Wesley maintains focus despite tragedy

[kevin <kevin.lok@lycosmail.com>]

http://www.telegram.com/sports/celts2.html
Wesley maintains focus despite tragedy

Win over Celtics is 5th straight for playoff-bound Hornets
Monday, April 17, 2000
By Bill Doyle
Telegram & Gazette Staff
Hornets 105 Celtics 102
BOSTON -- Rick Pitino doesn't own up to many mistakes, but he has
admitted not re-signing David Wesley was one of them.
         “I heard about that,” Wesley said before his Hornets stung the
Celtics, 105-102, yesterday afternoon. “What does it really mean?
Probably in my career a lot of people said that. There's a lot of people
who didn't give me that chance. Once I finally get it, I get the job
done. But I don't have a lot of flash.”
         When Pitino took over the Celtics three years ago, he allowed
Wesley to sign with Charlotte as a free agent. Pitino found no reason to
keep a point guard for a team that had won only 15 games, but had Wesley
remained Boston wouldn't have wasted a draft pick on Chauncey Billups or
be paying double Wesley's salary to Kenny Anderson.
         Wesley (13.7 points, 5.7 assists, .421 shooting percentage) and
Anderson (14, 5.2, .437) have similar statistics and are both 29 years
old, but Wesley plays better defense.
         Yesterday, Wesley had eight points and three assists before
giving way to rookie Baron Davis in the fourth quarter. Anderson had 12
points and three assists.
         “Everybody makes mistakes,” Wesley said. “I worked out for
Pitino. I wanted to be here. That's the way it works sometimes.”
         Speaking of mistakes, Danny Fortson made a glaring one midway
through the fourth quarter to give Charlotte an easy basket. Fortson
grabbed a defensive rebound, then fouled Hornet Brad Miller and
traveled. Or at least he thought he did. No whistle was blown, but
Fortson believed one was and in the confusion he threw the ball to
Charlotte's Davis, whom he thought was Boston's Dana Barros.
         “I was stunned,” Davis said. “I didn't know what to do.”
         Davis quickly found Eddie Robinson for an alley-oop dunk to
increase the visitors' lead to 93-86 with 5:55 left. Pitino called
timeout and Fortson sat out the rest of the game.
         “Nothing you can really do, just go sit on the bench and watch
the rest of the game,” Fortson said. “I guess he (Pitino) was mad. I
made one mistake out there and I have to go sit down. That's the way the
ball bounces sometimes.”
         “Whether you think you get a good whistle or not, you've got to
stay in tune to the game,” Pitino said.
         Anderson, Paul Pierce (18 points) and Antoine Walker (21
points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds) each missed 3-pointers in the final
seconds as Boston saw its three-game win streak snapped. The Celtics
fell to 4-13 in games decided by three or fewer points. Eddie Jones
paced Charlotte with 25 points.
         Had Wesley remained in Boston, he would not have been involved
in the unfortunate speeding incident outside the Charlotte Coliseum that
claimed the life of teammate Bobby Phills. The players were racing
against one another and Phills lost control of his vehicle. Wesley
remains haunted by the loss of his good friend.
         “It's been very tough,” Wesley said. “It's something I have to
deal with, something I have to continue to work at, continue to get
through.
         “You can't go through something like that without changing,
without reevaluating things. For awhile maybe shy away from fans. In the
midst of a game, they forget you're real people and they have some
negative things to say.”
         Rather than tearing the team apart, the incident pulled
together the Hornets.
         “It's made us closer, especially off the court,” Wesley said.
“We hang out more, do things together more.”
         Somehow the Hornets have maintained their focus. They're
playing their best ball now, having won five in a row and 12 of their
last 14. They're a solid bet to finish as the fifth seed in the Eastern
Conference playoff race.
         “I don't think this team fears any team,” Wesley said. “I think
we can play with any team. And with all the problems we've had this
season, we're playing well right now.”
         Wesley wouldn't say if winning for his friend has become part
of his motivation.
         “I don't really even want to get into it,” Wesley said. “If it
is, it's a personal thing.”
         To be honest, Wesley is glad Pitino decided not to keep him. He
might have saved the Celtics some money, but he realizes he wouldn't
have made enough of a difference to prevent their seventh consecutive
losing season.
         “It definitely wouldn't be any fun,” he said.
         He appreciated the phone calls he received from former Celtic
teammates Pervis Ellison, Dana Barros and Dee Brown after the accident.
         “You haven't talked to somebody in two years, but they think
enough of you to call,” Wesley said. “It means a lot.”
© 2000 Worcester Telegram & Gazette