Whoa Nellie

[j.hironaka@unesco.org]

Here's the AP story on the Mav's rookie Leon Smith, who I imagine will
walk away with 5 million dollars even if he's cut from the team. I say
bring on Zhi Zhi from the People's Liberation Army.

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Teenage draftee storms out
Associated Press

DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks draftee Leon Smith stormed out of his first
formal NBA workout after refusing a coach's order to run an extra set of
sprints and flinging his practice jersey to the floor before stunned
teammates and spectators.

Smith, the Mavericks' first-round draft pick, apologized later Tuesday
to the entire team after a closed-door session with assistant coach
Donnie Nelson and father Don, the Mavericks' coach and general manager.

The outburst began near the end of the afternoon workout at the
Mavericks' Baylor-Landry Center practice facility. Smith, 18, had been
told about completing the additional sprints but then asked Nelson, "Why
don't you run it?"

When Nelson asked Smith to repeat the comment, the draftee complied.

"That's two more for you, Leon," Nelson replied.

But Smith left for the Mavericks' locker room instead of running either
set.

"I sat down with him and we talked about it," the elder Nelson said.
"We're going to put it behind us."

Smith, 6-11 and 235 pounds, apologized at the evening workout,
"promising to the people of Dallas that I won't do it again."

The Mavericks, who pulled off a draft-day trade with the San Antonio
Spurs to acquire the rights to Smith last week, lured him as a raw
forward from Chicago's Martin Luther King High School.

Smith, who has been a ward of the state of Illinois since estrangement
from his parents at age 5, has a guaranteed three-year contract worth
almost $2 million upon signing with Dallas.

Donnie Nelson attributed Smith's conflict to youth and unfamiliarity.
The elder Nelson said Smith "definitely will be a Maverick someday; it's
just a matter of when." Smith said he was frustrated by "little things
that happened" during practice.

"I've got a lot of things to learn and, being young, I'm going to get
frustrated,"said Smith. "If they can't accept that, I don't know ... .
I'm trying as hard as I can."

Minutes later, the player said, "This is typical me. This is Leon every
day. I'm not going to change."