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Some people never grow up I guess. This one ran today in the Boston
Globe.



Ex-agent denies Minor, Pitino charge

Elmore says not defrauding done

By Peter May, Globe Staff, 07/31/97 



Greg Minor's former agent yesterday vehemently denied accusations by
both Minor and Celtics coach Rick Pitino that he put the Boston guard in
financial jeopardy or defrauded him of hundreds of thousands of dollars.



Minor made an allegation in a recent court affidavit that he was
defrauded by an adviser, whom he does not identify, of as much as
$500,000. On Monday, Pitino, in a startling statement on WEEI, said
Minor had no money partly because previous agent Len Elmore received his
commission in full when he negotiated a five-year, $12.5 million deal
last summer. 



``An agent, when he [Minor] signed his new contract, took all the money
up front, so he has very little money, believe it or not,'' Pitino said
in the radio interview. ``I know it sounds astonishing. His money has
not been managed real well. He has had one problem after another, and
we're trying to organize his life, get it in the right order.''



Told of the comments, Elmore, who no longer is a player agent, was hot. 



``As far as Rick's comments are concerned, they are totally untrue and,
frankly, irresponsible,'' Elmore said. ``It is absolute nonsense. This
sounds to me like one of those situations where there are going to be
scapegoats because the actions of a young man have come back to haunt
him.''



Elmore said he did take his fee up front. But, he added, it was far less
than the normal 4 percent limit, which, based on Minor's deal, would
have been $500,000. Elmore said he received $300,000 but added he did so
with Minor's full understanding. He said Minor's financial adviser
suggested the lump sum to use as a tax deduction. 



Minor's former financial adviser, David Miller, refused to comment when
contacted yesterday. 



Elmore also said Pitino was off base in charging that Minor's money was
not managed well or that Minor had no money. The guard just purchased a
$185,000 home in Milton, according to Banker & Tradesman. He also is
scheduled to be paid $2.16 million this season, the second year of his
four-year deal. 



``Greg Minor has plenty of money,'' Elmore said. ``He has bought two
homes. He bought a new car. Greg has never been really cognizant of the
responsibilities of life as opposed to the frivolities. This is all
because of his problem with Celestyne.''



Minor has been ordered by a Kentucky court to pay Celestyne Rowan
$30,000 a month in child support for their three children. He is
appealing the order and has questioned his paternity, even though he has
supported the children for the past two years, paying $2,000 a month.
The increase to $30,000 was ordered in March, reflective of his new
salary. 



Sources also indicated that Minor, who lost $40,000 in a real estate
deal in Louisville, Ky., when he didn't follow through with the purchase
of a home, is spending close to that amount in legal fees fighting the
child support increase. 



Rowan and the children were evicted from the Louisville home in May and
forced to move in with her mother, sharing one bedroom with the
children. She recently received more than $70,000 in child support that
had been held in escrow since March. She used some of that money to pay
a one-year lease for an apartment in Louisville and will move in next
week with the children. 



Minor and Rowan no longer speak. She has full custody of the three
children. 



Minor also has been negligent in attending sessions at EMERGE, a
counseling center for batterers. He was ordered to do so last summer for
a year in exchange for not having to stand trial on a charge of
fourth-degree assault against Rowan. He started the program Sept. 16,
1996. 



``We're going to make sure Greg continues his counseling and make sure
that all the players in the future understand that this is not a
tolerable act,'' Pitino said. ``It's an act of cowardice and we will not
tolerate it. It's something we will deal with swiftly and strongly and
hope it never comes up again.''



The Celtics, however, have taken no disciplinary action against Minor.
He participated in rookie camp and also played for the team in the
rookie summer league in Atlanta this month. Pitino went so far Monday as
to say that Minor's life was in ``such shambles'' that ``I feel like
having Greg move in with me.''



Said Pitino, ``We've got to organize his life so he gets a little bit
more love than he's gotten, a little bit more discipline than he's
gotten, and also try to manage his money a little better with his new
adviser or agent because, I tell you, it's a big mess for him.''



This story ran on page C06 of the Boston Globe on 07/31/97. 
© Copyright 1997 Globe Newspaper Company. 
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