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Exhibition mood reflects doubts about season
1:39 a.m. Dec. 5, 1998
By IRA WINDERMAN Staff Writer
KENDALL - From the small crowd to the lack of
big uniforms, it was easy to discern this was not the
real thing.
The issue for the players participating Friday
night in Tim Hardaway's charity exhibition was whether
true NBA basketball would arrive this season.
A day after Commissioner David Stern cautioned
that the league was closer to canceling the 1998-99
season than starting it, the concern was obvious among
the 20 players at Miami-Dade Community College.
Of talk that midnight is approaching in the
lockout, Bucks union representative Michael Curry said,
"Maybe we're at 11:15. We've still got 45 minutes to
go."
Curry arrived from the airport after a futile
all-day negotiating session Thursday in New York. After
that meeting, Stern said, "I now recognize the
possibility, if not the likelihood, that the season
will expire. It's more likely that we will not have a
season than have a season."
Stern's comments still were resonating as players
took the court in front of an estimated 2,500 who paid
$20 and $25.
"I don't have a lot of optimism myself," Heat
forward P.J. Brown said. "I think we're getting closer
and closer to the danger zone."
Confounding to the players is Stern's refusal to
issue a drop-dead date for the start of the season.
"In our view," Stern said early Friday, "the
season will expire of its own weight - whenever that
time is."
Cavaliers guard Brevin Knight said that has left
players in a tenuous position, not knowing how hard to
push their workouts.
"I think a lot of guys are at the point of, 'If
you're going to cancel the season, tell us now,'" he
said.
Vigorously rehabilitating from last season's thumb
surgery, Heat forward Jamal Mashburn refused to accept
that his six-days-a-week sessions are going to waste.
"I believe there will be a season," he said.
"There's way too much money involved."
While the exhibition allowed 16 NBA players and
WNBA standout Teresa Witherspoon to work up a sweat,
that was not the case for former Heat center Isaac
Austin, former Heat forward Glen Rice and Heat center
Duane Causwell. The three had to sit out because there
were not enough extra-large uniforms available.
Mash on Mash
Of the rumors that have him landing everywhere
from Boston to Golden State, Mashburn said he has
disregarded but not dismissed them. "Boston is my
college coach, so that's not really a bad thing," he
said of a possible reunion with Celtics and former
Kentucky coach Rick Pitino. ...
Heat forward Mark Strickland said he has standing
offers from Italy and Greece and immediately will sign
overseas should the NBA season be canceled. ... Austin,
also a free agent, said he recently rejected overtures
from Kinder Bologna of the Italian League, but would
play overseas if the season were canceled. ... Typical
of such exhibitions, the game started about 30 minutes
late, featured plenty of dunks and 3-pointers,
virtually no defense and Hardaway's team winning
166-163. ... Allan Houston, of the loathed Knicks, was
the lone player booed during the introductions. ...
Next up on the lockout docket is an expected Monday
annoucement of a Dec. 19 exhibition in Atlantic City
that will feature members of the four U.S. Dream Teams.
Playing for pay?
While Hardaway said between $10,000 and $20,000
in proceeds would be donated to the Children's Cancer
Caring Center of Fort Lauderdale, players also were
offered an estimated $3,500, beyond travel expenses.
While some, such as Brown, bypassed the payment,
others said there was nothing wrong with professional
players receiving money to participate in a charity
event.
"It lets people know you've always been
compensated to play basketball," Bucks guard Ray Allen
said.
Curry said he would accept the payment and then
donate it to his charitable foundation.
Copyright 1998, Sun-Sentinel Co. and South Florida Interactive, Inc.