Sprewell's News Conference

[Steve Huffman <stevhuff@eastky.net>]

This could be interesting.  Johnny Cochran is on Sprewell's legal
team and will be at the news conference today.


http://web.sportsextra.com/view.cgi?BC-BKP-LGNS-SPREWELL-R

The saga of new NBA outlaw Latrell Sprewell will
continue this afternoon when the fallen star holds his
first press conference since being suspended from the
league for a year.

Sprewell had his contract terminated by the Golden
State Warriors and was subsequently banned from the
league for a year for his attack of Golden State coach
P.J. Carlesimo December 1st.

The news conference is scheduled for an Oakland
hotel at 5 p.m. EST.

Attending today's press conference will be Sprewell,
Robinson, famed O.J. Simpson laywer Johnnie Cochran,
agent Arn Tellum, National Basketball Players
Association legal counsel Bob Lanza, and NBPA
executive director Billy Hunter.

Kurt Robinson, a member of Sprewell's legal counsel,
said Monday on KNBR Radio in San Francisco that
Sprewell and Carlesimo accepted each others' apologies
on a phone call over the weekend.

He (Sprewell) actually wanted to talk to him
 (Carlesimo) face-to-face, but he is banned (from NBA
venues)," Robinson told KNBR. "The apology was
accepted, and he apologized to Spree. Absolutely
 (Sprewell accepted the apology). He is concerned with
the man-to-man issues with Carlesimo."

The NBPA filed separate grievances Friday evening,
challenging the Warriors' decision to terminate Sprewell
as well as the one-year suspension imposed on him by
the NBA.

The NBPA outlined the grievances in a brief letter to
the league and requested that the remainder of
Sprewell's $7.7 million salary for the 1997-98 season be
placed in escrow, pending a resolution of the
grievances.

Sprewell essentially was fired by the Warriors last
Wednesday for twice attacking Carlesimo during
practice two days earlier. While terminating Sprewell's
four-year, $32 million contract made him a free agent,
league's suspension prevents him from playing for
any NBA team until December 3rd, 1998.

Sprewell originally was suspended for at least 10
games without pay by the Warriors. He had been at
odds all season with Carlesimo, who is in his first season
as Warriors coach. It was the first time in NBA history
that a player had his contract terminated for
insubordination.
The termination was possible under Section 16 of the
Uniform Player Contract, which addresses ethical
conduct and moral terpitude.

Sprewell ended a season-long silence Wednesday
night, telling San Francisco television station KPIX he
made a mistake in attacking Carlesimo, whom he said
verbally abused him. He apologized to his fans, family
and friends, but not to his coach or teammates.

 The 27-year-old Sprewell was 10th in the league in
 scoring at 21.4 points per game. But he was shooting
just under 40 percent from the field for a Warriors' team
that owns the worst record in the Western Conference
at 2-15.

A three-time All-Star, Sprewell is coming off the
finest season of his five-year career. He averaged 24.2
points, 6.3 assists and 4.6 rebounds while shooting
nearly 45 percent in 80 games. The 1992 first-round
draft choice led the Warriors in scoring each of the
previous four seasons.