ducks
10-03-2003, 02:09 PM
Davis not exactly happy to be a Raptor
Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) _ Antonio Davis doesn't sound like he wants to be with the Toronto Raptors anymore.
Asked Thursday if he wants to stay, the center said: ``I'm here.''
Davis faced the media for the first time since rumors surfaced that he asked for a trade. He said he didn't come flat out and ask to be dealt, but it sounds as if he'd prefer to be elsewhere.
He criticized the team for not making enough moves to improve itself.
``I took time to look over what transpired over the summer. I didn't go in there and tell them I think you should move me, but I also understand the nature of this business,'' Davis said.
``When I look at our roster, I'm sure all of you have printed that I'm coming up on 35, and given my situation and my salary structure and all that, yeah, I have to wonder if this team is going to make moves and they haven't.''
Davis, who has three years and $37 million left on his contract, sold his Toronto home over the summer. He didn't want to talk about whether his family is happy in Toronto, but he complained two years ago about his children having to learn ``O Canada'' and the metric system.
``I have to be a father first and a husband first,'' he said.
Davis welcomes a move sooner rather than later.
``If you're going to trade me, trade me,'' he said. ``Whenever they are going to do, let them do it so I can situated.''
The 6-foot-9 Davis averaged 13.9 points and 8.2 rebounds in 53 games last season. He missed the final 11 games with a groin injury and a swollen right knee, which he had surgery on over the summer.
The Raptors went 24-58 last year and Davis doesn't want to go through that again.
``Nobody respects us. We're going to have to work twice as hard as anybody,'' he said.
Raptors star Vince Carter doesn't want to see Davis traded.
``I hope we can figure out something. As far as I know he's not happy, from what I hear,'' Carter said. ``If that's what he wants to do, we just have to support that. At the same time we'd love to have him.''
Guard Alvin Williams said the Raptors better get something significant in return for Davis.
``I hope he doesn't get traded unless we get a Michael Jordan from 1985 for him,'' Williams said. ``He's somebody we came up with. He's been through a lot with the team.''
Davis spent six seasons with Indiana before coming to Toronto in a deal before the 1999-00 season for the rights to forward Jonathan Bender. He had his best season in 2000-01, averaging 13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds.
New coach Kevin O'Neill expects Davis to be a professional this year.
``I'm expecting Antonio Davis to be Antonio Davis, a hard playing guy, a blue collar guy, a good leader on and off the court,'' O'Neill said. ``He's one of the guys that we are going to build our team around. I just expect him to be here at 10 o'clock in the morning to suit it up like he's done for the last decade. I don't think we should expect anything different.'' link (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/gen/wire?messageId=24272873)
Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) _ Antonio Davis doesn't sound like he wants to be with the Toronto Raptors anymore.
Asked Thursday if he wants to stay, the center said: ``I'm here.''
Davis faced the media for the first time since rumors surfaced that he asked for a trade. He said he didn't come flat out and ask to be dealt, but it sounds as if he'd prefer to be elsewhere.
He criticized the team for not making enough moves to improve itself.
``I took time to look over what transpired over the summer. I didn't go in there and tell them I think you should move me, but I also understand the nature of this business,'' Davis said.
``When I look at our roster, I'm sure all of you have printed that I'm coming up on 35, and given my situation and my salary structure and all that, yeah, I have to wonder if this team is going to make moves and they haven't.''
Davis, who has three years and $37 million left on his contract, sold his Toronto home over the summer. He didn't want to talk about whether his family is happy in Toronto, but he complained two years ago about his children having to learn ``O Canada'' and the metric system.
``I have to be a father first and a husband first,'' he said.
Davis welcomes a move sooner rather than later.
``If you're going to trade me, trade me,'' he said. ``Whenever they are going to do, let them do it so I can situated.''
The 6-foot-9 Davis averaged 13.9 points and 8.2 rebounds in 53 games last season. He missed the final 11 games with a groin injury and a swollen right knee, which he had surgery on over the summer.
The Raptors went 24-58 last year and Davis doesn't want to go through that again.
``Nobody respects us. We're going to have to work twice as hard as anybody,'' he said.
Raptors star Vince Carter doesn't want to see Davis traded.
``I hope we can figure out something. As far as I know he's not happy, from what I hear,'' Carter said. ``If that's what he wants to do, we just have to support that. At the same time we'd love to have him.''
Guard Alvin Williams said the Raptors better get something significant in return for Davis.
``I hope he doesn't get traded unless we get a Michael Jordan from 1985 for him,'' Williams said. ``He's somebody we came up with. He's been through a lot with the team.''
Davis spent six seasons with Indiana before coming to Toronto in a deal before the 1999-00 season for the rights to forward Jonathan Bender. He had his best season in 2000-01, averaging 13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds.
New coach Kevin O'Neill expects Davis to be a professional this year.
``I'm expecting Antonio Davis to be Antonio Davis, a hard playing guy, a blue collar guy, a good leader on and off the court,'' O'Neill said. ``He's one of the guys that we are going to build our team around. I just expect him to be here at 10 o'clock in the morning to suit it up like he's done for the last decade. I don't think we should expect anything different.'' link (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/gen/wire?messageId=24272873)