RE: Walker on ESPN

[John Lyell <Jlyell@concentric.net>]

I read in the L.A. Times that there was some bad blood between Jerry West & 
owner Jerry Buss for not giving him more controlling ownership.  Rumor has 
it Shaq & Kobe can seek free agency after 1999 and they and Agent Arn 
Tellum were close to West.  Maybe Clipper owner Donald Sterling will pull 
his head out of his ass , give West the reigns and build the Clippers into 
something other than a tax write-off for once.



On Sunday, April 26, 1998 12:12 PM, damekmo@teleport.com 
[SMTP:damekmo@teleport.com] wrote:
> >If Gaston can't handle the money, he should sell the team
> >to somebody who can and get out of this business. - Mishra
>
> Mishra...right on the money! The bottom-line? ..Walker is absolutely 
right.
> If the Celtics are serious about rebuilding they're going to have to pay
> serious money to keep serious talent. This is from the Philadelphia
> Inquirer:
>
>
> www.phillynews.com/inquirer/98/Apr/26/sports/HOOP26.htm
>
> "Apparently, the Celtics are posturing, wondering why all-star forward
> Antoine Walker said, "They'd better sign me between July 1 and Oct. 1 or
> I'm gone next summer."
> They haven't been listening.
> Walker has told several players that if he has to deal with Rick Pitino 
for
> seven months of an NBA season, he's at least going to get paid for it.<p>
> "He's looking for $17 million a year," one Eastern Conference official
> said. "Not many players are worth it, even in today's market, but he's
> close. They'll have to give up a lot."<p>
> Boston said it won't. So the Celtics must not be serious about 
rebuilding.
> "That's how I feel," Walker said weeks ago. "They would have to pay a 
free
> agent top dollars, so why not pay the one in your own backyard?""
>
> I wonder who the Eastern Conference official was who said $17 mil? But at
> $17 mil., it's a bargain. And you better believe, at the age of 22 with
> this much talent and versatility, there isn't an NBA team that wouldn't
> bend over backwards to get their hands on Walker. Unfortunately ( or 
maybe
> not, depending on your point-of-view) Walker has the upper hand here, and
> the bargaining position only gets worse for the franchise the longer this
> thing drags on into the summer (depending on the CBA negotiations). If 
they
> begin next season, whenever that is, with Walker unsigned, and they plan 
on
> trading him, they're going to get screwed. Concerning negotiating in the
> media; I think this is huge bucks we're talking about, the stakes are 
high,
> and all's fair as they say. Gaston's absolutely right to try and sqeeze 
as
> much as possible, but so is Walker. In the end though, all this
> just-try-to-be-entertaining-and-be-tough-at-home talk is not going to be
> enough next season. They're going to have to win next year or Pitino's
> ranting and raving and maniacal drilling is going to wear thin pretty
> quickly. It's Walker guys. The Celtics are awash in mediocre-at-best
> talent. If they plan on getting to 45-50 wins any time soon...it's 
Walker.
> Otherwise...take a good look at the Milwaukee Bucks, because that's the
> future. But...it's a beautiful day...I'm going to cycle about 50 miles,
> drink a ton of coffee, and tape all the playoff games to be watched while 
I
> soak and ice my tired old bones. All you young people on this list...your
> time will come. Have fun guys.
>
> Paul M.
>
>