Re: Spur's are Tanking!!

["JLyell" <jlyell@concentric.net>]

I agree that is pretty blatant.  I can't believe they were stupid enough to
actually make these statements !  Anyone know how to forward this to the
league office  ?  They did win tonight though.

- ----------
> From: JASPINDLER@aol.com
> To: celtics@igtc.com; FrannieG@msn.com
> Subject: Spur's are Tanking!!
> Date: Friday, March 07, 1997 6:33 PM
> 
> On March 4th,  FrannieG@msn.com inquired about the return of David
Robinson
> to the Spur's
> active roster.  Check out the following story!!! If there is any
verifiable
> truth to this, then David
> Stern should immediateley disqualify the Spurs from getting the #1 pick
in
> the 1997 Draft.
> 
> CELTICS - Chicago Tribune (TRIB)                          STORY 3
> 
> SPORTS
>  PRO BASKETBALL REPORT.
>  SPURS COULD BE RIDING HIGH IN '98  IF DUNCAN JOINS A HEALTHY
> ROBINSON, SAN ANTONIO WILL RISE
>  Sam Smith.  Sam Smith covers pro basketball for the
> 
> Tribune.
>  9963 Characters
> 03/04/97
>  (Copyright 1997)
>    The Bulls get a chance Wednesday night at the team that may
> be their biggest threat to an NBA title--next season.
>    The San Antonio Spurs.
>    The current Spurs are mostly a hopeless collection of backups
> trying to finish the season without any more injuries.
>    "I don't watch the standings anymore," Avery Johnson said.
> "No reason to. We're not in the race."
>    They're playing without David Robinson, Sean Elliott, Charles
> Smith, Chuck Person and lately Dominique Wilkins, who's out with a
> hamstring injury.
>    "If it weren't for bad luck," Wilkins said, "we wouldn't have
> any at all."
>    Vinny Del Negro and Will Perdue, although back, have missed
> large portions of the season with injuries.
>    The Spurs have been one of the winningest teams of the 1990s.
>    "People don't realize what small things all this hangs on,"
> says Spurs coach and General Manager Gregg Popovich. "I can't tell
> you how often I think back to that (1995) conference final series
> against the Rockets. If Sean Elliott doesn't miss those two free
> throws at the end of Game 1, it might be a totally different
> series. It's scary that those things can change everything. It can
> turn a whole franchise around."
>    The Spurs lost the first two games at home and then won both
> in Houston before losing in six games to the Rockets, who then
> swept the Orlando Magic in the Finals.
>    But there's a huge "if" for the Spurs. They have the league's
> third-worst record and because Vancouver can't get the first pick
> in the NBA draft, it's pretty much between the Spurs and Boston
> Celtics. If San Antonio were to get that top pick it could draft
> Wake Forest's Tim Duncan, regarded as the best big man to come out
> of college this decade other than Shaquille O'Neal. The Spurs would
> team him with Robinson and Elliott next season to become the
> favorite in the West.
>    That's why Robinson, who might be able to return from a
> broken foot by the end of March, may be held out the rest of the
> season.
>    "Do we bring him back or not?" Popovich wondered. "It's not
> always two plus two equals four."
>    Robinson has been saying he wants to return this season, but
> may not if all his presence can do is lessen the Spurs' chances at
> the No. 1 pick by winning more games.
>    "Our effort has been great," Robinson said. "But losing day
> in and day out wears on you. I think our guys can hold our heads
> up."
>    Especially if they're looking at Robinson and Duncan next
> season.
>    PHOTO;
> Caption: PHOTO: Spurs All-Star center David Robinson is
> unlikely to return this season, especially if it would hurt San
> Antonio's draft position. AP photo.
>