[Ira Winderman]
NBA players' remarks creating problems
December 12, 1998
Like many fans, Timberwolves union
representative Sam Mitchell said he cringed
at comments offered during the announcement
of next week's all-star event in Atlantic
City.
Of observations from Heat center
Alonzo Mourning and Knicks center Patrick
Ewing about the need to take up a
collection for low-salaried players,
Mitchell said on a Minneapolis radio
station, "Every guy has a right to say what
he wants to say. I understand where Patrick
and Alonzo are trying to come from, but
when one of them makes $18 million and the
other one makes $17 million, and the
(minimum) salary of an NBA player is
$272,500, it's kind of hard to say."
Not only did Mitchell get Mourning's
salary wrong (it is $13 million for
'98-99), but also attributed a Ewing
comment to Mourning.
"The one that blew me away was when
Alonzo said, 'We make a lot of money, but
we spend a lot of money,' " Mitchell said.
"If I was a fan, and I didn't play
basketball, the first thing I would say
would be, 'Why don't the players who make
the most go to their checking accounts and
write a check for the 'needy?' "
Mitchell said it has not been easy for
anyone in the middle of this mess, even now
that the decision has been made to donate
all proceeds from the Atlantic City event
to charity.
"Everywhere you go, people say, 'I
thought y'all was idiots. Now I know y'all
are idiots,' " he said.
Proper perspective
Of the concept of a fund-raising game
for low-salaried players, agent Norman
Blass said, "It's hard to be sympathetic
for a guy making a couple million dollars.
I think people would rather see a benefit
run for the guys who are losing their jobs
because of the Exxon/Mobile merger." ...
Toronto's Charles Oakley, the former
Knicks power forward, last week questioned
in The New York Times the likes of Ewing
and Mourning trumpeting the union's cause.
"That's why we're in this situation," he
said. "You have all these so-called
franchise players who aren't leaders, who
don't make anyone better." ...
Former Heat guard John Crotty, now a
member of the Trail Blazers, is coaching a
team of fourth-grade girls at St. John the
Apostle School in Portland. "They're all so
enthusiastic about learning the game,"
Crotty said. "Just the basic things are so
exciting to them." ...
Damon Stoudamire insists the NBA is
being missed. "You might have your die-hard
hockey fans," the Portland free-agent point
guard said, "but who wants to just watch
hockey?" ...
To LaPhonso Ellis, though, the loss is
not so severe. "If we're playing, great,"
the Nuggets free-agent forward said. "If
we're not playing, it's still great,
because then I get to do what really makes
me whole, and that's being home with my
wife and kids."
A Pistons pitch
Although likely out for the season
following an Achilles injury in a pick-up
game, Christian Laettner has hired Grant
Hill's agent, Washington attorney Lon
Babby, to help him land in Detroit as a
free agent ...
With the Mavericks only offering a
one-year contract, Cedric Ceballos
apparently is gone from Dallas. Agent Fred
Slaughter said Phoenix, Houston, Orlando,
Denver and Atlanta are the front-runners
for the free-agent forward ...
Former Notre Dame forward Pat Garrity,
the Bucks' first-round pick who was dealt
to Phoenix on draft night, is the latest
NBA talent pursued by Kinder Bologna of the
Italian League. Kinder is getting desperate
for a boost with former Spurs forward Zarko
Paspalj turning into a bust. Paspalj was
added as a favor to Kinder standout and
former Heat guard Sasha Danilovic ...
Instead of waiting for a season that
may never happen, Hornets point guard B.J.
Armstrong had his left knee scoped a week
ago to remove loose cartilage. Recovery
time is three to four weeks. "This gave me
the chance to go ahead and take care of
it," he said ...
In assembling his staff, new Bucks
coach George Karl said he gave serious
consideration to hiring broadcaster, WNBA
coach and women's basketball legend Cheryl
Miller as an assistant coach. "We felt in a
new situation it was better to go out and
make the sure call than maybe take a
chance," Karl said on his Seattle-based
radio show. "She's a pretty tough-minded
person. She wouldn't back down."
Karl's klaims
Karl Malone considers the season over.
A week ago on his Los Angeles-based radio
show, he said of this past Friday, "If we
don't have a deal done by Friday I'd say
the season is canceled." Of course, in
early November, the Jazz power forward
predicted the lockout would be over in "a
week to 10 days." In late November, Malone
predicted the NBA would be playing by
Christmas "for sure." ...
Jazz guard John Stockton said even a
canceled season would not cancel his
attendance at daily pick-up games. "If they
cancel the season, I'll probably be up here
every day, anyhow," he said. "I just love
playing basketball." The odd thing about
those games in Salt Lake City is Stockton
is the only one with a regulation NBA
basketball. Frustrated by the efforts of
others in a recent game, Stockton literally
took his ball and went home ...
With 10 players participating in
regular workouts in Indiana, the Pacers are
convinced they'll have a leg up on the
competition should the season open. "I
don't know if we'll start off 15-0," guard
Mark Jackson said, "but it will be an
advantage because we're together and we're
committed to winning and being in shape
when it starts."
Copyright 1998, Sun-Sentinel Co. and South Florida