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globe article
FOLKS, I COPY THIS TO THE GROUP WITH APOLOGIES TO THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT
APPROVE... I KNOW THIS IS A DISCUSSION GROUP, NOT A FORUM FOR NEWSPAPER
ARTICLES. THIS ARTICLE DOES A VERY GOOD JOB OF LAYING OUT WHAT MIGHT BE ONE
OF THE BEST STEALS THE CELTICS HAVE EVER PULLED OFF.
Pick and roll: Mavericks' moves
may leave Celtics in great
position
By Michael Holley, Globe Staff, 02/19/97
SAN JOSE, Calif. - This is
the behind-the-scenes
story of how the Dallas
Mavericks conceived,
developed, and ultimately
destroyed the NBA's first
romantic/comedic serial.
By the end of this tale, you
should know why the
people who run the Celtics
are now smiling in the
California sun.
Time: 1992-97.
Cities: Dallas, Boston,
Chicago, Phoenix, Miami, East Rutherford, N.J., Maui,
San Jose, and, possibly, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Main characters: Toni Braxton, Jim Jackson, Jamal
Mashburn, Jason Kidd, Jim Cleamons, Don Nelson,
M.L. Carr, Jan Volk, Eric Montross, Samaki Walker,
Antoine Walker, and, possibly, Tim Duncan.
Chapter One, Dallas, '92:
The 22-60 Mavericks have the fourth pick in the college
draft. Like everyone else, they would love to select
Louisiana State center Shaquille O'Neal. But he will go
first to the Magic, and the Mavericks will take Ohio
State guard Jackson.
They say they are happy to get Jackson, so happy that
management puts a financial squeeze on him during
contract negotiations.
The Mavericks don't want to pay him as if he were the
No. 4 pick. Jackson is the last first-rounder to sign. And
when he does join the team, only 28 games remain in
what will become an 11-71 season.
Chapter Two, Dallas, '93:
Mashburn drafted and signed. The only problem is that
he announces that the head coach has no idea what he's
doing. The coach, former Celtic Quinn Buckner, is fired
at the end of the 13-69 season.
Chapter Three, Dallas, Boston, '94:
You already know that this is not going to be a story of
winning. But perhaps you see the thread of controversy
running through it.
The Mavericks hold the second pick in the draft and will
be able to choose between California's Kidd and Duke's
Grant Hill. In the spring, Kidd had been arrested for
fleeing the scene of an accident in the Bay area (he had
been traveling over 100 miles per hour). Everyone
knows Hill is the best all-around player in the draft, but
the Mavericks select Kidd. There appears to be hope.
The Mavericks finish 36-46. In that same draft, the
Celtics take 7-footer Montross.
Chapter Four, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, '95-96
The team stinks. The coach, a short man named Dick
Motta, points far above his head and says he has had it
up to there with his team's, um, behavior. Kidd wonders
whether Jackson is a leader. Jackson wonders whether
Kidd knows what a leader is. Mashburn is hurt. And if
he weren't hurt, he would want the ball.
Enough? Nooooo.
Motta leaves. Cleamons, a respected assistant with the
NBA champion Bulls, takes over as head coach. He
hears that Jackson doesn't like Kidd and Kidd doesn't
like Jackson. They say they can't play together.
He says they will play together. Later we find that
award-winning pop singer Braxton ("Unbreak My
Heart") has an interest in Kidd, but Kidd believes that
Jackson coyly moved in on his romantic interest. There
are denials and accusations. During all this, Braxton
decides that she really is interested in Magic forward
David Vaughn. At that same time, Carr and Volk, Celtics
executives, decide that they should make a phone call to
Dallas.
Chapter Five, The Key Boston-to-Dallas Call, '96
So, the Celtics say, we have the No. 9 pick in the June
draft and you have the No. 6. You need a center and we
have a center, a kid named Montross. We'll give you
Montross and the No. 9 if you give us the No. 6 and
something else.
The Mavericks have two picks, their own and the
Timberwolves'. They want to give up the Timberwolves'
pick and the No. 6; Carr and Volk want the No. 6 and
the Mavericks' 1997 pick. With no restrictions. This
means that if the Mavericks don't make the playoffs, they
can't suddenly reclaim the pick.
The Mavericks were 26-56 the year before. They hadn't
made the playoffs since 1990. They had gone 24-140 in
a two-year period. They had no business giving up an
unconditional first-rounder. But they believed they would
be a good team.
The deal was made. The Celtics selected Antoine
Walker with the No. 6. The Mavericks selected Samaki
Walker with the No. 9. When Lakers executive Jerry
West heard about the deal, sources say he called Carr
and congratulated him on a coup.
Chapter Six, Phoenix, '96
Kidd is traded to the Suns for three players, none of
whom has his talent. Cleamons approved the trade.
Chapter Seven, Dallas, Maui, Miami, '97
The Mavericks hold a meeting with Jackson and
Mashburn. They announce that both are "officially off the
trading block." Someone hums the chorus of a
Fleetwood Mac song ("Tell me lies/tell me sweet little lies
..."). The Mavericks, who have no general manager,
contact former Celtic Don Nelson and send him game
tapes.
At the time, Nelson is chillin' in Hawaii. He had been
forced out by the Warriors and fired by the Knicks. He
had paychecks coming and didn't need the pressure of a
team with a 'tude. Ah, but he returned. He immediately
dumped a huge center named Oliver Miller. He then
traded Mashburn to the Heat for three players, none of
whom has Mashburn's talent.
Chapter Eight, Dallas-to-East Rutherford, N.J.,
shuttle, '97
Nelson says he studied the Mavericks' demeanor. "I
observed it, I watched it, and basically got sick about it,"
he said. So a headline in the Dallas Morning News reads,
"Nelson pulls it off: fires whole team."
Yes, included in that deal to the Nets was Jackson, the
man who brought hope to Maverick fans. He was one of
five Mavericks to leave town in exchange for four Nets.
Chapter Nine, Seattle, '97
"They should have announced that the Mavericks and
Nets were trading franchises," Rick Fox mused when he
heard the news in Seattle's Key Arena.
In one of the arena's rooms, Carr and Volk chatted.
Both men said all the right things publicly. "I'm not
paid to
analyze other teams," Carr said, smiling.
He knew. Volk knew, too. Trades, good ones or bad
ones, usually don't help a team instantly. There are
adjustments, new friends, new cities, new homes.
"Century 21 made out in the deal," Carr said. "Nine new
homes to sell."
The Celtics made out in the deal, too. They have their
own pick and Dallas's. Both teams will be bad enough to
have a shot at Wake Forest center Duncan, the next
great pro player.
"He's big-time," Sonics coach George Karl said. "I like
his mentality. It's exciting to me that a guy wanted to stay
in school for four years to enjoy his life, rather than pay
for his life."
Chapter 10, San Jose, '97
Celtics executives are smiling. It does not appear that the
joke is on them.
This story ran on page f1 of the Boston Globe on
02/19/97.
Mark Estepp 704 262 3111
Appalachian State University 704 262 2088 (fax)
Esteppjm@AppState.edu