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nba.505 nba.news, 30 Sep 97

Zo says he'll return in eight weeks MIAMI -- The discovery of a tear in a tendon in Alonzo Mourning's left knee only a week before the start of training camp may have saved the Miami Heat center from a career-ending rupture later in the season. "It's like a blessing in disguise," Mourning said Monday. "I was lucky enough for them to see this now." Following Saturday's surgery on Mourning's knee, team officials said he likely be sidelined eight to 12 weeks. "They say eight to 12 weeks, I say eight weeks," Mourning said during a news conference. "That is the mind-set I have and hopefully that mind-set will help the healing process." The injury was discovered during a preseason physical last week and confirmed by an MRI on Thursday. The surgery repaired a partial tear of the patella tendon. Doctors said if the tear had gone undetected, the knee could have ruptured during the season. Mourning, a four-time All-Star, signed a $112 million, seven-year contract with the Heat before last season. "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. Mourning, who entered the Heat's training facility on crutches, with a cast immobilizing the knee, said the injury was unfortunate because Miami is hoping to maintain its momentum from last season's trip to the Eastern Conference finals. "We brought in reinforcements and, going into the year, we had a better team even than we had last year," Mourning said. Riley bolstered the team's frontcourt depth by obtaining center Duane Causwell and forward Terry Mills during the off-season. "One of the reasons we acquired depth in our frontcourt this summer was to provide a cushion against injury," Riley said. Isaac Austin filled in last season when Mourning missed 13 games with a right foot injury and two games because of problems in a heel and his lower back. During that time, the Heat was 11-4 without Mourning and 13-4 in games in which Austin was a starter. Mourning said he had confidence in the team's ability to manage without him while he rehabilitates. "The guys are still focused," he said. "Duane and Ike (Austin) are talented centers. I've got a lot of faith in them. "We've dealt with adverse situations before. It's a test of character again, and I think as a team, this is going to help us in the long run." Mourning averaged more than 35 minutes, 19.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game last season. The Heat had a 61-21 record, a franchise best by 19 wins, and won the Atlantic Division title, before losing to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals. If Mourning returns after only eight weeks, he would return in time for the Heat's Nov. 25 home game against the Los Angeles Lakers and Shaquille O'Neal. If he's out the full 12 weeks, Mourning would return in time to face Michael Jordan's Bulls on Christmas. Mourning is entering his sixth NBA season and hasn't had an injury free season since his rookie year in Charlotte. In 1993-94, Mourning missed 21 games with the Hornets because of injury -- 15 with a torn calf muscle and six with a sprained ankle. "Injuries are a part of this game," he said Monday. "It's unfortunate that this happened to me."

nba.506 nba.news, 30 Sep 97

Wolves, Garnett still talking as deadline nears MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and Kevin Garnett's agent continued contract talks Monday as the team's deadline to sign its young star loomed less than 48 hours away. Garnett also was expected to arrive in the Twin Cities on Monday, a hopeful sign for the Wolves. "All I know is that he said he has to get back to Minnesota to 'take care of some business,'" Garnett's mother, Shirley, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "I don't get involved in that stuff. Kevin is capable of managing his own business affairs. I'm just hoping that everything works out OK." Neither Taylor nor Garnett's agent, Eric Fleisher, returned phone calls Monday. The Wolves have until Oct. 1 -- effectively midnight Tuesday -- to sign Garnett to a contract extension. If Garnett does not agree to an extension by then, the Wolves cannot negotiate with him until July 1, when he will become a free agent and can take offers from any team. Garnett, 21, will earn about $1.8 million this season in the final year of his three-year rookie pact. Fleisher already has rejected a six-year offer worth $103.5 million. That deal's $17.25 million average would have been the richest long-term contract in NBA history. Fleisher reportedly has been seeking a contract that would average more than $20 million a season, and it is believed the Wolves have upped their original offer. The Wolves, who made the playoffs last spring for the first time in their eight-year history, begin training camp Friday.

nba.507 nba.news, 30 Sep 97

Demolition begins at Boston Garden BOSTON -- Boston Garden is officially in the hands of the wreckers. On Monday, two years after the old arena was closed to the public, its maintenance crew turned off the lights and locked up one last time before the yearlong demolition begins. "That's it," said Rudolph "Spider" Edwards, as he snapped a padlock on the doors leading to the floor where he had watched Bill Russell and Bobby Orr play. Edwards spent 33 years on the Garden crew before moving to the adjacent FleetCenter, along with the Bruins and Celtics on Sept. 29, 1995. Longtime electrician Bobby Hall clicked off the main lights, bank by bank, until only a pale glow shone over the peeling yellow paint, stacks of chairs and empty trash cans. Cables that had held up the scoreboard hung limply in the center of the arena. The FleetCenter management is looking to give charities what's left. By day's end, workers were to begin sealing off the building for removal of asbestos and other materials. The building itself is scheduled to be ripped apart section by section in January. Nine months later, it should be reduced to a vacant lot. A high-rise hotel, residential, office and retail complex is expected to rise in its place. The Garden was dedicated Nov. 14, 1928. President Coolidge switched on the lights from the White House. A boxing match opened the arena a few days later. The Bruins and Celtics were the main tenants, winning enough championships over the years to give the Garden mythical status. Elvis Presley played there. So did the Beatles, and almost every other top pop act of the 1960s, '70s and '80s. Circuses and ice shows were regular visitors. "You don't see arenas like this any more. They're gone, the way of the past," Hall said. "Like everything, the time has come. You've got to go with the new."

nba.508 nba.news, 30 Sep 97

With Howell in Hall of Fame, Celtics keep winning SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (Sep 29, 1997 - 17:39 EDT) -- Bailey Howell still shudders at the memory of his first season with the Boston Celtics. Bob Cousy was retired. Bill Russell was no longer the future of basketball. And the Celtics' march of eight straight NBA championships ended in 1967 when Philadelphia finally broke through. "My first year there we lost, so here comes the kiss of death!" said Howell, a star at Mississippi State. "Before I even got to the Celtics, the team was getting old together." Winning, though, had not gotten old to them. With Howell, player-coach Russell, John Havlicek and Sam Jones, they went on to claim the last two of 10 titles within 11 seasons -- something no other team has approached. And they have been reaping honors since, their latest on Monday with the entry of Howell into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Others to be inducted Monday night were three coaches -- Pete Carril of Princeton, Don Haskins of Texas-El Paso and Antonio Diaz-Miguel of Spain -- as well as 1980s NBA scoring leader Alex English and women's stars Denise Curry and Joan Crawford. Howell, a 6-foot-7, 220-pounder and the forerunner of today's power forward, is the 18th Celtics player and 23rd team entry, including coach Red Auerbach, in the Hall of Fame. No other team approaches those numbers. Howell averaged 18.7 points and 10 rebounds game. When he retired in 1971, he ranked in the NBA's top 10 in nine categories. He also played for Detroit, Baltimore and Philadelphia at a time when the NBA was far from a league of millionaires. "Today, everything is such big business," said Howell, 60, who now manages commercial real estate. "The game is a game people love to watch and love to play at all levels. It's not just how much money somebody makes and how much profit." Carril's Princeton teams made their name by upending more athletic opponents. On the sidelines was Carril, a rumpled elf with mussed hair who gesticulated like a New York City cabby. Yet Carril, 67, now an assistant coach for the NBA's Sacramento Kings, is the only Division I college coach to win more than 500 games without the help of sports scholarships. His 525-273 college coaching record spans 13 Ivy League championships, 10 seasons of 20 wins or more, 11 NCAA tournaments, and a 1975 NIT championship. He developed a pressing defense and methodical, patient offense that frustrated some of college basketball's best teams. Carril's last college season, Princeton upset defending champion UCLA in the 1996 NCAA tournament 43-41. "When you're an underdog in this country, they root for you," he said Monday. Did Princeton's half-court game and low scores ever get tedious? "The only time I ever heard the word 'boring' was from the other side," Carril said. Haskins also made a reputation by outplaying better known opponents. His team -- then called Texas Western -- fielded five black starters to defeat Adolph Rupp's all-white Kentucky stars in the 1966 NCAA championship. With his unorthodox high-release jumper, English was the consummate scorer, hitting for 19,682 points in the 1980s, but unable to make it to the NBA Finals. "He scored so easy and so often that it looked like he was bored out there," Howell said. "I was lucky enough to have coaches who ... didn't try to force me to shoot what they call 'the correct way,"' English said. And so was basketball.

nba.509 nba.news, 30 Sep 97

Van Gundy still thinks about Heat series GREENBURGH, N.Y. (Sep 29, 1997 - 19:21 EDT) -- The controversial ending to the New York Knicks' 1996-97 season hasn't been forgotten. In fact, it will be Topic A on the motivational agenda when training camp opens this week. Coach Jeff Van Gundy plans to use that much-debated ending as the theme of his season-opening inspirational speech when he gathers the Knicks in Charleston, S.C., Thursday night. "I don't necessarily want our guys to get over it, I want them to learn from it," Van Gundy said Monday in his annual pre-camp meeting with the media. "I learned a lot of things from the whole way our season ended, and I'm going to share those with the players. I'm concerned that they know how I feel." Many of the Knicks felt they were robbed last season when the the league handed down punishments for a brawl at the end of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Miami that began when P.J. Brown of the Heat grabbed Charlie Ward of the Knicks and flipped him onto his head. Knicks players left the bench, most of them to join the fight, and all were given automatic one-game suspension. Ward, Patrick Ewing and Allan Houston were suspended for Game 6 and Larry Johnson and John Starks had to sit out Game 7. Some Knicks fans thought the punishments were unduly harsh, especially in the case of Ewing -- who left the bench and strayed to midcourt but didn't join the melee. The Knicks, who had taken a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series, lost the final three games. Van Gundy made it clear Monday that the Brown flip and its aftermath will not die in his mind. "Getting over it" is out of the question," he said. "It will be 137 days since we lost. Do we still feel the same way we felt in the locker room in Miami? "If we do, certainly that will keep us focused. If we don't, then how we ended will have no bearing on this year. And I think it should have a bearing on this year. I feel that way. It's been a long summer." Aside from drafting forward John Thomas of Minnesota, the only move the Knicks tried to make this summer was acquiring backup center Chris Dudley from Portland in a three-way trade that would have sent John Wallace to Toronto. The NBA voided the trade, then lost an arbitration hearing. The deal will remain in limbo until an appeal is heard Oct. 8. So compared to most of the other Eastern Conference contenders, the Knicks have done very little to improve upon a team that won 57 regular-season games last season -- including two against Chicago -- and seemed to be peaking right up to the moment of the Brown-Ward entanglement. "What we have proven in the past is that we're a successful winning team that hasn't been a championship team," Van Gundy said. "What's plagued us year after year has been lapses. We always fall prey to some lapse. "I would never ask our players to change their opinions, but the critical issue is dealing with last year and how it ended. We can either be better for the experience or bitter because of the experience. And I think that choice is going to determine a lot about how we move on from it."

nba.510 nba.news, 30 Sep 97

NBA training camps NBA training camps open this week. Here's a look at where and when each team will prepare for the regular season: Atlanta Armstrong State University (Savannah, Ga.), Oct. 3-8 Boston U.S. Naval Education & Training Center (Newport, R.I.), Oct. 3-9 Charlotte Hornets' Training Facility (Charlotte), Oct. 3-7 Chiacgo Berto Training Center (Chicago), Oct. 3-10 Cleveland University of Dayton (Dayton, Ohio), Oct. 3-11 Dallas Baylor/Tom Landry Center (Dallas), Oct. 3-30 Denver U.S. Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Oct. 3-13 Detroit Detroit Pistons Parctice Facility (Auburn Hills, Mich.), Oct. 2-9 Golden State Haehl Pavillion, Santa Rosa Junior College (Santa Rosa, Calif.), Oct. 3-9 Houston Westside Tennis Center (Houston), Oct. 4-9 Indiana Disney Institute (Lake Buena Vista, Fla.), Oct. 3-9 L.A. Clippers Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center (LaJolla, Calif.), Oct. 3-10 L.A. Lakers College of the Desert (Palm Desert, Calif.), Oct. 3-8 Miami Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, Fla.), Oct. 2-11 Milwaukee Archbishop Cousins Center (St. Francis, Wis.), Oct. 3-10 Minnesota Target Center/Arena Health Club (Minneapolis), Oct. 3-9 New Jersey Atlantic City High School (Atlantic City, N.J.), Oct. 3-8 New York College of Charleston (Charleston, SC), Oct. 3-7 Orlando Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex (Kissimmee, Fla.), Oct. 3-8 Philadelphia Dean E. Smith Center, Univ. of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Oct. 3-8 Phoenix America West Arena (Phoenix), Oct. 3-30 Portland Linfield College (McMinnville, Ore.), Oct. 3-8 Sacramento Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (San Luis Opisbo, Calif.), Oct. 3-9 San Antonio Schreiner College (Kerrville, Texas), Oct. 3-6 Seattle Sonic Training Facility (Seattle), Oct. 3-8 Toronto Flickinger Athletic Center, Erie Community College (Erie, N.Y.), Oct. 3-9 Utah Boise State University (Boise, Idaho), Oct. 3-9 Vancouver University of Calgary (Calgary, Alberta), Oct. 2-10 Washington Shephard College (Shephardstown, W. Va.), Oct. 3-10

nba.511 nba.news, 01 Oct 97

T-Wolves raise offer to Garnett to $120 million MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Garnett returned to the Twin Cities on Tuesday and joined in for the first time on negotiations on a reported $120 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. But after about five hours of meetings at Target Center, Garnett retired to his suburban house without agreeing to an extension in what could be a do-or-die deadline loomed for the Wolves. Neither Garnett, his agent, Eric Fleisher, nor Wolves owner Glen Taylor were available for comment. Fleisher and Taylor talked for the third consecutive day, but for the first time at the team's downtown arena. That and Garnett's afternoon arrival were the most encouraging signs since the talks turned bitter when Fleisher rejected a $103.5 million, six-year offer last summer. Garnett sped away from Target Center around 8 p.m., using a diversion to avoid a group of photographers. Negotiations were to resume Wednesday morning. "There's a couple of things they have to work out and they'll reconvene in the morning," Wolves spokesman Kent Wipf said. The Wolves have until midnight ET Wednesday to sign their budding star to a contract extension. If they don't, Garnett will become a free agent after the upcoming season and will be free to negotiate with any team. Even though Garnett has seemed comfortable in Minnesota and has become the centerpiece of the organization's plans for the future, rumors have persisted that he might have more interest in signing with Chicago or Phoenix next season. The Bulls and Suns are two of the few teams that might be able to offer Garnett a contract similar to any offer from the Wolves, who are not bound by salary cap restrictions to re-sign their own player. Garnett's return to Minnesota from his home in Mauldin, S.C., was considered perhaps the most encouraging sign of all. Since Fleisher rejected a $103.5 million, six-year deal, the Wolves have insisted that Garnett be part of the negotiations. The Wolves reportedly have increased their offer to at least $120 million over six years. It is believed the deal would include a clause that would allow Garnett to leave before the six years expired. Taylor still was insistent that Garnett join the negotiations before they settle on a deal. "We've always said that this isn't about money," Taylor told the Star Tribune for a story in Tuesday's editions. "It's about the future and he's more than just a casual part of it. He's an integral part of it. "We've always said that we never thought we would ever have a deal unless he was committed to that type of understanding. ... Eric has known from the very beginning that Kevin would have to be part of it." The offer Fleisher snubbed last summer would have paid Garnett an average of $17.3 million a season. That would have been the richest long-term deal in NBA history, surpassing the $17 million average of Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille O'Neal's seven-year pact with the Lakers. Garnett became just the third player in league history to jump from high school to the NBA when Minnesota drafted him out of Chicago's Farragut Academy in 1995. He became a starter early in his rookie season, and developed into an All-Star in his second season. He helped the Wolves to a team-high 40-42 record and their first playoff berth in 1996-97.

nba.512 nba.news, 01 Oct 97

Admiral on deck: Robinson is healthy and ready to play SAN ANTONIO (Sep 30, 1997 - 19:21 EDT) -- Sean Elliott remembers looking down at the San Antonio Spurs bench last season and seeing David Robinson in street clothes hunched over in pain -- his back ailing, his foot broken and a lost look on his face. "I was one of the doubters," Elliott said. "I was real quiet about it. The way I saw him last year, at the end of the season, sitting at the end of the bench, I thought he would play half the games this year. I had question marks about his back." So did Robinson, the All-Star center who began having back pain after a hernia just before the 1996 Olympics. He never fully treated the injury before last season and wound up missing 76 games, the big factor in the Spurs making the biggest one-year drop by a team in NBA history. But after months of carefully paced strength and conditioning work, Robinson says he is in the best shape of his life, pain free and full of rookie enthusiasm. "I've been out here every day, running and shooting or playing," Robinson said after a recent workout at the University of the Incarnate Word. "My back has responded extremely well." That's good news for the Spurs, who were without Robinson for seven preseason games, the team's first 18 regular-season games because of the back injury and then the team's final 58 games because of the broken foot. San Antonio, which went 59-23 in 1995-96, was 20-62 last season as Chuck Person (back), Charles Smith (knee) and Elliott (knee) also missed most of the season. Eleven players missed games because of injury, forcing coach and general manager Gregg Popovich to use 24 different starting lineups. Now Popovich smiles as he watches Robinson race up and down the court and bang bodies with Tim Duncan, a fellow 7-footer and top NBA draft pick. "It means the whole world having David healthy," Popovich said. "We learned that last year, obviously. He's about 90 to 95 percent and getting contact every day. "He's stronger than he ever has been, and we are very optimistic that he can return to his old self." Robinson said putting off surgery to repair the hernia until after the Olympics last year, allowed his stomach and back muscles to deteriorate, increasing the vulnerability for a back injury, which occurred during the Olympics. "The back problem persisted, especially after the hernia surgery," Robinson said. "It got worse. When I started training camp last year, I couldn't run." He was also told by doctors that his jumping mechanics were poor, that he used his lower back too much instead of relying more on his legs. Over the summer, he did thousands of situps and leg lifts to strengthen his stomach and lower back and changed the way he jumps. "I have no concerns whatsoever when it comes to playing game after game," said Robinson, adding that he won't pronounce himself totally fit until he starts the season and is pain free, night after night. "Nothing compares to playing night-in and night-out, and that's why I don't say I'm 100 percent. But I feel great. In fact, physically I'm probably in the best shape of my life." Robinson, who has averaged 25.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3 blocks a game over eight years and was the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 1995, said the injury made him realize he still loves the game. "When you sit out, there's a couple things that can happen," he said. "You can realize you enjoy sitting out, or you can realize that you really enjoy playing." He said he has the same enthusiasm for this season as he did his rookie year. "A lot of times you can get caught up in the idea that everything is on your shoulders, that you've got to go out and get 15 rebounds, score 30 points and block five shots and make sure the team wins every night," he said. "That gets tough after about six or seven years of doing that. You stop looking at it like a game. You start thinking, 'This is a job, it's really tough and you've got to do it every night.' "I've enjoyed playing over the last few years a lot, but I feel like the incentive is fresh, like when I came out of college." Spurs guard Vinny Del Negro said: "David doesn't seem tentative at all. He doesn't seem reluctant to make any moves." Elliott said he was happy to be proved wrong about Robinson's recovery. "He's our centerpiece," Elliott said. "We are all decorations around him. He's the guy everything is focused on. Without him, as you saw last year, it was a nightmare. I'm glad he's back."

nba.513 nba.news, 01 Oct 97

After summer silliness, questions remain The offseason passed about as quickly as the Middle Ages, with the usual assortment of conflict, scandal and treachery. We had guns and drugs and DWIs and other forms of moral turpitude, covering the entire organizational spectrum, from owners to players to assistants to broadcasters. We had a tedious free agent market, punctuated by another salary cap flare-up that will undoubtedly lead to another offseason of labor discord. You know, just a typical NBA summer. Can we move on now? Splendid. Training camps open next week, and if they are not interrupted by such trifling matters as indictments, there are a few pertinent matters we would like to see resolved over the next month or so. Issues such as: 1. Who's a Pip? A healthy Scott Burrell is a valuable weapon -- a defensive nuisance, a good spot-up shooter, a strong finisher in transition. He just is not Scottie Pippen. The Bulls, however, clearly recognize the likelihood that Pippen will not be able to start the season because of his foot injury, which he now says -- three full months after it began bothering him -- might require surgery. So in comes Burrell, a nice player who is not unfamiliar with pain-enforced idleness himself, who would make a nice stopgap if he were to just put two healthy weeks together. He might not have a choice. As Phil Jackson put it last week, "Scottie is an iffy proposition." And for a Chicago team that was probably going to take a discernible step backward this year anyway, that represents a major setback. The Bulls cannot even move Toni Kukoc into his spot -- he has not worked out all summer, Jackson said, and will have to play mostly power forward because of limited mobility -- so there are no easy answers here. Upshot: The opening scenes to the Jordanaires' final performance might be a solo act. If Pippen opts for surgery, Michael is going to have to go at it alone for a while, which, going on 35, should be exhausting. Even Jackson concludes, "I can see us dropping off considerably" in the victory column. 2. What price happiness? Richard Thompson, the brilliant British troubadour, has a song on his latest release that could be Shawn Kemp's anthem. One verse goes, "Now gone is dirt and gone is strife. . . . Gone is struggle and gone is life. . . . Shove it mate, I'm busy see. . . . Lotteryland's the place to be." Any time now, the Cavaliers figure to make their newest player very rich, completing their dubious transition from balanced mediocrity to star-studded irrelevancy. Unless Mike Fratello squeezes nothing short of an MVP season out of Kemp, the Cavaliers are doomed to a long stay in lotteryland, led by a gifted player whose only concern is the size of his wallet. 3. What's the point? Rarely does a team enter a preseason with barely a clue as to who will run the show, but that is the case in Sacramento, Denver, Orlando, Boston, Houston, Philadelphia and Golden State. The only good team among them, of course, is Houston: Does it give Matt Maloney a chance to regain the starting point guard job he handled ably as a rookie -- until John Stockton revealed otherwise -- or do the Rockets feel obligated to make Brent Price earn some of his $18-million contract? Either way, come spring, the Rockets are going to regret allowing Derek Harper to get away again. He is now safe and sound in Orlando, where he will share time with Brian Shaw and Darrell Armstrong and provide some semblance of locker room sanity that had been lacking since the Brian Hill debacle. 4. What's the Bird's-eye view? We are curious to see what changes Larry Bird can enact in Indiana, which became a somewhat plodding and predictable team in recent years. Dick Harter's forte has always been defense, and Rick Carlisle is a budding genius for breaking down opponents, so that leaves Bird alone to tweak an offense that finished 20th in scoring last year. Indeed, Chris Mullin will provide an additional perimeter weapon and some motion into a system that had become stagnant, but something tells us that Bird must find a way to leave an indelible mark on the returnees who seemed so close to burnout last year. 5. How will the Suns trim down? They have been accumulating assets all summer with the hopes it would facilitate a trade, or at least keep them competitive until next summer's free agent market, but nobody ever heard of going into a season with 17 -- count 'em -- guaranteed contracts. The Suns believe they have a good shot Antonio McDyess, if only because Denver could use some of their extraneous personnel. One scenario involves Cedric Ceballos, Steve Nash and draft picks, but the trade probably will not happen until Danny Ainge sees what his roster looks like in camp.

nba.514 nba.news, 02 Oct 97

Nuggets send McDyess to Phoenix; Cavaliers get Person CLEVELAND (Oct 1, 1997 - 20:21 EDT) -- Unwilling to make Antonio McDyess a $100 million man, the Denver Nuggets traded the disgruntled forward to Phoenix on Wednesday for a host of draft picks in a three-way deal that also sent guards Wesley Person and Tony Dumas from the Suns to Cleveland. The Nuggets, coming off the second-worst season in franchise history at 21-61, receive three first-round and two second-round picks plus cash. McDyess, the No. 2 pick in the 1995 draft who is entering the final year of his contract, was seeking a six-year deal worth more than $100 million. "Antonio wasn't the franchise player we were looking at for $100 million," Nuggets vice president Allan Bristow said. "If we felt he warranted that kind of money and was the big piece to the puzzle, we would have gone in a different direction." The Suns, who must pay guard Kevin Johnson about $8 million for one more season and also signed free agents Clifford Robinson and Tom Chambers, have time to figure out a way to pay McDyess. Midnight Wednesday marked the deadline for teams to rework deals before next summer. "I was willing to stay in Denver, but they traded me and gave me no choice," said McDyess, who will be a free agent after making about $2.8 million in Phoenix this season. When Johnson's contract is up, the Suns will have salary cap room to sign McDyess, who averaged 18.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in his second year. The flamboyant, 6-foot-9 forward joins another rebuilding effort in Phoenix, giving coach Danny Ainge's team its best inside presence since Robert Horry was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in January. "I don't expect him to lead us to the promised land right now at age 23," Ainge said. "He's got a lot of guys around him who can help him carry that burden." The Nuggets' future seemed firmly in McDyess' hands when they acquired him in a draft-day trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. But McDyess was a frequent subject of trade talks at the NBA meetings. One rumored deal had him going to Seattle for All-Star forward Shawn Kemp. Cleveland beat the Nuggets to the punch, obtaining Kemp last week in a three-way deal that also involved Milwaukee. "Does anybody have a towel to cool this man off?" said Cleveland coach Mike Fratello, pointing to general manager Wayne Embry. "This is quite a roll he's been on these past two weeks. I don't know if we should stop him." The Cavaliers send a first-round pick no earlier than 2000 to Denver and got Person and Dumas from the Suns. If the Cavs' draft pick is not used by 2001, it goes to Phoenix and Denver receives the Suns' first-round pick in 2001. The Cavs do not have to give away a lottery pick. The Nuggets get two additional first-rounders from Phoenix -- the Suns' No. 1 selection in 1998 and Milwaukee's pick in 1998 or '99 -- plus second-round picks in 2000 and 2002 from the Suns. Both Cleveland and Phoenix give Denver cash. Denver's three first-round picks from this summer's draft -- Tony Battie, Danny Fortson and Bobby Jackson -- figure to get plenty of playing time this season under first-year coach Bill Hanzlik. "Our talent level without Antonio is diminished some," Bristow said. "But I would venture to say this year's team will be better." The Cavaliers, who were 42-40 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time in six years, continued a complete revamping of their roster in the days before training camp. Again, the Cavs turned to the up-tempo Western Conference for an infusion of talent. "You can imagine the shock after we added two Western Conference players like Shawn Kemp and Person, who played in 'slightly' different styles of basketball," joked Fratello, whose team set a modern record for low scoring for the second straight season. "Our staff just went through shock treatment in the last couple of days." Cleveland's entire starting five from last season is gone. It's not clear what the latest deal means for the playing time of guard Bob Sura, who signed to a six-year contract extension on Tuesday. Person, a 6-foot-6 guard who averaged 13.5 points in his third season, gives Cleveland its most potent outside shooter since Mark Price. Person played college ball at Auburn, like his brother Chuck Person and former Cavs all-star Mike Mitchell. He can be a free agent after this season. Dumas, also 6-6, is likely to begin his fifth season on the injured list while recovering from knee surgery.

nba.515 nba.news, 02 Oct 97

Young Sun happy to play with another Kidd PHOENIX -- Antonio McDyess is headed to the Phoenix Suns and will be playing alongside his idol, Jason Kidd. "It seemed like my dream came true when I came to Phoenix," said McDyess, who was part of a three-way deal Wednesday that also involved the Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers. "He is going to make me a better player," McDyess said of Kidd, "and hopefully I'll make him a better player." McDyess, 23, said he had hoped Kidd's former team, the Dallas Mavericks, would draft him out of Alabama in 1995 so he could play with Kidd. Instead, the Nuggets got McDyess, the No. 2 pick, in a draft-day trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Suns, coming off a 40-42 season in which they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Seattle SuperSonics, are counting on McDyess to make them a better club. The Nuggets, 40 games under .500 a year ago, were unwilling to meet the 6-foot-9 forward's $100 million salary demand over six years and dealt him to the Suns for a flurry of draft picks. "You add McDyess to a nucleus of other players, Jason Kidd in particular, and we're very thrilled about the prospects of this team," Suns general manager Bryan Colangelo said. "I would like to think we're on the doorstep, knocking. We now have to build it into a title contender." The deal also had the Suns sending guards Wesley Person and Tony Dumas to Cleveland. Denver picked up three-first round and two second-round picks plus cash. McDyess averaged 18.3 points and 7.3 rebounds for Denver last season in his second year in the NBA. McDyess will be a free agent next summer after making about $2.8 million in 1997-98. When Kevin Johnson's $8 million contract is up next season -- his last -- the Suns will have salary cap room to sign McDyess. Colangelo said both sides agreed to wait until next summer to talk about a new contract. McDyess said he was willing to stay in Denver, but Nuggets general manager Allan Bristow was only willing to offer him a $60 million or 70 million extension for six years. McDyess and his agent, Arn Tellem, were seeking an extension more in the range of $100 million. "It's just how things happen," McDyess said. "(Bristow) never gave us an indication that he really wanted to pay, so he had no choice but to trade me. "I'm never going to knock them."

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McDyess trade stats (Oct 1, 1997 - 20:39 EDT) -- Career statistics of the players involved in Wednesday's three-way trade between Denver, Phoenix and Cleveland: TO PHOENIX Antonio McDyess Regular Season Year, Team G FG FT Reb Blk Pts 1995-96, Den 76 .485 .683 7.5 1.5 13.4 1996-97, Den 74 .463 .708 7.3 1.7 18.3 Totals 150 .473 .698 7.4 1.6 15.8 TO CLEVELAND Wesley Person Regular Season Year, Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts 1994-95, Pho 78 .484 .792 2.6 1.3 10.4 1995-96, Pho 82 .445 .771 3.9 1.7 12.7 1996-97, Pho 80 .453 .798 3.7 1.5 13.5 Totals 240 .458 .784 3.4 1.5 12.2 Playoffs Year, Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts 1994-95, Pho 10 .410 .917 2.1 1.1 9.6 1995-96, Pho 4 .393 .800 5.8 0.8 14.3 1996-97, Pho 5 .472 .778 6.6 1.2 15.6 Totals 19 .422 .829 4.1 1.1 12.2 Tony Dumas Regular Season Year, Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts 1994-95, Dal 58 .384 .649 1.1 1.0 4.6 1995-96, Dal 67 .418 .599 1.7 1.5 11.6 1996-97, Dal/Pho 24 .344 .640 0.7 1.0 3.6 Totals 149 .403 .613 1.3 1.2 7.6

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Dr. Jack Ramsay's analysis I am not a big Antonio McDyess fan, but this deal certainly improves the Suns. It gives them a very fluid and flexible team that can really run. They also have enough scorers to play without Wesley Person, and Tony Dumas hasn't done anything anyway. McDyess should be a good fit with the Suns because he's a very athletic guy who can really run the court. However. he is more of a finesse guy and he doesn't rebound well. He doesn't go after it. He's also joining a front line of Danny Manning, John Williams, Mark Bryant and Clifford Robinson and, while this is a very deep team, there's not a great, volume rebounder in the bunch. Bryant's probably the closest thing. Are the Suns the best team in the West now? I don't think so. They are a very formidable team, but I still think they're a notch below Seattle, Utah and the Lakers. For Cleveland, the Cavs get a good player in Person. He's not just a good perimeter shooter; he can also defend. They might even use him some at small forward. He should solidify that team. Dumas is just a throw-in, probably for salary cap purposes. Denver? The Nuggets probably weren't going to get anything for McDyess after this season and they are building for the future. And you can do a lot with three No. 1 picks.

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NBA highest packages NEW YORK (Oct 2, 1997 - 00:39 EDT) -- List of NBA's $100 million dollar packages. List does not make distinction for money deferred without interest: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves, six years (1997-2003), $121 million. Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers, seven years (1996-2003), $120 million. Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat, seven years (1996-2003), $112 million. Juwan Howard, Washington Wizards, seven years (1996-2003), $100.8 million.

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Garnett agrees to six years, $121 million MINNEAPOLIS -- All-Star forward Kevin Garnett agreed to terms Wednesday night on what could be the richest contract in professional sports history, a six-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly worth at least $121 million. Garnett, who jumped from high school to the NBA two years ago, agreed to the contract extension just four hours before a midnight deadline that would've allowed him to become a free agent next summer. "I'm just going to play like K.G., all wild and crazy with a smile," the charismatic Garnett said. "That's how I would play regardless of whether I would play for a dollar or three quadrillion dollars." While neither side would discuss the exact dollar amount, some reports said the package could be worth as much as $123 million. The deal does not include an opt-out clause that would have given Garnett the option to become a free agent before the contract expires. "We couldn't be more happy or excited," team vice president Kevin McHale said. "This is a big, big commitment by the Minnesota Timberwolves toward our ultimate goal of winning a championship." Shaquille O'Neal's $120 million, seven-year deal with the Lakers (a $17 million yearly average) is the most lucrative long-term contract ever. Garnett's surpasses that in terms of yearly average and also could eclipse it in total worth. The deal, worth at least $32 million more than Glen Taylor paid for the franchise in 1995, came after a day's worth of haggling while using telephones and fax machines. Taylor called the negotiations frustrating because of the time factor. "For various reasons, we started negotiations early," Taylor said. "Looking back now, if I could change one thing, we wouldn't have done that." After meeting face-to-face with Garnett and his agent, Eric Fleisher, at Target Center on Tuesday, Taylor spent all of Wednesday at home in Mankato, about 90 miles southwest of Minneapolis. The Wolves reported at 7:30 p.m. that talks had broken down. But about 30 minutes later they said Taylor was on his way to Minneapolis, which they called a hopeful sign. They announced the agreement shortly after. The possible amount of the extension was shocking, but not compared to the thought of the Wolves losing Garnett on the free-agent market after this season. That would have been a real possibility if Garnett failed to sign before Wednesday night's deadline for offering extensions to players picked in the first round of the 1995 draft. His three-year rookie contract, which will pay him $2.1 million this season, will expire after the season. It was widely believed he would look to leave if the Wolves didn't meet his demands before the deadline. "I never thought the negotiations would be this steep, for this much money," said teammate Doug West, who is heading into the second season of a five-year, $15 million deal. "But I'm glad something will be done and he'll be around." Tuesday's negotiations were the first to involve Garnett directly after he flew in earlier in the day from his home in Mauldin, S.C. Tuesday's talks also were the first in which Fleisher had visited Target Center since he rejected a $103.5 million offer in August. That deal's $17.3 million annual average would have made it the richest long-term sports contract, surpassing O'Neal's contract. Fleisher's rejection of that deal sent shock waves through the NBA, and the Wolves' willingness to add as much as another $20 million to the package was nearly as astounding. "It lets you know the power K.G. has," West said. Led by All-Star forwards Garnett and Tom Gugliotta and rookie point guard Stephon Marbury, the Timberwolves reached the playoffs last season for the first time in franchise history. They were swept by Houston in the first round. "I want to go further than just the playoffs now. I want to go to the next step," West said. "And I think (Garnett) realizes the expectations that will be on him, and I guess he's willing to live up to them."

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Garnett's 6-year, $121 million deal makes history Finally, some sanity reigns in the ever-spiraling chase for the next, biggest free-agent buck in the NBA. The 11th-hour reopening of negotiations and eventual long-term signing in Minnesota between the Timberwolves and Kevin Garnett was brought about in no small part, we hear, because some people in Garnett's family convinced their young charge that he needed to get out in front of what was rapidly becoming a public relations nightmare for the kid. The Wolves cleared GM Kevin McHale and coach Flip Saunders out of negotiations. That made sense because no matter what the outcome was, Saunders still had to coach Garnett this season. And McHale had his fill of Garnett's agent, Eric Fleisher. (One thing to keep in mind is that Stephon Marbury's negotiations are coming up next year. Marbury's agent, you must know, is Fleisher.) Wolves owner Glen Taylor took over the talks which led to Garnett signing a six-year deal on Wednesday worth around $120 million. Garnett hasn't had much of anything to say since Fleisher let the world know in July that $103 million over six years wasn't enough -- and that because the Wolves had "leaked" the offer to the public, breaking some supposed confidentiality agreement between the parties, Garnett would take a hike the first chance he got and never re-sign in Minnesota. What's the name of that old Bond movie? "Never Say Never Again?" Apparently, Garnett's family pointed out to him that, a) it was Garnett, not his agent, who was being vilified in Minneapolis for being amazingly selfish; and, b) $103 million was an awful lot of money to turn down -- especially considering there's no guarantee there will be a free-agent signing period next summer, given the owners' current likelihood of re-opening the collective bargaining agreement. Breaking down the big deal: Shawn Kemp's summer of discontent finally ended last week with his trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Sonics made it happen by telling the Bucks if they wanted to move Vin Baker, now was the time, because Seattle had a backup deal with a Western Conference team ready to go (and no, it wasn't Vancouver, as you may have heard). That got Milwaukee on the phone with Cleveland, which had been trying to get in on the deal once its proposed trade for Joe Smith fell through. Once the Cavs agreed to take Sherman Douglas -- whom they'd like to move quickly themselves -- things were set. So who got the better of the deal? My leader in the clubhouse is Milwaukee. Give Seattle credit for salvaging a bad situation and getting good value back in Baker; give Cleveland credit for blowing up a bad, boring team. (Though it is at least worth mentioning that Mike Fratello committed to ending StallBall only after getting his $20 million extension this summer. Now that Mike's gotten paid, maybe he'll let his kids get out and run -- as if Terrell Brandon, Bobby Phills, Tyrone Hill and Chris Mills were, somehow, unfamiliar with transition basketball.) And Kemp will fill some seats in Gund Arena, where attendance has nose-dived the last two years and management is, understandably, anxious. But the Bucks helped themselves now and for the future. Rarely does a team's talent level increase when it makes a move to improve its chemistry. But in Brandon and Hill, Milwaukee gets two big-time classy, hard-working, highly skilled guys. Who has a better young backcourt than Brandon and Ray Allen? Hill and Ervin Johnson should be better backstops than anyone Milwaukee has had in the middle for a decade. Baker and Glenn Robinson barely got along and both wanted the basketball. Now, there are no more excuses for the Big Dog. He's surrounded by team-first guys who can score, rebound and block shots, and the bench is solid with Andrew Lang, Armon Gilliam (assuming they don't trade him) and Elliot Perry. It's on Robinson. Either he's all that or he's not. He doesn't have to be the best defensive small forward in the game, but he does have to be accountable. He does have to justify the No. 1 pick and the $68 million. Seattle? Baker can do a lot of things Kemp can't. He's longer and a better post player. He's not the physical intimidator that the Reign Man is, and it remains to be seen if Baker can play defense the way George Karl wants his big men to play it. But Gary Payton's comfortable with him and the Sonics can still get out and run. The problem? Baker will opt out of his contract in two seasons -- just when Seattle was planning to be way under the cap and able to get back into free agency to replace its aging squad. Assuming Wally Walker is still GM then, he'll have an interesting negotiation with Baker's new agent, one David Falk -- who represented Walker when he came out of the University of Virginia in the '70s. Happy reminiscing. As for Kemp, who started all of this, the Cavs know what they're getting. They know they can pencil him in for a handful of missed practices and flights, and until his contract is re-done they're not in a position of strength. But they think there's a way to reach him. Good luck. Around the league Dennis Rodman's stare down with the Bulls may be getting another push from MJ, who was supposed to be getting on the phone with Jerry Reinsdorf on Monday to ask exactly what's taking so long getting the Worm redone. Answer: The Bulls won't budge off $2.5 million in base salary or a total package well below the $10 million Rodman's looking for. If Chicago gets the base around $4 million or $5 million, Rodman can live with less than $10 million total. As far as the incentives go, Chicago still wants assurances against Dennis Brownouts during the season. He still, basically, is looking for guarantees that games lost to injury won't count against the number he'll need to hit the incentives. Does anyone else out there think this is related to Rodman's knee -- the knee that rendered him wholly ineffective in the playoffs? Could it be that his knee isn't totally ready yet for another 82 games' worth of regular season pounding -- and that he'd like to take some time off in October and November to heal up? Just asking. Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Bryant Reeves, Greg Ostertag, Bob Sura and Eric Williams signed extensions. Meanwhile, most of the other Class of '95 rookies opted not to sign early. Joe Smith didn't come close with the Golden State Warriors; he's in La-La Land, asking for more than $20 million per season. P.J. Carlesimo and Warriors GM Garry St. Jean are hoping to play congenial hosts, showing off their new arena and practice facility, blah, blah, blah. "We're going to convince him that this is the best place for him to be," the Saint said. The Warriors are still hoping to unload B.J. Armstrong before too much longer, but some of the teams with whom they hoped to make a deal -- Milwaukee, Orlando, Cleveland -- pulled the trigger and brought other points in. Philly got nowhere with Jerry Stackhouse, who can read the writing on the wall when he sees it. Damon Stoudamire has that gentleman's agreement with Isiah Thomas (which, amazingly, sounds like the same thing Alonzo Mourning had with Pat Riley last year -- though the league says otherwise and isn't planning to investigate Toronto). Speaking of the league, the Commish spent much of the recent league meetings in Orlando telling his teams they had to do a better job of disciplining players who misbehave and front-office types who reinforce stereotypes of those players. "Frankly," David Stern said, "they appear to be more interested in how many rebounds somebody has, how many points he has, or what contribution he can make to the team, than in enforcing their own rules. That's something we're going to have to take another look at. "This is not about any kind of a witch hunt. To the contrary ... but we are concerned about our ability to help our athletes by holding them to standards, and saying that criminal conduct is not an acceptable part of life in the NBA." Otis Thorpe reported to Vancouver last week after dropping hints he wants to be dealt before the season starts to a contender. The Grizz was cautiously optimistic after OT said all the right things to management before the first practice -- though they're still not holding their breath that he'll be a model citizen. Big Country Reeves is in the best shape going into camp of his young career. The Pacers begin camp in Orlando on Friday with Rik Smits much healthier than he was last season. Smits' foot still isn't 100 percent, but he can move on it much better and handle consecutive workouts. Practices may be another thing. "He wants to get in shape and play in the (preseason) games," president Donnie Walsh said. "How he gets to that is between him and Larry Bird." The Raptors will not back out of the John Wallace deal even if it takes a couple more weeks before the league's appeal of the Chris Dudley arbitration ruling is heard. But Toronto has bigger problems; Sharone Wright might miss the whole season after being in an automobile accident this summer. That leaves Popeye Jones to play in the hole, and that's not what The Sailor Man wants to do. Most teams held on to their million-dollar cap exceptions, figuring that they may come in handy next year when there will be a lot of veterans looking for work.

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Knicks add veteran Myers NEW YORK -- The New York Knicks added a veteran to their backcourt mix Wednesday with the signing of free-agent guard Pete Myers. It will mark the second stint in New York for Myers, 34, who appeared in 53 games for the Knicks from 1988-90, averaging 2.4 points per game with a .377 shooting percentage. Over an eight-year NBA career, Myers has averaged 4.9 points with 2.2 assists and a .420 shooting percentage. He has played in 368 games for the Knicks, Chicago, San Antonio, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Miami and Charlotte. Last season, Myers played for Polti Cantu in the Italian A1 League. "We're happy to welcome Pete back to the Knicks," said president and general manager Ernie Grunfeld. "He's always been a hard-nosed, defensive-minded player. He's a veteran with a great, team-oriented attitude and a very versatile athlete who can play several different positions." With the signing of Myers, the Knicks will have 15 players on their roster as they open training camp in Charleston, S.C. on Friday.

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Nuggets sign Williams to 6-year extension DENVER -- Hours after trading Antonio McDyess to Phoenix, the Denver Nuggets signed forward Eric Williams to a six-year extension Wednesday night. Monetary terms were not disclosed by the Nuggets, who made the announcement just before a deadline which would have allowed Williams to become a free agent next summer. Williams was the 14th pick in the first round of the 1995 draft. Players chosen in that draft had until midnight ET to sign extensions or become free agents on July 1, 1998. The 1995 class was the first to enter the NBA under the current collective bargaining agreement, which established a rookie salary scale and limited contracts of three years for first-rounders. McDyess was the second overall pick in the 1995 draft. Denver traded him instead of signing him to the $100 million extension he wanted. Denver acquired Williams, a 6-foot-8 forward from Providence, from the Boston Celtics in August for two second-round picks. He averaged 15 points and 4.6 rebounds in his second season and was one of the few bright spots on the disappointing Celtics. Williams will make $949,000 this season, the final year of his original contract. He became the sixth player from the 1995 draft to sign an extension, joining Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, Bryant Reeves, Greg Ostertag and Bob Sura.

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Grizzlies sign four new faces VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Oct 1, 1997 - 20:57 EDT) -- The Vancouver Grizzlies signed free-agent forwards Mark Hendrickson and David Booth, center Alan Ogg and guard Litterial Green on Wednesday. The 6-foot-9 Hendrickson averaged 2.9 points and 3.2 rebounds in 29 games as a rookie with Philadelphia last year. Green, a 6-1 guard, averaged 3.2 points in 45 games with Detroit in 1996-97 -- his third NBA season. Booth, 6-7, played in France last season. The 7-2 Ogg, formerly of Miami, spent the year in China. The Grizzlies will open training camp Friday in Calgary.

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Spurs' Smith to miss training camp, career possibly in jeopardy SAN ANTONIO (Oct 1, 1997 - 20:21 EDT) -- San Antonio Spurs forward Charles Smith will miss training camp and may have to retire because of continued knee problems. Smith appeared in just 19 games during the 1996-97 season due to osteoarthritis in his right knee, a degenerative condition in which bones in the knee joint rub against each other. Since the end of the season, Smith has undergone an extensive rehabilitation process. But after being examined by team physician Dr. David Schmidt, as well as an independent doctor, it has been determined that the condition of his knee has worsened, the team announced Wednesday. "This is a very difficult situation for Charles and we all feel for him," Spurs coach and general manager Gregg Popovich said. "This is also an unfortunate situation for the Spurs. "We are currently in consultation with Charles and the league in an effort to determine what the next step will be." The Spurs open training camp Friday at Schreiner College in Kerrville, Texas. Popovich said Smith would be evaluated by more doctors before any other decisions about his career would be made. "People are asking, 'Is he going to retire?' or 'Is he every going to play again?"' Popovich said. "All I know is that the doctors and Charles have said he can't go with the pain in his knee. There's no way he can go to camp and play on that leg." If Smith were to retire due to medical reasons, the Spurs would be allowed to use half his salary cap room to sign another player. The timing of any possible retirement would make a difference. If Smith were to retire before Dec. 1, the Spurs would have 45 days to use the percentage of his salary to sign another player. After Dec. 1, the Spurs would have until next summer to use the money. The 6-foot-10 Smith, who played collegiately at Pittsburgh, has averaged 14.4 points and 5.8 rebounds over nine years in the NBA -- four with the L.A. Clippers, three with New York and two with San Antonio. He wasn't expected to start this year because of the team's acquisition of top draft pick Tim Duncan, who is projected to start alongside center David Robinson and forward Sean Elliott. Chuck Person, who sat out the entire year after undergoing back surgery last Oct. 29, has been working out and playing in scrimmages without pain. The 33-year-old veteran had a back spasm in August, but hasn't suffered any setbacks since. "Optimism and pessimism are phrases I'd rather not use," Person said. "I'm just going to go to camp and let it all hang out and do whatever I can do, although I'm not sure what that is right now."

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Kings don't know if Richmond will be at camp SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- One day before the beginning of training camp, the Sacramento Kings don't know if five-time All-Star guard Mitch Richmond will be in attendance. "I've talked with Mitch within the last four or five days, and I've had many conversations with his representative," Geoff Petrie, the team's vice president of operations, said Wednesday at a media luncheon. "But at this point I can't tell you for sure that he is going to be in camp." The Kings open camp Friday morning at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, and Richmond will be required to attend. But Richmond did not attend the team's first few practices last year because he wanted his contract renegotiated. He has said throughout the summer that he would not attend camp this season, either. The Kings have repeatedly said they're not able to renegotiate Richmond's contract because the team doesn't have any flexibility under the salary cap. Richmond is due to make $3 million this season and $2.5 million next season. He recently has been working out with teammates at Arco Arena as well as at another team practice facility. "I saw him play (Tuesday), and I can't see a man working that hard not to come to camp and just to stay at home," Sacramento coach Eddie Jordan said. "So, he's working real hard, he's in real good shape and we'll just have to wait and see." Jordan and Richmond spoke periodically throughout the summer, and the coach reiterated an earlier edict that he would not tolerate Richmond participating in camp with a poor attitude. "I told him I want him there, No. 1," Jordan said. "And I'll see what his attitude is in the first session of practice. If he's there, working hard and he's a leader, that's fine. But if he's a negative influence, it won't last more than one session." Jordan said the Kings have been approached by several teams inquiring about Richmond's availability, and have even been offered trades. "Sure, there's been lots of them," Jordan said. "But do most of them make sense? No!" The Kings, who finished 34-48 last season and did not advance to the playoffs, will open the exhibition season Oct. 10 against the Portland Trail Blazers. Richmond, entering his 10th NBA season, finished fourth in the NBA in scoring in 1996-97, averaging 25.9 points per game.

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Deal between Kings, Williamson still incomplete SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Oct 1, 1997 - 10:21 EDT) -- The Kings, who endured the Brian Grant Free-Agency Departure Experience this past summer, could be headed for a similar ride next summer with third-year forward Corliss Williamson. The team and Williamson have had since July 1 to successfully negotiate an extension to the three-year deal he signed as a rookie. They have been unable to do so, and league rules prohibit them from continuing negotiations beyond midnight Wednesday. Kings vice president Geoff Petrie and Williamson said they were relatively pleased by the direction the negotiations took, but Williamson's agent, Elbert Crawford, was not. "I felt like we could have gotten something done," said Crawford, based in Little Rock, Ark. "I believe Geoff wanted to get something done, and we weren't asking for anything out of line. It made sense to me to try and get something and we couldn't get it done." Williamson has seen newspaper and television reports citing the likelihood of players drafted in his NBA rookie class of 1995 becoming rich by signing lucrative extensions with their clubs this summer or deals with new teams as free agents next summer. Williamson's name is never mentioned in that talk, but that formula has worked for Vancouver's Bryant Reeves, Portland's Rasheed Wallace and Cleveland's Bob Sura. According to a source close to the negotiations, the Williamson group was looking for a six-year deal in the neighborhood of $35 to $40 million. That seems to be a figure fair for both parties considering the seven-year, $80 million contract signed by Wallace and the six-year, $32 million deal signed by Sura. Then there is Minnesota's Kevin Garnett, considered to be the jewel of the draft, who has turned down a six-year, $102 million deal and likely will become a free agent at the end of this season. Williamson is just one of the first-rounders in that class who was required to sign a three-year contract with the option to become a free agent at the end of the deal. Teams unable to reach agreement on an extension by tonight are prohibited from negotiating with their players until July 1, 1998. Petrie doubted that Williamson would be signed to an extension by Wednesday night's deadline. "It's unlikely that we'll come to any terms on an extension," Petrie said, "but I think we've laid a pretty good foundation to new talks when we can next season." And Williamson also said he hopes something will be worked out for next season. Said Williamson: "Hopefully things will go well this season and hopefully we'll be able to get something done next year." Unlike some of his teammates, Williamson says he wants to play in Sacramento. But now the door is open for him to depart, much like Grant, who signed with the Portland Trail Blazers after protracted negotiations with the Kings. "He wants to be here," Crawford said. "But if you're talking about saving some (salary) cap room and doing other things next year, I don't know if that's the way to go. The first thing you have to do is take care of the guys you think you have to build around. You don't tear down your foundation if you're trying to build a house." It's possible that Williamson could have a breakout campaign this season and then be worth a lot more money. "That would be the upside to this not getting done," Williamson said. NOTES -- Players take their physicals Thursday and the team leaves later that day for training camp in San Luis Obispo.... The Kings have added an eighth preseason game, Oct. 12, in Fresno against the Milwaukee Bucks.

nba.527 junior, 02 Oct 97 -> #514, nba.news

> Nuggets send McDyess to Phoenix; Cavaliers get Person Lele, šta sve neće uraditi. :) A ovaj Denver je stvarno propao. Otkako im je došao Bristow, otišao im je Dikembe, Mark Jackson, sad i McDyess. Ako još i LaPhonsa puste, ostaju potpuno i bez talenta i bez tima. A nekad su bili simpatični. :(

nba.528 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Nuggets trade Ellis to Seattle SEATTLE (Oct 2, 1997 - 23:58 EDT) -- Dale Ellis is returning to the Seattle SuperSonics. The Sonics acquired the swingman from the Denver Nuggets on Thursday for Greg Graham and center Steve Scheffler. The Sonics also will give the Nuggets the least favorable of their two second-round picks in the 1998 draft and a conditional second-round pick in either 1999 or 2002. Ellis, 37, played four seasons with the Sonics starting in 1986 before being traded in February, 1991, to the Milwaukee Bucks. The 6-foot-7 Ellis, the NBA's all-time leading 3-point shooter, has averaged 16.6 points and 3.6 rebounds over his 14-year career. Last week, in a three-team trade, the Sonics got Vin Baker from Milwaukee and sent Shawn Kemp to Cleveland. They also signed their top draft pick, James Cotton, and free agents Stephen Howard, Aaron Williams and Jerome Kersey. The trade removes Graham's and Scheffler's salaries from the Sonics' salary cap. Graham is scheduled to earn $1.54 million and Scheffler $325,000 in each of the next two seasons. The Sonics also announced Thursday they have signed three additional players, second round draft choice Mark Blount and free agents Derrick Battie and Ed Stokes. The Sonics selected Blount, 21, of Pittsburgh, in this year's NBA draft. Battie, 23, a 6-foot-10 forward out of Temple, played last season in Italy. Stokes, 26, was a 1993 second round draft choice of the Miami Heat. He played last season in Italy as well.

nba.531 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Mavs' Finley accepts $42 million contract extension DALLAS (Oct 2, 1997 - 12:15 EDT) -- Michael Finley has accepted a five-year, $42 million extension with the Dallas Mavericks. Finley had earlier rejected a $40 million offer, saying he preferred to test the free agency market next summer. But Finley and his agent, Henry Thomas, re-opened negotiations and barely beat an NBA Wednesday night deadline. "With one minute to spare," Mavericks general manager Don Nelson told The Dallas Morning News. Finley, in the final year of a three-year, $2.2 million contract, averaged 19.2 points while starting the final 35 games last season after being acquired from Phoenix in a deal for Jason Kidd. The Suns made Finley a first-round pick in 1995, the first year that top draft picks were required to sign three-year contracts.

nba.529 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Nuggets-Sonics trade statistics (Oct 2, 1997 - 21:04 EDT) -- The career statistics of the players involved in Thursday's trade between the Denver Nuggets and the Seattle SuperSonics: TO DENVER GREG GRAHAM Regular season Year, Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts 1993-94, Phil 70 .400 .836 86 66 4.8 1994-95, Phil 50 .426 .753 62 66 5.0 1995-96, Phil-NJ 53 .404 .765 57 52 4.5 1996-97, Sea 28 .363 .650 13 11 3.3 Totals 201 .404 .773 218 195 4.6 Playoffs Year, Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts 1996-97, Sea 6 .286 .750 5 6 2.0 STEVE SCHEFFLER Regular season Year, Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts 1990-91, Char 39 .513 .905 45 9 1.5 1991-92, Sac-Den 11 .667 .750 14 0 1.9 1992-93, Sea 29 .521 .667 36 5 2.3 1993-94, Sea 35 .609 .950 26 6 2.1 1994-95, Sea 18 .522 .833 23 4 2.2 1995-96, Sea 35 .533 .474 33 2 1.7 1996-97, Sea 7 .857 .500 3 0 1.9 Totals 174 .558 .759 180 26 1.9 Playoffs Year, Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts 1992-93, Sea 9 .500 1.000 10 1 0.0 1993-94, Sea 1 1.000 .000 3 0 2.0 1994-95, Sea 1 1.000 ---- 1 0 2.0 1995-96, Sea 8 .000 .000 6 2 0.0 Totals 19 .438 .500 20 3 0.2 TO SEATTLE DALE ELLIS Regular season Year, Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts 1983-84, Dal 67 .456 .719 250 56 8.2 1984-85, Dal 72 .454 .740 238 56 9.3 1985-86, Dal 72 .411 .720 168 37 7.1 1986-87, Sea 82 .516 .787 447 238 24.9 1987-88, Sea 75 .503 .767 340 197 25.8 1988-89, Sea 82 .501 .816 342 164 27.5 1989-90, Sea 55 .497 .818 238 110 23.5 1990-91, Sea-Milw 51 .474 .723 173 95 16.8 1991-92, Milw 81 .469 .774 253 104 15.7 1992-93, SA 81 .499 .797 312 107 16.7 1993-94, SA 77 .494 .776 255 80 15.2 1994-95, Den 81 .453 .866 222 57 11.3 1995-96, Den 81 .479 .760 315 139 14.9 1996-97, Den 82 .414 .817 293 165 16.6 Totals 1040 .480 .785 3846 1605 16.7 Playoffs Year, Team G FG FT Reb Ast Pts 1983-84, Dal 8 .325 .750 42 4 7.4 1984-85, Dal 4 .435 .500 7 3 5.8 1985-86, Dal 7 .409 1.000 4 2 4.3 1986-87, Sea 14 .487 .815 90 37 25.2 1987-88, Sea 5 .482 .724 23 15 20.8 1988-89, Sea 8 .450 .727 32 10 22.9 1992-93, SA 10 .451 .813 35 11 12.5 1993-94, SA 4 .395 .600 10 1 10.5 1994-95, Den 3 .357 .923 14 3 12.0 Totals 60 .447 .782 260 86 15.2

nba.530 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Nuggets continue to clean house DENVER -- Tom Hammonds and his washboard stomach were nowhere to be seen. Antonio McDyess' room-warming grin and giggle also were absent, the forward having been traded to Phoenix a day earlier. The missing persons made for an odd Thursday for Denver forward LaPhonso Ellis, one of only two players left from the Nuggets' 1996 opening-day roster. "It felt very bizarre at physicals this morning. Totally unusual," Ellis said. "I'm used to seeing Tommy Hammonds all chiseled, and Antonio McDyess going 'tee-hee.' Times have changed." The Nuggets, coming off the second-worst record (21-61) in franchise history, have made sweeping changes since Allan Bristow was hired as general manager last February. The latest move came Thursday when the Nuggets traded veteran swingman Dale Ellis to Seattle for guard Greg Graham, center Steve Scheffler and two second-round draft picks. "On our roster, we've got a lot of young players, and Dale was not going to play a lot of minutes here because of the development of some of our younger players," Bristow said. "(Seattle) is a good situation for him. He gets a chance to be on a contending team. Usually when you're in your 30s, the latter part of your career, you want to be associated with a team that's winning and has a shot at the championship." Denver's own championship aspirations may have to wait. With McDyess gone and LaPhonso Ellis trying to return from an Achilles heel injury, the Nuggets have no marquee player. Four of their projected starting five have never played together. "It's always interesting how a team develops," Bristow said. "Chemistry is very important. You just don't know how the process is going to come about -- how quickly or how slowly." The process officially begins Friday when training camp opens at the Air Force Academy, but it can be traced to Feb. 12 when Bristow was hired. Eight days into his new job, Bristow traded veteran Ricky Pierce for guard Anthony Goldwire and center George Zidek. In May, Bristow hired former Nuggets player Bill Hanzlik as head coach and the two made a flurry of draft-day trades that brought rookies Tony Battie, Danny Fortson, Bobby Jackson and Eric Washington to Denver. Veterans Joe Wolf and Johnny Newman also were packaged in the trades, which continued into the fall. After acquiring forward Eric Williams from Boston in August, the Nuggets were able to sign free-agent center Dean Garrett. In the past four days, Denver traded for Priest Lauderdale, Graham, Scheffler and seven draft picks. "Always tough to say early," LaPhonso Ellis said when asked if the changes are for the better. "I'm optimistic, but like all long-term strategies, you have to wait and see."

nba.532 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Bulls sign first-round pick Keith Booth After unsuccessfully trying to place him on a European team, the Chicago Bulls today signed first-round pick Keith Booth to a three-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed, but under the rookie salary cap, the maximum Booth could receive as the 28th overall pick is $2.062 million. The Bulls could have retained the rights to the 6-6 swingman for one year had he signed with a European team. Last year, the Bulls used their first-round pick on center Travis Knight, then renounced his rights after he refused to play overseas. Knight became a free agent and signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Booth played small forward in college but will have to make the transition to guard in the NBA which will be difficult on a team that does not offer many minutes for young players. As a senior at Maryland, he averaged 19.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

nba.533 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Pistons sign draft picks The Detroit Pistons agreed to contract terms with 1997 draft picks Scot Pollard and Charles O'Bannon, coach Doug Collins said Wednesday. Collins also announced the team has re-signed forward Don Reid to a multiyear contract. The 6-foot-11 Pollard, drafted out of Kansas, was the team's first round draft choice and 19th overall pick in June's NBA draft. O'Bannon, a 6-foot-5 guard and forward from UCLA, was the 32nd overall pick. Reid will be starting his third season with the Pistons. He has played 116 games for Detroit, starting 60.

nba.534 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Hornets sign free agents Burrough, Beck CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Oct 2, 1997 - 21:05 EDT) -- The Charlotte Hornets added two more players to their preseason roster, signing homegrown product Junior Burrough and CBA standout Corey Beck. Contract terms for the frees agent were not disclosed Thursday by the Hornets, which now have 16 players going into Friday's first day of training camp in Fort Mill, S.C. Burrough, a Charlotte native, played with Olimpia Pistoia of the Italian League last season, scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds a game. the 6-foot-8 forward was second-round choice by Boston in the 1995 NBA Draft. He appeared in 61 games for the Celtics during the 1995-96 season. Burrough played at West Charlotte High School and college ball at Virginia, where he is the fifth all-time leading scorer. The 6-foot-2 Beck was CBA defensive player of the year last season with the Sioux Falls Force and scored 13 points per game. He played five games with the Hornets during the 1995-96 season. Beck helped lead Arkansas to the 1994 NCAA championship.

nba.535 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Warriors don't make a move on Smith The deadline for signing Joe Smith to a contract extension came and went on Wednesday. Barring a trade, Smith will likely do the same at the end of the season. While teams like Denver and Minnesota were addressing the impending free agency of key figures like Antonio McDyess and Kevin Garnett, the Golden State Warriors settled for preparing for the start of training camp on Friday. Warriors general manager Garry St. Jean said he fielded several calls from teams making unappetizing offers for Smith. However, he did not have any serious talks with the power forward's agent, Eric Fleisher. The reason for the lack of negotiations is simple: Smith has made it clear he intends to test the free agent market. Fleisher was traveling on Wednesday and could not be reached for comment, but it's a safe bet neither he nor Smith has changed his stance. Smith was the top pick of the class of '95, the first one to be restricted by a rookie salary cap. Like the other first round picks from that draft, he signed a three-year deal that expires at the end of the upcoming season, allowing him to become a free agent. Teams had until midnight (EDT) Wednesday to sign those players to extensions. The Timberwolves beat the deadline by agreeing to a contract of at least $121 million with Garnett, while the Nuggets gave up on signing McDyess and traded him to Phoenix. That left the Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers as the only teams still hanging on to one of the top six picks from that draft despite being unable to resign him. St. Jean said the deadline's passing doesn't necessarily mean Smith's days in Golden State are numbered. "The coin has two sides, and you could say, 'Yeah, now you have to trade him,"' St. Jean said. "Or you cultivate a relationship and you show him that the Bay is special, which he already knows about, and now he sees the new arena and the practice facility. "And then he sees us making changes to go in the right direction, and he feels terrific about the coaches and where the basketball operation is going. And we feel confident that if we don't trade him, that (owner) Chris Cohan will step up to the table and we'll sign him." If they don't, the Warriors may eventually look for rookie Adonal Foyle to become Smith's successor. But that wouldn't happen for quite a while. Foyle won't even see much action when training camp opens at Santa Rosa Junior College. Foyle is still recovering from surgery to repair a bone in his left foot he broke in July. "He can do some individual stuff on the side and he'll be able to do some work before and after practice," said coach P.J. Carlesimo. "He's definitely not going to be able to participate in anything live." Though the Warriors will go into camp with 12 fully guaranteed contracts, a protracted absence by Foyle may open up a roster spot for a free agent forward. Former Sonic Larry Stewart and ex-Cavalier Antonio Lang are among the camp invitees. The Warriors also seem to be inviting trouble by going into camp with the same three veteran point guards -- Mark Price, B.J. Armstrong and Bimbo Coles -- who groused about sharing time last season. Attempts to trade one of them, likely Armstrong, have failed, and will continue through the preseason. "It's not my preference," Carlesimo said of bringing back the three guards, all of whom have at least two years left in their contracts. "We want to do something and we want to address it, but we want to be sure about whom (to trade). I think we're going to be able to, but there's no guarantee." Just the same, Carlesimo is eager to find out exactly what he got himself into when he took over the Warriors in the off season. "I'm looking forward to it," he said. "The process will be very slow. I think every time you have anew staff, a new system and a lot of new players ... it's different. I haven't seen half these guys play. It's going to be very educational both ways."

nba.536 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Richmond says he'll be in Kings' camp SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Oct 2, 1997 - 21:09 EDT) -- Mitch Richmond said he'll be on hand for the opening of the Sacramento Kings training camp, according to a statement released by his agent. "For the past several seasons, the (Kings) organization and I have worked to revise my contractual agreement," Richmond's statement said. "We have yet to find a satisfactory result. However, I would like it to be known that this situation has no bearing on my commitment to the community or winning." Richmond had said repeatedly through the summer that he would not attend training camp because of the renegotiation dispute. The Kings have repeatedly said they can not renegotiate Richmond's contract because of salary cap restrictions. Richmond, a five-time all-star guard beginning his 10th NBA season, was fourth in the league in scoring last season at 25.9 points per game.

nba.537 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Convicted killer of Jordan's father faces sentencing for other crimes LUMBERTON, N.C. (Oct 2, 1997 - 21:15 EDT) -- One of two men convicted of killing the father of Michael Jordan is scheduled to be sentenced for other crimes on Friday. Larry Demery, who pleaded guilty to the shooting death of James R. Jordan, also was charged with burglaries, forgeries and armed robberies and assaults not related to the Jordan death. He had pleaded guilty to those charges in a plea arrangement that calls for 40 years in prison. Demery already is serving a life sentence for Jordan's death. Jordan was shot as he napped in his car on July 23, 1993. "What we're doing is finishing his cases," said Robeson County District Attorney Johnson Britt. Britt said he would recommend the additional prison time be served along with the life sentence. Co-defendant Daniel Andre Green, who was convicted in 1996 of murdering the elder Jordan, hasn't been tried on two armed robbery charges and a felonious assault charge preceding the Jordan killing. Britt said Demery has agreed to testify against Green in those cases as he did in the murder case. Green later adopted the name Lord D.A.A.S. U'allah to conform to his Muslim faith.

nba.538 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Assault charges dropped against Blazers' Trent PORTLAND, Ore. (Oct 2, 1997 - 09:39 EDT) -- Misdemeanor assault charges against Portland Trail Blazers forward Gary Trent have been dropped following a settlement between Trent and the victim. Both agreed not to reveal terms of the settlement. Attorney William A. Meyer said the agreement offers peace for his client, Theron Hall, who accused Trent of beating him. "I think justice was served, and my client is pleased," Meyer said. Hall, who had been staying at Trent's house, told Portland police that Trent punched and choked him July 24 over Hall's accidentally setting off the home's burglar alarm a week earlier. Hall required stitches above both eyes. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Jean Kerr Maurer dismissed the assault charges Wednesday after hearing Trent had been seeing a psychologist and will continue to work on controlling his anger. The district attorney's office objected to the charge being dropped. "We were also concerned about a pattern of violence here," Fred Lenzser, chief deputy district attorney said. "You're talking about a violation of the law that affects the whole community." Trent was already sentenced to therapy sessions after a domestic dispute with his girlfriend in January. In that case, a fourth-degree assault charge against Trent was reduced to harassment in exchange for Trent pleading guilty.

nba.539 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Jackson says this year will be last, takes shots at management DEERFIELD, Ill. (Oct 2, 1997 - 23:04 EDT) -- It's time to move on, says Phil Jackson, who can't foresee any circumstance that would result in him returning as coach of the Chicago Bulls next season. Dennis Rodman is unsigned and skipped the team's first meeting Thursday. Scottie Pippen and Toni Kukoc are question marks going into the season because of lingering foot injuries. And Michael Jordan gave the "media day" concept a new twist by not talking to the media. So the story Thursday was Jackson, who almost left after last season when he coached the Bulls to their fifth NBA championship of the 1990s. "It would take wild horses to drag me back this time. This is the final year. It's time to start something different," he said. "In the conversation I had with (owner) Jerry Reinsdorf in negotiations, this would be the last year. We're not having any illusions, like last year. We don't want the same situation ... if something should happen like we accidentally win a championship. "I assured (general manager Jerry Krause) I'd walk out at the end of the season, and he assisted me in that belief." On July 23, the day Jackson ended months of speculation by signing a one-year contract for nearly $6 million, Krause said Jackson wouldn't return for 1998-99. On Thursday, Krause reaffirmed that. "This is it," the GM said. "Phil and I have already talked about it. Phil knows it. We all know it." During last season's playoffs, Jackson said he and Krause have an uneasy alliance that certainly isn't based on friendship. Krause said Thursday that coaches and players don't win titles: "It's organizations that win championships." "He would say that," Jackson said. "The organization is based on loyalty. Scottie sees that and has to wonder what loyalty really does mean." Pippen, who will make less than $3 million this season under the terms of a contract extension he signed in 1991, has said he will leave the team after this season. He has been upset with Krause for years. Jackson returned for his 11th season, ninth as head coach, only because "there was just too much between Pippen and Jordan and myself to walk away from this situation at this time." He said his imminent departure doesn't mean Jordan will leave after this season, even though Jordan has repeatedly said he won't play under any other coach. In August, Jordan signed the most lucrative one-year contract in sports history -- $33 million. "I'm not so sure this is Michael's last year," Jackson said. "Michael and I have come to the understanding that if I want to walk away, fine. ... We just talked about, 'Hey, go on with your career."' Will Jackson's going-away party and Jordan's situation be too distracting for the Bulls? What if Pippen needs surgery and misses the first month or two of the season? What if Kukoc, who did nothing but rest all summer, finds out he's not healthy? And whither the Worm? No problem, said backup guard Steve Kerr. The Bulls have proven to be impervious to distractions in recent years. "Phil wasn't supposed to be back for this year and it didn't bother us," Kerr said. "Hey, I don't know if any of us will be back. We've got 10 free agents. If anything, it will bring us closer together knowing it could be our last season together." One of those free agents-to-be is a free agent right now -- Rodman. But Krause said he expects Rodman to sign an incentive-filled contract "in the next four to five days." "I hope he's not missing for long," center Luc Longley said. "Everything with Dennis, it seems, he likes to add a little drama to the situation."

nba.540 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Mailman delivers criticism to teammates, management SALT LAKE CITY -- Karl Malone, a perennial member of the NBA's all-interview team, was already in midseason form Thursday. Malone ripped Jazz management and several of his teammates during media day for a number of perceived indiscretions in the offseason after Utah won the Western Conference championship. "If I listen to some of the things our front office says, I'm retired and John (Stockton) is retired and Jeff (Hornacek) is retired," Malone said. "They say Karl and John have maybe one or two years left ... and that makes me real mad." Malone also took several unnamed teammates to task for not working hard enough during the offseason and reporting to camp overweight and out of shape. "We've got guys in camp here who aren't in shape, and that's inexcusable," Malone said. "To come as close as we did to winning (the NBA title) last year, and to have some of these guys not take their off-season seriously, well, that's a disgrace. "I'm an old man, but I'm coming into this camp in the best shape of my life. You look at some of these (players') weights and it's a damn shame." Malone, well-known for his rigorous year-round training regimen, spent part of his summer in Salt Lake City while the Jazz were keeping their team together by re-signing free agents Hornacek, Bryon Russell, Shandon Anderson, Antoine Carr and Howard Eisley. A week ago, center Greg Ostertag inked a six-year, $30 million extension. "They sign these guys to these big contracts and they talk about how they're the cornerstones of the future. Well, the old cornerstone is still here," Malone said. "Maybe if my game slips 10 points, I'll get a big new contract. "Some of these guys sign that big contract and they think their work is over. I'm gonna have some news for them." Later, Malone echoed Stockton's earlier protests of Jazz owner Larry Miller's decision to move the team's training camp from St. George, Utah, where the Jazz have convened every year of Malone's career, to Boise, Idaho. "The way I feel is, we had a really good thing going in St. George," Malone said. "When you're so close to getting a ring, you never know what's gonna make the difference. Nothing against Boise, but I don't think we should deny ourselves any advantage." Miller soft-pedaled Malone's comments. "With Karl, it depends on the mood he's in and what's going on during media day," he said. "I think he and John realize that this year, more than ever, there's just a few years left. "They'd never admit that they've lost a step. ... But the fact remains that we're thinking of the long-term with this franchise more than ever." Miller defended his decision to move camp to the Boise area, where he took control of eight car dealerships in April. "Frankly, I did not think to consult any of the players before I made the decision," Miller said. "We wanted to give something back to the Boise community ... but if I had seen this through John and Karl's eyes, I might not have made the decision. "What these guys have done for the franchise, it gives them a right to say what they think."

nba.541 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

Riley says Mourning's injury opens doors for other players BOCA RATON, Fla. (Oct 2, 1997 - 21:09 EDT) -- The way spirits were soaring Thursday, you would never have guessed the Miami Heat's team leader was hobbling around media day in a leg cast. Coach Pat Riley said Alonzo Mourning's torn knee tendon, which is expected to keep him sidelined 8-to-12 weeks, will provide another chance for someone to be noticed. "All these guys are always talking about 'I want to play. I need an opportunity,' " Riley said. "Well, somebody's going to have an opportunity from the get-go because that starting position is going to be open for 25 games." Mourning said the team will hold down the fort until he can return. "I've got a lot of confidence in my teammates. It's going to be a minor setback, but I don't think it's going to be a situation where we're hurting all season," he said. "I expect us to go further than we did last year. I think we're more talented. I think we're stronger mentally." The Heat, who open training camp Friday, are not the same team that went 61-21 last year, a record for wins in a season by 19 and their first division title. And that was by design, Riley said. He has boosted the team's front-court depth, having traded for center Duane Causwell and signing forward Terry Mills. "The phenomenon of having a good season and winning 61 games -- I did not want to bring back the same team because you sort of give everyone a sense of security," Riley said. "We wanted to create one of the most competitive situations these guys have ever been through. There are not going to be any guarantees on the part of anybody assuming that 'I'm going to play."' The injuries to Dan Majerle and Mills also open doors, Riley said. Majerle had lower back problems but said Thursday he hoped to be ready for the preseason. Mills, a 7-foot center who signed as a free agent in August, had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in May. "We've got three or four guys that aren't going to be in the war," Riley said, referring to what he anticipates will be a tough camp. "There's an opportunity. If they're not here to take advantage of it, somebody might be in there and capture my eye a little bit, and they'll play." Mills said he's ready to step it up in Mourning's absence. "I've always produced at a higher rate when guys went down," he said. "My numbers will show I definitely answer the call." P.J. Brown, second on the team in rebounds and blocked shots last season, said he didn't expect his role to change much with the absence of Mourning, who led in both categories. Brown is in a familiar position since he helped the Heat go 9-4 last year when Mourning went down with another injury. "When Zo got hurt, I had to pick my game up," he said. "I feel like I have to do that again now." While Riley said all the positions were open, Brown said he expected Tim Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn, Ike Austin, Voshon Lenard and himself to be the Heat's lineup on opening day -- the day the Heat set out to prove last year was not an anomaly. "It's a lot of pressure on us because a lot of people think it was a fluke," Hardaway said. "We got to take the pressure and look it straight in the face."

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Clash between Coleman, Brown muddles 76ers' outlook PHILADELPHIA (Oct 2, 1997 - 21:09 EDT) -- Coach Larry Brown and power forward Derrick Coleman were less than 10 feet apart as the Philadelphia 76ers opened their training camp Thursday. That was also about the thickness of the frost separating the two. Their relationship, which got off to a rocky start when Brown phoned Coleman after he was named coach May 5, hasn't gotten any better. Their uneasy coexistence hovered over the team as it took off for Chapel Hill, N.C., where training camp workouts will take place. It all began with Brown's phone call to Coleman in Detroit. Brown says he told Coleman, whose reputation made him the cover boy for Sports Illustrated's feature on spoiled athletes a few years ago, that he was looking forward to working with a player whose talent is unquestioned. Coleman, Brown says, told him the 76ers -- who have lost an average of 59 games over the last five seasons -- would never win and demanded a trade. "You've got to look at the situation I've been in," Coleman said Thursday. "My last five or six years, I've had a different coach each year," he said. "I told Coach Brown -- and it was nothing against him personally -- that if I could be traded, I'd like to go to a team that would be at a competitive level." Coleman said Brown told him the 76ers had the potential to be good but were underachievers in the past. "I said, 'Everything you're telling me now, I heard it last year and in years in the past."' Brown, known for quickly turning around crummy teams, decided he was better off trying to deal Coleman rather than risk having his poor attitude poison the rebuilding effort. But he said there were no takers for a player with a questionable attitude who has played in only 67 games over the past two seasons and is scheduled to make $8.1 million this year. "I don't believe that," Coleman said, adding that the team was lying when it said it tried, unsuccessfully, to contact him this summer. Brown reacted calmly to Coleman's charges. "We gave his agent the opportunity to call everybody, and it didn't happen," he said. And so now Coleman is stuck on a team he doesn't want to play for, and Brown is stuck with a player whose influence on younger players like Allen Iverson, last season's Rookie of the Year who found trouble on his own during the offseason, and Jerry Stackhouse could doom the 76ers to another dreadful season. "The best way for it to work out is for him to come in and play well," Brown said. "He told me he was one of the five best players in the league, and I expect him to come in here and show that. If he does that, we can ride him a long way." Coleman, who weighed in 12 pounds over the 263 pounds he played at last year, insisted he will work hard this season, and not just because he could be working for a new contract if the 76ers buy out his option year for 1998-99 at $5.6 million. "I'm not worried about that. I've never been one to worry about money," he said. "Once a trade didn't go through, I knew what I had to do: get back here and get ready to play."

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Cavaliers sporting new-look: 12 new players CLEVELAND (Oct 2, 1997 - 21:09 EDT) -- It was more like the first day at a new school than a homecoming as the revamped Cleveland Cavaliers -- with 12 newcomers, including All-Star Shawn Kemp -- got together Thursday for their annual media day. "I've never played on a team that's changed so dramatically," said Danny Ferry, the oldtimer in terms of team seniority with six years as a Cavalier. "I definitely believe there's going to be a feeling-out, learning process from, 'Just what plays do we run?"' Ferry said as he surveyed a crop of newcomers that also included Sherman Douglas, Wesley Person and Tony Dumas. Last week, the Cavs obtained Kemp from Seattle and Douglas from Milwaukee in a three-way trade that sent Cleveland all-star guard Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill to the Bucks. This week, Cleveland obtained Person and Dumas from Phoenix in another three-way deal, giving up a first-round draft pick to Denver. The Nuggets sent Antonio McDyess to Phoenix. How long will it take the new-look Cavs to mesh? "That's the unknown," said general manager Wayne Embry, who engineered both trades. "I've seen it over the years: some come together quickly and I've seen where it takes a little time." However long, it's clear Kemp will be the focus of Cleveland's attempt to get back to the playoffs. Last year the Cavs missed the playoffs for the first time in six years. Kemp wasn't ready to claim the title as the go-to man but sees that rising expectation from the fans of a club that went 42-40 last season. "I wouldn't call myself 'the man' unless I go out there on the court and earn it," Kemp said. "You know what it means, the expectation. I like challenges. You don't have any goals if you don't have a challenge. You can't reach your goals unless you have someone doubting you. I've always enjoyed people doubting me." Kemp disavowed the "Kemp's team" label. "In actuality, it's really their team and I've got to come in here and blend in with them," he said. "It's something I thought I could do, go with a group of guys and blend in with them." Still, all the changes mean Cleveland fans will see something different from a team best known in recent years for holding opponents to record-low scores, the five-time All-Star said. "You see the steps this organization is making, you have to think the team is going to do better and is going to be better," Kemp said. "People around here were saying, 'They're not going to do nothing,' all summer because they had let go of so many players earlier in the summer and now in a matter of a week or so they got four new guys," he said.

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Three-way deal? McDyess trade more like grand theft Anything can happen in the wide, wide world of sports. Ask the '69 Mets. Ask Evander Holyfield's ear. Ask Marv Albert, the former sportscaster who now travels under an assumed mane. Ask the Suns. There is a term for the remarkable deal they struck Wednesday when they acquired 6-foot-9 power forward Antonio McDyess from the Denver Nuggets. It's called grand theft. People have done hard time for such larceny. The Suns got the player they wanted, and all it cost them was Wesley Person (expendable), Tony Dumas (a throw-in) and two first-round draft choices -- draft choices in the NBA being college players you sign and develop for three years and then lose to some other team. Danny Ainge learned of the deal when he arrived at his office at 6 a.m. He found Bryan Colangelo, who is proving he is more than just his father's son, on the phone with the league office, working out the details. When Bryan hung up, he wiped the canary feathers from his lips. Then he and Ainge locked arms and broke into a do-si-do as Al McCoy played the fiddle. They were that happy, and should be. The Suns haven't pulled off such a potentially important deal since last year when they fleeced the Dallas Mavericks, giving up Michael Finley (whom they liked), Sam Cassell (whom they hated) and a past-his-prime A.C. Green (who was making a ridiculous salary, more than $6 million a year) in exchange for Jason Kidd. After the Kidd deal was announced, general managers around the league phoned the Mavericks and said, "Are you nuts? Why didn't you talk to us? We could have beaten that deal." If the Suns sign McDyess next year -- they have a good idea what the 23-year-old will cost them, which is plenty -- history may record this trade, like the Kidd deal, as a blockbuster. A franchise rebuilder. No one is calling Kidd and McDyess the next John Stockton and Karl Malone, but they may have that kind of potential as a tandem. "They can grow together for the next 10 years," their coach said. And if Ainge is still on the Suns' bench in 2007, he may thank the Kidd and McDyess trades for putting his kids through college. The Suns had to give up something. Person is a terrific shooter, on those nights he is on. Last year, Ainge played the poker-faced guard from 15 to 24 minutes, depending upon Wesley's aim. But the Suns have others who can fill the basket from the outside. Rex Chapman showed his value as a scorer in the playoffs. Recently acquired George McCloud holds the NBA record for most three-point shots made in a season. The Suns won 40 of their final 69 games last season, and look what they have now: three point guards (Kidd, Kevin Johnson and Steve Nash), a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year (Clifford Robinson) and McDyess, an athletic power forward whom Ainge describes as a young Larry Nance. "Runs like a deer," Ainge said, which must be something to see. In justifying the trade, Nuggets Vice President Allan Bristow said McDyess is not a $100 million player. This is after the Nuggets reportedly offered to pay McDyess $105 million over six years. In most wire service stories, the young man is described as "disgruntled." As in "the disgruntled Nuggets star." McDyess looked anything but discontented in his new environment. The power forward who will wear No. 34 -- Charles Barkley's old number -- couldn't stop smiling. His is a room-lighting smile, a Magic Johnson smile. Colangelo was beaming, too. So was Ainge, who in November inherited an 0-8 team. Now he has a group whose talent and depth make the Suns a legitimate contender in the Western Conference. Maybe time will prove the trade wasn't so great. But if you ask me, the Suns got the best of this three-way deal, also known in sports as a Marv.

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Nuggets new slogan: 'At least we're not overpaying' Oh, good: The Denver Nuggets, who want you to pay $40 a seat to watch a team that will be the worst in the league this season and quite likely the next, have decided to become beacons of fiscal sanity. While the Minnesota Timberwolves are prepared to pay Kevin Garnett at least $120 million, while the Portland Trail Blazers are willing to pay Rasheed Wallace $80 million -- not to mention the big bucks already paid to Bryant Reeves in Vancouver and Greg Ostertag in Utah -- the Nuggets, those paragons of virtue, are willing to put their two left feet down and say, "Enough is enough," while passing on the chance to keep Antonio McDyess for $100 million -- or his established market price. First, Dikembe Mutombo wasn't viewed as a franchise player, wasn't deemed worthy of the market price (Yes, that was the previous administration, but Charlie Lyons has been a constant presence throughout). Now McDyess, who, two weeks ago, was the apple of Allan Bristow's eye, has decided Dice is not only not worth $100 million, but he isn't really a superstar or even a garden-variety star -- although the Phoenix Suns, who needed only a two-year plan to rebuild into a playoff team, believe he's worth the cash. But never mind that. The Nuggets are striking a blow for financial sanity. Maybe they can change their slogan from "Every Game, Every Quarter, Every Minute," to "We May Stink, But At Least We're Not Overpaying." Catchy, don't you think? Please keep the Nuggets' high-minded financial stance in mind while you're watching them win, oh, 15 games this season. Please keep that in mind while they are taking the No. 1 picks from Milwaukee, Phoenix and Cleveland, all of which figure to be playoff teams, all of which figure to bring the Nuggets draft choices somewhere in the middle to second half of the first round over the next two, three years. But, you are asking, aren't you the same clown who wrote only two weeks ago that the Nuggets should cut their losses, avoid a repeat of Dikembe-gate and trade McDyess for whatever they can get? Absolutely. But that was written with the idea McDyess and his agent, Arn Tellem, would be dead set against returning to Denver regardless of the Nuggets' offer. Except, of course, that isn't the case, even by Bristow's accounting. The truth is, the Nuggets were offering $80 million for six years -- the same as the offer to Wallace, who, it's fair to suggest, does not have McDyess' potential -- while Dice and his agent wanted $100 million, which falls between Garnett's $120 million and Wallace's $80 million. Bristow is convinced Dice would have signed for $100 million and even says he would have made a deal if McDyess and Tellem had come only a few dollars off the $100 million figure. So, for a couple of million here and there, the Nuggets, who had little to offer their fans in the first place, let their best player walk. "Somebody's got to stand up and recognize you can't just give your best player $100 million," Bristow said. Well, no, unless of course you have some interest in being competitive. Now, the Nuggets are asking their fans -- all six of them -- to accept, as an article of faith, that this organization will spend big-time bucks next summer for a real-life superstar. who's truly worth the money. Uh-huh. And who will that be? Last we checked, most of the potential free agents in the class of '98 were signing with their original teams. Who does that leave? Scottie Pippen? Yeah, sure, he's champing at the bit to come to Denver. Michael Finley? When did he become a franchise player? Damon Stoudamire? OK, he's a cornerstone guy, but what makes anybody think he's going to want to play for the Nuggets, who have become the Los Angeles Clippers of the '90's? And who's to say the fiscally sane Nuggets won't blanch at that price, too? My question, again, is what is the plan here? One day, Bristow tells us he is on the cusp of signing McDyess and is willing to wait out the season in the belief he will sign Dice after July 1, then bring in another big-time free agent. A week or two later, the whole plan changes because McDyess and his agent are asking for market-driven numbers. When Bristow was asked when he started thinking about trading McDyess -- who, it should be mentioned, was a lot more marketable during this summer's draft -- he said, "Recently. Very recently." Great: Rebuilding The Nuggets, Plan 5 -- Doing It On The Fly. Of course, not all the news is bleak: There's a good chance the NBA season will be delayed -- if not canceled altogether -- because of a lockout. A guy can dream.

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Garnett signs richest sports deal ever MINNEAPOLIS (Oct 2, 1997 - 09:39 EDT) -- Need a loan, Shaq Daddy? Talk to Da Kid. Kevin Garnett surpassed Shaquille O'Neal as the owner of the richest contract in professional sports history Wednesday, agreeing with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a six-year extension worth more than $121 million. The deal, which two reports priced as high as $125 million, surpassed O'Neal's seven-year, $120 million contract with the Lakers in terms of total value, annual value and shock value. "We all had sticker shock on the whole thing, that's easy to say," said Kevin McHale, Minnesota's vice president of basketball operations. But the Wolves believe Garnett will be worth it, even though he is just two seasons removed from high school and has yet to prove he can consistently dominate a game like O'Neal or Michael Jordan. Jordan, by the way, has the richest single-season deal at an estimated $36 million for the 1997-98 season. "We put Kevin in the category of 'future elite player,' " McHale said. "We signed a deal that's going to pay him like that. I know Kevin, and he's such a great guy and with his work ethic, he's going to achieve that. And as he achieves that, we're going to achieve a lot of tremendous things." The Wolves, who set a franchise record with a 40-42 record and their first playoff berth last season, have put tremendous faith in -- and in the process even more pressure on -- their 21-year-old star. While neither side would confirm the exact contract figure, agent Eric Fleisher called it "a precedent-setting" pact and acknowledged it eclipsed O'Neal's. The Star Tribune and the Saint Paul Pioneer Press reported it at $125 million. That made the deal as much as $37 million more than Glen Taylor paid for the franchise in 1995, just three months before the Wolves used the fifth overall pick to draft Garnett out of Chicago's Farragut Academy High School. "It's not about the loot," said Garnett, who turned down a $103.5 million offer in early August. The Wolves managed to get Garnett to sign without an "opt-out" clause, a provision which would have allowed him to leave before 2004, when the extension expires. "(Taylor) has shown me the commitment on his part, so I showed him that I'm committed on my part," Garnett said. In between playful shoulder bumps with McHale during a news conference, Garnett said the pressure of his astronomical deal wouldn't change his carefree approach to the game he adores. "Like I've told Kev since I've been here from day one, I want to be the best in what I do," Garnett said. "Not only as a player, but as a person. I think there's plenty of room for me to grow in both areas. I want the sky, and I'm not going to stop until I reach the top." With a personality as refreshing as his skills are, at times, amazing, Garnett quickly became a fan favorite in Minnesota. He assumed the role of the state's most popular active athlete when the Twins' Kirby Puckett was forced to retire last year when he lost the vision in his right eye. But Garnett seemed perilously close to leaving, especially when the negotiations turned bitter in August when Taylor went public with Fleisher's rejection of the original offer. The Wolves had until 11 p.m. CDT Wednesday to sign Garnett to an extension or he would have become a free agent at the end of the upcoming season. That probably would have meant the Wolves would have lost the player around whom they are building their future. All parties agreed the negotiations were frustrating. "I'm glad it's over," Garnett said. "You don't know what this is like." Another important part of the negotiations, according to Garnett and Fleisher, was making sure the contract was structured to give the Wolves the flexibility to build a contender around their centerpiece. Point guard Stephon Marbury, who also is represented by Fleisher, and All-Star forward Tom Gugliotta both will be up for new contracts next summer. "I've told Eric, make sure we can deal off it," Garnett said. "I think the deal is structured to do that." An agile, fluid 7-footer, Garnett became a starter midway through the 1995-96 season and developed enough last season to make the All-Star game as an injury fill-in. He averaged 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, helping the Wolves to their breakthrough season. Even though Houston swept the Wolves in three games, they established themselves as one of the NBA's most promising teams. Most of that promise fell on Garnett's shoulders. His newfound fortune will make sure it stays there. "The expectations are going to be big," teammate Doug West said. "I want to go further than just the playoffs now. I want to go to the next step. And I think (Garnett) realizes the expectations that will be on him, and I guess he's willing to live up to them."

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Garnett time begins an hour late MINNEAPOLIS (Oct 2, 1997 - 21:05 EDT) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves began life on Garnett time Thursday, and their $125 million man started off by showing up 63 minutes late. One day after signing the richest contract in the history of professional sports, Kevin Garnett overslept and was more than an hour late for the team's annual media day at Target Center. That immediately drew comparisons to troublesome former Wolves star Isaiah Rider, who was notorious for showing up late -- or not at all -- for team events. "I'm like, 'Uh-oh, an up-and-coming Rider,' " Garnett joked after he finally folded himself into his designated chair amidst a swarm of cameras and reporters. "No, you don't have to worry about that." No, the Wolves probably don't, otherwise they wouldn't have staked their future on a 21-year-old player entering his third NBA season. The six-year contract Garnett signed Wednesday surpassed Shaquille O'Neal's seven-year, $120 million deal with the Lakers as the largest contract ever. Garnett's deal, with an annual average salary of $20.83 million, had a lot of his teammates shaking their heads Thursday. "That young man is making his age," rookie Jason Osborne remarked to Stanley Roberts and Sam Mitchell as they walked to the court. "He's making his age!" But no one begrudged Garnett his millions. "That's definitely mind-boggling," said Tom Gugliotta, who has a five-year, $27 million deal. "The amount of money I make is mind-boggling. The public can't even get a grip on that, and deservedly so. But that's where the market is." While the Wolves spent part of Thursday afternoon waiting for Garnett to arrive, they also will spend the next several years waiting for him to fulfill the promise of his new deal. Garnett clearly commanded more attention than ever before Thursday, and that will only grow as his career unfolds. While Garnett started his interview by ruling out questions about his contract, he also acknowledged that some people will remember him only for the money he makes. "I don't think it'll ever be about basketball from here on out," he said. The Wolves will begin training camp Friday morning hoping to improve on last year's 40-42 record, which was the best in their eight-year history and good enough to get them to the playoffs for the first time. That raised expectations for a franchise that lost 422 games in its first seven seasons, and Garnett's contract heaped even more pressure on the organization. But Garnett will have to bear most of it. "You've got to look at it like we expect big things out of him," Stephon Marbury said. "And when he doesn't perform well, he's going to get it. He knows that. Because of the amount of money that he signed for. I think he's aware of that, and by him being the kind of player he is I think he's going to have to accept that challenge." But the Wolves don't expect Garnett to make dramatic improvements in his 1996-97 statistics, when he averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks. They don't expect him to dominate games this season the way his contract dominates the sports marketplace. The Wolves do expect Gugliotta, who became the team's first All-Star last season, and Marbury to team with Garnett again to form one of the league's best threesomes. They expect slimmed-down center Roberts to stay in shape and, hopefully, to be healthy enough to give them the inside presence they have lacked. And no matter how the season goes, they will have more tough financial decisions next summer when Gugliotta can become a free agent and Marbury can begin to work on his own long-term extension. The Wolves no longer are an afterthought in the Western Conference. Now they must prove they are equal to the expectations. "That's a huge challenge for all of us," Gugliotta said.

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Big contract brings big expectations for Garnett MINNEAPOLIS (Oct 2, 1997 - 06:04 EDT) -- The hard part -- the contract -- is done. Now all Kevin Garnett has to do is lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to 60 victories every season, average 25 points and 15 rebounds, sell tickets and suites at a record clip for record prices, visit a hundred schools and hospitals, provide an exemplary role model for area toddlers, tip all the "little people" lavishly and bring an NBA championship banner to town. Four out of the six seasons on this contract ought to do it, right? That's what happens when you sign a deal estimated at $125 million, making it the fattest multiyear contract in pro sports history. Expectations tend to rise. "We feel we signed the No. 1 free-agent-to-be," Wolves vice president Kevin McHale said. "I told Glen (Taylor, Wolves owner), with a lot of hard work, Kevin Garnett can be one of the best players in the league, if not the best." Said Wolves guard Doug West: "I don't think that by giving him $20 million a year or whatever it is, he's going to average 35 points and 18 rebounds. But expectations are going to be big. I think he realizes the expectations that will be on him, and I guess he's willing to live up to them." Garnett's extension, which won't take effect until next season (he will play for $2.1 million this season), was finalized Wednesday afternoon, six hours before an NBA deadline would have ceased negotiations until July. Terms of the deal, per NBA policy, were not disclosed. But it reportedly contains no signing bonus and has a sizable amount to be paid into the future as deferred compensation. Also, the parties did acknowledge that it contains no "out" clause allowing him to become a free agent. That binds him to the Wolves through the 2003-04 season, by which time the 21-year-old still will be in the prime of his career and poised to bargain for the really big bucks. "I want to see his check," guard Stephon Marbury said. "Bob Cousy and those guys have to be sick to their stomachs." Except that this deal was not about money. Garnett, Taylor and agent Eric Fleisher said that repeatedly, despite a process that saw a $103.5 million offer rejected in August and a dramatically bigger one signed Wednesday. "It wasn't nothin' about the loot. Me and Eric went through it 100 times. I told him to get it done," Garnett said. He said that he never intended to become a free agent next summer and wants to play his entire career in Minnesota. "It just keeps running through my mind that half the people in this room think that (it was about money)," Garnett said. "We didn't take the first offer. That was a great offer. It was just too early." Even Taylor said that, if he had it to do over, he would have waited to begin negotiations. Fleisher contended that Garnett could have landed more money next year by entertaining offers from all 29 NBA teams. Garnett, in only two seasons, already is considered one of Minnesota's most popular sports figures. He is seen as valuable commodity nationally, too, based on sales of his replica jerseys and his endorsement deals with Nike, McDonald's and other products. Garnett has a chance to become one of the NBA's elite, with a combination of size (6-foot-11) and finesse that makes him a difficult matchup for opposing small forwards. He clearly needs to get stronger and showed a reluctance to assert himself in crucial moments of games. But his shot blocking, rebounding and passing skills and his desire to win make him a factor even in games in which his shot isn't dropping. As a rookie, Garnett was brought along slowly, not starting a game until January and averaging 10.4 points and 6.3 rebounds. Last season, he took on a more prominent role in the team's pecking order, averaged 17 points, eight rebounds and 2.12 blocks and played in the NBA All-Star Game. The compensation package -- nearly four times what Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner paid for the entire franchise ($32.5 million) in 1987 -- makes Garnett the highest paid player in franchise history, in Twin Cities history and, frankly, in every team sport other than the NBA. Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan still holds that distinction, with a $38 million deal for this season. But Garnett's contract ranks him ahead of every other player in the league, including Los Angeles center Shaquille O'Neal (seven years, $120 million), Miami center Alonzo Mourning (seven years, $105 million) and Washington forward Juwan Howard (seven years, $105 million). It's all happening slightly more than two years after Garnett jumped directly from Chicago's Farragut Academy to the NBA, the first high-school player in two decades to skip college for the pros. This might make it tougher for the league to get its stay-in-school message across. Negotiations began in July, broke down in August after he rejected a $103.5 million offer, seemed dead when Fleisher emotionally vowed Garnett never would re-sign with the Wolves, but were revived last week. Closely watched by the league, they were considered a test case for the Class of 1995, the first crop of players covered by the NBA rookie wage scale. Now Garnett, the fifth player drafted that spring, has a package that dwarfs the No. 1 pick from 1994, when Glenn Robinson's 10-year, $68.1 million contract with Milwaukee helped precipitate the wage scale. This deal also rockets Garnett past the six-year extensions signed recently by Portland's Rasheed Wallace ($80 million), Vancouver's Bryant Reeves ($65 million), Cleveland's Bob Sura ($32 million) and Utah's Greg Ostertag ($30 million).

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NBA owners have tied themselves in a fiscal knot The presentation was persuasive at the recent NBA meetings in Orlando, Fla. Who, after all, could argue with commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Russ Granik that salaries were getting out of control, that ticket prices were excessive, that owners had every right to invoke their prerogative to re-open the collective-bargaining agreement after this season? Yet two weeks later, how can anyone in the NBA argue with a straight face about financial burdens, excessive contracts demands, the need for tighter salary-cap constraints? Given just enough rope, the NBA's owners have done just what their baseball brethren have succeeded in doing for years: Hang themselves in a morass of fiscal irresponsibility. Understand, we're not even talking about Kevin Garnett and his six-year, $125 million extension from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Superstars have always commanded outrageous fortunes. And make no mistake, Garnett is well on the path toward super-stardom. But the rest of the rush to beat the extension deadline for '95 first-round choices flat-out makes no sense for a league with supposed financial concerns. Six years at about $80 million for Rasheed Wallace? A $13.3 million average for a hot-headed player who not only has yet to make the All-Star Game, but, conceivably, might never make it during the entire term of his extension? Five years at $42 million for Michael Finley? How exactly is he, alone, going to lift the Mavericks to new heights? And that's not even mentioning that Antonio McDyess, acquired by the Suns from the Nuggets, believes he is entitled to at least $105 million in a six-year extension -- and likely will get at least that $17.5 million average from Phoenix in early July. That's not even taking us back to the ludicrous six-year, $64.8 million extension Grizzlies '95 first-round pick Bryant Reeves received in July to start this whole mess. From here, who knows where Joe Smith or Damon Stoudamire or Jerry Stackhouse wind up taking salaries in the '98 off-season? Ironically, that's likely when the league will restart its cries of poverty, as it attempts to negotiate a new working agreement. Until this past week, some may actually have taken heed to the league's distress signals. But with the dollars showered upon Wallace, Finley and the rest of the '95 rookie class, only a fool would shed tears for the NBA's owners. Tip-ins If nothing else, give Nuggets vice president Allan Bristow credit in staring down McDyess in his power play. "I think we were all sort of betting on the come as far as Antonio being a superstar in the future,'' Bristow said. "Right now, we felt that he wasn't that player.'' Countered agent Arn Tellem: "They understood where the numbers were, what these other players were getting, and they made a decision that they felt was best for them, and that's what they are entitled to do.'' ... By extending center Greg Ostertag, another '95 first-round pick, the Jazz have 10 players -- including all five starters -- locked up for at least two more years ... In Sacramento, Corliss Williamson, another of the '95 first-round picks eligible for an extension, was forced to play out his three-year deal when the Kings reportedly wouldn't go for his bid of between $35 million and $40 million over six seasons. Former Magic forward Dennis Scott now says his threat of sitting out Orlando's camp was a calculated move to force a trade. Said Scott, now with the Mavericks: "I didn't want to go through another camp of trade rumors, so David Falk told me to say I wasn't coming to camp, and it would speed up the trading process. Well, the trade happened the next day. That's why he's the best agent.'' ... Orlando goes into training camp with the oldest coach in the NBA in Chuck Daly, 67, the oldest starting point guard in the NBA in Derek Harper, 36, and one of the oldest backup centers in Danny Schayes, 38. "I guess you can say that the fiber of this team has been changed quite a bit,'' Daly said. Or you could say this is a team that will need plenty of fiber ... Although he's all but assured of being with the Raptors this season pending a final appeal hearing on the Chris Dudley trade, John Wallace still chose to attend Knicks training camp. "I gave him our commitment as a coaching staff that we will coach him as if he'll be a Knick for the rest of his life,'' Jeff Van Gundy said. Even if power forward Charles Smith retires from the Spurs because of the arthritis in his right knee, he still would be guaranteed the final three years of his contract at $3.9 million, $4.0 million and $4.5 million. The Spurs then could use half of that first salary for a replacement for this season ... For guiding the Celtics to the franchise's worst record, M.L. Carr received a $1 million bonus, as verified by the recent SEC filing by Celtics Limited Partnership ... The Boston Garden may be going, torn down brick by brick, but the souvenirs remain, with bricks still selling for $65 each and seats at $500 for two or $650 for three. Pacers forward Derrick McKey, working his way back from March surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles, now is not expected back before February ... Injured in a July car crash, Raptors center Sharone Wright won't be back until January at the earliest. Still no signs of Oliver Miller in Toronto ... Grizzlies president Stu Jackson, on the reluctance of Otis Thorpe to play in Vancouver after his trade from Detroit: "We didn't expect him to be ecstatic as a Grizzlie. At the same time, it was the right thing for our franchise.'' ... Wizards coach Bernie Bickerstaff will sport an earring in his right ear, which he promised to wear if Washington made the playoffs last season ... Nets rookie Keith Van Horn, on comparisons between himself and Larry Bird: "It degrades what Larry Bird has done in this league. I haven't done anything yet.''

nba.550 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

NBA camps open as team prepare to make Bull's run (Oct 2, 1997 - 15:33 EDT) -- Michael Jordan will be there, new contract, new shoes and all. Larry Bird will be there, wearing a whistle for the first time in his life. Also in attendance will be Rick Pitino, bringing the run-and-gun style that was successful at Kentucky to the Boston Celtics. And then there's Kevin Garnett, who will lace 'em up undoubtedly feeling like the happiest 21-year-old on the planet. NBA training camps open Friday, signaling the start of a 1997-98 season that begins just like five others have this decade -- with everyone chasing the Chicago Bulls. It's been more than three months since Jordan & Co. walked off the United Center floor with their fifth title in seven years, and the summer was filled with teams either trying to upgrade their talent or find a way to pay for their existing stars. Such was the case with Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who finally reached agreement Wednesday night on a six-year extension worth more than $121 million. Garnett is among the so-called draft class of '95, a group of first-round picks who entered the league with three-year contracts. Teams had until midnight Wednesday to extend those deals, and Garnett was one of the few who broke the bank in getting an extension. The Denver Nuggets were unable to do so with Antonio McDyess, so they traded the forward to the Phoenix Suns in a three-way deal that sent Wesley Person and Tony Dumas to Cleveland. It completed an almost complete overhaul for the Cavs, who made more changes than any other team except Pitino's. When the Celtics assemble at the U.S. Naval Education and Training center in Newport, R.I., Pitino will be working with an almost entirely different team from the Celtics squad that won just 15 games last season. Pitino will be one of seven new coaches around the league, and none will be more watched than Bird. One of the greatest players to compete in the NBA, Bird will be taking over as coach of the Indiana Pacers. It will be the first time Bird has coached at any level. "I was demanding of myself as a player, and although I know these guys aren't as talented as I am, I plan to be just as demanding of their effort," Bird said recently. And if Bird feels his players need a lesson, "I'll take a VCR and put a videotape in it and say: 'That's how it's supposed to be done." The Pacers will be holding camp in Orlando, Fla., to reduce the media crush surrounding Bird. Just a few miles away, Chuck Daly will make his return to coaching as he takes over the Orlando Magic. Other new coaches will be Larry Brown in Philadelphia, Brian Hill in Vancouver, Mike Dunleavy in Portland, Bill Hanzlik in Denver and P.J. Carlesimo in Golden State. Eddie Jordan of Sacramento and Greg Popovich of San Antonio, both having taken over in midseason, will be running training camps for the first time. McDyess, who adds a considerable amount of frontcourt talent to the Suns' guard-laden roster, was the latest -- but not the most prominent -- player to change teams this summer. That distinction belongs to Shawn Kemp, whose trade demand was fulfilled last week when he was dealt from Seattle to Cleveland. Most of the other player movement this summer came in the free agent market, with two most lucrative deals going to Brian Williams (Detroit) and Brian Grant (Portland). The rookie to watch will be in San Antonio, where Tim Duncan of Wake Forest will join a frontline bolstered by the return of David Robinson from a back injury. A close eye will be kept on injury reports out of Chicago, where Scottie Pippen will be testing his ailing foot and deciding whether to undergo surgery that could sideline him for the first couple months of the season. Jordan will be back with the Bulls, wearing new Air Jordans from his own Nike-owned product line and earning more than $33 million from his latest one-year contract. Pippen's status won't be the only unsettled question for the Bulls. Chicago has been talking with Dennis Rodman's agent for the past several weeks, but the two sides have been unable to agree on the specifics of an incentive-laden deal for the league's leading rebounder. If Pippen has surgery and Rodman doesn't return, it will spring the Eastern Conference wide open. Miami bolstered its bench by signing free agents Terry Mills, Duane Causwell, Todd Day and Eric Murdock, but the Heat will be without Alonzo Mourning until mid-December as he recovers from surgery on a knee tendon. Orlando, Detroit and Charlotte also have upgraded their rosters. In the West, the Utah Jazz re-signed five of their free agents to keep intact a team that won 64 regular-season games and made it to the finals before losing to Chicago in six games. The SuperSonics have replaced Kemp with All-Star Vin Baker, and the Lakers added free agent Rick Fox to a roster already saturated with young talent.

nba.551 nba.news, 03 Oct 97

1997/98 NBA Preseason Schedule Thursday, October 9 Denver vs. L.A. Lakers 7:30 PM San Diego Sports Arena (San Diego, CA) Philadelphia vs. New York 7:30 PM Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale, NY) Friday, October 10 Atlanta vs. Boston 7:30 PM Penn State (State College, PA) Orlando vs. Houston 7:30 PM The Summit (Houston, TX) Indiana vs. Cleveland 7:30 PM University of Dayton Arena (Dayton, OH) Portland vs. Sacramento 7:30 PM ARCO Arena (Sacramento, CA) Charlotte vs. Golden State 7:30 PM San Jose Arena (San Jose, CA) Minnesota vs. Detroit 7:30 PM Palace at Auburn Hills (Detroit, MI) Seattle vs. Chicago 7:30 PM United Center (Chicago, IL) L.A. Lakers vs. Phoenix 7:00 PM America West Arena (Phoenix, AZ) Saturday, October 11 Vancouver vs. L.A. Clippers 1:00 PM Anaheim Pond (Anaheim, CA) San Antonio vs. Washington 1:00 PM USAir Arena (Landover, MD) Charlotte vs. Utah 7:00 PM Delta Center (Salt Lake City, UT) Toronto vs. Indiana 7:00 PM Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (Ft. Wayne, IN) Seattle vs. Chicago 7:00 PM Allen Field House (Lawrence, KS) Boston vs. Atlanta 7:30 PM Von Braun Civic Center (Huntsville, AL) Houston vs. Dallas 7:30 PM Reunion Arena (Dallas, TX) Orlando vs. Detroit 7:30 PM Van Andil Arena (Grand Rapids, MI) Sunday, October 12 Minnesota vs. Cleveland 2:00 PM Kiel Center (St. Louis, MO) Dallas vs. Utah 6:30 PM University of Texas-El Paso (El Paso, Texas) San Antonio vs. New York 7:00 PM Carrier Dome (Syracuse, NY) Golden State vs. Denver 7:00 PM United States Air Force Base (Colorado Springs, CO) Vancouver vs. Phoenix 6:00 PM America West Arena (Phoenix, AZ) Philadelphia vs. Miami 7:30 PM Miami Arena (Miami, FL) Monday, October 13 L.A. Clippers vs. Portland 7:00 PM Rose Garden Arena (Portland, OR) Seattle vs. Toronto 1:00 PM SkyDome (Toronto, ON) New Jersey vs. New York 7:30 PM Madison Square Garden (New York, NY) Atlanta vs. Chicago 7:30 PM United Center (Chicago, IL) Tuesday, October 14 Portland vs. Vancouver 7:00 PM General Motors Plaza (Vancouver, BC) Cleveland vs. Indiana 7:00 PM Market Square Arena (Indianapolis, IN) Minnesota vs. Miami 7:30 PM Miami Arena (Miami, FL) L.A. Clippers vs. Sacramento7:30 PM ARCO Arena (Sacramento, CA) Denver vs. Golden State 7:30 PM San Jose Arena (San Jose, CA) Seattle vs. Detroit 7:30 PM Palace at Auburn Hills (Detroit, MI) San Antonio vs. Orlando 7:30 PM Orlando Arena (Orlando, FL) Wednesday, October 15 Philadelphia vs. Toronto 7:00 PM SkyDome (Toronto, ON) Vancouver vs. Dallas 7:00 PM Bismarck Civic Center (Bismarck, ND) Phoenix vs. Houston 7:30 PM The Summit (Houston, TX) New Jersey vs. Boston 7:30 PM Rupp Arena (Lexington, KY) Thursday, October 16 Atlanta vs. Toronto 7:00 PM SkyDome (Toronto, ON) Portland vs. Seattle 7:00 PM Key Arena (Seattle, WA) Golden State vs. Charlotte 7:30 PM Charlotte Coliseum (Charlotte, NC) Washington vs. San Antonio 7:30 PM Alamodome (San Antonio, TX) Philadelphia vs. New York 7:30 PM Pepsi Arena (Albany, NY) New Jersey vs. Cleveland 7:30 PM Gund Arena (Cleveland, OH) Friday, October 17 Sacramento vs. Portland 7:00 PM Rose Garden Arena (Portland, OR) Utah vs. Indiana 7:00 PM Market Square Arena (Indianapolis, IN) Milwaukee vs. Minnesota 7:00 PM Target Center (Minneapolis, MN) Washington vs. Denver 7:00 PM McNichols Sports Arena (Denver, CO) L.A. Clippers vs. L.A. Lakers 7:30 PM Kiel Center (St. Louis, MO) Phoenix vs. Dallas 7:30 PM Reunion Arena (Dallas, TX) Atlanta vs. Detroit 7:30 PM University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN) Miami vs. Orlando 7:30 PM Orlando Arena (Orlando, FL) Saturday, October 18 Sacramento vs. Vancouver 7:00 PM General Motors Place (Vancouver, BC) Utah vs. Indiana 7:00 PM Roberts Stadium (Evansville, IN) Houston vs. San Antonio 7:00 PM Alamodome (San Antonio, TX) Cleveland vs. L.A. Lakers 7:30 PM Kemper Arena (Kansas City, MO) Boston vs. Milwaukee 7:30 PM Brown County Veterans Mem. (Green Bay, WI) Detroit vs. Orlando 7:30 PM The Pyramid (Memphis, TN) Philadelphia vs. Golden State 7:30 PM SCOPE Arena (Norfolk, VA) New Jersey vs. Miami 7:30 PM Miami Arena (Miami, FL) Sunday, October 19 Houston vs. Phoenix 5:30 PM McKale Center (Tucson, AZ) Toronto vs. New York 6:00 PM Hartford Civic Center (Hartford, CT) Washington vs. Denver 7:00 PM Idaho Events Center (Boise, ID) Minnesota vs. Charlotte 7:30 PM Roanoke Civic Center (Roanoke, VA) Monday, October 20 Vancouver vs. Toronto 6:00 PM Halifax Metro Centre (Halifax, NS) Utah vs. New Jersey 7:30 PM The Crown (Cincinnati, OH) Tuesday, October 21 L.A. Lakers vs. Denver 7:00 PM McNichols Sports Arena (Denver, CO) Dallas vs. Houston 7:05 PM University Arena (Albuquerque, NM) Indiana vs. Charlotte 7:30 PM Nashville Arena (Nashville, TN) Minnesota vs. Milwaukee 7:30 PM Veterans Memorial Arena (Des Moines, IA) Atlanta vs. L.A. Clippers 7:30 PM L.A. Memorial Sports Arena (Los Angeles, CA) Golden State vs. Portland 7:30 PM Spokane Arena (Spokane, WA) Boston vs. Orlando 7:30 PM Orlando Arena (Orlando, FL) Wednesday, October 22 New York vs. Boston 7:00 PM FleetCenter (Boston, MA) Phoenix vs. Vancouver 7:00 PM General Motors Plaza (Vancouver, BC) Golden State vs. Seattle 7:00 PM Metra Park Arena (Billings, MT) Dallas vs. San Antonio 7:30 PM Alamodome (San Antonio, TX) Utah vs. Charlotte 7:30 PM Charlotte Coliseum (Charlotte, NC) Washington vs. L.A. Lakers 7:30 PM Thomas and Mack Center (Las Vegas, NV) Cleveland vs. Minnesota 7:30 PM Minot Dome (Minot, ND) Philadelphia vs. Chicago 7:30 PM United Center (Chicago, IL) Sacramento vs. Detroit 7:30 PM Palace at Auburn Hills (Detroit, MI) Thursday, October 23 Orlando vs. New Jersey 7:30 PM Hershey Park Arena (Hershey, PA) San Antonio vs. Houston 7:30 PM The Summit (Houston, TX) Friday, October 24 Great Western Forum Shootout 5:00 PM Great Western Forum (Los Angeles, CA) Washington/Seattle/L.A. Lakers/Atlanta Golden State vs. Vancouver 7:00 PM General Motors Place (Vancouver, BC) Milwaukee vs. Boston 7:00 PM FleetCenter (Boston, MA) Cleveland vs. New Jersey 7:30 PM Continental Airlines Arena (East Rutherford, NJ) Denver vs. Toronto 7:30 PM Copps Coliseum (Hamilton, ON) Charlotte vs. Minnesota 7:30 PM Fargo Dome (Fargo, ND) Philadelphia vs. Chicago 7:30 PM Dean E. Smith Center (Chapel Hill, NC) Portland vs. L.A. Clippers 7:30 PM L.A. Memorial Sports Arena (Los Angeles, CA) Sacramento vs. Indiana 7:30 PM Market Square Arena (Indianapolis, IN) Great Western Forum Shootout 8:00 PM Great Western Forum (Los Angeles, CA) Washington/Seattle/L.A. Lakers/Atlanta Miami vs. Detroit 8:00 PM Palace at Auburn Hills (Detroit, MI) Saturday, October 25 Great Western Forum Shootout 5:00 PM Great Western Forum (Los Angeles, CA) Washington/Seattle/L.A. Lakers/Atlanta Dallas vs. Phoenix 7:00 PM America West Arena (Phoenix, AZ) Charlotte vs. Indiana 7:00 PM Market Square Arena (Indianapolis, IN) Utah vs. Portland 7:00 PM Rose Garden Arena (Portland, OR) Boston vs. Philadelphia 7:30 PM CoreStates Center (Philadelphia, PA) Sacramento vs. Chicago 7:30 PM United Center (Chicago, IL) New York vs. San Antonio 7:30 PM Alamodome (San Antonio, TX) Miami vs. Milwaukee 7:30 PM Bradley Center (Milwaukee, WI) Denver vs. Detroit 8:00 PM Freedom Hall (Louisville, KY) Great Western Forum Shootout 8:00 PM Great Western Forum (Los Angeles, CA) Washington/Seattle/L.A. Lakers/Atlanta Sunday, October 26 Houston vs. Orlando 6:30 PM Orlando Arena (Orlando, FL) Monday, October 27 Phoenix vs. Utah 7:00 PM Delta Center (Salt Lake City, UT) Dallas vs. New York 7:30 PM Madison Square Garden (New York, NY) New Jersey vs. Toronto 7:30 PM Springfield Civic Center (Springfield, MA)

nba.552 junior, 03 Oct 97 -> #528, nba.news

> Nuggets trade Ellis to Seattle :) Ovi me stvarno poslušaše. Sad im je _stvarno_ samo LaPhonso ostao. Živu legendu su pustili ... strašno. BTW, ovo je najbolja akvizicija Seattle-a, otkako su nabavili Hersey Hawkinsa. Sad imaju odličnog igrača, koji može da menja i Hawkinsa, i Šremfa, a da ne padne nivo igre. Mislim, da će se Seattle i ove godine boriti za ulazak u veliko finale. ellis.jpg

nba.553 junior, 03 Oct 97 -> #545, nba.news

> Nuggets new slogan: 'At least we're not overpaying' :)) Njih bi sad i Partizan tukao. Biće to mrtva trka između Dalasa, Vankuvera i Denvera za mesto br. 1 na draftu sledeće godine. Stvarno se postavlja pitanje - KO JE GORI? :) > "We May Stink, But At Least We're Not Overpaying." :))

nba.554 nba.news, 04 Oct 97

Bucks sign Honeycutt Milwaukee, WI (TSN) - The Milwaukee Bucks have signed forward Jerald Honeycutt to a two-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The 6-foot-9 Honeycutt was selected by Milwaukee in the second round of this year's NBA draft -- 39th overall. Honeycutt played collegiately at Tulane University, where he finished his career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,209 points. As a senior he averaged 19.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He is also the all-time leader at Tulane in assists (419), three-point field goals made (193) and free throws made (434). In addition, he was a first team All-Conference USA selection three straight seasons.

nba.555 nba.news, 04 Oct 97

NBA suspends Iverson, Rider NEW YORK (Oct 4, 1997 - 00:28 EDT) -- Philadelphia's Allen Iverson and Portland's Isaiah Rider were suspended by the NBA Friday for improper off-the-court behavior. Rider's agent Arn Tellem called the suspensions "nothing more than grandstanding on the part of the NBA" and said a grievance would be filed immediately. Iverson, who was rookie of the year last season, was suspended from this year's regular-season opener because he pleaded no contest to a weapons charge in Virginia. Rider was suspended for the first two games of the season because of his no contest plea in California to possession of illegal cellular phones and his conviction in Oregon for possession of marijuana. "NBA players are obligated to conduct themselves according to the highest possible standards," commissioner David Stern said, "and these suspensions should serve to remind everyone associated with the NBA that improper or unprofessional behavior, on or off the court, will be met with appropriate penalties." Billy Hunter, executive director of the players' union, did not return a phone call for comment. But Tellem said the union would join Rider in his grievance. "There's no legal basis for the suspension and the league is acting as if it is above the law," Tellem said. "We will attempt to schedule a hearing as soon as possible. I have no doubt when the hearing is over, we will prevail." Tellem said "there is nothing in the labor agreement or under any of the rules that govern player relationships with teams for the NBA to take this action." He said he expected a hearing to be held in the next week or two. The suspension was announced after the Blazers had completed their first practice session at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore. Rider spoke to the media after the nighttime practice session. "I'm very aggravated," Rider said. "This is something that was totally unexpected. It seems as if they had a problem, they would have dealt with it when it happened." Team president Bob Whitsitt issued a statement saying the Blazers "fully agree with the league's stance toward the number of off-the-court incidents that have taken place involving NBA athletes." "We continually stress to our players their responsibility to our team, our community and the league," Whitsitt said. "We take that responsibility very seriously and expect to be held accountable for our actions on and off the court." Whitsitt said the Blazers "are committed to helping all of our young players mature, on and off the court, and will continue to provide the resources and assistance necessary for them to become active, positive members of our community." Rider also was suspended for last season's opener because he missed an exhibition game. Iverson took a less confrontational stance. "I didn't know this was going to happen," Iverson said. "I have to live with it. It hurts to miss a game, but I'll have 81 more. It'll make me that more hungry."

nba.556 nba.news, 04 Oct 97

Bogues a no-show at Hornets' camp FORT MILL, S.C. (Oct 3, 1997 - 20:27 EDT) -- The Charlotte Hornets opened training camp Friday without Muggsy Bogues, who refused to comply with the team's demand that he have a special examination of his chronically sore left knee. Bob Bass, the Hornets' executive vice president of basketball operations, said Bogues came to him Friday morning after skipping an appointment earlier in the day to have a magnetic resonance imaging test on the knee. "I asked him why he didn't want to take his MRI, and he said because the other players didn't have to," Bass said. "And so I told him he wouldn't be allowed to practice or play." Bass said the Hornets are insisting on the MRI because Bogues has been bothered for years by pain and stiffness in the knee and because there is little cartilage remaining in the joint. Damage was detected in a team-ordered MRI conducted in May after Charlotte was eliminated from the playoffs, and the Hornets want to assess if any subsequent problems have developed, Bass said. The 5-foot-3 Bogues has long relied on his speed and cutting ability to help make up for being the smallest player in the NBA. But Bogues, who has the best assist-to-turnover ratio in league history, has lost some quickness and lateral movement in recent years. He missed all but six games in 1995-96 following knee surgery, and knee and hamstring problems sidelined him for 17 games last season. He frequently rode an exercise bicycle at halftime of games to prevent the knee from stiffening up too much during the breaks, and he began getting regular acupuncture treatments between games to help alleviate the pain. With Bogues at age 32 and approaching his 11th year in the league, the Hornets made several moves in the offseason designed to add youth to their backcourt. Charlotte lured point guard David Wesley from the Celtics with a seven-year, $22-million deal, and the Hornets convinced shooting guard Bobby Phills to leave the Cavaliers for a seven-year, $33-million contract. Charlotte opened camp with seven guards, including Tony Delk, a first-round draft pick last year who showed improvement throughout the season, and 1997 free agents Corey Beck and Darnell Mee. Coach Dave Cowens suggested Friday that Bogues was not helping his cause by staying away from camp. "All we can do is play the guys that we see," Cowens said. "These guys here -- Corey Beck and Darnell Mee and guys like that -- they didn't come in here just to get a workout. They came in to try to make the club." Bass refused to put a timetable on how fast the Hornets feel they must resolve the status of Bogues, who is scheduled to make a guaranteed salary of $1.8 million this season. "I have no idea what's going to happen next," Bass said.

nba.557 nba.news, 04 Oct 97

Unhappy Richmond practices with Kings SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Mitch Richmond finally arrived and practiced for more than two hours during the second session of the Sacramento Kings' first day of training camp Friday night. Richmond, who missed the morning practice because he was undergoing a physical examination one day after his teammates, didn't speak with the media following the workout at California Polytechnic State University. The five-time All-Star guard, unhappy with his contract, told team officials Thursday he would report to camp despite the team's refusal to renegotiate his salary due to salary cap restrictions. Richmond, who finished fourth in the NBA in scoring last season at 25.9 points per game, is earning $3 million this season and has one year remaining, for $2.5 million, on his contract. "He (Richmond) obviously knew what we were doing and he didn't miss anything," Sacramento coach Eddie Jordan said. "There was nothing spectacular, the earth didn't move. But my adrenalin shot up a whole lot and I think everybody's adrenalin shot up." Jordan would not say whether Richmond was fined by the team for missing the first practice of camp. A total of 18 players, including No. 1 draft pick Olivier St. Jean of San Jose State, are on the Kings' roster and were in attendance. Team owner Jim Thomas and his wife also attended both practices, with the investment builder taking shots following the evening session. Bobby Hurley, who has been pegged as the team's starting point guard, was optimistic after the first day of his fifth NBA season. "From the three-day mini-camp and knowing that he (Jordan) is going to have double practices, I think he'll get a lot more do than has been in the past," Hurley said. "He's not going to have us standing around. He's also going to have us do a lot of skill work, which is important for the guys to get sharper."

nba.558 nba.news, 04 Oct 97

Mavericks, Stars get new downtown Dallas arena DALLAS -- The Stars and Mavericks will keep a downtown Dallas address. The teams and the city of Dallas announced Friday that they will build a new downtown arena, although a site had not yet been selected. The facility will be jointly financed, and in return, the Stars and the Mavericks have committed to staying in Dallas for 30 years. The city is offering $110 million for the arena and up to $15 million generated from tourist taxes toward infrastructure needed for the new building, Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk said. The teams will put up $105 million for the building and will be responsible for cost overruns. The teams' total investment of $237 million also includes $132 million in lease payments. Kirk has set a special City Council meeting for Monday to consider the arena deal, with a council vote scheduled for Wednesday. The council vote would be on a resolution setting the way for the Jan. 17 referendum on the financing plan, which will raise taxes on car rentals and hotel rooms. "Our investment includes no general revenue money, no sales tax and no property tax," said Kirk. Tom Hicks, owner of the NHL's Stars, and Ross Perot Jr., majority owner of the NBA's Mavericks, worked out the deal with the city after years of meetings, including marathon sessions in recent days. "For the last few days, these meetings have run from sun-up to sun-up," Hicks said. Both teams now play in Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas but were pushing for a new facility with luxury suites that would generate more revenue. They wanted the city to help pay for the arena, so Dallas voters will ultimately get a say on whether they will sign the check. Perot, who earlier in the week narrowed his search for an arena home to Dallas and Arlington, had asked the city to pay half the estimated $220 million cost, in return for a half billion dollars in private development nearby. The promise of private development was not mentioned as a part of the deal.

nba.559 nba.news, 04 Oct 97

Sonics' Karl unhappy about contract SEATTLE -- Shawn Kemp wasn't happy with his contract, and the SuperSonics traded him. Coach George Karl isn't happy with his contract, and management hasn't talked to him. That has put Karl in a testy mood. "I think it can be very, very, very much a distraction," said Karl, who is in the last year of a contract that will pay him $3.5 million. "And I think players can get you in a position where they can use it against you. But that's not my decision. I wish it would be different." During the offseason, team president Wally Walker didn't talk with Karl regarding an extension. Now that training camp has begun, Walker doesn't plan on negotiating until after the season. "They have not even approached that subject," Karl said of management. "Basically, they have told me that they have no interest in talking to me." "It's usually not appropriate to negotiate during the season," Walker said. Karl agreed but added: "I thought we should have talked in the summer." Walker said he didn't think Karl's contract situation should be a team distraction. "Phil Jackson was a distraction in Chicago for the last two or three years," he said sarcastically. Karl hasn't won any championships, as Jackson has. But without Michael Jordan, Karl is still 323-129 in five seasons with the Sonics. He has the highest winning percentage (.715) of any coach in Sonics history. "He's a great part of this organization, and a part of this puzzle that a lot of people don't see," Sam Perkins said. "Everybody either loves him or hates him." "I don't understand why they are putting me in a last-year, lame-duck situation," said Karl, who indicated he'd like to stay in Seattle. "It's not comfortable. I'm disappointed." In December 1996, Karl signed an extension after earning $1 million for 1995-96. The new contract gave him the highest annual salary ($3.5 million) for a coach at the time. But in one week last summer, Karl quickly plummeted from the top of the ranks when the Celtics signed Rick Pitino ($7 million this season), the 76ers signed Larry Brown ($5 million) and the Pacers inked Larry Bird ($4.5 million). This won't be the first year the re-signing of Karl has dragged on. During the 1996 playoffs, Karl said he didn't want to go into the 1996-1997 season without an extension. Then, in that offseason, Karl had a chance to be a Sonic for at least two more seasons but found the multiyear deal "insulting," so he opted for a one-year extension. "That was his call," Walker said, "and that's where it stands."

nba.560 nba.news, 04 Oct 97

Jordan's refrain: If Jackson goes, I retire DEERFIELD, Ill. (Oct 3, 1997 - 20:15 EDT) -- Michael Jordan didn't budge Friday, reiterating what he said all last year: If Phil Jackson leaves after this season -- and both the coach and management insist he's outta here -- Jordan will retire. "I'm very consistent with what I've always said. That's what I mean. If Phil's not going to be here, I'm certainly not going to be here," Jordan said after the Bulls' first practice of the preseason. What if Jackson goes to another team next season? Jordan said he's not following. "No. Totally. I would quit. I wouldn't say quit, I'd retire." So Jordan won't play for any coach other than Jackson or any team other than the Bulls, right? "That's exactly the way I feel right now in my career," Jordan said. Could that change? "Huh-uh. Not at all," Jordan said. Can Jordan use his considerable influence with owner Jerry Reinsdorf to get Jackson back, say should the Bulls win a sixth NBA title? "My influence doesn't have anything to do with his decision-making. He has his own vision of what this team's future holds. We take that and deal with it. If that means Phil's not here, it means Phil's not here," Jordan said. Jackson said he'd encourage Jordan to play another year, even if he's not around. Jordan says thanks, but no thanks. "I would certainly welcome that advice but I doubt if I adhere to that. It's my decision. I certainly listen to Phil a lot. But if I don't feel comfortable about it ... Certainly I'll make my final decision based on how I feel," Jordan said. The exhibition season is a week away and already the Bulls are in a circus atmosphere. Jackson, who signed a one-year deal this summer, and general manager Jerry Krause exchanged barbs Thursday. Krause said organizations win championships. Jackson, while questioning the organization's loyalty to Scottie Pippen, replied: "He (Krause) would say that." Jackson and Krause do agree on this much: Jackson's isn't coming back. The severity of Pippen's soft-tissue injury in his left foot, aggravated during the playoffs last spring, is still a mystery. He didn't practice Friday. He's miffed about being on the trading block. And noted troublemaker Dennis Rodman is unsigned. Jordan, who signed a $33 million contract for what could be his final season, disagrees strongly with Krause's assessment that organizations win titles. "I didn't see any of the organization playing sick last year. In Game 5, I'd like to see some of those organization guys step out there and play and I didn't see that," Jordan said, referring to his 38-point effort in a pivotal, fifth-game NBA Finals victory over Utah when he was extremely ill. "I saw the team step out there and play," he said. The organization "may have paid for the plane to get us there." Jordan did say he'd prefer a different atmosphere for the start of this Bulls team's final season together. "It's a bad way to end an unbelievable run," he said. "You would want it to be better down the stretch when the curtains are finally closing. We as players can't worry about that. We have to go out and have individual and team goals to live up to. ... It doesn't always have to be peace and harmony. Once you step on the court, that's how you win championships."

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Killer of Jordan's father receives additional 40-year sentence LUMBERTON, N.C. (Oct 3, 1997 - 22:21 EDT) -- One of the two men convicted of killing Michael Jordan's father received an additional 40-year prison sentence Friday for other crimes not linked to James Jordan's murder. Larry Martin Demery will serve the additional sentence concurrently with a sentence of life in prison for the July 1993 murder of Jordan along a Robeson County highway, District Attorney Johnson Britt said. As part of an agreement reached last year, Demery, now 22, pleaded guilty to a string of robberies and assaults committed before the Jordan slaying. The concurrent sentencing will allow Demery to get out of prison earlier than if the new sentence was tacked on to his murder sentence. The life sentence he has been serving allows for parole. Co-defendant Daniel Andre Green, who was convicted of murdering the elder Jordan, hasn't been tried on two armed robbery charges and a felonious assault charge from the crime spree. Britt said Demery has agreed to testify against Green in those cases as he did in the murder case.

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Prosecutor weighs allegations in Shinn case, settlement talks disclosed YORK, S.C. (Oct 3, 1997 - 18:09 EDT) -- While a prosecutor met with investigators Friday about sexual misconduct allegations against Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn, his accuser's lawyer said the woman was not trying for a lucrative settlement. No one has been arrested in the case. Prosecutor Tommy Pope met for four hours with State Law Enforcement Division agents and Tega Cay police officers, then said needed more time before deciding whether to seek charges. "There were some things that needed to be followed up," Pope said, without being specific. Lawyer David Bland said he briefly discussed a settlement with Shinn's lawyers. The talks ended when the South Carolina Supreme Court released a search warrant for Shinn's Tega Cay home that detailed the woman's charges, Bland said. The 28-year-old Charlotte woman told police that Shinn forced her to perform oral sex at his suburban home on Sept. 5. Sources told The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer that she sought $5 million. Bland would not confirm any amount. "The other side had leaked it out and was trying to imply my client was after a bunch of money," he said Friday. "I made it clear to them we were not." Bland said Shinn's representatives told him there was a "small window of opportunity regarding a settlement." Bland made an offer, but said it was withdrawn because he could not protect his client's privacy when the warrant was released. Shinn's lawyer, Bill Diehl, was not in his office Friday. On Thursday, he told the Observer, "I unequivocally deny the solicitation of anything from anybody" representing the woman. Bland said any decision on a possible lawsuit by the woman would wait until authorities decide if they will prosecute Shinn. Shinn, 56, has refused to comment. He has been under investigation since Sept. 10, when the woman called police. SLED agents searched Shinn's house and collected carpet fibers, hair, tissues, towels, fingerprints and two bottles of mouthwash. A judge initially sealed the woman's allegations after Shinn's lawyers claimed the information would cause him irreparable harm. Diehl suggested a settlement on Sept. 15, Bland said. The woman's lawyer said he sent Diehl a letter the next day requesting the money. When no response came, Bland withdrew the proposal Sept. 17 when the Supreme Court allowed the woman's name and allegations to be made public. Bland said he will not talk settlement because he doesn't want his client painted as a gold-digger again. "You can burn me once, but you're not going to burn me again," Bland said. "We're not in a big hurry, we'll let the police do their job." Pope said that could take several more weeks. He expects to have the completed case file in a week or so but said there may not be a decision on criminal charges until late this month or early November. He would not discuss specifics of what still needed to be done, nor would he talk about how strong he felt a potential case would be. He cautioned not to read too much into Friday's meeting, saying it was not unusual in the course of an investigation. The settlement attempt surfaced this week at a child-custody hearing between Shinn's accuser and her estranged husband. During the two-day Charlotte court hearing, the woman repeated her allegations against Shinn. She also talked vaguely about the settlement effort. "Didn't you tell (your husband) you were going to have plenty of money soon?" asked his attorney, Tom Cannon. "He knew about the settlement offer before I did," the woman said.

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Camp Pitino promises hard work, high expectations WALTHAM, Mass. (Oct 3, 1997 - 20:27 EDT) -- Rick Pitino, who spouts motivational slogans like a late-night infomercial, apparently has settled on one for this Boston Celtics season. "The most important thing is not the name on the back of the jersey," the new Celtics coach and president said repeatedly Friday. "It's the name on the front of the jersey." It's a wise choice of motto for Pitino, who knows that the names on the back of his players' jerseys aren't exactly the kind that will fill the FleetCenter when the season opens Oct. 31. But by getting them to play as a team, Pitino thinks he can bring the Celtics out of the doldrums that led to last season's 15-67 record and an unprecedented 11th consecutive season without an NBA title. "I want them to think pass before shoot," Pitino said. "I want them to think of their teammates before themselves. I want them to understand the pride of the Boston Celtics." Celtics pride didn't mean much last year, when the team appeared to play more to improve its draft position than to win. Pitino said his first objective is to instill a "Championship, and nothing else" attitude that served his teams well in Kentucky. "You're better off trying to raise the bar so high you can't possibly reach it. ... It will prove much more beneficial to us three or four years down the road than if we set the bar low," he said. "We're just going to talk in terms of making the playoffs, because there's only one way to win the championship, and that's to make the playoffs." Asked for predictions on how many games his team would win this season, Pitino passed. "I don't think anybody could put a number on this team," Pitino said. "When you look at the moves we've made, we haven't made our team physically better. What we have done is allowed our players to play their positions. We won't have Antoine Walker playing center." So far, the fans are buying it. Executive vice president of sales and marketing Stuart Layne said the team is about 500 season tickets short of their cap of 14,000; last year, it was a struggle to sell 11,200.

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Bird gets Pacers hustling in first workout LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Oct 3, 1997 - 20:27 EDT) -- Larry Bird purposely clanked a shot off the rim, and the Indiana Pacers were off and running. The team's first practice under one of the NBA's all-time greats started slowly and finished in a rush. Bird divided the squad evenly under each basket and challenged them to get up and down the floor to make 82 layups in two minutes. Dunks were permissible, but not preferred. "It's tough," he said later, a smile spreading across his face. "I would never be able to do that." For the record, the Pacers made 84 baskets (42 at each end) with the only dunk coming from Mark West with assistant coach Rick Carlisle counting down the final five seconds of the drill. "I've been doing that for a long time," Bird said. "We didn't do it with the Celtics, but we did it in high school. It's a little different. A tough drill. A good finishing drill, though." The start of training camp at Walt Disney World went smoother than Bird anticipated. He had no complaints about conditioning and felt the players responded well to him and the brisk schedule. "The first 15 or 20 minutes was real slow, but once we got going and started playing basketball, playing a little defense and getting up and down, they turned it on," he said. "That's what they do best. When they're in competition, they usually play better." Chris Mullin, who played with Bird on the original Dream Team five years ago, said the former Boston Celtics star appears to be approaching camp as a coach the same way he did as a player. "Larry's always had a will to prepare. ... His focus is always to improve," Mullin said. Bird, who led the Celtics to three NBA championships and won the league's most valuable player award three straight times during a 13-year career, inherited a team that missed the playoffs for the first time since 1989. Larry Brown guided the team to the Eastern Conference finals three years ago, but gradually lost the support of his players over the next two seasons. Veteran point guard Mark Jackson said a change was necessary. "That's no knock on coach Brown," Jackson said. "He's one of the best coaches in the game ... "But I think sometimes doing it one way you can get a little tired, and you have to make an adjustment. ... So you either had to ship some of these guys out and keep coach Brown, or coach Brown had to go his way. ... It was just a natural move." Judging by the tone of practice Friday, the Pacers and Bird are a good fit. Twenty minutes after the workout, several players were still on the floor working on their game. "Basketball should be fun," Bird said. "It's our job, but if you don't enjoy it, it makes it tough. These guys did everything necessary to get better today, and hopefully we can build on that."

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Larry's back, along with rest of NBA With eight new coaches spread around the NBA, it would seem that equal attention might be paid to each of them. But since one of them is Larry Bird, the others will have to settle for being out of the spotlight on Day 1 of training camps. Bird, after several seasons in the Boston Celtics' front office, will be back on the basketball court this season as he takes over the helm of the Indiana Pacers. His team took to the court in Orlando, Fla., on Friday for the start of two-a-day practices, and no one really knows what to expect from Bird, one of the greatest players ever to lace 'em up -- but also a neophyte when it comes to coaching. "I was demanding of myself as a player, and although I know these guys aren't as talented as I am, I plan to be just as demanding of their effort," Bird said recently. And if Bird feels his players need a lesson, "I'll take a VCR and put a videotape in it and say: 'That's how it's supposed to be done."' Bird has heard all the doubters saying he is not the coaching type. He also has heard the inevitable comparisons to Magic Johnson, who briefly coached the Los Angeles Lakers at the end of the 1995-96 season. "Magic still wanted to be a player," Bird said. "I'm different. I want to coach. It's a different challenge, but it's still the same sport." Indeed, it is the same sport. And this year, like so many others this decade, begins with the same storyline: Everyone is chasing the Chicago Bulls. It's been more than three months since Michael Jordan & Co. walked off the United Center floor with their fifth title in seven years, and the summer was filled with teams either trying to upgrade their talent or find a way to pay for their existing stars. Such was the case with Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who finally reached agreement Wednesday night on a six-year extension worth more than $121 million. Garnett is among the so-called draft class of '95, a group of first-round picks who entered the league with three-year contracts. Teams had until midnight Wednesday to extend those deals, and Garnett was one of the few who broke the bank in getting an extension. The Denver Nuggets were unable to do so with Antonio McDyess, so they traded the forward to the Phoenix Suns in a three-way deal that sent Wesley Person and Tony Dumas to Cleveland. It completed an almost complete overhaul for the Cavs, who made more changes than any other team, except Rick Pitino's Celtics and Bill Hanzlik's Nuggets. When the Celtics assemble at the U.S. Naval Education and Training center in Newport, R.I., Pitino will be working with an almost entirely different team from the Celtics squad that won just 15 games last season. Other new coaches will be Chuck Daly in Orlando, Larry Brown in Philadelphia, Brian Hill in Vancouver, Mike Dunleavy in Portland and P.J. Carlesimo in Golden State. Eddie Jordan of Sacramento and Greg Popovich of San Antonio, both having taken over in midseason, will be running training camps for the first time. McDyess, who adds a considerable amount of frontcourt talent to the Suns' guard-laden roster, was the latest -- but not the most prominent -- player to change teams this summer. That distinction belongs to Shawn Kemp, whose trade demand was fulfilled last week when he was dealt from Seattle to Cleveland. Most of the other player movement this summer came in the free agent market, with two most lucrative deals going to Brian Williams (Detroit) and Brian Grant (Portland). The rookie to watch will be in San Antonio, where Tim Duncan of Wake Forest will join a frontline bolstered by the return of David Robinson from a back injury. A close eye will be kept on injury reports out of Chicago, where Scottie Pippen will be testing his ailing foot and deciding whether to undergo surgery that could sideline him for the first couple months of the season. Jordan will be back with the Bulls, wearing new Air Jordans from his own Nike-owned product line and earning more than $33 million from his latest one-year contract. Pippen's status won't be the only unsettled question for the Bulls. Chicago has been talking with Dennis Rodman's agent for the past several weeks, but the two sides have been unable to agree on the specifics of an incentive-laden deal for the league's leading rebounder. One question surrounding the Bulls -- Will this really be Phil Jackson's final season? -- was definitively answered by the coach Thursday. "It's time to move on," Jackson said. "It would take wild horses to drag me back this time. This is the final year. It's time to start something different." If Pippen has surgery and Rodman doesn't return, it will spring the Eastern Conference wide open. Miami bolstered its bench by signing free agents Terry Mills, Duane Causwell, Todd Day and Eric Murdock, but the Heat will be without Alonzo Mourning until mid-December as he recovers from surgery on a knee tendon. Orlando, Detroit and Charlotte also have upgraded their rosters. In the West, the Jazz re-signed five of their free agents to keep intact a team that won 64 regular-season games and made it to the finals before losing to Chicago in six games. But when Utah's players reported Thursday, last year's MVP wasn't happy with everything he saw. "We've got guys in camp here who aren't in shape, and that's inexcusable," Karl Malone said. "To come as close as we did to winning (the NBA title) last year, and to have some of these guys not take their off-season seriously, well, that's a disgrace.

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Riley preparing Heat team to enter 'jaws of a lion' BOCA RATON, Fla. (Oct 3, 1997 - 13:33 EDT) -- Pat Riley opens this year's Miami Heat training camp with his eyes fixed firmly on the competition. And he loves it. It's not just the battles he's anticipating with much improved teams from Boston and Philadelphia. Or the vengeance he's expecting when the Heat meet the New York Knicks. It's the competition he wants to see in training camp, where the players' toughest opponents will be their own teammates. Camp was to open today. "There should be no fear, they should be taking risks and going for it," Riley said Thursday. "This is all about competition now, and I'm evaluating." Miami had the best record of its nine-year history last year, going 61-21 to win the Atlantic Division. And acquisitions in the offseason could leave the Heat three deep at every position -- if everybody's healthy. But they're not. Team leader Alonzo Mourning will be out for the next 8-12 weeks recovering from a torn knee tendon. That puts pressure on Isaac Austin and Duane Causwell, who was signed in August as a free agent, to step in. "I've got a lot of confidence in my teammates," Mourning said Thursday during the team's annual media day. "It's going to be a minor setback, but I don't think it's going to be a situation where we're hurting all season." Also hurting are Dan Majerle and Terry Mills, who was signed as a free agent in the offseason and, along with Causwell, boosts the team's frontcourt depth. Majerle had lower back problems but said Thursday he hoped to be ready for the preseason. Mills, a 6-10 forward with shooting range, had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in May. The injuries and new additions leave some roster spots up for grabs. "We've got three or four guys that aren't going to be in the war," Riley said. "There's an opportunity. If they're not here to take advantage of it, somebody might be in there and capture my eye a little bit, and they'll play." Still, the biggest question is how the Heat are going to adjust in Mourning's absence. If history is any indication, they'll fare well: Miami went 9-4 last season when Mourning was out with an injured foot. P.J. Brown, who was second on the team in rebounds and blocked shots last season, said he didn't expect his role to change much while Mourning's out. "When Zo got hurt (last year), I had to pick my game up," he said. "I feel like I have to do that again now." While Riley said no positions were set, Brown said he expected Tim Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn, Austin, Voshon Lenard and himself to be the Heat's lineup on opening day -- the day they set out to prove last year was not an anomaly. "It's a lot of pressure on us because a lot of people think it was a fluke," Hardaway said. "We got to take the pressure and look it straight in the face." And there will be pressure, Riley said. "I want them to know they're walking into the jaws of a lion this year," the coach said. "I can't see anybody in the Eastern Conference that is going to go through the season unscathed."

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Bucks start anew without Baker ST. FRANCIS, Wis. (Oct 3, 1997 - 23:04 EDT) -- The Milwaukee Bucks showed off their new practice facility and their new lineup Friday. One's a showpiece, while the other's still a work in progress. Standing in the middle of the $3 million, 30,000-square foot state-of-the-art addition to the Archbishop Cousins Center, forward Glenn Robinson predicted the Bucks will soon have a top-notch product to match even though fellow forward, leading scorer and three-time All-Star Vin Baker is now in Seattle. "As much as I hate to see him leave, I can say that it wasn't a bad trade at all," Robinson said. "Because we got a good point guard and another good forward out of it." In the first blockbuster trade of the offseason, the Bucks acquired All-Star point guard Terrell Brandon, power forward Tyrone Hill and a 1998 first-round draft pick from Cleveland last week in a three-way trade that sent Baker to the SuperSonics and Shawn Kemp to the Cavaliers. Other additions to the team that went 33-49 last year and missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season include backup guard Michael Curry and center Ervin Johnson, who will rotate with Andrew Lang, who's still nursing a bothersome heel. So, the starting lineup is three-fifths new, with the only holdovers being second-year guard Ray Allen and Robinson, who, in just his fourth year, is the longest-serving member of the current team. The changes mean the Bucks will be more of a perimeter offensive team and should be a better defensive club, coach Chris Ford said. It also means Robinson no longer has to share the scoring spotlight with Baker. "I think it's a good opportunity for me," said Robinson, who averaged 21.1 points last season. "It's something I've been looking for ever since I got there and now's the chance for me to get the ball a little more and become a better player." Robinson has yet to live up to the $69.25 million contract he signed coming out of Purdue in 1994, but with Baker gone, it's his time to prove himself. As good a scoring punch as Baker and Robinson were, both were stifled. "Maybe it's that it was two go-to forwards," Robinson said. "Maybe if you have a go-to guard and a go-to center or a go-to guard and a go-to forward, that might be a good combination." Baker and Robinson took turns carrying the offensive load. "On any given night, Vinny or me could come out and give big numbers. Vinny could have a hot hand one night and then I could have a hot hand one night. So, one hand has to get cold because somebody has to get the ball," Robinson said. "So, I think now we're both in a situation where we can do good things for our teams." Ford said he was eager for the new season with Brandon running the perimeter-based offense and Hill, Johnson and Curry providing a new, more aggressive look on defense. "I thought we had a good group of players last year but I think now we've got guys who are going to be more willing to sacrifice their game for the good of the team," he said. "We have a legitimate point guard right now who will lead the way to the basket. We have Tyrone and Curry, who will help us dramatically defensively." As for Robinson, "I don't think Glenn's role will change dramatically," Ford said. "I think he's going to like the freedom that he's going to have in our offensive game now. And we're going to still demand that he gets after it defensively." Ford said he's not looking for Robinson to pick up all the slack, either. "We have three very talented perimeter players in Glenn, Ray and Terrell who can create an awful lot of scoring opportunities," he said.

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Hardaway looking to score more for Magic KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Oct 3, 1997 - 20:27 EDT) -- Penny Hardaway is moving back home. A point guard for the first four years of his NBA career, the three-time All-Star will have to take on the role of a bigger scorer for the Orlando Magic this season. "That's what I've been my whole life, except for the pros," Hardaway said. "I think it suits me better. I'm a playmaker, too. But right now, this team is counting on more than that." No one is making bold predictions about Hardaway contending for a league scoring title, but the 6-foot-7 guard showed the kind of numbers he may be capable of when he was asked to carry a heavier load during the playoffs last season. After averaging 20.5 points while trying to spread the ball among teammates during an injury-plagued regular season, Hardaway scored 31 per game during the playoffs for the second-best postseason average in the league behind Michael Jordan's 31.1. The acquisition of Derek Harper in a trade that sent unhappy forward Dennis Scott to the Dallas Mavericks should make Hardaway's transition easier. Harper gives the team an experienced point guard who also figures to make the team better on defense, which is where the 14th-year pro believes the Magic have to improve most to challenge the best teams in the Eastern Conference. "I don't think Orlando has ever had a problem scoring points," Harper said. "But to have a chance to win against Chicago, New York, Atlanta -- those type of teams -- you've got to be solid on defense." That's precisely the message the players heard Friday when the team began its first training camp under Chuck Daly. Defense defined the championship teams Dsly coached in Detroit during the 1980s, and he intends to put the same stamp on the Magic. "Guys are going to be ... diving on the floor, getting more scars, more knee burns, more elbow burns than you'll ever see because he's going to ask that of us," Hardaway said. "We've never been a defensive team, even though the coaches tried to make us into one. Chuck Daly demands that. And now, for the first time, we've got the personnel to be a defensive team." Camp opened with seven new players, including forward Ed O'Bannon, who accompanied Harper to Orlando in the Scott trade, free agent signee Charles Outlaw and draft picks Johnny Taylor and Jason Lawson. With Scott gone and Hardaway moving to shooting guard, Nick Anderson will slide back into the small forward role he had earlier during his career. The players acquired during the offseason will push holdover reserves Gerald Wilkins, Derek Strong, Darrell Armstrong, David Vaughn, Brian Evans and Danny Schayes. "I think it makes for a good camp, a good roster and a good team when you have competition for minutes," Daly said. "And if people don't measure up or if guys aren't having a particularly good night, maybe you have that other guy who can step in. But we don't know all of that yet. We have a roster ... that's going to be competitive." The coach also is taking a wait-and-see attitude on Hardaway's new role. "We would like to see Penny more at (shooting guard)," Daly said. "But when you watch him play, the ball ends up in his hands so much that I don't know that it matters."

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Iverson, Brown say they're hitting it off CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Oct 3, 1997 - 20:15 EDT) -- While the relationship between Larry Brown and Derrick Coleman may be off to a rocky start, Brown and Allen Iverson are having no such difficulties. Iverson, the immensely talented 1996-97 NBA Rookie of the Year, had nothing but praise for Brown on Friday after the first day of training camp, and said he's looking forward to playing for the coach, as well as teaming up with off-season additions Jimmy Jackson, Eric Montross and rookie Tim Thomas. "This is going to be a different year because we have a lot of weapons," Iverson said. "We have a coach who's proven himself in this league. I'll learn a lot from coach Brown." Iverson also claims he learned a great deal from an August incident that led to him pleading no contest to carrying a loaded handgun. On Friday, the league suspended Iverson from this year's regular-season opener because of the plea. Earl Hill, 32, was driving Iverson's Mercedes at 93 mph in a 65 mph zone near Richmond, Va., early Aug. 3. A police officer found two marijuana cigarettes in the vehicle after smelling the drug. Iverson received two years probation and cannot own a gun during that time. He also must undergo regular drug testing. "I was with somebody I really didn't know about that night," said Iverson, 22. "It turned out to be something bad. I just want to be smart. "I wasn't with any friends. It was all over some business-type thing. I went with a producer to a studio and everything went south from there." Iverson said the hard line Brown took with him over his involvement was justified. "He came at me real straight," Iverson said. "I respect that. He has kids. I deserve any type of punishment I get. I made a mistake. I need to learn from it." Iverson spent the summer striving to improve his all-around game. He wants to be a more effective player than the one who averaged 23.5 points, 7.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and a league-high 4.4 turnovers on a 22-60 Sixers team. "I felt my first year was a great experience for me," said Iverson. "I learned so much on and off the basketball court. It's going to help a lot." Brown claims Iverson has the ability to become "the best guard in the league at both ends of the floor." Brown says Iverson reminds him of Isiah Thomas at this stage. Iverson smiled upon learning of the assessment. "To hear ... (that) makes me want to work that much harder," said Iverson. "We talked about my style on the basketball court, how I have to cut down my turnovers and how there can't be any distractions off the basketball court. I'm so excited."

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Intensity level lower as Trail Blazers open camp with new coach MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (Oct 3, 1997 - 20:10 EDT) -- There was a palpable reduction in tension Friday as the Portland Trail Blazers opened training camp under new coach Mike Dunleavy. None of the players seemed to miss the no-nonsense, autocratic rule of Dunleavy's predecessor, P.J. Carlesimo, as they began two-a-day workouts at Linfield College. "I think he's cool," Isaiah Rider said of the new coach. "He's easy to talk to. He's fun. He's outgoing. He's not so tense, like P.J. was. He's not uptight. He's just easier to get along with and talk to." Kenny Anderson, who was always careful not to criticize Carlesimo, said he expected to have a bigger say in how the team is run under Dunleavy. "Things I see out there, I'll speak my mind and he might listen," Anderson said. "P.J. was a great coach for me, and I got along with him, but he was more, 'This is what we've been practicing and this is what we want to do and this is how we're going to do it.' There wasn't much bending with P.J." Rider said Dunleavy appreciates the opportunity to coach a young, athletic group of players. "It's like a new life for him," Rider said, "and he definitely realizes he has the talent here." The oldest and youngest players on the team, Arvydas Sabonis and Jermaine O'Neal, sat out Friday's workouts, Sabonis with bronchitis and O'Neal with a sprained ankle. Dunleavy sent the team through conditioning drills and defensive instructions in the first practice, then planned to work on offense later. There is plenty to learn with a new coaching staff and new players, such as free agents Brian Grant and Vincent Askew and rookies Kelvin Cato and Alvin Williams. "There's a lot of changes," Dunleavy said. "There are things that are very similar because a lot of teams run a lot of the same basic sets. But terminology is going to be a lot different from coach to coach." There also should be a major change in style. When team president Bob Whitsitt fired Carlesimo and hired Dunleavy, he said he wanted a more up-tempo team that plays pressure defense. That could be rough for the hobbled legs of Sabonis but fits well with the athletic, versatile younger players who dominate the roster. The days of the coach calling the play for the team each time down the court are over, Rider said. "He's going to let us go," Rider said. "He told Kenny today that sometimes if you're running a play, you can call something else. That just said it right there. You have freedom to do your thing." That does not mean that Dunleavy is a pushover, though. He says he will not be hesitant to levy fines. "He's been around the league 20-some years as a player, assistant coach and head coach," Rider said, "so he's not going to tolerate that. No one's above the coach."

nba.571 nba.news, 04 Oct 97

Will Richmond ruin Eddie Jordan's parade? SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Oct 3, 1997 - 05:21 EDT) -- Eddie Jordan simmers. He burns. New job, new house, newly wed, new baby on the way, Jordan is the picture of optimism, the image of hope and enthusiasm as he opens his first training camp as head coach of the Kings. Camp starts Friday. So might the tearing down of Eddie Jordan. Some erosion has already begun. Jordan is like a boxer before the bell, dancing on his toes, throwing punches at shadows, hungry for battle. But he's alone in his corner, a vulnerable rookie with a glass jaw. His best player, Mitch Richmond, spent the summer pouting, whistling the NBA blues, whining about being underpaid at $3 million per. Richmond says he will report to camp on time and in shape, but the presence of his heart has yet to be confirmed. Jordan, full of confidence and brimming with authority, figures he can get Richmond to set aside his contractual concerns, to play for the good of the club, to lead because it's the right thing to do. "I'll see what his attitude is, then I'll make adjustments," Jordan said. "If he's willing to come in and work hard and be a leader, fine. If he's a negative influence, it won't last more than one session." Beautiful words. Wonderful ideals. Naive by a mile. Jordan will get nothing out of Richmond that Richmond isn't willing to give. Words won't improve Richmond's attitude if the attitude is rotten at the core. Threats and pleas won't work. If Richmond arrives preoccupied by his inability to squeeze more money from the Kings, if he comes in with a chip on his shoulder, he will be a hollow vessel, going through the motions, giving enough to qualify for a pension and not much more. Lacking Richmond's full and complete endorsement, Jordan will be knocked out before the season starts, the victim of a system that turns coaches into puppets and gofers and lackeys, a system that leaves coaches with no control over their destiny. A detached Richmond, an All- Star shooting guard playing with one eye on his scoring totals and another eye on free agency two autumns hence, will reduce Jordan to a spectator, a guy along for the ride. Jordan knows it, but can't admit it, not yet. He has too much currency invested, too much blood and sweat on the line. He has spent the summer lying awake nights thinking about this opportunity, this chance of a lifetime. Head coach in the NBA. A team of his own. This week, Jordan has been speaking about Richmond with candor and honesty rare for a contemporary NBA coach. Jordan addressed Richmond as a friend and colleague, as a former NBA player who knows about pride and pressure and the desire to get paid according to the standards established by his peers. But Jordan also spoke as a man from a different generation. When Jordan was playing pro basketball, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, NBA stars were still putting the team first. It was duty before honor, pride before $120 million. Those sensibilities have been reversed. These days, pride is established by profit. It doesn't matter how many games a player wins. It matters how much he gets paid, win or lose. Jordan was a voice from yesteryear when he talked about Richmond. The coach sounded like Dick Motta or Red Auerbach, like a man who knows his way around peach baskets and two-handed set shots, a man who remembers train rides from Buffalo to Chicago. How things have changed in one brief decade. Jordan makes no apologies for his dependency on Richmond. Jordan knows he needs the whole Richmond, not just Richmond's three-point jump shot at the end of a tight game against the Clippers. "We need his experience and we need him to be a leader," Jordan said. "I believe we can have a real good relationship. I've already told him I think he'll enjoy the group of players we have this year. I think he'll be enthusiastic. But I'll do what I have to do." The perfect world has Jordan and Richmond working together with respect and admiration. It would have Richmond recognizing something of himself in Jordan, a guy who came along too early to hit the big payday, a man willing to work for his opportunities, a man underpaid by the standards of his profession. Richmond can help turn Jordan into one of the best and brightest young coaches in the NBA. Or Richmond can tear down Jordan before he gets started. The future begins Friday. The man from yesterday could use some help.

nba.572 nba.news, 04 Oct 97

Već dugo sam imao namjeru da ovo pošaljem, ali nikako nisam uspijevao da nađem vremena da prikupim sve podatke i da ih obradim. Naime, riječ je o spisku svih manje značajnih NBA transakcija koje su se desile u posljednja tri mjeseca, a koje nisu bile pokrivene detaljnim agencijskim izvještajima. Uglavnom su to promjene u osoblju timova i ugovori sa relativno anonimnim igračima. Posebno je karakterističan ovaj period uoči otvaranja kampova, kad se potpisuju kratkoročni ugovori sa igračima koji će igranjem u njima pokušati izboriti svoje mjesto u ligi. Nemojte samo da vas zbuni ovako veliki broj ugovora, gotovo zanemariv procenat njih će dobiti šansu da zaigra i u regularnom dijelu sezone, zbog čega sve to skupa privlači vrlo malu pažnju. National Basketball Association Transactions Oct 3 1997 Boston Celtics: Signed free-agent center Lorenzo Coleman. Oct 2 1997 Cleveland Cavaliers: Signed forward Adrian Caldwell and guards Jerome Allen, Mitchell Butler and Sherrell Ford to contracts. Promoted Darrell Hedric head scout and added Rick Weitzman to the scouting staff. Dallas Mavericks: Named Sonny Allen as an assistant coach; signed second-round draft pick Bubba Wells, to a two-years contract; signed Malcolm Mackey, Carlos Strong, Ace Custis, Ike Nwankwo, Kevin Whitted, and Derrick Chandler, to non-guaranteed one-year contracts. Detroit Pistons: Signed Art Long, Thomas McGhee, and Rumeal Robinson. Indiana Pacers: Signed free agents guard/forward Ron Riley, Gerald Madkins, center Todd Lindeman, Billy Thompson and guard/forward Darrin Hancock to contracts. Los Angeles Lakers: Signed second-round pick DeJuan Wheat. Miami Heat: Signed Muntrelle Dobbins. Milwaukee Bucks: Signed Melvin Booker, Jamie Feick and Jeff Nordgaard each to one-year contracts. Phoenix Suns: Signed center Dwayne Schintzius and Russ Millard. Portland Trail Blazers: Signed Sean Higgins, Alton Lister, Terrell Bell, Ernest Hall, and Curt Ranta. Sacramento Kings: Signed forward Anthony Avent and center Matt Fish. San Antonio Spurs: Added forward Danya Abrams to the training camp roster; named Lee Wimberly head scout. Seattle Supersonics: Signed centers Mark Blount and Ed Stokes and forward Derrick Battie. Toronto Raptors: Signed Rowan Barrett, John Coker, Chris Garner, Julius Nwosu, and Brandon Williams. Utah Jazz: Signed center Greg Dreiling, forward Nate Green, guard Troy Hudson and guard/forward Byron Ruffner. Oct 1 1997 Atlanta Hawks: Signed free agents guard Walter Bond, forward Matt Steigenga and forward Jared Prickett to contracts. Chicago Bulls: Signed guards Dante Calabria, Boris Gorenc, Rusty LaRue, forwards Kornel David, Dwayne Whitfield and center Eric Gingold to one-year contracts. Detroit Pistons: Signed Ashraf Amaya, Ray Weathers, and Reggie Elliott. Houston Rockets: Re-signed Randy Livingston. Signed guard/forward Sam Mack and center/forward Doug Brandt to contracts. Miami Heat: Signed forward Ben Davis and guard Malcolm Huckaby. Washington Wizards: Signed Jimmy Oliver, Johnny Rhodes, Darvin Ham, Chuck Kornegay and Amal McCaskill. Sep 30 1997 Denver Nuggets: Signed Elmer Bennett, Merl Code, Jeff Harris, Kwan Johnson, and Alvin Sims. Orlando Magic: Signed guard Rick Brunson; named Mick Smith strength and conditioning coach; named Eric Musselman as a team scout; named Bob Ociepka advance scout. Sep 29 1997 Utah Jazz: Named Mark McKoen strength and conditioning coordinator. Sep 26 1997 Golden State Warriors: Signed free agent guard Carl Thomas, who had been with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sep 22 1997 Dallas Mavericks: Named Matt Pinto radio play-by-play announcer. Sep 17 1997 Cleveland Cavaliers: Signed forward Cedric Henderson, their second-round draft pick; named Matt Guokas television color analyst. Los Angeles Lakers: Signed rookie free-agent guard Shea Seals. Sep 16 1997 Golden State Warriors: Named Bob Staak assistant coach. Miami Heat: Named Ed Pinckney radio analyst for WIOD home games and an in-studio host for UPN-33 during road games. Sep 12 1997 Atlanta Hawks: Re-signed guard Eldridge Recanser. Charlotte Hornets: Signed free-agent guard Darnell Mee. Sep 9 1997 Golden State Warriors: Named Bob Fitzgerald television play-by-play announcer. Miami Heat: Moved assistant coach Scotty Robertson to college scout and assistant coach/lead scout Jeff Bzdelik to assistant coach. Sep 6 1997 Milwaukee Bucks: Named Dick Versace as an assistant coach. Aug 27 1997 Philadelphia 76ers: Named Rob Wilson assistant director of public relations. Aug 22 1997 Miami Heat: Announced executive vice president Pauline Winick is retiring. Charlotte Hornets: Signed free agent Nate Wilbourne. Aug 18 1997 Los Angeles Clippers: Signed center Nate Huffman. Aug 12 1997 Toronto Raptors: Named Bob Kloppenburg as an assistant coach. Aug 6 1997 Milwaukee Bucks: Signed Tim Breaux to a one year contract. Jul 31 1997 Vancouver Grizzlies: Named Mike Riley and Sedric Toney scouts. Jul 30 1997 Cleveland Cavaliers: Named Marc Iavaroni assistant coach. Philadelphia 76ers: Named Julie Bosley director of community relations. Jul 28 1997 Seattle SuperSonics: Signed guard James Cotton, a 1997 second-round draft pick, to a one-year contract. Jul 24 1997 Orlando Magic: Named Tim Walsh head athletic trainer. Jul 21 1997 Golden State Warriors: Named Gary Fitzsimmons assistant general manager of basketball operations. Jul 18 1997 Cleveland Cavaliers: Named Steve Schur assistant director of media relations. Jul 17 1997 Sacramento Kings: Re-signed free agent center Kevin Salvadori. Jul 15 1997 Phoenix Suns: Signed guard Stephen Jackson, their second-round draft pick, to a one-year contract. Jul 7 1997 Denver Nuggets: Dismissed director of player personnel Mike Evans. Miami Heat: Signed Ruben Nembhard and Patrick Savoy. Jul 3 1997 Houston Rockets: Re-signed free agent guard Emanual Davis. Jul 2 1997 Washington Wizards: Awarded director of player personnel Chuck Douglas a two-year contract extension.

nba.573 vpoznanovic, 04 Oct 97 -> #527, junior

>> Lele, {ta sve ne}e uraditi. :) >> >> A ovaj Denver je stvarno propao. Otkako im je do{ao Bristow, oti{ao >> im je Dikembe, Mark Jackson, sad i McDyess. Ako jo{ i LaPhonsa puste, >> ostaju potpuno i bez talenta i bez tima. Shvatili su da im ova godina nije pogodna za 'rebuilding', pa su odlučili da sve rasprodaju i da taj proces započnu neke od narednih, ili možda u narednom milenijumu. :)

nba.574 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

O'Neal misses practice because of strained abdominal muscle PALM DESERT, Calif. (Oct 5, 1997 - 01:28 EDT) -- Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal sat out the team's second workout of training camp Saturday due to a strained abdominal muscle, and was listed as day-to-day. O'Neal suffered the injury midway through Friday's initial practice. His only activity during Saturday's morning workout consisted of shooting free throws. "We're trying to baby this thing," Lakers trainer Gary Vitti said. "It's the kind of injury that, if you're not careful, people can be out months and months with this sort of thing. We're not anywhere near that right now, but we want to make sure we don't get to that point." O'Neal has been bothered with this sort of injury before. "Every now and then, that area down there started hurting, and I always thought it was my groin," he said. "But it's the abdominal muscles." Asked if he expected to miss any more practice time, O'Neal said, "I hope not." O'Neal, 25, was the team's leading scorer (26.2 points) and rebounder (12.5) last season, but he missed 31 games due to knee problems. If he misses a significant amount of time during the team's camp, he may miss the team's exhibition opener Thursday night in San Diego against the Denver Nuggets. "There's a lot of bad words for coaches, but one of the worst in the vocabulary is 'injury,' " Lakers coach Del Harris said. "I hope it goes away right away, because when you only get six days before you've got to play somebody, each practice that's missed is one you're not going to get back."

nba.575 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

Lang could miss start of season Milwaukee, WI (TSN) - The Milwaukee Bucks will most likely begin the upcoming NBA season without center Andrew Lang, who underwent surgery Saturday to repair a torn tendon in his right ring finger. The 31-year-old Lang suffered the injury during a practice session on Friday. He is expected to be in a splint for approximately four weeks, but will continue non-contact drills during training camp. Lang is entering his 10th NBA season and second campaign with Milwaukee after being acquired by the Bucks prior to the start of last season. He played in 52 games in 1996-97 and averaged 5.3 points and rebounds per contest. Lang has played for Phoenix, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Minnesota during his tenure in the league.

nba.576 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

Weatherspoon still angry at 76ers CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Two days after criticizing the 76ers in Philadelphia for a perceived lack of respect, Clarence Weatherspoon remained an unhappy camper Saturday in Chapel Hill. The sixth-year forward still is smarting from a tumultuous off-season in which he was traded to the Boston Celtics, only to have the deal voided because Dino Radja failed his physical with the Sixers. Weatherspoon said a friend of agent Jimmy Sexton's, and not the 76ers, told him about the trade. He also said Philadelphia failed to call him in the three months after the deal was voided. "The thing is once everything fell apart, it was a total no communication with me," Weatherspoon said at training camp. "There might have been a letter sent to my mom's address and there may have been some communication with my agent, but there was no, 'Hello, Clarence, we understand the situation.' There wasn't any of that. ... "That's the part that gets me because I know everything else is a business. I put in five hard years here and at least I should get a call from whoever is running things to tell me something." Team president Pat Croce defended the Sixers, saying Sexton wanted all communication with Weatherspoon to go through him. "I respect Clarence's work ethic and the way he plays the game," Croce said. "I feel bad about Spoon." Coach Larry Brown had a long talk with Weatherspoon on Friday, the first day of preseason practice. Brown tried to appease Weatherspoon, whose career averages are 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds, but succeeded only to a point. "I know how he felt with the way things were handled," Brown said. "He was miserable (Friday) and he's still down. He's been great. I had confidence he'd come in here and play like he's always played. I've always been a fan of his. He's a much better player than I thought. "I told him if it doesn't work out here, the best way to do it is to keep doing what he's doing." Weatherspoon listened to Brown, but said it didn't change his feelings. "If you've got to be somewhere, you do your best," Weatherspoon said Saturday. "That's what I'm going to do. You may not like a situation, but you work hard and go from there. I think I've been overlooked, underappreciated and underrespected for five years. I've got one year to do my job. "It's not about choices. I don't want to hold out and be a big story." Weatherspoon's contract situation -- he has $2.5 million and one year left on a four-year deal -- and regular rumblings that the 76ers are trying to trade him have contributed to his discontent. So did the team's losing ways -- they've averaged 23 wins and 59 losses in his five pro seasons -- and criticism that Weatherspoon's 6-foot-6, 245-pounds stature leaves him too small to play power forward and too slow for small forward. Brown claims Weatherspoon fits into the Sixers' plans primarily as a power forward. He also could see time at small forward against post-up players, Brown said. "The only negative with him is he's in the last year of his contract -- not ability, not character," Brown said. "He's so strong, he's got quick feet, he's explosive."

nba.577 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

Rider feels unfairly targeted out by NBA MCMINNVILLE, Ore. (Oct 4, 1997 - 17:52 EDT) -- Isaiah Rider thought he finally was putting some distance between himself and his troubled past when the NBA sneaked up and slapped him in the face with it. Rider says he was blindsided by the league's decision to suspend him for two games for past off-court transgressions. He believes he is being unfairly singled out when there are plenty of other examples the league has ignored. An image, he is discovering, is a very hard thing to change. "I tried to have a stress-free summer and be productive," Portland's Rider said. "I did a youth tournament at home. I came up and did something for the Blazers with kids. I tried to stay out of hot water." But it takes more than a trouble-free summer to erase the kind of reputation Rider has built during his troubled NBA career. The NBA said it suspended him for the first two games of the regular season, and Philadelphia's Allen Iverson for the first game, because of improper behavior off the court. Specifically, the league cited Rider's conviction for marijuana possession and his no-contest plea to possession of an unregistered cellular phone. The Blazers already had suspended Rider one game for the marijuana offense, a non-criminal infraction from a year ago. The phone charge, a misdemeanor, occurred when Rider was with Minnesota but wasn't resolved until a plea agreement was reached this summer. Rider's agent, Arn Tellem, accused the NBA of grandstanding and said he would file an immediate grievance because the penalties are not allowed under the league's collective bargaining agreement with the players' union. "This is something we're going to fight and try to overturn because it's rather ridiculous, you know," Rider said. "I dealt with it, and now I have to deal with it again. I think it's unfair." Blazers president Bob Whitsitt said he agrees with the NBA's efforts to clamp down on poor off-court behavior, but said he found it "very interesting" that the league waited until the first day of training camp to announce the punishment. He also used the word "interesting" that a Blazer is the target at a time when the NBA is furious over the Chris Dudley situation. The league has accused Portland of trying to circumvent the salary cap by signing Dudley to a small contract, then trading him to New York, where a big pay raise awaits him next year. The league nullified the contract and the matter now is in arbitration. Rider said he's an easy target for the NBA as the league tries to spruce up its image. "I'm a marked man," he said. He wonders why the many other players who have gotten into trouble or behaved badly haven't been punished by the league. "It definitely looks a little shady. That's all I can say," Rider said. "It doesn't seem like it was thought out sufficiently and judged fairly." Rider insists he is working hard to repair his image. "I'm not a wicked person," he said. "I've made mistakes, but I've tried to deal with my mistakes. I know I'm trying to do the right things in life. If there's a problem with J.R., it's that he needs to be on time more, not that he's a gangster or he's a thug." The suspension, Rider said, will not affect his play. "It makes me hungrier. It makes me mad inside," he said. "It makes me want to do that much better." New coach Mike Dunleavy said Rider is starting with a clean slate. But the image lingers, and Whitsitt said there is only one way that will ever change: no more serious mistakes. "Life is about making mistakes and learning from them," Whitsitt said. "But when you've had your second and third chance, people aren't going to give you another one."

nba.578 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

Miller saying all the right things about Bird (Oct 4, 1997 - 08:21 EDT) - We have heard much from the mouth of Reggie Miller, the guy who told the New York Knicks they "choked." We did not, however, often hear him say "Coach Brown" in reference to departed Indiana Pacers coach Larry Brown. Never did he we hear him use the phrase "Larry Legend." Now, Reggie says things like "Coach Bird" and "Larry Legend" all the time. Reggie's world has been restructured, and respect for authority figures is part of the plan. Why, Reggie almost sounds repentant for past verbal sins ... almost. "I go back and forth a lot between Larry and Coach Bird," he says. "When I was playing in the playoff series against him, I called him a lot of things other than Larry and Coach Bird." It is not insignificant that Bird's Boston Celtics beat Miller's Indiana Pacers in consecutive playoff series in 1991 and 1992. Neither is it insignificant that Bird leads Miller in NBA championship rings: 3-0. Bird was the most valuable player on some great teams, or as new Pacers center and 14-year NBA veteran Mark West puts it: "Frankly, he's the reason they won. He was the main factor." More often than not, Miller has been the main factor in 10 seasons with the Pacers. In the 1993-94 season, and again in the 1994-95 season, they came within a game of the NBA Finals. Even Miller is quick to point out that this happened while Michael Jordan's mind was on baseball and the Eastern Conference wasn't as tough of a neighborhood. Miller the main factor, for all his talent, hasn't done nearly what Coach Bird did as a player. And sure, that not an exactly fair comparison. Bird was a legend, a complete player by which other players will be judged for generations to come. Reggie Miller is merely one of the nicer offensive players of his era. Bird is no fool, and already he practices the kind of stroke he'll need as a coach, saying of his star: "His range is probably the best of anybody I've seen; his range is unlimited." Last season, Miller won the league's 3-point shooting title for the second straight time, tying a record held by five other players, one of whom is named Larry Bird. So, among the subplots as the Pacers opened training camp Friday in Orlando, Fla., is this: Who wins the first game of H-O-R-S-E? "I'd put my money on me," Miller says with a smile. "That's what confidence is about." Both men are about to have their confidence -- their concentration -- tested like it never has been tested before. Bird, of course, is a rookie coach carrying the stigma of having been a great player; the myth persists that grand success as a player and a coach can't overlap, despite Lenny Wilkens. Miller's psyche is a point of concern this year. This spring, Miller's home burned to the ground. Investigators ruled it arson, but the case remains unsolved, and very much on Miller's mind as rumors -- some of them pretty unsavory -- swirl around the Circle City. "I thought about not even playing basketball," says Miller. "Because a lot of times, it's just not worth it. (The fire) would have a lasting effect on anyone, but I don't want to talk about it ..." No one believes Miller gave serious consideration to quitting. He's 32 years old and in the middle of a four-year deal that was huge at its signing, but now looks like Kevin Garnett's lunch money. Still, Miller at least enters this training camp without a contract dispute hanging in the air. The Pacers have made a commitment to winning now, trading for small forward Chris Mullin, and bringing in West to help with team leadership as much as rebounding and backing up the oft-injured Rik Smits. All that stands between the Pacers and a good season -- maybe even a very good season -- is maintaining health and fitting the various parts together of what should be a much better offensive team. That's provided Reggie plays up to his best, which is what Bird always did when he had good players around him. "This could be a bright spot for me," Miller says. Reggie does love the bright lights. And when he's at his best, he can stick it to anybody from anywhere on the floor; there was a time when he couldn't. Still, he's never played in the biggest games, never set foot in the NBA Finals. Bird knows the way there, but he can only point Miller and the Pacers in the right direction. Can Larry Bird be a good coach for Reggie Miller? Bird was physical. Miller is fragile. Bird was instinctive. Miller is reactive. Is this a match or a mismatch? "Yeah, they have different styles," says West. "But that's OK. The thing is, both guys understand we can accomplish a lot if we work together." Bird says the goal is to get the Pacers back to the playoffs. Miller already talks about grabbing the Bulls by the horn. "I might be putting my foot in my mouth, but if you look at it position by position, we match up pretty well with them." Reggie's mouth is where Reggie's foot is comfortable. Besides, the season isn't on his head; it's on Coach Bird's.

nba.579 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

Bird begins journey into world of coaching LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Oct 4, 1997 - 12:21 EDT) -- Larry Bird stood at midcourt, his arms crossed one moment and hands on his hips the next. He walked back and forth, watching intently, before reaching into his pocket for a copy of the practice schedule. It's hard to imagine one of the NBA's all-time greats looking uncomfortable on a basketball floor. But there he was on the opening day of training camp, feeling his way through his first workout as coach of the Indiana Pacers. Assistants Dick Harter and Rick Carlisle did much of the talking, leading the team through the routine. When Bird spoke, the players acknowledged with a nod or an occasional smile, and kept working. Bird, conceding that it felt a little unusual to be a coach, liked what he saw. "Training camp's tough," he said. "If guys are having fun here, they should have a good time during the season because we expect to win." The Pacers are counting on it after luring the former Boston Celtics star out of retirement in hopes he can change the direction of a team that's been in decline since nearly reaching the NBA Finals three years ago. Indiana failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1989 in its last season under Larry Brown. However, Bird didn't inherit a roster devoid of talent. His challenge is not to rebuild the Pacers, but rather get more out of a roster that includes a strong nucleus of Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Derrick McKey, Dale Davis, Antonio Davis, Mark Jackson and offseason acquisition Chris Mullin. "In just the short period I've been around him, I think he's approaching it the way he was as a player -- work extra, details, strive for perfection," Mullin said. The forward, beginning his 13th NBA season -- the first 12 were with the Golden State Warriors -- played against Bird for years, and with him on the original Dream Team in 1992. "He always was a guy you'd look at and take things from," Mullin said. "Now he just happens to be opening his whole book to you. He wasn't showing us everything when he was playing. He was keeping it to himself." Bird, 40, led Boston to three NBA championships, was a 12-time All-Star and voted the league's most valuable player three straight seasons during a 13-year playing career. He spent much of the past five years on golf courses and relaxing at his Naples, Fla. home. However, basketball never was at the back of his mind. The competitive juices flowed, and an opportunity to return to his home state to coach was too good to turn down. Standing around in practice is new to him, yet in some ways it's making this one of his most enjoyable training camps. "It's fun because I like to be around basketball, and I love the game," Bird said. "But now that I don't have to run up and down the court, it makes it a lot easier." The players have embraced his arrival, and have no doubts he's going to succeed, despite not having any previous coaching experience. His stature and accomplishments command their respect. "It's difficult sometimes to look at him and say, 'Coach Bird.' Here's a guy who's one of the greatest -- if not the greatest, other than Michael (Jordan) -- to play the game," Jackson said. "But it's a great opportunity to play for him because you can steal so much from him. And he's a player's coach. It's coming from a guy who's done it. So you have to have your ears perked up when he says something." Mullin agreed. "He has a good way, too, of talking with you on the same level," Mullin said. "He somehow eliminates the intimidation factor, if there is one, and makes you feel comfortable around him." Practices are demanding, designed to push players physically without wearing them down mentally, and Bird allows Harter and Carlisle to do a lot of the teaching. "In the NBA, most of the time you see assistant coaches stand on the side and watching the head coach do all the work," he said. "But here, we work as a team. Not only the players, but the coaches. Guys understand I've got two assistants that I have a lot of faith in." The last thing the players appear to be concerned about is Bird's lack of coaching experience. X's and O's are nice, but Bird played recently enough that veterans and young players alike, understand what he's all about. The ability Bird always seemed to have to impose his will on the basketball floor, they said, is one of the intangibles that gives him an excellent chance to transform the Pacers back into a contender for the Eastern Conference title. "Larry Bird is the kind of guy that can probably do anything he wants," Orlando Magic coach Chuck Daly said. "He's disciplined. He's very strong-minded, and I don't think he has a big ego. I think he'll handle situations. I think there will be respect there. I'd like to be in his shoes." Mullin said previous coaching experience can be overrated, especially when it comes to someone who played the game on as high a level as Bird because there's much more to basketball than strategy and playbooks. "Look at the way (the Celtics) played, and the way he played," Mullin said. "I wouldn't say it was all textbook, but it was all things that stress playing within the framework of the team -- moving without the ball, screens, using your teammates, making your teammates better. "That sounds like a coach to me. ... I feel good about him being here. I feel good about playing with him, playing for him, whatever. As long as I'm on his side, I feel good."

nba.580 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

Lyons gets kudos for holding firm on McDyess (Oct 4, 1997 - 08:09 EDT) - As fast as the news could carry across the country, NBA owners began calling Charlie Lyons to congratulate the CEO of Ascent Entertainment, which owns the Denver Nuggets, for taking a stand. and not meeting Antonio McDyess' $105 million salary demand. For the first time in recent memory, an NBA owner refused to ante up for a player the team didn't believe was worth the money, the market be damned. "There's a tremendous amount of pressure to win in this business. And for a lot of people, it's more important to win right now and sacrifice the structure that will build a better team over the long run," Allan Bristow, the Nuggets' vice president of basketball operations, said Thursday. "Enough is enough." For the better part of three months, team owners, fans and the media griped about teams that overpaid unproven, young players such as Vancouver's Bryant Reeves ($65 million), Portland's Rasheed Wallace ($80 million) and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett ($125 million) because it ultimately would drive up the price of their own players and ticket prices. Tom McLaughlin, the agent for Nuggets power forward LaPhonso Ellis, said he doesn't believe the Nuggets' principled stand will change the tide of NBA salaries.. "Most of these owners are pretty successful business men, right?" McLaughlin said. "(Phoenix Suns owner) Jerry Colangelo, (Chicago Bulls owner) Jerry Reinsdorf. They make business decisions that are smart and that are profitable for them, right? They determine what they can pay and still stay profitable. "Every year we hear the same complaints. And every year they pay more. Nothing amazes me. I can still remember when everyone was outraged that Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) made $100 million." McLaughlin also believes all-inclusive. contracts are affecting the bottom line. "I think Garnett said to them, 'Listen, if I stay in Minnesota, I don't get the marketing dollars I might get in Los Angeles, New York or Chicago. You have to make up for it in my contract,"' McLaughlin said. "They're not paying that kind of money just for him to play basketball. They're paying him to sell T-shirts and caps, for appearances, to increase TV ratings and the advertising dollars that accompany them, and just for his association with the team. "With these types of issues being addressed in contracts and owners finding ways to come up with the money and stay profitable, I don't think the Nuggets are going to reverse this course." Mark Bartelstein, who negotiated a contract extension this week for Nuggets small forward Eric Williams, agreed the Nuggets' decision will have little impact.. "In this business, all it takes is for one (team) to be in love with you, so I don't know if it has an impact," he said. "If you're going to pay someone that kind of money,. though, you'd better be absolutely 100 percent sure he's going to be a superstar. And that's where Allan was stuck." Bartelstein said. he has seen some pretty odd behavior by players and agents in recent negotiations. Especially Garnett, who initially rejected a six-year, $102 million offer.. "If money is the most important thing in the world to him, then he did the right thing. But I would have more respect for him if he had refused the original (offer) because he wanted to live in Los Angeles or Phoenix. Or some other lifestyle altering decision. "But to say no to ($102) million just to hold out for (a few more million)?. I think it leaves you scratching your head. It's kind of beyond comprehension. What's he saying?".

nba.581 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

Daly hopes to get Magic defensive ORLANDO (Oct 4, 1997 - 08:34 EDT) -- The Magic opened its first training camp under coach Chuck Daly this week, but already the message has been sent out to the players. It begins and ends with defense, with being intimidating at times and physical at all times. That has been the trademark of Daly-coached teams, especially the infamous "Bad Boys," that bruising band of Pistons he led in Detroit during the 1980s. While the Magic isn't about to become the bully of the league under Daly, don't be surprised if it turns into something not all that dissimilar. "You never know how teams develop. I think they kind of identify themselves, develop their own trademarks," Daly said. "I think I want a team that's reasonably physical, that hates to lose, especially at home, and maybe is a little nasty inside at home." The Magic players say they welcome Daly's gritty influences. "He's going to bring defense first, offense second," Penny Hardaway said. "Guys are going to be busting their butts, diving on the floor, (getting) more scars, more knee burns, more elbow burns than you'll ever see because he's going to ask that of us." Daly apparently made it a point to meet with some of the veterans before camp and let his expectations be known. During his past three years as an NBA analyst for Turner Sports, he said, he saw a Magic team that was talented but lacked some tenacity. "I think the people they had before under Brian Hill played good defense and that sort of thing," Daly said. "We just want to enhance it and kind of do it our way. We have our own feeling about it." For its defensive and intimidation purposes, the Magic has brought extra muscle and athleticism into camp, which runs through Oct. 8 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Joining frontline players Rony Seikaly, Horace Grant, David Vaughn, Derek Strong and Danny Schayes are Tim Kempton (6-10, 255 pounds), Bo Outlaw (6-8, 210), Ed O'Bannon (6-8, 220), Johnny Taylor (6-9, 220) and Jason Lawson (6-11, 240). "This is the best group of guys I think we've ever had," trumpeted Magic GM John Gabriel. If nothing else, the Magic certainly is deeper than in some time. There is fierce competition at point guard among Derek Harper, Brian Shaw and Darrell Armstrong and at small forward among Nick Anderson, Gerald Wilkins, Brian Evans, Taylor and O'Bannon. "I think it makes for a good camp, a good roster and a good team when you have competition for minutes," Daly said. "And if people don't measure up or if guys aren't having a particularly good night, maybe you have that other guy who can step in. "But we don't know all of that yet. But we certainly have a roster, I think, that's going to be competitive." One of the central questions of this camp will be how the Magic ultimately decides to use Hardaway, its All-Star guard. Ever since he caught fire in the post-season against Miami at shooting guard, ripping off back-to-back 40-plus scoring nights, the Magic has sought to position him there instead of at point guard. But there always has been the unresolved matter of who could take over at point guard without hindering the team's overall offensive groove. Harper, a distinguished 14-year veteran, may alleviate those concerns and thus free up Hardaway. It sounds doable to Daly, but he wants to see it work in camp before he commits to it. "I think that's why we're here, that's what we've got to find out," Daly said. "We would like to see Penny more at the (shooting guard position), but when you watch him play, the ball ends up in his hands so much that I don't know that it matters (what position he plays). "We've just got to find a comfortable group that can play together and people who can come off the bench to replace them and do the job." Whether it's because of Daly or the team's extra depth, Hardaway is optimistic about this team's ability to become one of the elite squads in the Eastern Conference again. "We haven't proven anything yet," he said, "but after about 20 games in the league, I think we're going to be talked about."

nba.582 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

To Jordan's relief, Richmond shows SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (Oct 4, 1997 - 06:15 EDT) -- Mitch Richmond missed the day's first workout at Mott Gymnasium on the campus of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, but he joined his teammates for the evening session. Richmond made a hasty departure following a shortened workout, but coach Eddie Jordan said it certainly was good to see his All-Star. Richmond took his physical in Sacramento on Friday morning before catching a flight to San Luis Obispo. "Mitch came in with the early group before practice," Jordan said. "There wasn't anything spectacular. The earth didn't move, but my adrenaline rose and I think that was the case for all the coaches." Jordan would not indicate if Richmond would be fined for missing the first workout. * * * A ROOKIE WITH A PLAN: Second-round draft choice Anthony Johnson acknowledges his underdog status. Actually, the former College of Charleston (S.C.) star seems to relish coming from behind and disproving doubters. Johnson will be competing for minutes at point guard and says he is determined to attract the eyes of the Kings' coaching staff. "I'm going to get to the gym early and stay late," Johnson said. "Work hard, play offense and defense and give maximum effort." * * * LOOKING FOR A CHANCE TO BANG: Why did Stacey King and Anthony Avent choose to go camping with the Kings this fall? Both said the departures of backup center Duane Causwell and power forward Brian Grant had a lot to do with it. King, 6-foot-11, played in Dallas and Boston last season as well as with two teams in the CBA. "I was all set to go to Dallas," King said. "Then when the opportunity came up here, I knew that Causwell and Grant were gone, so I came." In 1989, the Kings seriously considered using the NBA's top draft choice on King before choosing Pervis Ellison. King said he wonders how his career would have turned out had he been selected by the Kings. Instead, he was drafted No. 6 by the Chicago Bulls and was part of three championship teams. Avent, 6-9, played in Greece last season and was headed to Philadelphia's camp before the chance with the Kings presented itself. "I liked the situations here better," he said. "So I decided to forgo the hour-ride to Philly and come across the country. I played two years with Terry (Dehere) at Seton Hall, so playing with him was appealing. But I also thought there was a good chance to make this team because of the players that had left."

nba.583 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

Kings look to be more athletic and have more depth SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (Oct 4, 1997 - 06:27 EDT) -- The first day of the Kings' 1997 training camp conjured thoughts of the unimaginable. Non-stop, full-court pressure, with the Kings aggressively flying around the court hoping to trap, harass and befuddle the opposition into turnovers, poor percentage shots and a hyped tempo. That could be what the Eddie Jordan-coached Kings bring to the table this season as they look to take advantage of increased athleticism and depth. No more walking the ball up the floor, waiting for the half-court offense to spring loose guard Mitch Richmond for an open shot at best. In the worst and more prominent scenarios of recent seasons, a dwindling shot clock resulted in Richmond going one-against-the-world, hopeful of a successful heave, a gift pair of free throws or a pass to a teammate certainly less likely to convert. Jordan didn't get the moniker "Fast Eddie" for nothing. Jordan was a hyper, aggressive, nagging defender, and he hopes to fashion a Kings squad that will be a pain to opposing teams. "I have my philosophy as a coach, and as a staff we have a way we want to play," he said. "But the team really shows you how to play. If they can do it, we'll do it. If we see that they are not capable, then we won't play that way." At this, the earliest of junctures, Jordan believes his team is capable of turning up the pressure. "Intelligence, athleticism and heart," he said when describing what it will take to pull off the transformation from defensive sieve to a full-court lockdown mentality. Of course, no strategy will be effective if those involved don't buy into the program. Jordan said he doesn't believe that will be a problem. "They love it," he said of the players. "When I introduced it (Friday) at breakfast, their eyes were (huge). They were nodding their heads, and they were into it. Just then, I knew they would like it." Jordan had plenty of help in his first day of camp. Assistant coaches Pete Carril, Mike Bratz and Ralph Lewis were on hand, and they were joined by a blast from Jordan's past -- Tom Young, his former coach at Rutgers University. Jordan originally brought Young in to talk to the coaching staff and provide a base for teaching the full-court defense. It says something about Young that, entering his sixth season of retirement, he managed to so inspire the Kings' coaching staff that he was asked to step onto the court to help implement the pressure defenses. Clearly, Young doesn't totally have this laid-back retirement thing down, so energy is not a problem. "He's taught a lot of good college coaches (including Iowa's Tom Davis, Maryland's Gary Williams) how to run pressure defenses," Jordan said. "(If) he's at your disposal, you use all of your resources, and that's what we're doing. He came in to talk to the coaches and we got so excited, we asked him to work on the floor. And that was not just me but everybody." Young said he hasn't totally removed himself from the game since retiring after a coaching stint at Old Dominion, where he had a young assistant named Jordan. "I've scouted some for Charlotte and Milwaukee," Young said. "People ask me to help them and I will. If not, I play golf." Young was not golfing Friday. He was running all over the floor, telling players where they should be or how they should approach their respective responsibilities in different floor positions and situations. Jordan appears unwilling to overlook any options in a quest to put his stamp on this team. And if the Kings are applying aggressive, hard-nosed defensive pressure throughout this season, Jordan will have met one of his first goals.

nba.584 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

Karl contract saga continues SEATTLE (Oct 4, 1997 - 07:09 EDT) -- The George Karl contract saga continued Friday with the Seattle SuperSonics coach wanting to make it clear that while he's unhappy the organization hasn't offered him an extension, he's quite happy with current $3 million pact. Or something like that. "Basically I was told, 'You did a good job last year but we can't afford you,' is kind of the words I remember from (president and general manager) Wally (Walker)," Karl said. "You had Lenny (Wilkens) get an extension, you had Mike Fratello get an extension, you had Rudy Tomjanovich get an extension, you had Rick Pitino come in with a big deal, you had Larry Brown get a new deal. In the last five years, I've been on their level." Karl, whose contract expires after this season, said he has not spoken with Walker owner Barry Ackerley since June. He doesn't want a dual role as coach and general manager like Pitino has in Boston or Brown has in Philadelphia, but he would like more input and veto power. Karl added that Walker is pushing him to impose a contract deadline. "From the stand point of business, that's what Wally has told me," he said. "Until that changes, that's kind of how I feel. All I'm asking for is to be appreciated." Karl's situation is, "the way of the NBA," Sam Perkins said. "It's like, 'I'm glad to have you, but it is time to go,"' said Perkins, playing in the final year of his contract. "It's like an old song, 'Thanks for all the memories, but you're time is up.' With that in mind, I'm sure George is going to work through it and coach the best he can." * * * 100 PERCENT COTTON: Of the four rookies fighting for roster spots, James Cotton has been the most impressive. The 6-foot-5 Cotton, who was acquired from Denver in a draft-day deal for Bobby Jackson, came to the Sonics primarily as an active scorer and hasn't disappointed. "We have a lot of older guys here, so I've just been following Eric Snow's lead," said Cotton, who averaged 23.5 points last season as a junior at Long Beach State. "In college I was used to being the man, now I have to come in and find my place." Cotton also indicated that his highly recruited brother, Schea, will attend a prep school this fall. Schea signed with UCLA last spring but was ruled academically ineligible last month by the NCAA. * * * BEING DEFENSIVE: After a busy off-season of roster-tweaking, Karl will emphasize increased pressure defense, running and rebounding in his sixth training camp. "Two years ago we were more oriented with more individual pressure than double-team pressure," Karl said. "We looking at being more aggressive, but not as much double-team pressure. We're looking to get back to some old fashioned man-to-man pressure." The Sonics were one of the league's better defensive teams, allowing 93.2 points last year. * * * NOTES: Gary Payton missed Friday's workout because of stomach problems. He is expected to practice Saturday. ... Assistant coach Tim Grgurich is expected to finalize a deal soon on a one-year contract. ... Second-round pick Eddie Elisma has signed a deal to play in Israel. The Sonics still own the former Georgia Tech forward's rights. ... Several college coaches watched practice on Friday including Oklahoma's Kelvin Sampson and Georgia Tech assistant Dereck Whittenburg. Whittenburg coached Nate McMillan while at North Carolina State.

nba.585 nba.news, 05 Oct 97

National Basketball Association Transactions Oct 4 1997 Atlanta Hawks: Signed Greg Anderson, Chris King, and Chucky Brown. Golden State Warriors: Signed Dell Demps, Larry Stewart, Antonio Lang, and Isaac Burton. Los Angeles Clippers: Signed 2nd round draft pick James Collins, Kiwane Garris, Malcolm Leak, Rodney McCray, Mark Young, and Quinn Harwood. New Jersey Nets: Signed Kent Culuko, Kenny Smith, Steve Henson, Robert Werdann, and Jimmy Carruth. Phoenix Suns: Signed Shawn Dirden and Mike Brown. San Antonio Spurs: Signed Jaren Jackson, Reggie Geary, David Wood, Shawn Igo, Donnie Boyce, Artie Griffin, and Malik Rose.

nba.586 junior, 06 Oct 97 -> #573, vpoznanovic

> Shvatili su da im ova godina nije pogodna za 'rebuilding', pa > su odlučili da sve rasprodaju i da taj proces započnu neke od > narednih, ili možda u narednom milenijumu. :) :)) Ma oni se obnavljaju već 5 godina. :) Ništa njih ne može spasti. Mada, ako kupe nekog DOBROG mladog igrača sledeće godine, možda, ali samo možda, bi mogli da uđu u play-off. Nego, šta se ovo događa sa Sacramentom? Imaš li više nekih vesti? Znam da je Petrie (menadžer) omražena ličnost, i da ga niko ne voli, ali da li će zadržati Ritchmonda ... bar neki trač? :)

nba.587 nba.news, 06 Oct 97

O'Neal sits out second straight practice PALM DESERT, Calif. (Oct 5, 1997 - 22:58 EDT) -- Shaquille O'Neal sat out the Los Angeles Lakers' practice for the second consecutive day Sunday because of a strained abdominal muscle, but was optimistic he will be able to go again soon. "I'll be back in a couple of days, hopefully," O'Neal said. He strained the muscle Friday, the team's first day of preseason drills at College of the Desert. He spent Sunday morning's workout riding an exercise bike and shooting free throws at a side basket while his teammates practiced. O'Neal said he wasn't worried about missing drills because he already is familiar with the Lakers' system. "It doesn't concern me because most of the things we do are pretty much the same," he said. "I've been playing this game a long time and I'm the type of player that if (coach) Del (Harris) tells me something, he doesn't even have to finish the sentence and I know what he's talking about because I know the game. "We've added a couple of wrinkles, but I can read the playbook, sit here and watch the guys go through it and I'll already know it." Also Sunday, forward Robert Horry saw a doctor because of sore ribs, but a Lakers spokesman said he didn't believe the injury was serious.

nba.588 nba.news, 06 Oct 97

Blaylock breaks finger at Hawks practice SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Atlanta Hawks guard Mookie Blaylock broke his left ring finger during Sunday morning's practice at preseason camp. A specialist will examine the injury Monday, Hawks spokesman Arthur Triche said. Blaylock, entering his ninth NBA season, averaged 17.4 points, 5.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds for the Hawks last season.

nba.589 nba.news, 06 Oct 97

Blazers sign old man Lister, four others The Portland Trail Blazers signed five free agents, including NBA veterans Sean Higgins and Alton Lister, the team announced Thursday. Lister, a 7-foot center, played for Milwaukee, Seattle, Golden State and Boston the past 15 seasons. He averaged 1.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 53 games with the Celtics last year. Higgins, a 6-9 swingman who played in Turkey last season, spent five years in the NBA with San Antonio, Orlando, Golden State, New Jersey and Philadelphia. The other players are 6-11 center Terrell Bell, the Houston Rockets' second-round pick in the 1996 draft; 5-11 guard Ernest Hall, who played in the CBA last year with Florida and Rockford; and 6-10 forward-center Curt Ranta, a 1995 graduate of the University of Portland.

nba.590 nba.news, 06 Oct 97

Lakers want Wheat Rookie DeJuan Wheat became the final Los Angeles Lakers player to sign a contract on Thursday -- one day before the start of training camp. Wheat, 23, was the 52nd overall selection in last June's NBA draft. The 6-foot guard ranked second on Louisville's career scoring list with 2,183 points, trailing only former NBA standout Darrell Griffith. As a senior last season, Wheat averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 assists and 1.94 steals. He started 136 straight games at Louisville, and became the first player in school history to lead the Cardinals in scoring and assists for three straight seasons.

nba.593 nba.news, 06 Oct 97

English and partners open Basketball City NEW YORK (Oct 5, 1997 - 09:58 EDT) -- The way Alex English tells it, his basketball skills are still in place, a little rusty, perhaps, but still there. What's more, he can prove it. Stop and pop. Swish! Slash to the hoop. Bingo! "I can still shoot. I can still do what I did," said English, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last Monday. "I'm just a little slower." At 43, that's to be expected. Still, he's ready to go at a moment's notice. He's even got the place to shoot around and it's not some dimly lighted high school court or some playground with no nets on the hoops. English is a partner in Basketball City, a six-court facility that is part of the Chelsea Piers sports complex on Manhattan's lower West Side. The place opened in September and has attracted scores of corporate customers. On any given night, you can find lawyers, accountants and investment bankers with various levels of basketball skills, running up and down the courts, some sucking wind, others shooting the lights out. Sometimes, even old politicians show up. Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo dropped by one night, reportedly threw some mean elbows under the hoop and went on his way. Hey, basketball is a street game. Wimps need not apply. Over the summer, NBA players like Walter McCarty, Ray Allen and Chris Childs spent time on the floors and Charlie Ward ran a girls basketball camp to break in the facility. A team of WNBA players will practice there before leaving for a European tour next month. English is enthusiastic about the project. "There's nothing like it in New York City, except maybe Madison Square Garden," he said. "And you can't play in Madison Square Garden." Sometimes that's even true for NBA teams, often turned into basketball vagabonds looking for court time before games in New York. That's why English expects at least 14 pro squads to use his courts for practice when they're in the city. This is no country club. It's a basketball-only facility with locker rooms and exercise facilities. There are plans to expand, too. "We're talking across the country," English said, "certainly in all the NBA cities." Facilities are expected to open in Boston, Philadelphia and Washington within the next six to eight months. On the planning board are fantasy camps with old NBA players like English leading the huffing and puffing. The courts are also expected to be used for the national Hoop It Up three-on-three tournament, fan jams and other events. And for shooters who still feel the fever, there is the permanent lure of the baskets, just hanging there, waiting for somebody to challenge them. English does his share, mostly in shoot-arounds, just to stay in shape. He has found another passion, though. "Right now, I'm playing more golf than basketball," he said. "I'm not as good at it, but I enjoy myself."

nba.592 nba.news, 06 Oct 97

Gilliam missing from Bucks camp MILWAUKEE (Oct 6, 1997 - 01:52 EDT) -- Forward Armon Gilliam has been a no-show so far at Milwaukee Bucks preseason training camp, team officials said. General manager Bob Weinhauer said he had not spoken with Gilliam as of Sunday night, although Gilliam had left two messages for Weinhauer earlier Sunday. "He did not call back," Weinhauer said. "I will have nothing more to say until I talk to him." Gilliam, an 11-year veteran, averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in an average of 25.6 minutes per game last season. He made 25 starts in 80 games. Gilliam had missed five training-camp practices through Sunday.

nba.591 nba.news, 06 Oct 97

Heat sign Sun Belt player of year The Miami Heat on Thursday signed rookie forward Muntrelle Dobbins, the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound Dobbins finished last season as the league's leading rebounder (11.4), ranked fifth among NCAA Division I players. This summer, Dobbins played in the Rocky Mountain Review with the Golden State Warriors and averaged 6.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 16.8 minutes.

nba.594 nba.news, 06 Oct 97

Stackhouse looking for big season -- and big contract CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Oct 5, 1997 - 21:28 EDT) -- Jerry Stackhouse has much to play for in the 1997-98 NBA season. The Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard wants to help the team back to respectability after it averaged 59 losses over the past five seasons. The Sixers are 40-124 in Stackhouse's two professional seasons. Then there's Stackhouse's contract situation. The Sixers opted not to make a serious effort to sign him prior to the Oct. 1 early deadline. They cannot begin negotiations until the end of the season. On July 1, Stackhouse can become a free agent. "I've got to prove something to everybody," he said. Stackhouse is intrigued by the huge contracts that went to fellow third-year pros Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett in the past week. Wallace, the fourth selection in the 1995 NBA Draft, worked out a six-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers for a reported $80 million. Garnett, the fifth pick, received a record $125 million over six years from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Stackhouse, who was third, just before ex-North Carolina teammate Wallace and Garnett, thinks Wallace's contract is a decent barometer for the kind of money he can expect from the Sixers. "I think it's great," Stackhouse said of the Wallace and Garnett deals. "I'm never one to knock anybody for what they make." Stackhouse compared his numbers to those of Garnett, a 6-foot-11 forward. Garnett averaged 10.4 points and 6.3 rebounds as a rookie, then made a jump to 17 points, 8 rebounds. He was rewarded with his first trip to the All-Star game last season and Minnesota reached the playoffs for the first time, thanks largely to the efforts of Garnett and Stephon Marbury. Stackhouse averaged 19.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 1995-96, and 20.7 points and 4.2 rebounds last season. "I think (the Timberwolves) won a few more games, although I think it's a lot easier division than what we have in the East," the 6-6 shooting guard said. "But I think I bring the same kind of things to this team. He's a 7-foot guy who gives them 17 points and 8 rebounds. I'm giving this team 20 points and 4 or 5 rebounds." Sixers head coach Larry Brown doesn't believe what Wallace or Garnett are paid should have any effect on Stackhouse's future negotiations. "We would like to get these things done early, but we've lost 60 games a year for five years," Brown said. "If Jerry plays well and helps us win, he'll be in a great position." In April, Stackhouse said he was looking for a six- or seven-year contract from the Sixers. But the Sixers want to see what he does this season before paying big bucks. They also would like to see Stackhouse upgrade his ballhandling skills, perimeter shooting and defense. "We don't feel like it's a pressing issue," Stackhouse said. "We tried to leave everything in the Sixers court. They know how I feel about the city, how I feel about this team and what I bring every game with my work ethic." Stackhouse will earn $2.6 million in the final year of a three-year, $6.86 million deal. Brown's on-court impressions of him at veterans camp in Chapel Hill, N.C., are overwhelmingly positive. "I like him," Brown said. "His position's not easy. I've watched him come early and work on his game. I like that."

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O'Neal claims to be 10 times better and ready for NBA prime time McMINNVILLE, Ore. (Oct 5, 1997 - 21:28 EDT) -- Jermaine O'Neal learned something about garbage time in the NBA last season, and even more along the highways of South Carolina last summer. Now, just a few days shy of his 19th birthday, he says he's ready for prime time. "I'm, like, 10 times better than I was last year," O'Neal said Sunday at the Portland Trail Blazers' annual media day. "That's how much harder I worked this summer." Some of that work occurred along the highways around O'Neal's hometown of Columbia, S.C., where he served 100 hours of community service picking up litter. "It was hard work at a minimum of eight hours a day," he said. "It was hot out there." O'Neal still thinks he didn't deserve the treatment he received in Columbia, when he was arrested for allegedly mouthing off to security guards and sheriff's deputies while passing out party invitation leaflets at a mall. O'Neal says he believes he shouldn't have been arrested, but was ready to pay the $300 fine just to end the matter. But when he mistakenly missed his court date, the judge sentenced him to 100 hours' community service, and Richland County put him on the litter patrol. O'Neal showed up as required each day just before 8 a.m. "I wanted to make them think I was enjoying it," O'Neal said. "That's one thing I guess they couldn't really understand. I came to the community service every day smiling, acting like I really wanted to be there." He said he felt local authorities were pushing him just to try to make him rebel in order to make an example out of him. "I learned next time to just walk away," he said. The Blazers have hired O'Neal's high-school coach, George Glymph, as director of player development. "I'm sort of a surrogate father," said Glymph, who won five state titles at Eau Claire High School. "Last year he called me a lot when he was down." O'Neal often was homesick and grew increasingly frustrated with his lack of playing time under then-coach P.J. Carlesimo. Glymph would offer encouragement and preach patience. Glymph, the eighth-winningest coach in South Carolina history, was brought to Portland to work with O'Neal and other young players. O'Neal is thrilled to have him on hand. "I talked to him a lot last year," O'Neal said. "But now I can sit down and talk to him in person. I think having him and my mom here are going to be keys to my success this season." O'Neal's mother is slowly getting over her fear of flying and plans to be with her son in Portland about two weeks every month. O'Neal had a tough time dealing with Carlesimo's vocal style. He still feels he wasn't given a fair chance last year, and was especially upset when Carlesimo didn't play him in front of a large contingent of family and friends in Charlotte. "I feel I should have gotten more playing time," O'Neal said. "I worked real hard in practice and that kind of got me down. It was really frustrating." O'Neal's upper body is noticeably more muscular than it was a year ago. He is still something of a stringbean at 6-foot-11, 234 pounds, but he says he is much stronger because of persistent weightlifting. He said he liked new coach Mike Dunleavy the day he met him. "I'm not afraid to make a mistake," O'Neal said. "I know Coach Dunleavy is not going to yell at me to where I'm looking back every time I make a mistake." Dunleavy was impressed with what he saw of O'Neal in the summer league. "I thought he was the best player there," he said of a league that included Kobe Bryant, who like O'Neal made the jump from high school to the NBA, and Tim Duncan, this year's No. 1 pick. Dunleavy, who believes O'Neal is best suited for power forward now but eventually will become a small forward, has committed to playing him in every game. "He'll play in the first half, then whether he plays in the second is up to him and how he performs," Dunleavy said. Competing with the likes of Rasheed Wallace, Brian Grant and Gary Trent, O'Neal knows he will have to earn his time. But, with an eye on Wallace's new $80 million contract, O'Neal is hoping to show the Blazers that owner Paul Allen's fat wallet should be opened again. "If I work hard and have a real good year," he said, "I can have a real, real good contract after next season."

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Hurley vows to be more aggressive player SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (Oct 5, 1997 - 06:58 EDT) -- Forget the 1993 accident that nearly took away Bobby Hurley's life and robbed him of many of his physical skills for at least a year. Delete the previous four years of his NBA life playing for a coach who Hurley said had a coaching style just the opposite of what the player needed to succeed. Pay no attention to the throngs of observers, fans and maybe even teammates who either question or are totally certain that Hurley should no more be an NBA starting point guard than fighting Evander Holyfield for the heavyweight boxing title. Eliminate from the mind that Hurley never has made more than 37 percent of his field-goal attempts and that a chart of his shooting percentages very much would resemble his shooting motion -- it started low and finished low. Do all those things and you'd grasp Hurley's mentality over the summer as he attempts to silence his many detractors. Oh, that's not a publicly stated goal. In fact, Hurley says he is secure enough with himself at this point that he couldn't care less what others think. His goal is to do what he does the way he does it and let the marbles, uhh, teeth, roll wherever they go. "I want to be calm on offense, but play with reckless abandon on defense," he said. "I want to see if a big guy can really knock me on my face with an elbow when I set a pick. Or see if somebody can knock me down. Some people, even the guys on the team, may think that's crazy, but that's how I hope to play -- very aggressively." He doesn't know if this opportunity -- clearly the best he's ever had to establish himself as an bona fide NBA player -- will be the last one he receives. "It could be, but this is probably the most preparation I've ever put into getting the opportunity because unlike other years, I really believe I have a chance to play," Hurley said in between Saturday's morning and evening practice sessions. So Hurley, the prototypical playmaker who had more assists (146) last season than points (143), this summer became Hurley the gunner. "Pretty much every place I played this summer, I took a lot of shots," he said. "On my (Jersey Shore) summer league team, I was pretty much the player-coach. I shot off pick and rolls and took a lot of three-pointers. When I played back in Jersey City, I was like the older guy and the other guys were passing me the ball to shoot. "And I made sure I got my 300 to 500 shots every day. I feel a lot more confident in my shot just because I know I've shot so many of them." It's just another reason why he says he feels confident about his chances now. "I don't have any excuses for not succeeding," he said. "If I don't do well, it's pretty much on me. I don't think I've ever had the thought in my head that this could be my last shot. I just want to roll everything on the floor when I play. Just play the way I play. "If that's not good enough, then I'll find that out. But it's not going to be because I held anything back." That's precisely the manner in which coach Eddie Jordan wants Hurley to perform. Jordan believes the former Duke All-American brings an intensity and attitude to the floor that hopefully will rub off on others. "I've seen him through all his ups and downs since he was a teenager," said Jordan when asked why he had so much confidence in Hurley's abilities. "He's always been the smallest. He's taken the wrath of his father (his high school coach). He went through the accident. He's had great success with Duke and he's seen the lowest of times as a professional. "And he's still there working every day. That shows some mettle, man. That shows a lot of strong fabric, and that's what this team needs." Hurley said his third season was the toughest and made him question if the NBA life indeed was for him. He was severely injured in December of his rookie season, but came back to play 68 games in the following campaign. The third season was his worst statistically. He shot only 28 percent from the field and struggled with his lack of playing time. "I felt like I'd worked real hard to get back on the floor, and then it was kind of devastating to me to have been so low, build myself up so high and then sit on the bench. There were so many highs and lows emotionally, they really bothered me and it crossed my mind that it might not be worth it." Yet, it appears Hurley's grit and attitude kicked in. "A different mechanism must have been triggered because right after I'd sat on the bench I decided to look in the mirror, work my butt off and enjoy the game again," he said. "That way I'd know if didn't play, I'd have given my all." Hurley said he's never had any ill feelings toward former coach Garry St. Jean. "Actually, off the court, I feel good about our personal relationship," Hurley said. "His style of coaching, I don't think, was what I needed as a player. My confidence always was shaken even before I got out on the court. With Eddie, I feel more at ease and don't feel the pressure I felt under Saint." Kings player personnel director Jerry Reynolds said he believes there is a kinship of sorts between Jordan, a former point guard, and his pupil. "I think having a head coach who was a point guard and knows what is going through a point guard's head while he plays makes a difference in the lines of communication," Reynolds said. Maybe Reynolds was trying to say that Jordan won't yell as much as St. Jean, but really if Hurley can take a couple of hits, stick a couple of open jumpers and run the fast break as he knows he can, it will all be good at the point.

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á The high cost of free agency With great reluctance and a sad bow to economic reality, the Denver Nuggets last week traded their best player, Antonio McDyess, 23, to the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets received three future No. 1 picks, two second-round picks and cash. They felt they could not afford to give McDyess the $100 million, six-year contract he wanted. Rather than lose him next summer on the free agent market and get nothing in return, they did the deal. It will improve their balance sheet, if not their record. Just as the Nuggets were deciding discretion was the better part of valor, the Minnesota Timberwolves were falling on their own financial sword to re-sign their best young player, Kevin Garnett, 21, and keep him from free agency. Last summer, Garnett and his agent, Eric Fleisher, turned down the Timberwolves' six-year, $103 million offer, and cut off negotiations with the team, ostensibly because T-wolves Owner Glenn Taylor committed what Fleisher considered to be a cardinal sin: He told the public how much money Garnett had turned down. Garnett, having spurned a mere $103 million, accepted $121 million Wednesday night, four hours before the deadline, after which the Timberwolves would have had to have traded him or allowed him to become a free agent July 1. The McDyess/Garnett situations are symptomatic of fiscal concerns the NBA faces as it enters the season. Despite record revenue, Russ Granik, the NBA's deputy commissioner, announced last month at the general managers meetings that nine of 29 teams lost money last season. Granik also said the league is considering invoking its option to reopen the league's collective bargaining agreement next summer. If the NBA does -- and why would the low-key Granik make public such a threat if it wasn't a virtual certainty? -- the league could suffer its first regular season work stoppage in 1998-99. The collective bargaining agreement -- which capped skyrocketing rookie salaries but allowed unrestricted free agency for players after their third NBA season -- is unpopular with the majority, which is to say non-elite players and many owners. The NBA, mirroring the problems of Major League Baseball and the NFL, is becoming a two-tier league in which the salaries of one or two superstars soak up most of the salary cap room -- $26.9 million a team this season -- leaving lesser players to scramble for what's left. As the discrepancy in players' salaries becomes far greater than the discrepancy in skills, veteran players past their prime such as Dominique Wilkins are opting to play for more money in Europe. They are replaced by the Brett Szabos of the world, lessening the quality of NBA rosters. Agents, who originally saw the league's move toward free agency as the dawning of their own perfect world, are seeing the wisdom of the old bromide that says we should be careful what we wish for. The standard agent's fee is 4 percent off the top of an NBA contract. But just as there are few superstar players, there are few agents representing them. As agents increasingly find themselves representing more and more veteran players forced to accept something close to the league minimum ($272,000), support for reining in superstar salaries grows. But how? The NBA salary cap is a "soft" cap. Thanks to what is commonly referred to as "the Larry Bird rule," a team can exceed the cap to pay its own free agents. That is how the Chicago Bulls can pay Michael Jordan $32.5 million this season -- $5.6 million above a team's salary cap -- and why no one took seriously the notion that Jordan, a free agent each of the past two summers, could end up anywhere but Chicago. Under the existing collective bargaining agreement, what other team could afford him? Take the situation of Bulls Owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who also owns the White Sox. As unbelievable as this might sound (although it's less unbelievable given how he gutted his contending White Sox at midseason), some Bulls insiders say Reinsdorf will actually be relieved if Jordan & Co. do not win a third consecutive championship this season. Why? Because such grand success would increase public pressure to keep the aging Bulls intact for 1998-99. That would be a fiscal nightmare for Reinsdorf, who would be entering a summer in which both Jordan, who turns 35 in February, and the grossly underpaid (by NBA standards) Scottie Pippen, 33 next September, would be free agents. The sportsman's dream could be and often is the businessman's nightmare. The Garnett affair highlights the NBA's other two-tier problem, which also erodes the level playing field in other big time pro sports: The competition between big market and small market teams. From the outset, NBA people agree, the Timberwolves, a small market team, did everything right when it came to nurturing the 6-11 Garnett. He was drafted by 6-11 Kevin McHale, a former frontcourt great with the Celtics. McHale gave Garnett the spiritual guidance and the hours of individual on-court instruction vital to helping the young man realize his potential. And when Coach Bill Blair wouldn't give Garnett what McHale thought was adequate playing time, he fired him and brought in a coach, Flip Saunders, who would give Garnett room to grow. After Garnett's rookie season, the Timberwolves acquired Stephon Marbury, a first-rate point guard and a close friend of Garnett's, in hopes of cementing the team's future and Garnett's desire to stay. Last season, led by their dynamic duo and veteran Tom Gugliotta, the Timberwolves had their best record (40-42) and made the playoffs for the first time. But even before they jelled, there were no Steinbrenneresque oaths from owner Taylor, only good words. The Timberwolves, it seemed, had done everything right in making their young star want to stay. Yet it took the richest contract in NBA history for the Timberwolves to hold onto a 21-year-old who last season averaged 17 points and eight rebounds, nice but hardly herculean numbers. Situations such as what the Timberwolves and Nuggets faced are becoming the rule rather than the exception, and especially for small market teams, it seems to be a case of choosing one's poison. With nearly one-third of its franchises losing money despite record revenue, what can the NBA do? Rip up the old collective bargaining agreement and risk an ugly work stoppage? Or live with what many view as an increasingly disturbing status quo?

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Warriors' Smith strains right knee at workout SANTA ROSA, Calif. (Oct 6, 1997 - 17:58 EDT) -- Golden State Warriors forward Joe Smith strained his right knee during practice Monday, but the team said the injury did not appear serious. Smith fell in a crowd after going up for a shot with about 45 minutes left in the morning practice, Warriors public relations director Eric McDowell said. He was on the floor for several minutes before walking off on his own. McDowell said Smith iced the knee and trainers did not think an MRI was necessary.

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Blaylock practicing despite fractured finger ATLANTA -- Atlanta Hawks guard Mookie Blaylock is participating in a team practice this morning despite suffering a fractured left ring finger on Sunday. Blaylock injured the finger during practice at preseason camp Sunday and X-rays revealed a fracture. A specialist will examine the injury later Monday. Blaylock, who led the NBA in steals last season, turned down the potential riches of free agency next year when he agreed to a four-year extension with the Hawks in August. The 6-1 point guard averaged 17.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 78 games last season, his eighth in the NBA. He also led the league with 212 steals and was on the All-Defensive second team. Blaylock was acquired with Roy Hinson from the New Jersey Nets for Rumeal Robinson in November 1992. The Nets selected him 12th overall out of Oklahoma in the 1989 draft. Blaylock is the Hawks' all-time leader in 3-pointers made (662) and attempted (1,834).

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O'Neal practices with Lakers PALM DESERT, Calif. (Oct 6, 1997 - 23:28 EDT) -- Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, bothered by a strained abdominal muscle, practiced on a limited basis for the first time in three days Monday. O'Neal, injured Friday during the team's first day of training camp, was held out of the scrimmage portion of practice. "I asked him, 'How are you?' and he said he was better," coach Del Harris said. "I think he was upset that he hadn't been able to practice. He really wants to be a leader with this team, and you can't do that when you're sitting down with your street shoes on. "That's what happened last year (when he was sidelined with a knee injury). Just as he was really staring to emerge as a leader he got hurt, and he wasn't able to assume that again in the brief time he was with us before the playoffs." O'Neal, asked if he was worried about re-injury, said: "I don't even think about that. That's why I tell you to stop asking me that stuff when I come off injuries, how I feel and all that." Lakers forward Robert Horry participated in practice a day after bruising ribs during a scrimmage. "I'm fine," he said. "I just got hit in the wrong spot." The Lakers open the exhibition season Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets in San Diego.

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Bogues takes MRI, files grievance against team FORT MILL, S.C. -- Muggsy Bogues, locked in a dispute with the Charlotte Hornets about his preseason medical requirements, agreed Monday to the team's demand for a special test on his chronically sore left knee. Bogues went early Monday evening to have a magnetic resonance imaging test done on the knee, but he also filed a grievance against the club with the players' union. The Hornets opened training camp Friday without the 5-foot-3 guard, the NBA's career leader in assists-to-turnovers ratio. The team said it would not allow Bogues, 32, to participate in practice or games until he passed his physical, which included having an MRI on the knee. Bogues initially refused to have the MRI, saying the test was not required of anyone else on the team. The Hornets said they insisted on the MRI because Bogues has been bothered for years by pain and stiffness in the knee and because there is little cartilage remaining in the joint. Damage was detected in a team-ordered MRI conducted in May after Charlotte was eliminated from the playoffs, and the Hornets said they wanted to see if any subsequent problems had developed. Including Monday's two practices, the Hornets conducted seven workouts over four days without Bogues. The team had one more practice planned for Tuesday morning before departing on a Western road trip for a pair of exhibition games. The Hornets said results of the MRI were expected before the team's scheduled departure Tuesday afternoon. The players' union will take the grievance to NBA officials, who will determine the next course of action. The matter could end up going to an arbitrator.

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Decision on Pippen's foot to come this week CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bulls are expected to determine sometime this week whether seven-time All-Star forward Scottie Pippen will need surgery on his ailing left foot. Pippen, who was bothered throughout the NBA Finals last June by the foot injury, has not participated in practices since training camp opened last week. Bulls coach Phil Jackson has said a decision on whether Pippen will need surgery will be made this week. If surgery is necessary, Pippen would be sidelined for about two months. Pippen suffered the foot injury in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final against the Miami Heat and played with the injury through the rest of the playoffs. Four months later, Pippen is still experiencing foot pain. Pippen, entering the final year of his contract, was the subject of numerous trade rumors in the offseason. But with the prodding of superstar guard Michael Jordan, who said he would retire if the Bulls traded Pippen, the Bulls opted to reject all trade offers. Chicago's five championship teams this decade have been built around Jordan and Pippen, an All-Star in 1990 and for each of the last six years. The 32-year-old Pippen, a member of the 1992 and 1996 Olympic teams, has defined the small forward position in the 1990s. He was named to the NBA All-Defense First Team each of the last six years. Pippen averaged 20.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 82 games last season. He averaged 19.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 19 postseason games.

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Kukoc pain-free, hopes to play full season DEERFIELD, Ill. -- After a summer of rest -- and of worry -- Toni Kukoc is thrilled to be running, jumping and shooting without pain. "It's almost normal," he said Monday of his right foot, so sore at times last season that he could barely walk. "I've been surprised, really, how good it's felt. If I feel like this during the year, no problem. I think I'm going to be healthy for a whole year and play all 82 games." Pain-free for 82 games? That would be a unique feeling for Kukoc. The NBA's top reserve in 1995-96, Kukoc was limited to 57 games last season. And he wasn't able to contribute much in the playoffs to help the Chicago Bulls win their second consecutive championship. Doctors told him that rest was the only cure. So he rested all summer. "I didn't practice. I didn't play. I didn't do anything," Kukoc said. "I felt OK, but I couldn't be sure until I got to training camp to see how it reacted." Monday, Kukoc went through his fourth day of practice. Conditioning is a problem because of his long layoff -- "I'm struggling a little running and breathing heavy" -- but his fears about his foot have been allayed. "It's getting better each day," he said. The Bulls need a healthy Kukoc more than ever. Scottie Pippen has his own foot problems and might need surgery. Dennis Rodman, still unsigned, is coming off a knee injury. And the other forwards are unproven. At his best, the 6-foot-11 forward from Croatia is one of the NBA's most exciting offensive players. He's smoother, quicker and more graceful than most opponents his size. He handles the basketball and passes like a point guard, and he's a streaky long-range shooter who can carry the team for stretches. His defense has been a liability, but his instant offense off the bench was one of the main factors in the Bulls' record 72-win season of 1995-96. "When Toni is on, he gives us a huge advantage," teammate Steve Kerr said. "People talk about Michael (Jordan) being unstoppable, and it's true. But Toni is also unstoppable. Other teams don't have guys that tall who can stay with him when he's healthy." When he's healthy. That's the key. Though Kukoc also had pain in his left foot and his right ankle last season, his most debilitating ailment was near his right heel. Trainer Chip Schaefer said the condition is similar to an inflamed ligament, "and it can be chronic." Before the NBA Finals, Kukoc said: "It feels like something underneath, a rock or something. It feels like something's stabbing me. Sharp, dull, constant ... it's all kinds of pain." The injury limited his ability to run, jump and cut and was a main reason he shot only 36 percent in the playoffs; he is a 48-percent career shooter. If Pippen has to sit out, Kukoc might start at small forward. Or coach Phil Jackson might start Jud Buechler or Scott Burrell and use Kukoc to back up both the small and power forward positions "to keep his impact as sixth player intact." "Scottie delivers the ball with great energy down the court. Toni can't do that, although Toni's a startling passer at times and a good ball-handler," Jackson said. "We'll need that, and a step up in the scoring, too."

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Agent says Rodman will join Bulls this week CHICAGO -- Free-agent forward Dennis Rodman will rejoin the Chicago Bulls by Wednesday or Thursday. "He's a little under the weather now with a flu bug or something," Rodman's agent, Dwight Manley, told the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday night. "But as soon as he's able to kick that -- in the next day or two -- we expect to be in Chicago." At last report, both sides had agreed on a guaranteed base salary on $2.5 million. The disagreement has been over incentives. Manley said Rodman is committed to returning to the Bulls, despite having a $3.1 million offer from an Eastern Conference team. "Dennis will be in a Bulls uniform, hopefully soon," Manley said.