a halt. Fratello coached Dominique Wilkins in Atlanta. "You develop people around someone," Fratello said. "On this team, I would think that our identity would just kind of fall into place, that we would develop around Shawn." Kemp's No. 1 priority was getting out of Seattle, where he vowed never to play another game due to a long-running tiff with the front office. Dissatisfied with his $3.6 million annual salary, Kemp also alleged that Sonics management was spreading false rumors about his drinking. "I thought about it over the summer, and I came to the conclusion that it really doesn't matter who leaked it," Kemp said. "As long as you know what's inside you, what you're about, where your head is and what you want to become in life, it doesn't matter what the next man says." The 27-year-old, windmill-dunking, fastbreaking Kemp immediately gives the Cavs appeal they have sorely lacked. Even when Cleveland was a contender in the early '90s, they did it with quiet stars like Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Larry Nance. Suddenly, the Cavs have one of the marquee personalities in the league. Team owner Gordon Gund can hear the turnstiles spinning already. "I think the fans will be very excited," team president Wayne Embry said. Cleveland, with about $9.5 million in salary cap room, can tear up Kemp's contract and work out a new one. His agent, Tony Dutt, said there is no timetable but he hopes it gets done quickly. "The reason I left was not over my contract," Kemp said. "The reason was I felt uncomfortable there." The five-time All-Star will play on a front line that includes forward Vitaly Potapenko and 7-foot-3 center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who was impressive in summer camp but hasn't played a regular game in two years due to a broken foot. Douglas will run the point and be backed up by rookie Brevin Knight. Derek Anderson, a graduate of Rick Pitino's run 'n gun factory at Kentucky, should be fun to watch on a fast break with Kemp. But it remains to be seen how Kemp will like playing on a team that's rebuilding rather than contending for the championship each year. "I hate to lose," Kemp said. And perhaps the most interesting adjustment to watch will be between Fratello, the strict disciplinarian, and Kemp, a free spirit who believes he has gotten a bad rap. "We as an organization have standards, and we hope that we can continue that," Embry said. They also had seats to sell and fans who were growing bored and disenchanted. And there's no better fix for that than a good, hard slam dunk.

nba.490 nba.news, 27 Sep 97

Baker, Sonics excited SEATTLE (Sep 26, 1997 - 22:57 EDT) -- After the turbulent era of the Reign Man, Vin Baker is saying all the right things. "I'm really excited about it," the all-star forward said Friday of his trade to the SuperSonics from Milwaukee. "It's a great opportunity for me at this time in my career. I'm ready to come out there and work hard." Those words are sweet music to Sonics fans, who spent the last year listening to Shawn Kemp criticize the team over his salary and other issues. After months of wrangling and negotiations, the Sonics traded Kemp to the Cleveland Cavaliers and acquired Baker in a three-team, five-player deal announced Thursday. "Having an opportunity to play in the East has made me a strong post-up player," Baker said Friday in a conference call. "I haven't reached my potential yet as a player. I show up to play and I'm competitive. I'm ready to work and show the fans and the organization that I'm a worthy trade." Baker said he's not worried about being compared with Kemp, but that doesn't mean comparisons won't be made. In Milwaukee, Baker was known to show up on time and ready to play. He didn't complain about the Bucks and, unlike Kemp, didn't demand to be traded. Nor did he fail to show for training camp. Baker also impressed on the court. At 25, he's already a three-time all-star. Last week, he was one of 10 players named to represent the United States in the 1998 World Championships. The 6-foot-10 forward had his best year last season, his fourth. He averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, the first Bucks player to do that since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But for all his prowess on the court, Baker couldn't lead the Bucks to the playoffs. "I think in Milwaukee we just weren't a great defensive team," he said. "That's the reason we couldn't get over the hump in the East. "I've had some situations here when the losing was really frustrating," Baker said. General manager Wally Walker said Baker will play for the Sonics for at least two years, and Baker said his free agency seems like "light years away." "Vin Baker's 25 years old, and he's already been a three-time all-star," Walker said Thursday. "We're as excited as we can be."

nba.491 gligo, 27 Sep 97 -> #480, vpoznanovic

> Svima koji imaju ignore na nba.news skrecem paznju na jedan od > najvecih Zar ima uopste takvih ? :)

nba.492 nba.news, 28 Sep 97

Wolves, Garnett likely to resume talks MINNEAPOLIS -- The agent for Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett reportedly has agreed to meet with team owner Glen Taylor to revive contract talks. Garnett agent Eric Fleisher will come to Minneapolis Sunday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper said. The Timberwolves have a Wednesday deadline to sign Garnett or else they can't negotiate with the 21-year-old forward until July 1, when he becomes a free agent. Fleisher had rejected a $103.5 million, six-year contract offer for Garnett last month, sparking widespread public criticism. The deal, based on an average annual salary of $17.25 million, would have been the richest long-term package in sports history. Fleisher was seeking a deal worth an average of $22 million a year. "I understand Fleisher and general manager Flip Saunders have been talking recently and they both agreed it would be a good idea for us to meet," Taylor told the Star Tribune. "I told him I would be available ... on Monday or Tuesday. We want to do everything we can to get this contract settled." Fleisher told the Saint Paul Pioneer Press the two sides had discussed sitting down in the next three or four days "to see where it leads us." "I have no problem coming in to do that. There's really nothing else new to report, but in all likelihood, we're going to talk," Fleisher said from his office in Mount Kisco, N.Y. However, Taylor told the Pioneer Press a possible meeting does not mean he is giving in to Fleisher's demands for a six-year contract worth between $120 million and $125 million. "I'm always willing to listen to the other guy, but the offer we put on the table is more than fair," Taylor said. "We feel very strongly about it. This whole thing is more than just money. It's about leadership and putting the right team together, and we want Kevin to be part of that." The Wolves have until Wednesday to sign Garnett to a contract extension. If they don't, they have to wait until after next season and get in line with everyone else. "We're doing everything we can to sign Kevin by Oct. 1," Saunders, the Timberwolves' general manager and head coach, told the Star Tribune. "Eventually the decision is Kevin's. He realizes this is his life. He'll make what he feels ultimately is the right decision."

nba.493 nba.news, 28 Sep 97

Gap between Rodman, Bulls is closing CHICAGO -- A one-year deal could be pending between Dennis Rodman and the Chicago Bulls, said Rodman's agent, Dwight Manley. Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf told WMAQ-TV on Wednesday that he thought they had a deal. Manley refuted that, saying they never "agreed to anything." "I'm hopeful something could happen real soon," Manley said Thursday. "I feel both sides are working very hard to get it done." According to both Manley and Bulls GM Jerry Krause, the sticking point has not been the salary -- which will be around a $2.5 million base -- but rather the incentive money. Manley is seeking around $9 million for the NBA's premier rebounder, but the Bulls' total is reportedly around $6.6 million. Rodman feels he should be paid $10 million. "They want to pay me $4 million," he told Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. "I'm not being greedy, right? ... They're just dragging their ass." Manley is optimistic he will be able to consummate the deal. "Things are looking better now," he said. "I want him in Chicago. Dennis wants to be there. I believe the fans want him there. Phil Jackson wants him there and Michael Jordan wants him there. We are all trying to make him a Bull."

nba.494 nba.news, 28 Sep 97

Ex-Rocket Reid arrested on felony cocaine charge HOUSTON -- Robert Reid, who played 10 seasons with the Houston Rockets, was released on $2,000 bail Saturday after he was arrested and charged with cocaine possession, police said. Reid, 42, was arrested about 1 a.m. Friday after he was stopped for speeding along Westheimer Road in west Houston, near Beltway 8, police spokesman John Cannon said. Upon learning that he had no Texas driver's license with him and had outstanding warrants, Reid's car was searched and cocaine was found, Cannon said. He was charged with felony possession of less than one gram of the controlled substance. Court records available late Saturday showed that the outstanding warrants pertain to an out-of-county speeding violation and failure to appear in court. The records showed that the resident of suburban Sugar Land was convicted for a December 1996 charge of driving while intoxicated, the Houston Chronicle reported. Reid's last year with the Rockets was in 1988, and his last in the NBA was in 1991 with Philadelphia.

nba.495 vpoznanovic, 28 Sep 97 -> #491, gligo

>> > Svima koji imaju ignore na nba.news skrecem paznju na jedan od >> > najvecih >> >> Zar ima uopste takvih ? :) :) Ne znam, ali vjerujem da su umjereniji ljubitelji NBA lige bili na prilično velikim iskušenjima za vrijeme All-Star vikenda i finalne serije, kad je dnevno ovde znalo da se pojavi i po 60-70 poruka. ;)

nba.496 nba.news, 29 Sep 97

Miami's Mourning has knee surgery, out 8-12 weeks MIAMI (Sep 28, 1997 - 22:33 EDT) -- Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning underwent surgery on his left knee and is expected to miss part of the upcoming NBA season, the team said on Sunday. "He is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks," the Heat said. "Mourning's left knee will be immobilized for the next two weeks, and then he will begin physical therapy." The surgery on Saturday repaired a partial tear of the patellar tendon. The injury was discovered last week during a routine preseason physical examination and then an MRI on Thursday revealed the tear, the Heat said. The 6-9 Mourning signed a $112 million, seven-year contract with the Heat last year. "Alonzo is the cornerstone of this franchise, and while we are concerned for his health, we are happy that the injury was detected early," coach Pat Riley said. "One of the reasons we acquired depth in our front court this summer was to provide a cushion against an injury." Mourning averaged better than 35 minutes in 66 regular season games last year. He scored 19.8 points per game, and pulled down 9.9 rebounds. The Heat had a 61-21 record last season, a franchise-best by 19 wins. That was good for the first division title in the team's nine-year history. The Heat advanced beyond the opening round of the playoffs for the first time, outlasting Orlando, and then became only the sixth team to recover from a 3-1 deficit by beating the New York Knicks. Then the Chicago Bulls eliminated Miami in five games in the NBA semifinals. Mourning averaged 17.8 points per game during the playoffs.

nba.497 nba.news, 29 Sep 97

Haskins, Carril lead Hall of Fame inductees SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Current Texas-El Paso coach Don Haskins and former Princeton coach Pete Carril headline a list of seven individuals to be inducted Monday into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Joining Carril and Haskins are Denver Nuggets standout Alex English, 12-year NBA player Bailey Howell, women's stars Denise Curry and Joan Crawford and coaching legend Antonio Diaz-Miguel of Spain. All those elected needed 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for induction. Haskins accelerated integration of college basketball in 1966 when Texas-El Paso, then called Texas Western, started five African-American players and defeated Kentucky in the NCAA Championship game. Kentucky, coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp, had an all-white starting five. Haskins spent 36 years at the school and has compiled a 691-326 career record. He is ninth all-time in Division I victories. Carril became a legend during his 29 years at Princeton after arriving at the Ivy League school in 1967. He is the only coach to record 500 victories at the Division I level without the benefit of athletic scholarships. Carril's disciplined, fundamental style brought fear into almost every big-name program that the Tigers played in the NCAA Tournament. After three near-misses, including a one-point loss to top-seeded Georgetown in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Carril finally broke through with an upset of defending champion UCLA in 1996. Carril, who announced his retirement from Princeton after the 1996 season, is now an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. English, an eight-time All-Star, was the first player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in eight straight seasons. He ranks seventh all-time with 21,645 career points and was the leading scorer in the 1980s with 19,682 points. English, who played with Milwaukee and Indiana before rising to stardom with the Nuggets, had his number retired by the team in 1993. Howell, nominated by the veteran's committee, was a standout player for 12 years (1959-71) with the Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. He finished with 17,770 points and 9,383 rebounds. Curry was a four-year starter (1978-81) and a three-time All-America at UCLA. She averaged 24.6 points and 10.1 rebounds in her four years and is still the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder with 3,198 points and 1,310 rebounds. Curry, who also played on the UCLA softball team, had her number retired in 1994 at the 25th anniversary of Pauley Pavilion along with teammate Ann Meyers. Crawford was a star of the Amateur Athletic Union (1957-69), playing one season with Detroit and 12 in her hometown of Nashville. The 5-foot-11 center was named to the All-America team all 13 seasons and helped Nashville win 10 championships. Crawford was the MVP of the 1963 and 1964 National AAU Tournament and was a member of the 1957 USA World Championship team. Diaz-Miguel coached the Spanish national team for 27 years and six Olympiads, capturing a silver medal in the 1984 Olympics at Los Angeles. His teams were in 14 European Championships and four World Championships, placing second in 1973 and 1983 and third in 1991. Diaz-Miguel coached six European All-Star teams in the 1980s and is one of the pioneers of promoting basketball in Europe.

nba.498 nba.news, 29 Sep 97

Baker says he'll improve with the Sonics SEATTLE (Sep 29, 1997 - 00:15 EDT) -- Vin Baker, the newest member of the Seattle SuperSonics, says he's eager to play for a winning team and hopes the learning experience will improve his game on both ends of the court. Baker met with reporters Sunday night a few hours after flying in from Milwaukee, where the 25-year-old spent four seasons with the Bucks. The three-time All-Star said he's looking forward to the upbeat style of the Western Conference. "It was a lot of just pounding the ball inside," Baker said of his years with the Bucks. "Really a basic offense, that's what we did every night -- a slow-down, half-court game. We didn't really get a lot of opportunities to run." The Sonics traded Shawn Kemp to the Cleveland Cavaliers and acquired Baker in the three-team, five-player deal Thursday. Baker said he feels no pressure about replacing Kemp, who left after months of wrangling with management. Kemp earned $3.3 million a year in Seattle, but felt the Sonics didn't pay him what he was worth. He failed to show up for training camp last year and later demanded to be traded. "Eventually those comparisons will go away," Baker said. "My game is going to be my game. "As a player I can step right in and do what I need to do to help the team. It's basketball, and I think I play it pretty well, and I think I'm going to fit in pretty well." Baker returned to the United States two weeks ago after playing in Europe with Sonics point guard Gary Payton and other league stars. Baker said he and Payton got along well, and he was clearly happy about playing with "one of the top three or four players in the league." Although Baker and Payton discussed a possible trade to Seattle, Baker said he had planned to spend another season in Milwaukee. "I kind of got a vibe before I got the word," he said. "I was somewhat surprised by it." Sonics coach George Karl said he's glad to have Baker in Seattle for all of training camp, which begins Friday. The Sonics play their first exhibition game Oct. 10 and start the regular season Oct. 31. "He'll have some special games early, and he might have some games where he looks a little bit off," Karl said. "There's a portion of our offense right now that we're going to give to him. He's going to see the ball a lot." Karl said he'll encourage Baker to adapt to the faster pace of Western Conference basketball. "I hate the way the NBA is going," Karl said. "I'm trying to find out why we slowed down over the last couple of years. I don't think you're going to see George Karl slow the game down." Baker attended Hartford and went on to produce some impressive numbers with the Bucks. The 6-foot-10 forward had his best year last season. He averaged 21 points and 10.3 rebounds -- the first Bucks player to post a "20-10" season since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1974-75. Last week, Baker was one of 10 players named to represent the United States in the 1998 World Championships. But for all his prowess on the court, Baker couldn't lead the Bucks to the playoffs. The team's 33-49 finish last season marked an improvement of just eight victories over 1995-96. The Sonics lost to Houston in last season's second round of the NBA playoffs. Seattle made it to the finals the previous year before losing to the Chicago Bulls.

nba.499 nba.news, 29 Sep 97

Kemp becomes Cavs' headache Wally Walker called it a "win-win-win" proposition, which, last we looked, is something that usually occurs only in Olympic competition. But the Seattle general manager, who had just succeeded in banishing the Man from Olympus to Cleveland, was making this point: Rarely can three NBA teams, all mired in stagnation, solve short-term financial problems and find long-term personnel solutions -- all in one dramatic stroke. And the Sonics may have extricated themselves better than anyone. Faced with the prospect of going to camp without Shawn Kemp, the second-best power forward in the world, they pulled the trigger on a deal that brought them Vin Baker, arguably the third-best power forward in the world -- but minus the incessant headache. Kemp is Cleveland's headache now, and the Cavs are glad to have him. The star-starved franchise had had one of the grimmest offseasons on record, losing two starters to free agency and unable to entice numerous others despite having the league's largest bankroll. Now, they have virtually run out of players, but for better or worse, they at least have an identity. Then there's Milwaukee, which wasn't winning with Baker, knew it wouldn't be able to hold on to him, and had to find a leader. The Bucks settled for one of the best in the business, Terrell Brandon, plus Tyrone Hill, who like Kemp and Baker was a top-10 rebounder last year. But win-win-win? Nothing's that perfect. We'll settle for two out of three: SEATTLE What they lose in athleticism and power, the Sonics gain in chemistry and professionalism. Whereas Kemp is a superstar, Baker is a great and versatile player who can only get better playing on a good team -- something he's never experienced in his four-year career. He cannot dominate or intimidate opponents like Kemp. But he will show up every night, play 42 minutes, provide 20 points and 10 rebounds, and defend three positions. Most important, he will restore the faith in a team that seemed so close to coming apart a year ago. George Karl put it best: "Our failures were in the mental health department," he said, alluding to the Kemp's instability and its destructive influence on the team. "When you try to win a championship, it's mental toughness, it's focus, it's commitment and preparation in the locker room . . . But weaknesses occurred because of conflict and confrontations and confusion." The source of all three, of course, was Kemp. Baker is the anti-Kemp. He won't bicker every other year about his contract, he won't threaten to hold out, he won't miss planes, he won't bail out on his teammates and get into spitting contests with management. And while he won't dazzle KeyArena with thunderous dunks and self-congratulatory gestures, Seattle will grow to love his professional demeanor and uncanny consistency. The Sonics couldn't have made a better deal. CLEVELAND Well, what else would you have them do? They were about to enter training camp with a frontline comprising Hill, Vitaly Potapenko, Danny Ferry, Donnie Marshall, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas -- not the stuff of playoff dreams. Then somebody in management finally recognized that they were one of the very few teams that could make Kemp happy, given that they're still about $8 million under the salary cap, so they decided to make him their cornerstone for the next six years. The Cavs won't be better than they have been in recent years, but they had to send their fans a signal that they were willing to act boldly. Perhaps they had no choice: Hill could have left next summer, and Brandon the year after. Given their track record in free agency -- Bobby Phills and Chris Mills both bolted in August -- they couldn't risk losing the other half of their foundation without a return. So what they have is Kemp, an improving Bobby Sura, a new point guard in Sherman Douglas, a trio of fairly promising rookies, and an unproven center. Four starters from last season, who combined for two-thirds of the Cavs' offense (relative term), are gone. As for Kemp, he got exactly what he deserved. He had to be traded to a non-contender, because in the current salary cap system, the good teams have one or two players eating up the payroll. He is 28, and the Cavs figure to make him very rich. But he shouldn't expect to reach the playoffs again -- much less the NBA Finals -- anytime soon. MILWAUKEE There is an old NBA axiom that you don't trade away a great big man for a great small man. But sometimes, the needle is stuck. The Bucks hated the idea of losing their best and most dedicated player: If they had their druthers, somebody would have taken Glenn Robinson off their hands, they would have acquired a good point guard in return, with some cap space to boot. Baker, however, made it clear that he was going to exercise his opt-out in two years, so Milwaukee rolled the dice. It got two quality starters for one, profoundly changing the team's personality. And the Bucks just might get away with it, if Brandon and Hill like what they see and stick around for a while. It's Brandon's show now, and he will run it with style. The Bucks now have one of the best rebounding duos in the league in Hill and Ervin Johnson, a 20-point scorer (Robinson) who will now turn into a 25-point scorer because he'll never see a double-team again, a very promising shooting guard in Ray Allen, and a competent second unit comprising Elliot Perry, Michael Curry, Andrew Lang, and Armon Gilliam. It was hard to part with Baker, but what they have gained is a more balanced, exciting, and dangerous team.

nba.500 nba.news, 30 Sep 97

Blazers' Wallace signs $80 million extension PORTLAND, Ore. -- Rasheed Wallace has signed a six-year contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers reportedly worth $80 million, making him by far the highest-paid player in the team's history. The 6-foot-10 power forward, appearing at a news conference Monday to announce the signing, said he never seriously considered testing the free-agent market when his rookie contract expired at the end of the coming season. "I love the ball team. I love the guys that we have on the squad," Wallace said. "I wasn't really thinking about going to another ball club because I like it out here." Terms of the deal weren't announced, but a source close to the negotiations told The Associated Press it was worth about $80 million. Team president Bob Whitsitt would not say whether Wallace's contract contained a clause that would allow the forward to opt out of the deal. But the source said there was "some flexibility" to reopen the deal. Brian Grant's contract, signed by the free agent earlier this summer, had been the biggest in team history. His deal was for seven years and was worth $56 million with another $7 million to $9 million in incentive clauses. Wallace, who left North Carolina for the NBA after his sophomore year, turned 23 just two weeks ago. He was obtained by Portland after his rookie season in a trade that sent Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant to Washington. Whitsitt said re-signing Wallace was one of the things at the top of the team's priority list during the off-season. Wallace also announced he has purchased 50 season tickets for the lower level of Portland's Rose Garden to be distributed to underprivileged children and their families. The Blazers' management is sensitive about the image of the squad as a roster full of troublemakers, and Whitsitt emphasized Wallace's work in the community in announcing the signing. "It's nice to have this kind of a person, not only this kind of a basketball player, representing the Trail Blazers for many years to come," Whitsitt said. Wallace was third in the league in field-goal percentage last season at .558, averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and one blocked shot. He finished third in balloting for the NBA's most improved player award. New coach Mike Dunleavy said Wallace's potential is enormous. "I believe he's as versatile a player as you'll find in this league," Dunleavy said. "I'm glad he has the contract behind him so he feels comfortable enough where we can experiment with certain things. "I think he can be an All-Star power forward. I think he can play small forward. I think he can play center. He's got great length. He's got some of the quickest feet I've seen on any player. He's got a strong low-post game. And he can shoot from 3-point range. He's got a wide spectrum of talents." Wallace came to Portland with a reputation as an emotional player prone to technical fouls. But Dunleavy said Wallace's attitude is one of his strong points. "The organization shows they are willing to commit to players who have not only the talent, but the passion for the game," Dunleavy said. Wallace will earn $2.3 million in the upcoming season, then his new deal will kick in the following year and extend through the 2003-04 season. Wallace's agent, Bill Strickland, said concern that the NBA's collective bargaining agreement with the players might be altered in reopened negotiations was a factor in the decision to sign a contract extension. But the overriding reason, Strickland said, was Wallace's desire to stay in Portland. Wallace said he's just relieved to have the matter out of the way. "Every time now when I go into the supermarket or if I'm out on the street, I don't have to hear, 'Are you going to sign? Are you going to stay?'" The Blazers open their training camp Friday at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore.

nba.501 nba.news, 30 Sep 97

Yes, Sura: Cavs sign guard to extension CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers decided to lock up guard Bob Sura, signing him to a multiyear contract extension Monday, four days after shuffling their roster in a huge deal for Shawn Kemp. Terms were not disclosed, but ESPN is reporting the deal is for six years and $32 million, with incentives that could boost its value to $40 million. Sura made $864,000 last season. The Cavs traded point guard Terrell Brandon and forward Tyrone Hill in addition to a first-round draft choice in a three-way deal with the Milwaukee Bucks and Seattle Sonics on Thursday. Cleveland ended up with Kemp and point guard Sherman Douglas. Now they have locked up the athletic Sura, a 6-foot-5, 200-pounder. The 17th overall pick in the 1995 draft out of Florida State has a career scoring average of 7.3 points per game in two seasons, missing only three of a possible 164 contests in that span. He also has put up 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game in his career. "We are happy to have Bob signed," Cavs president Wayne Embry said. "He brings great intensity to the floor and we feel he will be an integral part of the future of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bob's contribution as both guard positions will be a great boost to our team." Last season, Sura played all 82 games and scored 9.2 points per contest, though he averaged 12.6 points, 5.9 assists and 5.1 rebounds in his 23 starts, playing 39 minutes per game. Florida State's all-time leading scorer with 2,130 points, Sura was the first player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to score 2,000 points, grab 700 rebounds, hand out 400 assists and make 200 steals.

nba.502 nba.news, 30 Sep 97

Denver acquires Lauderdale DENVER (Sep 29, 1997 - 22:04 EDT) -- The Denver Nuggets on Monday acquired center Priest Lauderdale from the Atlanta Hawks for the rights to forward Efthimios Rentzias and the team's second-round draft pick in 2000. "Priest will add size to our team," said Nuggets coach Bill Hanzlik, who was assistant while Lauderdale was in Atlanta. "He has a soft touch around the basket and he's a good passer from the post." The 7-foot-4 Lauderdale averaged 3.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in 35 games with the Hawks last season. He scored a career-high 14 points against Philadelphia on April 19 and grabbed a career-high five rebounds. Atlanta drafted Lauderdale with the 28th pick of the 1996 NBA draft. The 6-11 Rentzias was Denver's first-round draft choice and 23rd overall in 1996. He has never played in the NBA because of contractual agreements with PAOK in Greece. Nuggets vice president Allan Bristow traveled to Greece in April to take a look at Rentzias, who was drafted by Bristow's predecessor, Bernie Bickerstaff. "It's going to take a while for him to be an NBA player," Bristow said at the time, suggesting then he might try to trade the rights to Rentzias.

nba.503 nba.news, 30 Sep 97

Knicks re-sign Brooks NEW YORK -- The New York Knicks, concerned about offseason injuries to backcourt players Allan Houston and Charlie Ward, re-signed guard Scott Brooks Monday. Brooks, who appeared in 38 games for the Knicks last season, became a free agent July 1. Terms of his contract were not disclosed. Brooks, who will be entering his 10th NBA season, has career averages of 5.1 points and 2.4 assists per game with a .451 shooting percentage in 637 games. Last season, he averaged 1.5 points and nearly 1.0 assists with a .487 field goal percentage. The Knicks open training camp Friday at Charleston, S.C.

nba.504 nba.news, 30 Sep 97

Bucks ink Freeman and McDonald Milwaukee, WI (TSN) - The Milwaukee Bucks have signed center Michael McDonald and guard Reggie Freeman to one-year contracts. The 6-foot-10 McDonald was with the Grand Rapids Hoopes of the CBA last season and averaged 8.3 points and 6.6 rebounds over 56 games. Freeman, a 6-foot-6 player out of Texas, led the Longhorns in scoring last season with 21.8 points per game. He also led the school with 7.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per contest.