Trivia Time

More genius moves on Red and Trader Bob's part. Let Strickland go because he's a 'troublemaker' but then pursue Mad Max. Even O'Keefe could get this right. Thank God Red sold the team.

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Pay heed to ominous rumors on Maxwell deal Kevin



Publication Date : January 12, 1993

OKEEFFE.COLUMN Pay heed to ominous rumors on Maxwell deal Kevin O'Keeffe


As if Monday mornings aren't difficult enough to deal with . . .



Did you happen to catch the item at the bottom of the front page of the Express-News sports section yesterday?


Maxwell Hints at S.A. Return.


Ugh.


Just who the Spurs don't need Vernon Maxwell.


Seems Maxwell, who spent a year and a half in S.A. before being given away to the Houston Rockets for $50,000 in February 1990, told Houston radio station KTRH that he'd heard from a "source" that the Spurs were trying to get him back.


Since Maxwell and Spurs coach John Lucas talk each day, it would seem the "source" would likely be Lucas.


Lucas denies it . . . sort of.


"I want to make sure Vernon's OK," Lucas said in Monday's Express-News. "We talk about other things. I don't think there is anything going on about a trade for Vernon."


Hmmmmmm.


Lucas' use of the words, "don't think" are somewhat frightening.


Lucas and Maxwell became fast friends in Houston where Lucas ran a drug rehabilitation center before becoming Spurs coach last month. The two used to have lunch together at least twice a week and would talk on the telephone daily. In January 1991, Maxwell was living in Lucas' old house in Houston.


"I think the Rockets are trying to trade me and that wouldn't bother me one bit," Maxwell said. "I would like to have a say in where I go."


And judging by this plant with the Houston radio station, Maxwell is trying to orchestrate the entire thing.


At least that's the reading Spurs VP for Basketball Operations Bob Bass gets.


"Maxwell wants out of Houston," Bass said via telephone from his hotel room in Troy, Mich. Bass is on the Spurs' road trip, which began last night with a game against the Detroit Pistons.


"Something like this (Maxwell trade story) is going to crop up again because so many players all like John," Bass said.


The Houston Chronicle reported that a "source" said a deal between the clubs which would send Vinny Del Negro to Houston in exchange for Maxwell would be completed this week. The NBA's trading deadline is Feb. 25.


"There is nothing going on whatsoever with Vernon," Bass said. "That's all coming from him."


While there are any number of excellent reasons the Spurs don't need Maxwell, the most obvious is that he isn't a point guard. The Spurs have no need for another shooting guard, especially one with such a checkered past.


If the Spurs want to move Del Negro, who is guaranteed $11 million over the life of his contract, for a true point guard, that's fine.


But Maxwell . . .


Listen, regardless of Spurs owner B.J. McCombs' foibles in running this franchise, B.J. will not make a bad business deal.


How much did he think of Maxwell to let him for $50,000?


Hey, Maxwell makes Rod Strickland look like a good guy.


Remember, former Spurs coach Larry Brown thought so little of Maxwell he kept David Wingate, a guy who had been charged with rape in two different states, and got rid of Maxwell.


Maxwell used to brag about his night-time escapades in San Antonio. He told the Houston Chronicle Jan 29, 1991 that he could spend eight hours nonstop at a nightclub and reach double-digit cocktails as fast as he could score in double-digits.


Isn't that special?


Maxwell's off-the-court antics got so bad that he received a warning from McCombs to stop frequenting particular places in town.


Isn't that just the kind of guy you want on a team with Lloyd Daniels, who has worked so diligently to clean up his life? What a nice influence Max would be on Daniels.


And given the iffy background of Dale Ellis, even Lucas shouldn't want to invite trouble by having Maxwell around, regardless of how close the two are.


Maxwell was damaged goods when he arrived in San Antonio via a trade with Denver in 1988. A talented guard with an ability to hit a three-pointer, Max watched his stock fall at Florida after his name was linked to drug problems with the basketball program at the school.


Testifying under immunity, Maxwell, the chief witness in a grand jury probe, admitted that drugs were purchased with money obtained from UF boosters. Maxwell admitted using drugs often during his matriculation at Florida.


While Maxwell swears that's in the past, there is still the matter of him simply being a class A jerk.


On Nov. 20, 1991, Maxwell sucker-punched teammate Dave Jamerson after Jamerson had the nerve to knock the ball away from Maxwell during a play at practice.


Jamerson called Maxwell, "a punk."


At the very least.


Lucas was witness to that incident, pulling Maxwell off the court after he struck Jamerson in the face.


You'll recall Maxwell was pouting before last season with regard to his contract. He said to more than one reporter that he just wasn't sure how hard he could play for the money the Rockets were paying him.


So the Rockets did the absolutely worst thing: They rewarded Maxwell with a four-year extension at $1.6 million annually.


Now, they'd like to get rid of him and can't give him away with his excess baggage.


Thus, Maxwell is trying to help, planting "sources say" stories with as many media types as possible.


Before letting Bass go Monday afternoon, I said, "There's no way you'd bring Maxwell back here, would you?"


Bass replied, "I never say never."


Bob, in this case please make an exception.


Never bring Vernon Maxwell back to S.A.

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This sums up a bit of Spurs history from DRob's rookie year to the arrival of TD...

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What went wrong

Publication Date : November 15, 1996

The Spurs advanced the Western Conference semifinals in 1989-90, the rookie years of David Robinson and Sean Elliott. Big things were expected from the Larry Brown-coached team - a trip to the Finals, perhaps even a championship. But the Spurs were eliminated in the first round the following season, and those expectations weren't met under Brown. Some of the reasons: -The backcourt of Rod Strickland, Vernon Maxwell and David Wingate came apart amidst on- and off-court troubles. Wingate eventually was waived; Maxwell was sold to the Rockets; Strickland eventually left as a free agent. -Key reserve Frank Brickowski fell out of favor with Brown, his minutes dropping in the latter stages of the playoffs. At Brown's urging, Brickowski was traded during the off-season for guard Paul Pressey, a move that didn't pay off. -To replace Brickowski's big presence, the Spurs acquired power forward

Sidney Green. But playing out of condition, Green never contributed. He was eventually traded for J.R. Reid. -Brown complained that he couldn't get the players to play hard for him; Owner Red McCombs responded that was Brown's job. Brown eventually left the Spurs.

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Ok, Red wouldn't give $12 million to Rod Strickland but he gave $11 million to Vinny Del Negro.

This certainly explains why there is a 'McCombs School of Business'...

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A Promise Not Kept



Publication Date : November 15, 1996

- Larry Brown's Spurs came close in 1989-90, but wouldn't get closer By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer

T hat was some team.
You remember it. It was 1989-90, the first NBA season for David Robinson and Sean Elliott. Their teammates in the starting circle were Terry Cummings, Rod Strickland and Willie Anderson.

Big help off the bench came from Frank Brickowski and David Wingate.

Larry Brown was the coach and he rode the team to Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Trail Blazers.

You probably also remember what happened that night in Portland.

San Antonio had victory in its grasp. It led 97-90 with 2:32 left to play. Then the experience of the Blazers overcame the anxious youth of the Spurs.

Kevin Duckworth hit a 13-footer, Clyde Drexler drilled a three-pointer, Jerome Kersey dunked.

Strickland and Robinson missed layups. Cummings, the veteran, shocked everybody by airballing a 17-footer. Robinson missed a 10-footer.

Scored tied. Overtime.

You remember this, too. The teams were tied at 103-103 when Strickland made his ill-advised behind the head pass that wound up in the hands of Kersey with 28.9 seconds left.

Strickland raced down court and was called for a breakaway foul on Clyde Drexler.

Drexler hit two free throws and, under the rules of the day, the Blazers retained possession and Drexler wound up hitting two more free throws.

Game over.

No jubilation but, still, the promise of future grand victories was in the air. This team was on the brink of breaking through and making its mark on the Western Conference.

"That was a darn good team, but real young," says Brown, today in town with his Indiana Pacers. "It took Sean a little time to get going, but we had nice chemistry on that team, too. But we weren't mature enough and, later, we didn't surround David with the players he needed."

It was a darn good team. But, the next year the squad was ousted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors. It took a few years to get back to challenging for the Western Conference Finals.

So what happened? What could have been?

Hindsight, of course, is 20-20.

Looking back, the holes created by the losses of Brickowski and Wingate took years to plug. Brickowski was traded for Paul Pressey. Wingate eventually was waived under a cloud of off-the-court problems.

Vernon Maxwell, who didn't last long enough with the team to play in the postseason, never had the chance to strut his stuff alongside Wingate, Strickland and Anderson. He was sold to Houston midway through the season for $50,000.

"Can you imagine what we could have accomplished with that backcourt?" wonders Elliott. "I still think we could have kept Wingate and Vernon. We could have helped them mature."

Robinson agrees: "Sure I think we could have helped those guys get through those problems," the center says.

In all frankness, the two players might be looking back through rose-colored glasses.

"We did have to trade Wingate and Maxwell because of personal things," Brown says. "Circumstances caused that. We would have had the talent with Rodney, Vernon and Wingate, but we just didn't have the chance to develop it."

Bass agrees. "Maybe we could have bitten the bullet and kept Vernon and Wingate," he said. "But those were different times. Wingate had rape charges against him from two states. Vernon has his problems. We made the moves we thought we had to make. But that would have been a great backcourt with Vernon, Wingate, Rod and Willie."

"Larry wanted to move Maxwell soon after Vernon got here," then-owner Red McCombs recalls. "Bob resisted it until the end. We all decided that the move probably had to be made"

The Brickowski case is a little different. The power forward was an important cog in the team's move to the semifinals, but his floor time dropped suddenly during the latter games against the Blazers. He played only 12 minutes in Game 7.

"I went to Larry and asked him about Frank's time," McCombs recalls. "He just said that he was playing his best combinations. He didn't tell me that his role was changing, but it obviously was. I resisted moving Frank, but Larry and Bob did agree to trade him and I went along with it."

Bass said Brickowski went to him during the playoffs, when his time was dwindling, and asked him what was going on. "Big guys are hard to find, it was probably a mistake to trade Frank."

Brickowski was traded during the summer of 1990 for Paul Pressey.

"We didn't trade Brick because of his ability on the floor," Brown says. "But, off the court, Frank is Frank. He just couldn't really accept his role. If he had, everything would have been fine. But he's had that problem with a lot of teams."

"I thought the trade for Paul Pressey would be a good one, but Paul just didn't have a good year for us," Brown says. "We wanted his leadership and experience in the backcourt, but it just didn't work."

Robinson didn't want Brickowski to leave. "I thought that was a big mistake, Frank always did a pretty good job for us," Robinson says. "Even now, I think Larry also always had it in the back of his mind to trade Terry."

Brown also never was a huge fan of Willie Anderson, and the Spurs did have the option of trading Anderson to Milwaukee for Pressey, but Brown went with the Brickowski move.

The team tried to solve the big man problem by picking up Sidney Green from Orlando. That move proved to be near disastrous, Green seemingly always playing out of condition, never making an impact. He was finally traded for J.R. Reid.

"That was a big mistake, bringing in Green," McCombs says. "I didn't want to do it. "But Bob said we were pretty much committed to the trade and that Larry really wanted to do it. I did call to Orlando and spoke to Pat Williams and said I wouldn't do the deal unless I could cut $300,000 or $400,000 out of it. Pat said I was backing down from a deal. But he called back and accepted my deal. I should have known then."

Strickland left the team after the 1991-92 season, set loose into the sea of free agency. McCombs takes the blame.

"That was my mistake," he says. "I just miscalculated. I didn't believe that Rod was worth a $12 million contract, even though his agent, a nice guy (Mark Termini) told me he could get it. I let Rod go and Portland signed him within hours."

The Spurs would then suffer until Avery Johnson was signed to a multi-year deal prior to the 1994-95 season and nailed down the starting point guard job with remarkably ever-improving performances.

Brown eventually left the Spurs - fired or resigned, depending on the interpretations of what happened during his meeting with McCombs. He had met with the owner and announced that he couldn't get Robinson or the other players to play hard for him.

"That was his job, I told him that," McCombs said. "I thought we had ironed it all out and he was still going to coach the team. But he stayed with the idea that I fired him."

"Looking back, I think if I had dealt directly with Red all the time, instead of going through Bob, things might have worked out differently," Brown says, without elaboration.

But, McCombs notes: "One of the reasons why Larry came to work for us was because he wanted to work with Bob, let Bob handle that stuff. In the end, I think Larry thought Bob was not representing him well, but Larry was wrong about that."

It didn't take Brown long to latch onto another job - within weeks he was named coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. There had been media speculation that the Clippers were hard after Brown even before he left the Spurs.

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More memories. From 1996. Oh, but did the Spurs ever get a draft pick a year after this article was penned.

:smokin

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Playing along without a draft pick



Publication Date : June 23, 1996

- S.A.'s success in the regular season hindered chances for prize rookies By Tim Griffin Express-News Staff Writer

Choosing players in the NBA draft isn't the easiest chore for general managers, coaches and player-personnel directors.
Take away the top players and the task becomes even more difficult.

The Spurs historically have been saddled with low draft picks because of their success on the court. Wins during the regular season usually meant the team selected at the end of the first round.

"If you end up drafting 18th or 20th and pick up a player once every two years or so who can help you, you've done pretty well," said Don Leventhal, whose draft analysis is considered to be the industry's standard. "When you are picking that late, you need some extraordinary luck to get good players."

The only sustained period of good drafting position for San Antonio came in the late 1980s, when the team struggled through its worst stretch on the court.

Losing seasons prompted lottery picks from 1987 to '89. Those choices served as the nucleus for San Antonio's playoff units over the last seven seasons.

David Robinson's selection was an easy one with the first pick in the 1987 draft. The most difficult task for San Antonio was actually signing the center, who could have re-entered the draft the following season if he didn't agree on contract terms.

After he was signed, the Spurs waited out his two-year military obligation. The Spurs claimed 31 and 21 victories in those two seasons, qualifying for the lottery both times.

Some of the initial shock from not having Robinson was lessened in the first year by the quick development of forward Greg "Cadillac" Anderson. The former University of Houston product averaged 11.7 points and 6.3 rebounds a game, becoming the first player in team history to be selected on the league's all-rookie team.

In 1988, the Spurs snared guard Willie Anderson from Georgia with the No. 10 pick.

Anderson became an immediate starter, earning all-rookie honors and placing second in rookie of the year balloting behind Mitch Richmond. The 6-foot-8 swingman became the first Spurs rookie to lead the team in scoring, averaging 18.6 points per game.

Sean Elliott came in the 1990 draft with the third pick - San Antonio's second-highest choice ever.

The Spurs were anticipating Danny Ferry would be their pick after Pervis Ellison was nabbed by Sacramento with the No. 1 choice in the draft.

Several weeks after Ferry was chosen by the Los Angeles Clippers with the draft's second pick, the former Duke product opted to sign with an Italian team.

Ironically, the Clippers were leaning toward Elliott before the draft, but backed off because of concerns about his knee. Elliott had worn a brace since high school, and Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor said discussions with doctors indicated that "there might have been a risk factor."

"Everyone knows we would have preferred Ferry," then-Spurs owner Red McCombs said at the time. "But we got a great player."

The arrival of Robinson and Elliott coincided with the team's return to the playoffs in a 56-win season. Robinson earned rookie of the year honors, leading the team in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and steals. Elliott averaged 10 points a game and earned a starting position in his first season.

One of the more intriguing misses came in 1991, when the Spurs selected 7-foot-1 center Dwayne Schintzius with the 24th pick.

The 260-pound center was thought to have been a lottery player before his senior season. But repeated rules violations at Florida and a bad showing at a predraft camp cost him dearly.

"I am going to make people sorry they didn't draft me sooner," Schintzius said.

But that feeling probably extended to the Spurs after Schintzius managed just 3.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 42 games in his rookie season. He was packaged with a second-round pick the following season to Sacramento for Antoine Carr, who was a solid contributor during 2 seasons in San Antonio.

That draft also must have soured San Antonio's institutional mindset on using the draft. They traded two No. 1 draft picks in deals for Sidney Green and J.R. Reid and also swapped UCLA forward Tracy Murray (to Portland for Dale Ellis) and Bill Curley (to reacquire Elliott from Detroit) before training camp.

No first-round draft pick selected by the team joined San Antonio between Schintzius and 1995 first-round selection Cory Alexander.

Perhaps San Antonio's biggest draft-day disappointment came in 1985, when the Spurs almost selected Karl Malone.

San Antonio and Utah were tied during the regular season, but Utah won the coin flip to pick ahead of the Spurs.

Former assistant coach Gary Fitzsimmons remembers that the Spurs were convinced Malone would be available before the draft.

"We thought that Utah wanted to take Blair Rasmussen and that might have left Karl for us," Fitzsimmons said.

FILE PHOTO

The Spurs wanted Karl Malone in 1985. Instead, they got Alfrederick Hughes, who lasted just two seasons in S.A.

FILE PHOTO

Dwayne Schintzius came to S.A. in '91 with the 24th pick. He left a year later after playing just 42 games as a rookie.

The five best and five worst player personnel moves made by the Spurs during the David Robinson era (1989-present), as selected by Express-News staffers who have covered the team; moves are listed chronologically:

THE BEST

- Acquired power forward Terry Cummings and future

considerations in a trade that sent guard Alvin Robertson, forward/center Greg Anderson and future considerations to Milwaukee on May 28, 1989.

(General Manager Bob Bass' corraling of Cummings gave the Spurs a proven, consistent scorer to take some of the heat off rookie center David Robinson, muscle on the boards and veteran leadership).

- Acquired guard Rod Strickland in a trade that sent guard Maurice Cheeks to New York on Feb. 21, 1990.

(The Spurs gave up an unhappy veteran running out of time and gained a talented young point guard from the streets of the Bronx).

- Acquired forward Dennis Rodman, guard/forward Isaiah Morris and future considerations in a trade that sent forward Sean Elliott and forward David Wood to Detroit on Oct. 1, 1993.

(Prodded by Coach John Lucas, Bass gambled by dealing one of the Spurs' most popular players -who also happened to be seeking a contract extension at the time - for the brilliant but flaky rebounding workhorse).

- Reacquired Elliott in a trade that sent the rights to rookie forward/center Bill Curley and a second-round pick in the 1997 draft to Detroit on July 18, 1994.

(New GM Gregg Popovich got Elliott back in a trade that made Taco Cabana and Spurs president Robert McDermott very happy).

- Signed free-agent point guard Avery Johnson on July 22, 1994.

(Popovich winds up solving the club's point guard woes with a player whose resume included two prior stints with the Spurs).

THE WORST

- Traded guard Vernon Maxwell to Houston in exchange for $50,000 on Feb. 21, 1990.

(Maxwell's temper and off-the-court unpredictability forced the Spurs' hand. The problem was they didn't get much in return from their I-10 rivals, who got five fine seasons out of Mad Max before they, too, became fed up with his immature ways).

- Traded forward Frank Brickowski to Milwaukee in exchange for veteran guard/forward Paul Pressey on Aug. 1, 1990.

(Pressey played in only 126 games before becoming a Spurs assistant coach. Brickowski's still banging away in Seattle).

- Allowed guard Rod Strickland to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 1992.

(Strickland's salary demands and off-court antics soured the Spurs, who struggled to fill the point-guard spot for the next two seasons).

- Traded forward/center Sidney Green, a first-round pick in 1993 and a second-round pick in 1996 to Charlotte in exchange for forward J.R. Reid on Dec. 9, 1992.

(Charlotte used the first-round pick to nab guard-forward Scott Burrell, a solid performer who continues to improve for the Hornets. Players drafted after Burrell included Sam Cassell, Earvin Johnson and Gheorgehe Muresan).

- Traded Rodman and other considerations to Chicago for forward/center Will Perdue on Oct. 2, 1995.

(Nothing against Perdue, but was he enough compensation for one of the greatest rebounders of all time?)

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Yes, the Spurs didn't even try to put Charles Barkley and David Robinson together back in 1992.

&%&*%&*%*&#@$%@)(#&()@&#*$)(@&$)*@^$(&@t%$(*@^$(*^ @$

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Strike one: When Spurs missed before

Buck Harvey

Publication Date : May 26, 1996

Bob Hill dismissed the idea last week as most of the Spurs did. Charles Barkley? This team doesn't need "characters," said Hill.

Tell that to Phoenix, which enjoyed its most prosperous years when led by such a character. Tell that to the Spurs' sales department, whose best slogan thus far for next season's ticket campaign is, "We Haven't Moved Yet." And tell that to those who remember 1992.
Then the Spurs also watched as another team traded for Barkley. And since the Suns gave up ordinary talent to get him, it doesn't take someone with All-Star imagination to wonder: What would Barkley and David Robinson have done together the past four years?

If this seems to be classic hindsight, then note the Spurs have already second-guessed themselves. Less than a year after Barkley arrived in Arizona, he beat the Spurs in the playoffs. And during that series Red McCombs slapped his forehead and announced his Spurs had botched this one.

To be fair, the Spurs were just as dumb as everyone then. Barkley's stock was down when Philly traded him, not unlike it is now; he averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds this past season, yet is being mentioned in talks with iffy names such as Robert Horry. But whereas teams today wonder about Barkley's body, then it was his brain. Wigging out to force a trade, Barkley convinced everyone he was a nut.

The Spurs weren't interested that summer. They were too busy letting Rod Strickland leave without getting anything for him, when they weren't mesmerized by the wisdom of Jerry Tarkanian.

So Phoenix didn't need to outbid the Spurs. And thus on June 17, 1992, the Suns only had to give up Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry and Andrew Lang for Barkley.

Today the deal doesn't look as one-sided as it did then; Hornacek plugs along nicely in Utah, and Lang developed into a respectable, defensive center. Still, the Spurs had far more to offer the Sixers at the time. Terry Cummings was still a month away from blowing out his knee in a pickup game, so he had value. Antoine Carr was coming off 81 games. Elliott stood then, as now, as enticing bait. And the Spurs owned a first-round draft pick.

So why didn't the Spurs bid? "We just didn't have the courage," McCombs candidly admitted in the spring of 1993.

Instead, the Spurs used their draft pick to trade for a shooter, Dale Ellis. They figured they had enough big men in Cummings and Carr. And they loved Elliott.

Maybe it all made sense then. But Ellis, older than Barkley at the time, eventually left San Antonio as Strickland did, without compensation coming in return. The Spurs' big men couldn't handle Barkley the next spring in the playoffs. And as for the Spurs' love for Elliott - they traded him in 1993 for Dennis Rodman.

The Spurs don't have as much to offer now. And Barkley is four years older. But as the Spurs dismiss Barkley again, they might want to review their logic.

Barkley is too old? He's the same age as Karl Malone, the guy who pushed Robinson around this month, and the same age as Michael Jordan, whose asking price this summer begins at $18 million.

Barkley is too wrong for the Spurs' chemistry? As any coach knows, chemistry is always better with two Dream Teamers than with one.

Barkley is too fragile? Anyone who saw him against the Spurs knows he remained Phoenix's toughest, most effective player.

Barkley is too much of a character? Go back to summer of 1992. Everyone nodded in agreement then, too.

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Rod's side of the story...

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- Rod's view: Portland Trail Blazers guard Rod Strickland gave some brief comments on his past coaches:

On Rick Pitino: "A great coach, if you can deal with his personality. He's ruthless. He'll demean you in a minute, belittle you. If you're able to deal with that, he'll improve you as a player."

On Larry Brown: "Now, we speak, and I like Larry - and I wouldn't say that if I didn't. But he was like the biggest whiner I've ever been around. Nothing was right for him, and it isn't just me saying it. I've had other guys who played for him tell me that. It became so frustrating, because you could never do anything right. If you did exactly what he said to do, he always had something else to put in there."

On his time in San Antonio: "They put me through a lot of bull. I had an owner (Red McCombs) and a GM (Bob Bass) who just couldn't deal with a guy from the inner city. They needed a suburban team. They needed 12 David Robinsons or Sean Elliotts."

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That sounds familiar.

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Another bleepin' Rocket? How to sidestep a repeat Buck
Harvey



Publication Date : May 15, 1994

At the same time that Dennis Rodman's agent seeks a contract extension, Rodman offered this about the men who pay his $2.4 million salary: If the Spurs investors opt to fire John Lucas, Rodman says "they should all be kicked in the ass."



What a smooth, bleepin' negotiator.


And as the Spurs' owners try to figure out this week what to do -while fearing for their backsides -Rodman fits squarely into the equation. When the ownership group talks to Bob Bass, Lucas or the candidates who could replace them, one question surely will be: Should we extend Rodman's contract, or do we risk him becoming another Rocket Rod Strickland?


My answer? Factors - such as age and antics - make these two cases different. Before committing money to Rodman, I would make sure he commits to changing.


Who knows what these owners want? Rodman's threats could be taken as a reason to keep Lucas, since Rodman at least shows the loyalty his coach always gave him. Or maybe the owners see Rodman's endorsement as Just Another Reason to ax Lucas.


Either way, this decision will be compared to what happened two years ago when another problem child came up for a new contract. Then, I thought Strickland hadn't exactly been the model employee, and I also didn't think another team would offer him more than $2 million a year. Portland surprised me.


But I never thought Strickland should have been dumped, either. In June of 1992, I wrote: "Strickland is too valuable to drop, and a marriage with (Jerry) Tarkanian might be just what he needs. Larry Brown scolded Strickland, Bass tolerated him. Tark might inspire him."


Red McCombs and Bass disagreed, opting to use Strickland's $950,000 salary slot to sign Vinny Del Negro. And the rest - perhaps including Bass' career - is history.


So here comes Rocket II. Bill Pollack, Rodman's agent, has already approached the Spurs about an extension, since next season is Rodman's last under Rodman's current contract. He will get $2.4 million.


Bob Coleman, the just-retired CEO, leaned toward an extension, though he had his reservations. Coleman wondered if an escape clause could be added to address what would happen if Rodman were suspended for a substantial time.


Other than that, though, Coleman thought Rodman, even as he turned 33 years old Friday, was worth too much to lose to free agency. But things have obviously changed. Coleman is gone, and probably Bass is too. They were the ones committed to Rodman. And if the ownership group fires Lucas, does it make sense to invest in Rodman, who says he doesn't want to be back if Lucas isn't?


Even if Lucas stays, though, an extension is questionable. Lucas himself admits he erred by babying Rodman. Rodman's tardiness and missed practices didn't change how hard the other Spurs played, but it still caused an uneasy edge. Teams don't operate this way for a reason. When one guy makes his own rules, then all rules are suspect.


Strickland was nothing like this. He was a moody, mostly immature kid. But he also was the victim of a franchise that personalized everything. Brown, always hard on his point guards, couldn't wait to privately tell the press all the Strickland negatives. That - and a broken hand in a late-night fight - created a profile of Strickland as the bad boy. Strickland got no respect, and gave none. When Bass coached him, emotions clouded everything. Bass couldn't see anything good in Strickland.


In retrospect, Strickland's problems were blown out of proportion, partly because Portland has had few problems with him. If Lucas had coached Strickland, then Strickland would be here today.


But even Lucas, who relates to guys such as Roy Tarpley and Vernon Maxwell, could do little but hope Rodman paid attention. You tell me: Is there reason to believe Lucas will have better luck next season with him?


Not if the Spurs give Rodman a few million more reasons to say take-me-as-I-am. An extended contract undercuts any leverage the Spurs have. So the Spurs would be smarter to wait, look around for trades in the meantime and start negotiations if Rodman responds. If Rodman doesn't sign before next season ends, the Spurs still have the best chance of signing him next summer; few teams could, or would want to, fit such a salary in the cap.


And if he goes? Then the ownership group loses a 34-year-old, not a 25-year-old Strickland. They gain a $2.4 million salary slot, big enough for a star-like free agent. And they get to do the kicking.


To leave a message for Buck Harvey, call ExpressLine at 554-0500 and punch 4402.

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Damn man, that was the best five bucks ever spent.

SPARKY finally has found the end of his quest...

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Publication Date : March 17, 1994

-snip-

Spurs notes: Former Spurs owner Red McCombs held up a sign saying, "I love you Rod - Red McCombs." The sign referred to Strickland's statements made in Wednesday's Express-News that Spurs ownership didn't like him.

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So it wasn't in the preceeding season after Red and Trader Bob let him walk (without even making a qualifying offer) but rather in the second season after Strickland's departure.

Remember the Summer of 1992?

Spurs let Strickland walk.

Spurs pass on even trying to land Charles Barkley.

Terry Cummings blows out his knee in a pickup game.

Spurs sign Vinny Del Negro to a $11 million contract.

Spurs fans if any of you complain about the Spurs today SPARKY will beat you down.

This is great. I've done a search for "O'Keefe" from 1995-2004 and all I could find was this article, one about baseball, one about baseball card collecting, one about college football, and one about the Gunslingers.

A purging of the records? :smokin

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Dr. Robinson's course: 'Boss Pleasing 101'

Kevin O'Keefe

Publication Date : August 22, 1997

In the aftermath of David Robinson's performance Wednesday, I learned yet one more thing about the Spurs' All-Star center:

He knows how to please his boss.
Could it have been only a few weeks ago that Spurs chairman of the board Peter Holt waved the white flag of surrender regarding the team's push for a referendum for a new arena in San Antonio?

You'll recall that Holt, dismayed by negative poll data, said it now would be up to others in San Antonio to lead the drive for a new facility.

Certainly, Holt put on an impressive show during that news conference, displaying the proper amount of grimaces as he focused on the figure 61 percent - as in people not interested in using tax money to build a new arena for the Spurs.

Really, Holt's only faux pas that day was his threat regarding rookie Tim Duncan, who will become a free agent in three years.

Holt, who unwisely used the word "threat" - something he told me he'd never do - insisted that if the Spurs remained in the Alamodome, they most assuredly wouldn't have the money to re-sign Duncan.

Psst ... Peter ... with the likes of Minnesota's Kevin Garnett turning down $103 million for six years, the Spurs won't be able to re- sign Duncan even with a new arena.

Understand, too, the Spurs will be sold and moved long before Duncan gets to be a free agent without the city's commitment to a new arena.

Enter Robinson.

Coming out of hiding from his Aspen, Colo., summer home to promote his Neighborhood Open Golf Tournament, Robinson was ever the faithful employee with his statements on the need for a new arena.

Robinson said he was disturbed by the thought that the Spurs might have to leave San Antonio in the near future ... without a new arena.

Fairly strong stuff from Robinson, who you'll remember had little to say when former Spurs coach John Lucas was fired or when Sean Elliott was traded for Dennis Rodman in 1993.

Ah ... those major franchise events also took place in the off- season, and Robinson is off-limits in the off-season, except when it comes to promoting something of his own.

Robinson even provided an alibi for Coach Gregg Popovich when he noted that the arena issue could be a distraction as the team prepared to become a championship contender.

Honestly, I thought it was neat that even an employee who earns a guaranteed $66 million - as Robinson does through the duration of his six-year contract - understood the importance of pleasing his boss.

And this won't be the last time a Spurs player makes the building of a new arena an issue.

Why, that might just be the front page of this year's playbook: "When to talk about a new arena for San Antonio:

"Every chance you get." Imagine this interview:

"So, David, what kind of cereal did you have for breakfast this morning?"

"Well, Kevin, I think plans for a new arena in San Antonio must come very soon or the team might be forced to leave ... Cap'n Crunch."

Yet Robinson, as was the case with Holt, played right into the hands of the anti-arena forces.

Asked how this facility should be financed, Robinson offered no opinion.

Holt, you'll recall, never unveiled "the plan" he often mentioned.

Answers, men. We need answers.

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These articles are great...but Strickland would have never lead this team to a championship...and knowing what I know about him from highschool I think his influence on his other teamates was one of the things that lead to the Golden State disaster.

I spit coke through my nose when I saw that the Spurs deliberately wanted to use Vinny D at Point Guard...idiots...I always thought that happened out of incompetence and a lack of other choices...I didn't realize they actually thought that was a good idea. Damn...Vinny was good as a 2 guard though...he just had Hedo disease and couldn't hit when he was open in the playoffs. He infuriated me in that Houston series...When the Rockets doubled Drob in the first two games Vinny couldn't hit the side of a barn when it mattered..he was getting open looks...yet when they used single coverage with Hakeem in the next 2 in Houston, and Vinny was getting d'ed up pretty tough..Vinny shot lights out...Some guys are better shooters when they aren't getting time to think I guess.

I didn't think the JR for Green trade was that bad of move at the time...I liked Green but I thought Reid had ton of potential....

I never understood why we traded Brickowski...he was a big reason we were so good in 89, as was Wingate and his development of a timely 3 point shot...that guy(Brick) knew playoff ball...and no one was going to call us soft while we had he and TC in there.

I can't remember when it exactly the Barkley trade was talked about originally...but I would have thought long and hard about trading a pre-knee injury TC for Barkley...That pre injured version of TC was pretty damn good and probably would have made the HOF.

The guy whose game I think is going to remind me of Wingate is Sato...only a much higer quality human being...I remember Wingate's game though...and I am hoping Sato will have a similar game.

After reading a lot of these articles...I always heard that the players, including Drob...were happy to see Brown go, in fact I have always read that if Brown hadn't left the players were going to run him out of town.....and I kind of understand why now...Brown has never dealt well with young players and here he had an entire roster of them...I think he tore them down too much when he should have been building them up...

Here we go...

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No kidding, Sherlock; Spurs face hard times

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : October 31, 1996

On a day when the Spurs signed journeyman Tim Kempton to help in the pivot, they might have been well-served to make a deal with his mother, too.

Maureen Kempton recently retired after 21 years in the New York police department. She served as a detective in Queens.
And if ever some detective work was necessary, it was Wednesday afternoon at the Spurs Tipoff Luncheon when club vice president Gregg Popovich introduced Coach Bob Hill.

Before bringing the free-agent-to-be coach to the podium, Popovich announced that the 1996-97 season "would be the best we've had since coming here (as GM in May 1994), and that we'll have more fun than we've ever had."

Given that three of the top seven players from last season will not be in uniform for Friday's opener in Minneapolis, including franchise foundation David Robinson, Maureen Kempton might investigate how Popovich finds reason for such optimism.

Of course, Popovich can make comments like that. After all, it is Hill, as Pop noted in his introduction, who "is the man on the firing line every day."

At present, Hill is rather shy of bullets.

Greg "Cadillac" Anderson and Kempton, a Ford Bronco-type, will be asked to spell Robinson and Will Perdue in the middle through at least the first five games this season.

Robinson's ailing back, which still prevents him from picking up his children without pain, and Perdue's fractured left thumb necessitated the signing of Kempton, who was released by the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

Understandably, the thought of the Spurs signing a man unable to make the Sixers won't sell any tickets for Sunday night's home opener with Denver.

But Kempton, a Notre Dame alum who has been to more NBA camps than the Nike representative, knows how to play. He can set a pick, box out and find the cutter with a pass from the post.

Of course, he can't do any of those things brilliantly. Otherwise, at 6-foot-10, he wouldn't be on a non-guaranteed, day-to-day contract with the Spurs.

"I told Tim when we cut him that I'd probably see that he signed with someone else the next day," said Sixers general manager Brad Greenberg.

Ironically, Kempton, who played three games with Atlanta last season, did have a six-figure guaranteed offer from a team in Greece.

The team? Panathinaikos.

Now, if that name sounds familiar, it should. That's the team that claims Spurs' Dominique Wilkins is still its property.

You want more irony?

Both men are represented by Steve Kauffman, who says simply, "It's business."

The Spurs will need the maximum from Kempton and the rest of the team to keep from getting "the business" at the outset this season, despite Popovich's claims of success and fun this year.

Not even Norman Vincent Peale could quarrel with someone who believed the Spurs would go 0-5 with road games in Cleveland and Washington next week, following Friday's game in Minnesota. S.A. entertains Seattle on Nov. 8 after Sunday's home-opener against Denver.

Road games at Portland and Utah follow, with home games against the Lakers and Indiana next. The first breather is Nov. 16 when Golden State is in the dome.

Should Robinson and Perdue still be among the missing, this one won't be a breather.

And you don't need Maureen Kempton's detective work to find that out.

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Um duh, O'Keeffe has 2 F's.

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Now Popovich should feel Hill's pain

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : December 25, 1996

Guess now we'll see just how good a coach Gregg Popovich is.

With David Robinson out of the lineup with a broken foot, Popovich gets to experience the frustrations Bob Hill lived with as head coach for the first 18 games of the season.
Hill, whose hair would have turned gray had it not been already, tried to manufacture victories for the Spurs without Robinson, who had been sidelined with a bad back since Oct. 11.

Yet, all Hill got were whispers of criticism behind the scenes from Popovich, who removed Hill as coach Dec. 10.

That just happened to be the day Robinson returned to the court for the first time. You'll recall that Popovich termed the timing of the firing ``a coincidence.''

(Insert polite laughter here).

In the last 10 days, Popovich, the Spurs' vice president of basketball operations, has taken on almost mythic proportions as coach, according to some, as the Spurs posted three consecutive victories for the first time.

Efforts to demean Hill's work during the winning streak have been quite sad.

It was as though Hill, the man who guided the Spurs to 121 victories in his first two seasons as coach, had suddenly gotten stupid.

I'd bet any coach's IQ would drop without Robinson in the lineup.

Watch for Popovich's to plummet during the next 6-8 weeks, the time it is believed Robinson will miss after having surgery.

It's an extreme disappointment for Robinson, who had worked so hard on rehabilitating his back and had just gotten to where he felt comfortable on the court again.

However, if this injury had to happen to anyone, Robinson is one who can handle it - given his deep, abiding faith. It's Robinson's Christian beliefs that give him inner peace during these times.

``We had just gotten competitive again,'' Robinson noted Monday night after receiving the X-ray results.

What Robinson, ever the humble man, didn't note was the obvious: The Spurs had gotten competitive again because he was back.

Somehow, though, there were fans who felt it was Popovich's organization, his plan, his attention to defensive details that sparked the Spurs, who went 3-15 under Hill.

That campaign for Popovich manifested itself in the pregame notes prepared Monday by the Spurs' media relations department.

``Pre-Pop'' and ``Post-Pop'' team statistics were listed.

To me, though, the stats that truly tell the tale could be found about an inch later on that sheet -``Without the Admiral.''

Since arriving in 1989-90, Robinson's presence in the lineup has translated into a 67.4 winning percentage for the Spurs. When he's absent, the percentage is 28.6.

Enough said.

Better rotations on defense, aggressiveness on offense, all the talk during the Spurs' three-game winning streak, succeeded only because of No. 50.

Robinson said he hoped the team's increased confidence level over the last 10 days would propel it through the next six weeks, about 19 games.

And don't be shocked if Robinson misses closer to eight weeks, about 25 games.

The loss of Robinson again not only affects this season, where hopes for the playoffs appear slim, but the long-range future of the franchise in San Antonio.

No playoffs would mean a steep financial loss for the owners, whose resolve to remain here could be shaken when board chairman Peter Holt makes a cash call to the group to make up the deficit.

Remember, too, it will be difficult to gain much enthusiasm for a new arena if the team stands 12-45. No new arena means no more Spurs, perhaps sooner than we'd all like to think.

Ex-coach Hill saw his players hit the wall as the early-season absence of Robinson took a toll. Popovich will see the same.

Upon taking over as coach for Hill, Popovich said, ``I don't have all the answers.''

Without Robinson, that will become even more apparent.

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Puro San Antonio.

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FANSTAND



Publication Date : December 22, 1996

Place blame on Diller for firing

Don't blame Popovich for firing Bob Hill. Instead, blame Jack ``The Ripper'' Diller, president of the Spurs.
Someone in the ownership of the Spurs should check out Mr. Diller's intentions. He threatens to move the Spurs if the city doesn't build a new arena. Did he also threaten Popovich if he didn't fire Hill? Will he fire Popovich if the Spurs win more than they lose and fan support doesn't decline?

What will be Diller's next reason to relocate the Spurs with a huge profit for the owners? What is his objective? Certainly not fan support.

J.R. Oliver, San Antonio

Hire GM to fire new coach

Gregg Popovich is lower than a snake's belly. Here's a guy who went out and got a bunch of rejects over the last two years; guys who couldn't make it on any other NBA team except as the 11th or 12th man.

Popovich has systematically destroyed the Spurs. How in the world could Bob Hill be expected to win with the bench we have now?

It is obvious that Popovich has always been jealous of Hill's success and the attention he got as coach. If Popovich was so concerned about the lousy effort of the players, why didn't he take over the team two weeks before Robinson came back? Then we could have seen the miracles he would have performed.

What the Spurs need to do now is hire a new general manager and then have him fire Popovich before the end of the season.

Jeremiah Dooley, San Antonio

Hill lacked players to win

So, the stupid Spurs ``powers that be'' have fired Bob Hill. What did they expect him to do - win? That's difficult considering the injuries that robbed him of most of the players who knew how to work together as a team.

Bob Hill is a good coach, not a miracle worker.

I'll not go to another Spurs game, unless I win some tickets. Since that is highly unlikely, I've seen my last game in person.

Move to another city, Spurs. I won't miss Popovich and the owners.

Maggie Cullen, San Antonio

Here's winning lineup

Make sure Gregg Popovich gets this letter because the only way the Spurs could win a title is if they listen to me.

Put Dominique Wilkins, Sean Elliott, David Robinson, Cory Alexander and Vernon Maxwell in the starting lineup. With that, I would guarantee Gregg Popovich that the Spurs would win the NBA title.

Juan Trevino, Houston

Rodman opinion on mark

Dennis Rodman was right in his last interview here on Nov. 30. The Spurs' upfront management is screwed up.

Peter Holt needs to have his machine examined. Popovich needs to go. He is not a GM or a head coach. Nothing was solved by firing Bob Hill. The Spurs will continue to lose, and will lose even more with Popovich as coach.

When the Bulls were in town recently, a lot of so-called Spurs fans were cheering for the visiting team. Even the Spurs players made comments about this.

So when and if we lose our franchise altogether, the so-called Spurs/Bulls fans will be the first to holler about ``our team'' leaving town.

James Clark, San Antonio

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Popovich owes S.A. fans some answers on firing

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : December 19, 1996

Have you got a minute?

I see renowned media critic Gregg Popovich, Spurs' VP and head coach, says there is a wide gulf between the fans' perception and the reality of the team's decision to fire Bob Hill.
Hill was let go Dec. 10.

Pray tell, Popovich, what is the reality?

Do you not owe your paying customers an explanation, considering the outrage which accompanied your decision to fire Hill?

Oh, and while you're at it, Popovich, you might tell the paying customers why you ripped Hill in a meeting with the players following the playoff loss against Utah.

Or how about why you reneged on a promise to Hill to re-do his contract after his first year here. You told him the deal would be re-done if the team had a great year.

In Hill's first year, the Spurs led the NBA with 62 victories and captured two playoff series in the same year for the first time in the history of the Spurs.

Sounds like a great year to me.

If you noticed Builders Square President/CEO Frank Felicella smiling a lot recently, it's because of the return of Iowa to the Builders Square Alamo Bowl game.

The Hawkeyes faithful were grand in their support of the inaugural game, selling 13,000 tickets. No doubt Felicella would have signed a 10-year contract with Iowa if he could have.

The Hawkeyes likely will do the same again for the Dec. 29 encounter with Texas Tech.

No doubt the Red Raiders will sell their 11,000-ticket allotment for the Alamo Bowl.

But they need some help from local Tech folks.

For Tech's bowl future, Red Raiders faithful must approach the 28,000 tickets they bought for the '95 Cotton Bowl.

The '96 Alamo Bowl is just as important to Tech's bowl future as that Cotton Bowl was, so long as decisions are made by choice.

Remember, Baylor failed to sell its allotment of 11,000 tickets for the second Alamo Bowl and then couldn't get a sniff even from the Independence Bowl, despite being 7-4 the following year.

Don't be surprised if Texas names former Illinois head coach Lou Tepper as its defensive coordinator.

Tepper succeeded current UT head man John Mackovic at Illinois.

Scottie Pippen has said he will not return to the Chicago Bulls next season.

Pippen, arguably one of the NBA's top five players, makes $2.2 million this season - sixth-best on the Bulls, 131st in the league.

Great move by the Texas Rangers to sign New York Yankees closer John Wetteland, who would have put the Rangers in the World Series rather than the Yanks if the move could have been made a year ago.

While Cowboys' patrons are excited about Coach Barry Switzer's announcement that tight end Jay Novacek may be available for the playoffs, think about something for a moment.

Here is a guy who has missed the entire season because of a back injury, and he's going to be the difference-maker in the playoffs?

For that Cowboys fan on your Christmas list, you may want to consider, ``The Dallas Cowboys Encyclopedia: The Ultimate Guide to America's Team.'' Former San Antonio Light sportswriter Ken Sins, one of the good guys, is co-author with Jim Donovan.

Get this from University of Arizona football coach Dick Tomey on the UCLA-USC rivalry:

``Too many fur coats and too much jewelry. Too many people afraid to let their hair down. Too d--- many sophisticates.''

Congrats to Churchill alum and former Houston Oilers QB Cody Carlson and wife, Barbara, who are expecting twins this May.

From the How-Old-Is-He Dept.: Detroit's Rick Mahorn went to high school with the mother of Philadelphia rookie Allen Iverson.

If you're at the Dragons game Sunday, you may recognize the man dressed as Santa entertaining with his daughter (Ms. Santa) in between periods.

``Santa'' is Dr. Henry Lipsitt, a San Antonio pediatrician, who is very active in skating both on the local and national level.

And finally, Houston Rocket Charles Barkley on learning that the Spurs had fired Bob Hill as head coach: ``Bob Hill got (bleeped).''

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Hey Sparky, do you know why Mo Cheeks wanted to be traded? Was it because of Brown? I've always wondered that and have never gotten a straight answer on that question...I didn't like it when we traded him for Strickland...I groaned, because I just happened to know that Strick was pot smoking bonehead and didn't really think he could lead a team to a title.

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From humble beginnings: It's time for another night

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : October 31, 1997

"There will be another night." - The signature line of Terry Stembridge, the original Spurs radio voice, after every broadcast

And there has been.
For the Spurs, the 25th anniversary of there being "another night" begins this evening in Denver with the tipoff of the 1997-98 season and the start of the Tim Duncan Era.

While the Duncan Era likely won't last beyond three seasons, the rookie from Wake Forest already has generated excitement among the Spurs' faithful, who deserve an NBA championship more than any other fans in the league.

The economic sacrifices so many here have made since the fall of 1973, when pro basketball arrived in San Antonio, are monumental.

Such as: Shall we send Junior to college, or buy Spurs season tickets?

That the Spurs have made it to a 25th season is a lasting tribute to the man responsible for bringing an American Basketball Association team here from Dallas in 1973 - the late Angelo Drossos.

Certainly, B.J. "Red" McCombs deserves praise for his financial backing that inaugural season, which enabled Drossos to change the failing, boring Dallas Chaparrals into the captivating San Antonio Spurs.

But it wasn't easy.

"One of the first things Angelo wanted to do was trade James Silas and Coby Dietrick," said Stembridge via telephone from his office in Kilgore.

Thankfully, Stembridge, who spent six years as the voice of the Spurs, talked Drossos out of it.

Today, Silas' image adorns a curtain in the Alamodome. His No. 13 was the first Spurs jersey number retired.

The Spurs' inaugural campaign began with "Coach" Wilt Chamberlain and his San Diego Conquistadors arriving Oct. 10, 1973.

Chamberlain, whose assistant - Stan Albeck - later would be a part of Spurs lore as a head coach, came strutting into the Convention Center Arena with a cup of coffee in hand.

Even with Chamberlain, whose only game preparation was deciding between regular and decaf, the Q's were good enough to whip the Spurs.

The opening-night gathering of 5,879 was wonderful, but attendance slipped as low as 1,765 for a game with Memphis in the season's second month.

Failure loomed.

Until, with the underwriting of McCombs, Drossos made the first big swap in franchise history, getting center Swen Nater from the Virginia Squires.

Nater, a UCLA ex, came for a draft pick and cash. A bundle of cash - $300,000.

Nater helped the Spurs become legit in '73. Two years later, he helped make the Spurs one of the best teams that moved from the ABA into the NBA. Nater ostensibly brought Larry Kenon, Mike Gale and Billy Paultz in a pair of trades trade with the New York Nets in the summer of '75.

Still, Drossos' coup that first year came Jan. 1, 1974, when this skinny kid from Detroit was pried away from the Squires, thanks again to McCombs' money.

That skinny kid? Hall of Famer George Gervin.

Now, it took a judge to get Gervin in a Spurs uniform after weeks of haggling. The judge, the late Franklin Spears, gave S.A. the OK to keep Gervin.

Thus, Spurs fans quickly found out what home-court advantage meant.

"Angelo never questioned whether or not the team would make it here," said Maury Holden, longtime secretary/treasurer of the Spurs, who, like most in the original investor group, got involved for a tax write-off.

And to help San Antonio get a little more national recognition.

People here fell in love with their Spurs, who returned that love by always being available - and not just when the TV cameras were around.

Even with a seven-game playoff- series loss to Indiana in the spring of '74, the Spurs had arrived.

Stembridge was right: "There will be another night."

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SA wasn't Mo's kind of town. He was an East Coast guy.

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Let's see Robinson work out Such a welcome move would narrow Spurs' credibility gap

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : August 3, 1997

After a week that certainly won't be included in the highlight tape of Peter Holt's life, the chairman of the Spurs reached a conclusion: The people of San Antonio don't believe the Spurs. While Holt won't admit that to you and me, he's admitted it to himself.
Having raised the white flag of surrender Tuesday with regard to the Spurs pushing for a referendum on a new arena, Holt noted his franchise couldn't be the vanguard for such a project.

Staring at polling numbers so one-sided they conjured up memories of the Dukakis and Mondale presidential races against Ronald Reagan, Holt stepped aside.

No matter how many times Holt and others in his corner tried, the people of San Antonio talked about "the new arena for the Spurs."

So, why didn't people believe Spurs officials when they talked about it being an "arena for the community?"

Perhaps they remembered previous Spurs ownership grabbing the concessions contract from the Alamodome, which was billed as a "multipurpose convention facility for the community."

But I don't want to further beat on Holt, a nice man who I wish had a chance to save this team for S.A.

No, this is to address what Holt learned about people not believing the Spurs.

Nowhere is that more evident than in the case of David Robinson, who today is tucked away in Aspen, Colo., playing hoops with Will Perdue and Tim Duncan.

And we'll be told by GM/Coach Gregg Popovich that Robinson has never looked better. We'll learn that "David is 90 percent."

If Robinson's back is that missing 10 percent, what good is the 90 percent?

If you've read or listened to me since Robinson's back and foot injuries last season, you know I'm skeptical about announcements concerning his rehabilitation.

Certainly, the Spurs give you and me every reason to be skeptical and, sadly, cynical at times.

Remember last October, when we were told Robinson wasn't going to miss a regular-season game? He missed the first 18.

Numerous sources have told me Robinson may not be able to play this season.

One Spurs player told me Robinson had trouble standing for extended periods of time as late as April. Robinson injured his back last summer before the Olympics and hurt his foot Dec. 23.

Remember, the Spurs were suggesting until late in the season that Robinson might return if the team qualified for the playoffs.

That was false.

Ditto when they said Sean Elliott and Chuck Person might return before season's end.

Here's what I suspect about Robinson from piecing tidbits together: His back still hurts him a great deal when he has to bend down to grab low passes.

Note to Spurs point guard Avery Johnson: Keep 'em high.

Thus, Robinson needs to play straight up and down, something that isn't in the NBA handbook.

My sources don't get their paychecks from the Spurs.

Understand, too, this isn't to knock David Schmidt, the team physican. Popovich won't allow him to speak to the media about Robinson - or anyone, for that matter.

So here's my suggestion:

Let's have Robinson, Duncan and Perdue in the Incarnate Word gym on Tuesday morning.

The public is invited.

If Robinson is truly OK, why not let everyone see?

Understand, now, David Robinson is never going to be the same player again. Period.

Robinson, a wonderfully gifted man in many areas, has never had to work hard in basketball. His God-given quickness and speed have made the game easy for him.

But with his bad back and his age - he turns 32 on Wednesday - basketball will be nothing but hard work for him from now on.

Should Popovich refuse to allow Robinson to be seen working out - and if I'm betting lunch, he will - we'll be right in saying, "It's all a charade."

And it will further help Holt to understand why the people don't believe the Spurs.

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So Brown had nothing to do with it? I know he supposedly didn't like SA and stayed in a hotel..but it seemed to me that a good coach would have gotten him to deal with it for the season...and now Mo Cheeks is in Portland...which isn't exactly the East Coast.

But thanks for the answer...

In that case I can officially give Mo Cheeks the hate he deserves for delaying our destined and rightful title reign for a decade and costing Drob his place among the all time greats.

If SA was good enough to Gervin and Robinson it was damn sure good enough for Mo Cheeks.

So I now make this official proclamation:

AJ>Mo Cheeks, the fucker.

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Certain lame-duck coach could Phil void for Spurs

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : July 27, 1997

"There's only but two kinds of coaches; those which have been hired and those which are going to be fired." - O.A. "Bum" Phillips, former Houston Oilers coach who was both Ah ... but even Phillips wasn't both on the same day.
Philip D. Jackson was.

Last week when the Chicago Bulls gave the 52-year-old Jackson a $5.75 million contract for the 1997-98 season - a deal that can rise to $6.15 million with incentives - he also got his walking papers, effective at the conclusion of next season.

Bulls general manager Jerry Krause sounded like a "Chatty Cathy" doll run amok at the announcement.

While Krause noted that Jackson would return next season as the Bulls tried for their sixth title of the '90s, Krause also said - not once, not twice, not three times, not four times ... well you get my drift - that it unequivocably would be Jackson's final season as coach.

"I want to emphasize that," said Krause, who no doubt was in a snit when he lost his battle to shove out a coach with a .733 playoff winning percentage, best among NBA coaches.

It's no secret that Krause covets Iowa State's Tim Floyd, who will be the next Bulls coach. Of course, Floyd will inherit a team without Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan, so how good will the job be then?

Credit Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf with having the sense not to allow his GM to undercut his coach because of an enlarged ego.

Too bad that didn't happen with another NBA team we all know quite well.

So petty had Krause gotten with Jackson that the coach wasn't even in the draft room in June when the Bulls took Maryland's Keith Booth with their No. 1 pick.

And as Krause pondered trading Scottie Pippen to the Boston Celtics for the No. 3 and 6 picks in the draft, Jackson wasn't included in the conversation.

While the likes of Rick Pitino (Boston) and Larry Brown (Philly), who have never won anything in the NBA, have total control, Jackson, whose teams have five titles in the decade, is sent out for sandwiches at decision-making time.

That's why this story could have had an unhappy ending had it not been for Jackson's desire not to have Michael Jordan quit the game and Reinsdorf's desire not to be remembered as the man who caused the most damage to Chicago since Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over a kerosene lamp.

That's why Reinsdorf jumped into an airplane and flew to Kalispell, Mont., motoring then to the Grouse Mountain Lodge near Whitefish, Mont., for a heart-to- heart, two-hour conversation with Jackson, a man with whom Reinsdorf has enjoyed many pleasant talks.

"As a group," said Jackson in the aftermath of his re- hiring/impending firing, "we said last October that this might be our last chance (to win the title) together.

"Now, we know this will be our last chance together. To go out a winner, well, it's about the best thing you can do."

So matter-of-fact is Jackson about his lame-duck status that he plans to begin packing up his office in the Bulls' headquarters when he arrives in August.

"I should be done by March," he said.

Of course, his team won't be done until mid-June.

Again.

While Jackson didn't get the money he wanted - $8 million for the year - and did get the clause removed from his contract that he could negotiate with other teams out of the playoffs even while the Bulls were in, he will get the chance to make history with a second "Three-Peat."

And while Jordan likely will retire, Jackson and Pippen will be working elsewhere in the '98-99 season.

And, yes, I've already pondered the idea:

Jackson running the Spurs.

After Gregg Popovich fails to guide the club to at least 62 wins and a spot in the NBA Finals, he'll have to be replaced.

Lest we forget, Bob Hill, who didn't have Tim Duncan, won 62 games and was two games away from getting the Spurs into the NBA Finals.

Now, don't hold your breath on Jackson coming here.

Under current Spurs' ownership, there won't ever be a $6 million coach here.

But isn't Jackson in S.A. a good thought?

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Spurs' Perdue gets ready for some rookie initiations

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : June 30, 1997

Even from his home in Lake Forest, Ill., just outside of Chicago, the Spurs' Will Perdue has been able to gauge the impact No. 1 draft choice Tim Duncan already has made on San Antonio.
And, really, no one will feel the impact more than Perdue, who is well aware that Duncan plays his positions - power forward and center.

"Yes, I've already had a talk with Pop (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich)," Perdue said from his home Sunday. "I first talked with Pop after the Spurs won the lottery (May 18). Pop told me he would listen to all offers concerning Duncan."

That was until Spurs chairman of the board Peter Holt pronounced Duncan "the man" and that the Spurs would keep the No. 1 pick.

Perdue also is aware Popovich has penciled in Duncan as a starter.

It's assumed, of course, that Duncan will start at power forward. I still wouldn't be surprised if Duncan starts at center in place of David Robinson, who still may not be ready to play in the season-opener.

Perdue refuses to assume anything.

"I'll tell you this," Perdue said. "I'm not going to just lay down and let Duncan walk in and take my position. Duncan coming to the Spurs, I take as a personal challenge."

Now, Spurs fans should not misunderstand Perdue on this point. He is a bright enough man to know that Duncan is going to be the guy.

But Perdue, who enjoyed several personal bests in his NBA career during the disaster that was the Spurs' 1996-97 season, has enough pride and competitiveness not to simply step aside for the rookie.

"I'm sure Carl Herrera feels the same way," said Perdue, a 7-footer who begins his third year in San Antonio this fall after coming from Chicago in October '95 in exchange for Dennis Rodman.

Perdue's 29.5 minutes per game last season were a high in his nine- year NBA career. Only twice did he not play more than 21 minutes in a game last season, compared to averaging only 17.5 minutes per game during the '95-96 season.

Perdue, who in the past almost jealously guarded his minutes, says his perspective has changed slightly coming into the '97-98 campaign.

"I want to be a major contributor to a championship team," said Perdue, who was a member of the Bulls' title teams from '91 to '93. "But I wasn't considered a major contributor on those teams. I want to help this team win a championship. If part of that is beating the devil out of Tim Duncan in practice to get him ready, then fine."

On the idea that most Spurs fans, as well as a few media-types, have the Spurs penciled in for the NBA Finals next season, Perdue is elated.

"That (being in the NBA Finals) ought to be the mindset of every player, coach and everyone in the organization," said Purdue, who turns 32 on Aug. 29. "Honestly, I believe that 1 through 12, we have the best team in the NBA. Maybe not 1 through 5, but 1 through 12, yes."

Perdue is off to Aspen, Colo., next week for workouts with David Robinson ... and a mini- vacation.

"I know Duncan is skilled," Perdue said. "But the NBA is a new level. Guys are going to be gunning for him every day."

William Edward Perdue III among them.

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Damn. O'Keeffe makes Buck Harvey seem coherent.

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A nightmare could await Spurs at Duncan re-signing

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : June 29, 1997

Have you got a minute?
Close your eyes. Picture the summer of 1999.

The Spurs' Tim Duncan, rookie of the year during the '97-98 season, is coming off a superlative sophomore year, having led the Spurs to the NBA Finals.

It's negotiation time for the man who was the No. 1 pick overall in the '97 NBA draft.

There's Spurs chairman Peter Holt seated across the table from Duncan's new agent ... Johnnie Cochran Jr.

Yikes!

Talk about your nightmare.

Cochran, who is not yet representing anyone in the NBA, has been certified as an agent by the NBA Players Association.

I wonder if the first time one of Cochran's clients gets a great deal someone will suggest that the client "got away with murder."

After all, Cochran's already had one client do so.

Speaking of Duncan, the Spurs may consider working with him in the area of public relations, in addition to his free-throw shooting.

I felt sorry for him at Thursday's Alamo Plaza rally. He looked as out of place as Madonna in a room full of nuns.

Had Duncan, who by all accounts is a decent chap, displayed any spark, he'd have captivated the crowd.

Duncan admitted Tuesday night he wanted all of the hoopla to be through.

He showed that Thursday.

Were you as shocked as I was when Duncan revealed to USA Today that he was a point guard deceptively packaged as a power forward/center?

Coach Gregg Popovich best send Duncan to the low block and tell him never to leave that spot until that point-guard stuff is out of his system.

Good sign regarding David Robinson:

Doctors told him to give up golf. He did.

From the Waste-of-Time Dept.: ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC devoted 37 hours of coverage to the X Games.

Keep in mind the words of author H.L. Mencken, "You'll never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

If you honestly believe Michael Jordan didn't stop the trade of Scottie Pippen to Boston on draft day last week, then you are the most naive person alive.

Forget that Jordan said he didn't call the Bulls' GM Jerry Krause.

Jordan's wife could have called Krause. Or Jordan's agent.

Or Jordan, who has been known to be less-than-honest on more than one occasion.

If you were perplexed that the Golden State Warriors hired Portland Trail Blazers reject P.J. Carlesimo as head coach, understand he wasn't the first choice.

Or second.

Or third.

University of Utah coach Rick Majerus turned down $4 million per year from the Warriors, who also were spurned - very quietly - by Kansas coach Roy Williams.

From the Truer-Words-Were- Never-Spoken Dept.: L.A. Clippers coach Bill Fitch suggesting that unhappy Seattle SuperSonic Shawn Kemp likely will be unhappy anywhere.

Kemp, whose drinking is a problem despite his protests to the contrary, has made himself more difficult to trade because of his "I'll never put on a Seattle uniform again" edict.

Tell me: Is the fact that Charles Barkley will return to the Houston Rockets next year good news or bad news?

You'll recall reading here last summer that Barkley's arrival would not give Houston a title or even put the Rockets in the NBA Finals.

And finally, when LPGA player Laura Baugh, who is seven months pregnant with her seventh child, teed off last week, one spectator yelled, "You the mom!"

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Duncanville moving toward South Texas

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : June 26, 1997

With apologies to Texas map- makers, I'd like to announce a change:

DUNCANville is now in Bexar County.
That became official Wednesday night when NBA commissioner David Stern announced that the Spurs had selected Wake Forest center Timothy Theodore Duncan with the first pick in the NBA draft.

Thus, the change in our state's geography.

And there will be other changes in DUNCANville.

For the first time, Coach Gregg Popovich will have to perform under pressure. The only pressure he faced as coach in the injury- plagued 1996-97 season was losing enough games to make it possible to move DUNCANville south.

Ah ... but now comes the hard part, even for Duncan.

Can he keep it from raining on his parade at the Alamo this evening?

"I've closed the blinds," Spurs vice president Russ Bookbinder said Wednesday, preferring to ignore the monsoon outside. "Surely, we'll be lucky enough for it not to rain Thursday."

Surely, there has not been a luckier franchise in the NBA the last five weeks.

Thus, I predict sunshine when Duncan arrives in Alamo Plaza at 6 p.m. to meet the 10,000-plus expected to welcome him to San Antonio.

Psst, Tim; you best lose that cap you wore last night after getting picked.

Judging by that white streak on the cap, you'd have thought the Spurs' mascot was a skunk ... and not the Coyote.

Of course, if it had been up to Duncan, he'd have pulled the cap over his eyes and been wearing a trench coat.

He's had enough time in the spotlight of late.

"I just want to get this over with," Duncan said Wednesday.

Tim, my good man, it's only beginning for you.

Have you noticed the Spurs' season-ticket ad on TV that features Duncan?

Keep watching - you'll not be able to miss it.

Bookbinder, who will meet Duncan today for the first time, knows he doesn't want to push the "Vice Admiral" too far at first.

Still, you can't blame Bookbinder for salivating with the arrival of the man who put life back into the franchise.

The Spurs have sold 500 new season tickets since winning the lottery May 18.

So, for Spurs fans, Wednesday night's draft show had all the suspense of a Hulk Hogan wrestling match.

Duncan being a member of the Spurs was a fait accompli. There never was a chance of Duncan going elsewhere.

Spurs chairman of the board Peter Holt stated that firmly in May, then repeated it during a meeting with his basketball people earlier this month, asking anyone to convince him Duncan should be traded.

It was yet another sign of Holt wisely taking firmer control of the team he took over as chairman last year.

Whispers, which had to originate from somewhere - or someone - on lottery day regarding the Spurs possibly trading the No. 1 pick, were quickly squelched by Holt.

Duncan will be the Spurs' franchise player when David Robinson leaves, be it at the end of his contract in 2001 or sooner, if his back doesn't allow him to return to form.

Why, Duncan just may be the starting center on opening night this season.

Anyone with a bad back knows there are no certainties regarding Robinson, whose rehabilitation from back problems was made more difficult because of a broken left foot on Dec. 23.

Although tired of the fuss, Duncan can't help but be touched this evening by the sincere outpouring of emotions by the Spurs' faithful.

As former Spurs forward Allan Bristow noted, "The people of San Antonio don't just embrace you, they adopt you."

Thus, today, DUNCANville has a new son.

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Talent ratings unflattering to Popovich, Spurs players

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : May 29, 1997

Have you got a minute?
Spurs general manager and coach Gregg Popovich didn't score well in a recent NBA talent poll conducted by the Toronto Sun.

Among coaches, Popovich finished tied for 24th with New Jersey's John Calipari. Only Dallas' Jim Cleamons and Boston's M.L. Carr ranked lower than Popovich. Carr, of course, has since been removed as the Celtics' coach.

In the GM category, Popovich was tied for 24th with Vancouver's Stu Jackson.

The Spurs' players didn't fare much better, with Vinny Del Negro tied for 31st among shooting guards, Sean Elliott tied for 17th among small forwards and Avery Johnson tied for 12th among point guards.

The poll didn't rank players who missed most of the season, as was the case with David Robinson.

Each coach/GM/player/ was graded from a low end (0.5) to a high end (5.0).

Voters in the poll were: Craig Daniels, Toronto Sun basketball columnist; Leo Rautins, former NBA player/Toronto Sun columnist; Doug Smith, Canadian Press basketball writer; Howard Tsumara, Vancouver Province basketball writer; Sam Smith, Chicago Tribune basketball columnist.

Speaking of the Spurs, may we please cease any discussion regarding a trade of No. 1 draft pick Tim Duncan.

It's not going to happen. It can't happen.

Duncan just may be the starting center in November, as anyone who has suffered back problems knows. Sure, David Robinson talked Wednesday of being stronger this season. But I'll believe he's ready to play when he walks on the court opening night.

Lest we forget, when Robinson first went down with an ailing back in training camp last October, we were told he wasn't going to miss a regular-season game. He missed the first 18 games - 76 in all.

In case you were wondering, Duncan's favorite video game is "Mortal Kombat."

Now, assuming Robinson, Duncan and Elliott are able to team up in the fall, Spurs fan Douglas Boch has checked in with a nickname for the trio - "The RED Line."

That's R for Robinson, E for Elliott and D for Duncan. You've got to like that hockey twist, too.

Have you noticed the higher profile taken by Spurs chairman Peter Holt? Wisely, Holt is the point man for the team on the new arena issue.

Holt, who took over as chairman last July, is also being seen around town at other functions, such as speaking last night to a United Way volunteer group.

If I'm a Utah Jazz fan, I want them to win Game 6 tonight in Houston and not take the chance of the home-court advantage bringing them victory in Game 7.

In a Game 7, I'll always take the team that has Hakeem Olajuwon.

No matter who your favorite team is in the College World Series, you have to love the Rice Owls being there.

In 77 Southwest Conference seasons, Rice never won a regular- season baseball title. And I'm glad Texas Tech was eliminated in the regionals, which it didn't deserve to be in, let alone host.

Tech cheated. Spin it any way you want, but Tech had two scholarships above the 11.7 limit and should have been banned from postseason play.

Guess Byron "0.0 GPA" Hanspard must have been in charge of counting those scholarships.

Green Bay Packers coach Mike Holmgren declined a "forever" extension to his coaching contract with the defending Super Bowl champions. Holmgren's pact runs through 1999.

And finally, the St. Louis Cardinals' Andy Van Slyke on Major League Baseball's $50 million deal with Pepsi, which will stage a contest with a first prize of throwing out the first pitch of the second game of the World Series: "If (President) Clinton can sell the Lincoln bedroom, they can sell the first pitch at the World Series."

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