Agent: Mercer Was Misled And Lied To By Pitino

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

                     Mercer gives Issel a deadline
                                                       
                     Agent says Nuggets must sign player by          
                     start of season                                 
                                                           
                     By Clay Latimer                                 
                     Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer       
                     <snip>

                     Mercer might be especially sensitive
                     right now, his agent said, because
                     Celtics president-coach Rick Pitino led
                     Mercer to believe he was going to
                     another team.

                     "It was a shock, honestly, because that
                     wasn't the team that he expected," Scott
                     said. "We feel Rick Pitino went behind
                     our back and did a totally different
                     deal.

                     "You could believe Rick Pitino for as
                     long as it took me to walk to the other
                     end of the court. He tells you one
                     thing, and then he gets with the media
                     and he says another thing. His word is
                     not good."

                     Mercer played two successful seasons
                     with the Celtics before announcing he
                     would leave the club after the 1999-2000
                     season unless Pitino gave him a new
                     contract.

                     Mercer ranked second on the team in
                     scoring and steals last season and
                     scored a career-high 35 points against
                     the Nuggets on March 5. "We had no
                     desire to trade Ron," said Pitino, who
                     did so, he said, because of financial
                     reasons.

                     August 5, 1999

                    
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