Trivia Time

[SPARKY]

Based on poll, Spurs' future in S.A. shaky

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : April 9, 1997

The most mind-boggling numbers in the Spurs' horrendous season came Monday morning.

And the team didn't even play Sunday night.
The numbers were courtesy of a poll by the Hill Research Consultants of The Woodlands. The survey, commissioned by the San Antonio Express-News, was taken April 2-3.

Five-hundred registered voters were asked for opinions on the arena-financing issue.

The results were staggering.

Last week, while flying back from the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis, City Councilman Robert Marbut said the Spurs would lose a vote on a new arena if the election were held as late as November.

Marbut, a longtime fan and friend of the Spurs, said the franchise had much work to do. Just how much became apparent Monday morning.

Eighty-four percent - yes, that's 84 percent -of those polled were opposed to using state and local tax money to help pay for a new arena.

The figures didn't change much when poll respondents were asked if they would favor using new sales taxes to San Antonio tourists and business visitors. Seventy-one percent still opposed taxes going toward a new arena.

A bill that would enable cities to construct new sports facilities, financed by a variety of taxing measures, has made it through the Texas Senate.

Nothing would take effect without a referendum, showing just why those poll results are the low point of the Spurs' season.

Not surprisingly, Spurs president Jack Diller was defensive regarding the figures, suggesting the poll would be more accurate if voters were asked about the specific legislation when it is completed.

Although his point is well taken, even Diller has to admit the one-sidedness of the responses is shocking.

This wasn't a 55-45 reading. This was an overwhelming slap in the Spurs' face, no matter the context of the questions.

Curiously, Diller may be the one responsible for such a lopsided result.

Lest we forget his rare moment of candor on March 17, 1996, when he told Express-News business reporter Charlotte Anne Lucas that a new arena by itself wouldn't automatically generate enough money to keep the team running.

Well, they say the truth hurts.

The Spurs' current brass is having to fight the word of former owner B.J. ``Red'' McCombs, who insisted to Spurs fans that the Alamodome was a panacea when the team moved into the cavernous facility for the 1993-94 season.

Thus, you've no doubt heard more than once on the radio talk shows or around the water cooler at work, ``Why should we build them a new place when we just built them the Alamodome?''

And when the team's management talks about the arena being for others in the city, it has a hollow ring considering the Spurs stand to profit the most from the new facility. Don't forget as well that the Washington Redskins and Utah Jazz, to name two sports teams, paid for new facilities without tax dollars. That also hurts the Spurs.

Yet, the biggest enemy may be within.

In Diller, you have a man whose credibility has been compromised. He spent all last year saying the Spurs were going to lose money. Then in July, when Peter Holt became the Spurs' new chairman of the board, he promptly reported that the Spurs were going to make money last season.

Which they did.

In Gregg Popovich, coach and vice president of basketball operations, you have a man who has a tendency to be curt and condescending to callers to his radio show.

Psst. Gregg, those callers are voters. Is it any wonder few feel any warm fuzzies from this franchise?

Despite it all, the bottom line is this: If the city doesn't build a new arena, the Spurs will be gone.

Period.

Fair? This is pro sports in the 1990s. Fairness has no bearing in any discussion.

There are cities out there who will do anything to have an NBA team.

No longer is talk of the Spurs leaving town simply idle threats.

It's a fact.

If you don't build it, they will go.

[SPARKY]

Smith couldn't hold his anger in any longer

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : March 24, 1997

For Charles Smith, the boiling point was reached last week.

The anxiety and frustration of this injury-plagued season caused the normally mild-mannered Smith to lose it in the locker room following the Spurs-Suns game Thursday night in Phoenix.
According to several sources familiar with the situation, Smith angrily turned over a table with Gatorade sitting on it.

Moments later, when Coach Gregg Popovich gathered the team together, Smith shouted, ``I'm not going to be a part of this bull--- -!'' and walked out.

Smith surfaced in time for Sunday night's game with the Los Angeles Clippers.

In fact, Smith went straight to the Spurs' hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., skipping the Friday night game in Sacramento.

That absence will cost Smith $42,682.39, roughly 1/82nd of his salary, which this season is $3,557,000. He reportedly will appeal the fine.

Smith was irritated with reports that the club couldn't reach him. No doubt, Smith sees those stories as just another item on Popovich's agenda to remove him from the roster.

Gee, was it not a year ago that Popovich, the team's vice president of basketball operations, was taking bows after trading with the New York Knicks for Smith and Monty Williams?

Now Popovich is trying to bury his mistake - Smith.

Smith, who is having a part of his salary paid by the Knicks, is scheduled to make $3.9 million next year, $4 million in 1998-99 and $4.5 million in 1999-2000. However, no matter what part of his money comes from New York, it all counts against the Spurs' salary cap.

Smith, who has spent the last four months rehabilitating an arthritic right knee, blocked two shots against Phoenix in 15 minutes of action - his longest stint since returning from the injured list.

Playing time was at the root of Smith's discussion with Popovich, which preceeded the table tossing and Smith's departure from the locker room.

Smith, a bright soul, obviously has figured out the battle plan of Spurs management: Remove Smith and, more importantly, his contract guarantees from the roster via medical retirement.

Lest we forget, Smith opted not to practice earlier this month. Spurs strength and conditioning coach Mike Brungardt walked off the court without comment.

Calls to Smith and Popovich were not immediately returned, although Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News that ``we're moving on,'' regarding Smith's episode in Phoenix.

Accepting the premise that the Spurs want a medical exception for Smith next year - and they do whether they want to admit it or not - it behooves Popovich to play Smith a lot of minutes.

That way, if he breaks down, the Spurs will have little trouble proving to the league that Smith can't play.

Smith, who has little or no cartilage in his right knee, knows he can only go so long each game. That's why he would like to manage his minutes better.

Smith has filed a grievance against the Knicks' doctors, claiming they didn't inform him of the extent of his injuries during his three seasons there.

Understand, Smith was wrong to leave the Spurs the other night.

But if you had nearly $16 million guaranteed through 2000 and someone was trying to keep you from getting it, how might you react?

[SPARKY]

Spurs' Robinson speaks volumes by saying little

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : March 19, 1997

That David Robinson isn't a Michael Jordan or a Magic Johnson has been an unrealistic lament of some Spurs fans through the years.

Today, Spurs vice president/coach Gregg Popovich ought to breathe a sigh of relief because of that fact.
You'll recall, Jordan and Johnson each had a huge hand in the removal of a coach early in their careers.

Jordan got Doug Collins fired in Chicago, and Johnson earned a great deal of bad press when he had Paul Westhead ousted in Los Angeles.

Now, given Robinson's personality, it would be difficult to imagine him ever doing that.

However . . .

If you were watching KSAT-TV's ``Instant Replay'' on Sunday night, Robinson offered a ringing non-endorsement of Popovich when asked about him returning as head coach next season.

``I can't say how Gregg is doing since I haven't really played for him this year,'' Robinson said.

He did play six games for Popovich, who fired Bob Hill on Dec. 10, the day Robinson returned to the lineup for the first time this season. He had missed the opening 18 games of the season because of back problems.

That Hill should be fired under those cir stances, of course, was ludicrous.

Yet, in light of Robinson's non-endorsement of Popovich as coach, it's interesting to recall the player who balked the loudest about Hill's firing:

David Maurice Robinson.

Robinson and Hill had grown close during the past two seasons.

Sunday night, Robinson talked about the job Hill had done.

``Bob was always working,'' Robinson said. ``We were always prepared when Bob was coach.''

Robinson noted that Popovich couldn't yet be judged as a coach because of the injuries to this season's team.

Understand, though, the team being beset by injuries didn't prevent Popovich from firing Hill.

Robinson suggested that Popovich couldn't really be evaluated as coach until he was in a tight game situation with all his men in place.

Robinson, whose back still isn't 100 percent, assuming it ever will be again, didn't take the easy way out with regard to Popovich.

I understand that Robinson didn't say anything critical of Popovich on the telecast.

But in eight years of being around the cerebral man from the Naval Academy, I have learned it is often what Robinson doesn't say that is most profound.

Bottom line: Robinson is one man Popovich can't control.

Spurs chairman of the board Peter Holt has repeatedly said that Popovich is doing a good job as coach. Holt has said Popovich will make the decision on which of the two jobs Popovich will keep next season.

In reality, Popovich being under contract through the 1998-99 season is the deciding factor here.

Simply, this franchise doesn't have the money to pay off Popovich and hire someone else who'd make an impact as coach.

Sad, but true.

Still, if I were Holt, I'd get input from Robinson. You think the Bulls do anything major without talking to Jordan?

Robinson, whose contract runs through the 2000-01 season, holds the trump card.

And even this officer and gentleman may get weary enough of things around here to finally play it.

[SPARKY]

Next bug for Spurs to catch? Lottery fever

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : February 13, 1997

Official word on the condition of the Spurs' Sean Elliott didn't come until midway through the third quarter of Wednesday's game against Vancouver.

But the 12,463 in the Alamodome knew something was awry minutes into the contest.
Only 24 hours removed from a strong performance, albeit against the underachieving Dallas Mavericks, the Spurs simply were going through the motions.

They were zombies.

But then, how much more could this team take?

Even Coach Gregg Popovich looked dazed, starting the game by sitting on the bench.

What could he say to them?

Too bad Dr. Joyce Brothers wasn't nearby.

The Spurs were a team devastated mentally as yet another key member of the club would be lost for an extended period.

The press release stated that Elliott would undergo surgery on his right knee early next week to correct the chronic tendinitis in his right quadriceps - the muscle above his knee.

A pair of MRIs done a month apart on Elliott indicated that no healing had taken place with the conservative treatment of rest and physical therapy.

Elliott, who was in Inglewood, Calif., on Wednesday being evaluated at the Kerlan-Job Clinic, will rehabilitate between six to eight weeks.

There are nine weeks remaining in the season.

You do the math.

Elliott is through . . . and so are the Spurs.

Their season ended with a 106-101 loss to the Grizzlies.

Lest we forget, on Oct. 22, Spurs officials announced that David Robinson would be out between two to four weeks because of lower-back problems.

Robinson returned Dec. 10.

Again, you do the math.

When Robinson broke the little toe on his left foot Dec. 23, first word was that he would be out six weeks.

We're in the seventh week and Robinson is nowhere near ready to play.

But that's OK; he now should abandon any thought of returning this season.

The storm clouds gathered in the Spurs locker room two hours before tipoff Wednesday. Word was that Elliott was through for the season.

The oft-criticized Elliott, who former Spurs coach Bob Hill knew was hurting badly enough in November to be on the injured list then, indicated to some that MRI results weren't favorable.

The team's deflated spirit was quickly apparent Wednesday.

Vancouver players had open looks from the field, which aided their 65-percent shooting in the opening quarter.

The Grizzlies led by 22 points in the first half - the first time they have held such a margin in franchise history.

Oh, the Spurs fought gamely, getting within two in the fourth quarter.

But they faded, just as they have done throughout a season Stephen King couldn't have created even in his warped mind.

While players, coaches, management and season ticket-holders will bristle at this, I maintain this isn't the worst thing for the franchise.

The draft lottery affords the Spurs a chance to grab a top-flight player they couldn't get otherwise because they are over the salary cap.

Next season, with perhaps some additional dollars available should Charles Smith retire, the Spurs will have two new players, a healthy Elliott and a healty Robinson.

And, most importantly, they'll have a healthy spirit.

[SPARKY]

Former Spurs coach Hill stars in new ESPN show

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : February 9, 1997

Have you got a minute?

Former Spurs coach Bob Hill debuts this morning on a new weekly ESPN show, ``NBA Matchup Presented by IBM.''
The show, which today originates from the All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, also will have a guest coach each week and will zero in on the X's and O's of the game.

That, of course, is Hill's forte.

Besides featuring Hill, ESPN's Mark Jones and former NBA player and coach Freddie Carter will be on the telecast each week.

The show will air Sundays at 8 a.m.

And speaking of Hill, who was unfairly and, obviously, unwisely dismissed as Spurs coach Dec. 10, it's time to eradicate a mistaken notion which exists even in the mind of Spurs chairman of the board Peter Holt.

Hill's teams here were not bad defensively.

Any rubbish to the contrary has been spouted long enough.

Please note:

In 1994-95, the Spurs ranked fourth in the NBA in defense.

In 1995-96, the Spurs ranked third in defense.

In both of those years, the Spurs' were a plus-6 in point differential.

And . . . the Spurs ranked in the top three in field-goal percentage defense.

[SPARKY]

Although Spurs hurting, it could be much worse

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : January 30, 1997

Have you got a minute?

- While no one will argue that the Spurs have been devastated by injuries in the first half of this season, there was a team that had it worse.
And Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is quite familiar with that club - the '92-93 Golden State Warriors. Popovich was an assistant to Don Nelson then.

The Warriors lost 312 games to injury or illness that season, leading the NBA in that category. The club finished 34-48.

By comparison, the Spurs have lost 148 games to injury following Wednesday's encounter with the Lakers. Last year at this juncture, the Spurs had lost 25 games to injury, but 14 of those were from Dell Demps, who had numerous mystery maladies that enabled him to hang around.

Why, Nelson only had Tim Hardaway, Sarunas Marciulionis, Billy Owens and Chris Mullin together on the floor for two minutes, 37 seconds all season.

Said Nelson of his plight in '92-93: ``I must have done something terrible as a child.''

Wonder if Popovich is thinking the same thing today?

- The chatter Wednesday on the Jim Rome Show, heard locally on KTKR-AM (760), concerned a team wanting to trade for injured Spurs center David Robinson.

Popovich confirmed that a team had called about Robinson, but refused to identify it.

Rome and his caller seemed to think the team was Golden State.

Obviously, the Spurs could never get equal value for Robinson. Just ask the Milwaukee Bucks about trading Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers in June 1975.

The Bucks have won only nine playoff series since.

Wisely, Popovich said Robinson would not be traded.

Considering the good faith Robinson showed in signing a new contract here rather than becoming a free agent, the Spurs should never trade Robinson without his approval.

- Speaking of Robinson, after a TV taping at practice, David Jr., age 4, thought it was his time to be interviewed when Dad was through.

So Robinson placed the microphone on his eldest son and asked him who his favorite NBA team is.

``The Chicago Bulls,'' young David said.

Undaunted, Robinson then asked him who his favorite NBA player is.

``Michael Jordan,'' he replied.

No word yet on whether Robinson has opted to drop David Jr. from the will.

- Nice touch by Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal, who sent 20 dozen roses to the grandmother of teammate Derek Fisher, who was worried about her health.

O'Neal, by the way, visited Wednesday with former Spurs coach Bob Hill, who grew close to Shaq when they were together with the Orlando Magic.

[SPARKY]

`Caddy' doesn't fear another Shaq attack

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : January 29, 1997

The last time Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers came to town, injuries to Spurs centers David Robinson and Will Perdue thrust Gregory Wayne ``Cadillac'' Anderson into the starting lineup.

Today, it's deja vu all over again.
Shaq and his mates will be in the Alamodome, Robinson and Perdue will be sidelined, and Anderson will man the middle against, as Anderson called him, ``that 300-pound monster.''

Please note, Shaq: Anderson said that with all due respect.

``I want to use the right words,'' said the always amiable Anderson. ``I don't want Shaq to read this and get mad.''

Not that ``Cadillac'' is fearful of the Lakers' big man, you understand.

``When we got ready to play them the last time, Coach (Bob) Hill told me to put on my hard hat and get ready to go to work,'' Anderson recalled following Tuesday's practice.

Shaq and the Lakers were ambushed by the then 1-5 Spurs Nov. 13. It was the Spurs' first home victory of the season.

``Coach Hill had a feeling that we were going to win that game that night,'' Anderson said. ``You know, I had the feeling all day long, too.''

Unfortunately, Hill will not be on the sideline for this encounter, having been fired by Gregg Popovich, who succeeded him on the bench.

Hopefully, Popovich will find time today to show the tape of that initial game against the Lakers. Surprisingly, he didn't do so during the hour-long video session that preceeded Tuesday's workout.

Surely it's worth reviewing.

That night in November, Anderson and the rest of the team played their most inspired game of the season in knocking off the Lakers.

And Anderson played a big part, despite Shaq's final numbers of 30 points and 10 rebounds.

In fact, Hill's first words after the game were, ``Didn't `Caddy' just play his butt off?''

Indeed, he did.

The Spurs, fueled by the 26,002 patrons in the Alamodome, pushed the Lakers back on their heels.

Anderson bothered Shaq enough to keep the big man from getting off to a huge start. Shaq registered just six points and one rebound in the opening quarter.

``You can't back down from Shaq, or he'll kill you,'' Anderson said of his strategy then . . . and now.

``He (Shaq) is always tough, and this is one of the cities where he really likes to play,'' Anderson said.

Anderson is excited for the challenge. He likes Shaq in that the Lakers' big man doesn't whine to the referees for calls and doesn't talk much during the game.

``The NBA is about taking the challenge every night, and I know playing Shaq is a challenge,'' Anderson said.

Likely, it will be even more of a challenge this time, in light of the Lakers' loss during their last visit.

Shaq turned it up a notch nine days after that Nov. 13 defeat when the Lakers blitzed the Spurs in Los Angeles.

Anderson, whose playing time has dropped dramatically since those early days of the season, is philosophical.

It's frustrating, but he knows it's business.

``That's why I'm glad for the opportunity tonight,'' Anderson said.

Even against Shaq?

Anderson nodded . . . and smiled.

``It's like we shot that big bear the last time here,'' Anderson said, finding yet another way to refer to Shaq.

``But,'' Anderson continued, ``We didn't kill him.''

[SPARKY]

Don't count Calipari among NBA's over-Hill gang

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : January 23, 1997

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has etched his name into the record books, only 20 games into his NBA coaching career.

Popovich, the man who felt the team wasn't responding to Bob Hill and fired him as coach in December, became the first Spurs head man to lose a season series to the New Jersey Nets in the teams' NBA history.

New Jersey's 103-95 victory Wednesday night gave the Nets a series sweep (2-0) for the first time in 21 years.

In case you're wondering, Hill's teams were 4-0 against New Jersey.

Luckily for the Spurs, there were few witnesses in the chilly Alamodome, which had ice down under the court in preparation for Saturday's International Hockey League encounter between the Dragons and Chicago.

An announced crowd of 12,802 -many of whom came disguised as empty seats - watched a 6-foot-5 guard from New Jersey outrebound the Spurs' 6-foot-9 power forward and 7-foot center.

Nets' Kendall Gill was the swingman who grabbed nine rebounds to go with his 32 points as he auditioned for Player of the Week honors.

Carl Herrera and Will Perdue were the power forward and center, respectively, who managed two and eight rebounds, respectively.

Gill and his mates were Team Windex - 44 total rebounds, 18 on offense. That edge on the boards enabled the Nets to outscore the Spurs 27-6 on second-chance points.

And it wasn't only that the Nets were doing the job inside; they also gathered every long rebound.

Repeatedly, the Spurs were flat-footed. It began in the first quarter and continued throughout the game against the Nets, who had lost two straight and six of seven.

The victory could not have been sweeter for Nets coach John Calipari, a longtime friend of Hill. Calipari was outraged when he learned of Hill's ouster Dec. 10.

OK, so Calipari said this wasn't a Win-One-For-The-Hill game.

But . . . there was no mistaking the satisfaction in Calipari's voice. He had visited with Bob and his wife Pam on Tuesday.

``Beating the Spurs was important in the sense that we needed to win the game,'' Calipari said, playing down any revenge motive for his longtime pal.

``There was no animosity, nothing personal in this. I like Vinny (Del Negro), AJ (Avery Johnson), David (Robinson) and Sean (Elliott).

``A win against the Spurs is a big thing.''

Well . . . I'm not sure that a win against the 10-28 Spurs is such a big thing anymore.

For the second straight game, the Spurs seemed to lack emotion. Guard Vernon Maxwell agreed.

The Spurs were MIA at the outset of Monday's loss in Minnesota. Wednesday night, they seemed to be lax in the fourth quarter. The Spurs never led in the final 6:20.

Was it not the team's lack of emotion for which Hill was unfairly criticized?

``People now know what a great job Bob Hill did here,'' Calipari said. ``I hated to see what happened to Bob.

``But you know, the Spurs might have done Bob a favor. He gets a paid vacation and he's going to get another great job in the league.''

Curiously, Calipari had told one member of the Spurs' broadcast crew that, without center Shawn Bradley and point guard Robert Pack, he was afraid the Spurs would ``kill us.''

It's the Spurs who now should be afraid as they teeter on the brink.

``We're not healthy mentally right now,'' said injured forward Chuck Person.

Losses to the likes of the Nets only make that condition worse.

[SPARKY]

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 compe ive 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 compe ive 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.

[SPARKY]

Hill's firing is yet another sad episode for Spurs

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : December 11, 1996

PHOENIX - The last time Spurs coach Bob Hill and team vice president Gregg Popovich discussed Hill's job, Popovich informed Hill that he was working on a two-year contract extension for him.

``He told my agent the same thing,'' Hill said.
Tuesday morning, though, Popovich had a change of heart.

``We had just finished a staff meeting,'' Hill began, recalling the way his day started.

``We went upstairs to his room. He (Popovich) said to me, `It's over.'

``I said, `What do you mean it's over? Are you firing me?' ''

Hill reported that Popovich then said that Hill had ``lost the team'' and that was why Popovich was taking over.

That angered Hill even in the re-telling of the story during our visit at Sky Harbor Airport on Tuesday afternoon.

``I just looked at him (Popovich) and said, `I didn't lose the team. I didn't have a team to lose,' '' Hill said.

Hill then criticized Popovich for refusing to extend his contract last summer, yet not allowing him to talk with other teams.

Hill didn't wait for a reply.

He already had grabbed his coat and was out the door.

The meeting lasted all of 20 seconds.

A sad end to a relationship that had soured after the Spurs' playoff ouster by Utah last spring.

It was then Popovich began planting items critical of his coach in the media. He became an enemy of the man he brought to San Antonio in 1994.

``But that stuff about losing the team,'' Hill said, his voice rising just slightly, ``that is a smokescreen. That simply is untrue.''

Popovich's agenda has been clear since the loss to Utah, which Hill didn't accomplish without help from his players.

And that Popovich made this move the day David Robinson returned to the floor after being sidelined with a bad back since Oct. 11 is further cause for cynicism.

``It's just a coincidence,'' Popovich said, with a straight face no less.

It's about as much a coincidence as the earth spinning on its axis.

Simply, Popovich, who pondered firing Hill last season and likely would have if the Spurs had lost the playoff opener to Phoenix, knew he had to dump Hill with the team 3-15 before it had the chance to improve.

The Spurs did the same to Jerry Tarkanian in 1992-93, firing him at 9-11 before a run of games even he couldn't lose.

Hill, who will be paid until June, brought organization and discipline to the team after John Lucas's stint as head coach.

Hill gave this team a rise in self-esteem, repeatedly pointing out to the players that the regular-season success - 62 and 59 victories -should be cherished.

``I don't think he (Popovich) knew how close we had become,'' Hill said of his relationship with the players.

``This season has been a frustration for all of us,'' Hill admitted. ``But this team has been decimated by injury.''

Hill had been preparing the team for Robinson's return. He practiced two different ways. He said he wouldn't have changed that.

Hill was doing it that way for the good of the team. That's why there was something hollow in Popovich saying that the coaching switch was being made ``for the good of the group.''

Understand, though, Bob Hill was fired last summer.

When Popovich and the rest of management refused to extend Hill's contract despite the incredible job he had done in the first two years as head coach, Hill was gone.

While Hill's loyalty to Popovich was unrewarded, not a discouraging word was heard from Hill, ever the company man.

As I wrote weeks ago, Hill would be the scapegoat.

I'm just surprised it happened so early in the season.

Popovich actually has placed himself in a position of failing.

But, given his mood swings and his tendency to allow his emotions to overcome him, I'm not sure he can handle this.

On a trying day, Hill was pure class. He talked of being able to see sons, Cameron and Chris, play basketball and being home for Christmas.

Hill also talked of wanting the team to win.

``Because I love those players,'' he said.

As we walked to the gate at the airport, a gentleman walked up to Hill and said, ``Go get 'em, Coach.''

He did.

[SPARKY]

Hill's firing a shock to Spurs' system - Players refuse to pin any blame

Kevin O'Keeffe Express-News Columnist

Publication Date : December 11, 1996

PHOENIX - As the players sat on the team bus Tuesday morning, waiting to leave for practice, Spurs general manager Gregg Popovich boarded and issued a rather alarming message.

Popovich announced he had fired Coach Bob Hill.
The news was met by stunned silence from the players - at least for a moment. It was broken by Dominique Wilkins, who shouted, ``You're kidding!''

Vinny Del Negro turned to Wilkins and told him it was no joke.

To a man, the Spurs' players said they were shocked by the move, considering the injuries the team had suffered this year.

``Is it fair?'' said Will Perdue, repeating a question. ``I don't think that matters. This is the NBA. There had been so much talk in the media about Bob's future that you could sense something like this being possible.''

Perdue had been less-than-pleased with the little playing time he was getting during the fourth quarters of several games late last month.

The 7-foot center and Hill sat down to lunch to discuss the matter.

``But we didn't have a problem,'' Perdue said. ``It wasn't a real negative as far as I was concerned. I had been out (with a thumb injury) and wanted to play, to make an impact.

``But Bob and I never had any trouble. Take that lunch, for instance. I always appreciated him being open-minded about me since I got here (in the trade with Chicago for Dennis Rodman).''

Hill, who guided the Spurs to 124 victories in two-plus seasons as head coach, was dismissed after the team struggled to a 3-15 start.

Popovich, who hired Hill only after failing to lure Don Nelson in 1994, assumed the head-coaching reins Tuesday night against the Suns.

``Honestly, I really thought it was a gag,'' Wilkins said of Popovich's statement that Hill was gone. ``I just think it's so unfortunate that something like this has to happen. (Hill) sure had done a great job here the last two years. He was frustrated this year - as we all are.''

The Spurs had been without injured All-Star center David Robinson, who started for the first time against Phoenix, and Chuck Person, who is out with a back injury. Hill also lost Charles Smith and Perdue to injuries at various times this season.

``Bob was always cool with me,'' Wilkins said.

Robinson, who played for the first time since Oct. 11, said he didn't agree with Hill's ouster.

``But it's not my decision to make,'' said Robinson, now is playing for his seventh coach since 1989-90. ``Bob and I never had any problems. I liked his love of winning. He was meticulous. He did a great job.''

But even Robinson conceded the Spurs' 3-15 start was going to cost someone.

``And the coach is the first person people look at,'' Robinson said. ``Is it Bob's fault that we're 3-15? It's our job to play.''

During a players-only meeting following a one-sided, 114-88 loss to Golden State on Sunday, the opinion formulated was that the team was better than its record.

Still, none of the players had an ill word for Hill.

``There is no one on this team who was closer to Bob than I was,'' said guard Avery Johnson. ``We talked a great deal. He said several times in recent weeks that there would be speculation about his future. But I didn't get the idea that he saw this coming.''

Johnson said he had no problems with Hill, who had benched him in the fourth quarter of a couple of games this season.

``We were always on the same page,'' said Johnson, who admitted feeling an uneasiness about Hill's future dating back to last year's playoff series loss to Utah and management's refusal to extend Hill's contract over the summer.

Johnson, Del Negro and Vernon Maxwell had lunch with Hill on Sunday in San Jose, Calif., and talked about backcourt rotations given Hill's decision to remove Cory Alexander because of spotty play.

Del Negro, who like Johnson enjoyed back-to-back career years under Hill the past two seasons, bristled at the idea that Hill had ``lost the team,'' as Popovich told the coach Tuesday morning.

``Lost the team? That's a hard word,'' Del Negro said. ``We've been so successful that this lack of success has been hard for all of us. But lost the team? I don't think so.'' - - -

Depleted arsenal

Through 19 games, the Spurs have had seven players miss games this season due to injury.

Player Games Injury

Chuck Person 19 Back

David Robinson 18 Back

Charles Smith 15 Knee

Will Perdue 8 Thumb

Vinny Del Negro 2 Knee/ankle

Sean Elliott 1 Quadricep

Monty Williams 1 Foot

[MI21]

Damn, this thread HAS to be archived when all is said and done.

[SPARKY]

Del Negro hurt over tale of greed

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : February 1, 1999

Vincent Joseph Del Negro sounded weary as we spoke at what was a very late hour in Italy.
Del Negro's team had been eliminated from the Italian Cup Championship Tournament and, ever the compe or, that bothered him.

But what also bothers Del Negro is what happened in San Antonio, where he and his wife, Lynn, planned to spend the remainder of his basketball life and beyond.

"Hurt ... angry," Del Negro began, making his first public comments since being dumped by the Spurs after six years of exemplary service on and off the court. "There has been maliciousness. I hated the way I was made out to look greedy.

"Greedy? Far from it. If I was so greedy, why wouldn't I have taken the contract to remain in Italy rather than sign for the $1.75 million exception in Milwaukee?"

Exactly.

Del Negro turned down $4 million per season from his Italian League team to accept a four-year contract with the Bucks.

Today, Del Negro is in Milwaukee taking his physical. He'll be on the practice floor Tuesday. The Bucks open the season Friday night in Charlotte, N.C.

"George Karl has been wonderful," Del Negro said of his telephone conversations with the Bucks' head coach. "He has done everything for me that he could do. I'm looking forward to playing for him. It's nice to know that you're wanted."

Which, sadly, Del Negro wasn't in San Antonio.

As I mentioned in my Jan. 22 column, Spurs general manager/coach Gregg Popovich indicated to Del Negro and his representative, Jack Marin, in October 1997 that Vinny wasn't wanted here.

That's when a contract proposal from Marin that Popovich asked for was ignored. Del Negro, who was a free agent after last season, confirmed again that neither he nor Marin ever heard one word in response from Popovich.

But that lack of professionalism was topped by Popovich's very own brand of "bait-and-switch" last month.

That's when Popovich asked Marin to come in high - I was told Popovich's exact words were, "Make an offer that makes you look like an idiot and me look like a hero."

Marin did just that and Popovich feigned disgust and horror, putting out that Del Negro was demanding $5 million per season and using that as an excuse to dump the popular player, who could play off-guard and the point.

And lest we forget, during a dinner between Popovich and Marin on Jan. 14, it was Popovich who talked about giving Del Negro what he deserved.

The parameters of a five-year deal, which began at $3 million and topped out at $4.4 million, were discussed at that dinner.

Now, Popovich reportedly has denied this scenario on his radio show.

But you be the judge.

Do you honestly believe Del Negro would demand $5 million?

C'mon.

Popovich not only is insulting a good man in Del Negro, but the Spurs' boss is insulting the intelligence of every one of you.

As we spoke, I could tell Del Negro was holding back. He chose his words carefully.

Del Negro is the consummate pro. He's never been one to speak out publicly on matters.

Still, there was no mistaking the hurt he feels on this one.

"It didn't have to come to this," Del Negro said. "If they really wanted me, as Pop told Jack, they should never have let me become a free agent."

Del Negro had nothing but praise for the additions of Steve Kerr, Mario Elie and Jerome Kersey to the Spurs' roster.

"All good players, all good guys," Del Negro said.

Yet, he didn't try to hide how disappointed he was not having the chance to play with the Spurs this season.

"With Tim (Duncan), Dave (Robinson), Avery (Johnson) and a healthy Sean (Elliott), that's going to be an excellent team," Del Negro said. "And after being in San Antonio for six years, going through coaching changes and all, I was looking forward to being with the team.

"The next two years with Tim, the team really has a chance to go places."

Instead, the 32-year-old Del Negro must put his golf clubs in the closet for the cold climes of Milwaukee.

"I'm excited about the challenge," he said. "I'm excited about being coached by George. And, as I said, I'm glad to be going where somebody wants me."

In time, Del Negro said he wants to talk to Spurs owner Peter Holt about how things were handled.

I wish I thought that would matter to Holt, who seems to be under a Svengali- like spell performed by Popovich.

What's curious about all of this is that Popovich's pettiness regarding Del Negro cost him.

Portland, Detroit, Miami and Phoenix also had an interest in Del Negro.

Why wouldn't GM Popovich have done a sign-and-trade deal to have gotten something for his "resource?"

"Bottom line," Del Negro began, "all Pop had to do was pick up the telephone and say, 'Vinny, we're not going to sign you.' I understand that's business."

But with Popovich, it's always monkey business.

[SPARKY]

Ring leaders: Kerr, Elie know how it's done

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : January 27, 1999

Why all the fuss about two guys who, in 18 years of NBA play combined, together have averaged only 16 points per game?
For Stephen Douglas Kerr and Mario Antoine Elie, the ring is the thing - as in NBA championship ring.

For Kerr and Elie, the number that matters is five - as in NBA les between them.

That's why trading for a 33-year- old, slow guard (Kerr) and signing as a free agent a 35-year-old, short (6-foot-5) small forward (Elie) makes good sense for the Spurs, who embarked on their abbreviated preseason Tuesday night in Houston against the Rockets.

That game was of particular significance to Elie, who played on the Rockets' le teams in 1993- 94 and '94-95.

And Elie wasn't just window dressing on those championship teams.

In the '95 NBA Finals, Elie's 22 points on 9-for-11 shooting gave the Rockets Game 4 in their sweep of Orlando. And had it not been for Elie's three-pointer in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals at Phoenix with 7.1 seconds left, the Rockets wouldn't even have had a chance to reach the finals.

But as the Rockets retooled for the 21st century, Elie was deemed unnecessary. Their loss, though, was San Antonio's gain because Elie brings a guile older Spurs fans may remember seeing in Paul Griffin, Coby Dietrick and Allan Bristow.

As was the case with that trio of Spurs alums, Elie fears no one. He is ecstatic about his rebirth here following a summerlong recruitment by Spurs guard Avery Johnson.

"Avery didn't promise me a car," said Elie, laughing. "He did promise me 7-footers (David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Will Perdue) and a point guard who pushed the ball up the floor."

In return, Elie promises the Spurs and their patrons a performer who enjoys the dirty work and one who will never give less than 100 percent.

In Kerr, who came from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Chuck Person and a No. 1 draft choice either this year or next, the Spurs get one of the league's premier three-point shooters.

Kerr, too, has some additional jewelry thanks to playing with Michael Jordan on the Bulls' last three NBA le teams - '95-96, '96- 97 and '97-98.

As with Elie on the Rockets' back-to-back champions, Kerr was more than a bystander. In the '97 NBA Finals, his jumper in the last moments clinched Game 6 and the le for the Bulls.

It's that experience that Spurs' fans hope will make a difference this spring, when the Spurs always have fallen short of expectations.

"There is a mental toughness you have to have in the playoffs," Elie said. "Steve and I know about that."

So how does this pair translate that experience to the current edition of the Spurs?

"We will talk to the guys," Kerr said. "But a lot of the championship experience comes in showing the guys."

Elie and Kerr want it to happen quickly.

"David Robinson isn't getting any younger (at 33)," Elie said. "So it's time to make a run (at the le)."

Elie and Kerr have a presence. You could feel it just walking into the first practice session. They have instant credibility with their teammates because of what they've been a part of.

Now those teammates hope Elie and Kerr will help them be a part of it, too.

[SPARKY]

Pop never wanted to sign Del Negro

Kevin O'Keeffe

Publication Date : January 22, 1999

Let's get something straight regarding the negotiations between Spurs general manager Gregg Popovich and Jack Marin, representative for guard Vinny Del Negro.
There were none.

Seriously.

Popovich never intended for Del Negro to be a member of the Spurs this season. More on that later.

Forget all of this hand-wringing malarkey from Popovich, who never will be NBA Executive of the Year but might be in line for an Oscar after his performance last week.

On Jan. 14, Marin and Popovich had dinner together here. At that time, Marin explained to Popovich what he was looking at for the 32-year-old Del Negro, who currently is playing in Italy.

Marin discussed a four-or five- year deal that would top out at around $4.4 million for Del Negro, who averaged 11.2 points per game in six seasons with the Spurs.

Never did Marin demand $5 million per season.

Never did Marin demand anything.

In fact, Marin was sensitive to the Spurs' budget plight. He suggested to Popovich that the last two years of the deal would not be fully guaranteed.

Now, if Popovich believed these numbers were out of line, which he indicated Wednesday as justification for dumping Del Negro, why didn't Popovich protest at the dinner with Marin?

Oh, Popovich was quite the thespian that night. Not only did he not object to Marin's contract-proposal numbers, but he also told Marin more than once how he wanted to make sure Del Negro got what he deserved.

Then he asked Marin to help him with that by making a higher offer. That would allow Popovich to turn it down, yet allow Del Negro to get what was discussed and what Popovich said he wanted Del Negro to have.

Instead ...

Popovich seized on that proposal, feigning disgust. He had his minions put out that he was angry.

Then his next words to Marin were, "We (the Spurs) are going another way."

Negotiations? What negotiations?

Oh, the real numbers of the proposal, according to an NBA source: $3 million, $3.6 million, $3.72 million, $4.08 million, $4.44 million.

Also, according to the source, the Spurs' deal with Chicago Bulls free-agent guard Steve Kerr is believed to be top heavy. It calls for Kerr to receive $3.5 million and $3.6 million in the first two years of the five-year, $11- million deal.

Thus, that would be more than Del Negro would have received in the first two years of his deal.

I like Kerr. The 33-year-old three-point threat is a wonderful addition to the Spurs. However, that is what he should be - an addition.

As in, an addition to Del Negro, who with his excellent skill at passing into the post can do more things than Kerr.

Understand, though, Popovich never intended for Del Negro to be with the team this year. He told Del Negro so before the 1997-98 season.

And he did it by not saying a word.

It was at that time Popovich instructed Del Negro and Marin to submit a contract proposal. Del Negro was entering the final year of a six-year, $12-million deal.

Del Negro and Marin did as instructed but never heard a word from Popovich.

Del Negro said little about being ignored because he didn't want to cause any problems. Still, he thought it was odd Popovich would ask for the proposal ... but never respond.

Why didn't Popovich want Del Negro back?

Simple, really. Del Negro wasn't one of Pop's guys and Vinny knew it. Del Negro, who was respected by his teammates, wasn't bashful about expressing an opinion contrary to Popovich's.

That's a no-no for Popovich, who is easily threatened because of his insecurity.

So, why all the theatrics the last week by Popovich? Might he have thought he could make Del Negro appear to be just another greedy player?

Surely, Popovich knew Spurs fans were much too smart for that. They knew Del Negro to be a self- effacing gentleman on and off the court, a man who personified a "team-first" mentality.

Del Negro will be missed here. And I'm not the only one who feels that way. Spurs co-captains David Robinson and Avery Johnson are puzzled about Popovich's dumping Del Negro.

As Robinson stated so eloquently: "Championship teams don't let go of players who have contributed for six seasons."

David's right, you know.

But then, this is just another example of why the Spurs never will be a championship organization as long as Popovich is in charge.

[SPARKY]

FOCUS: O'Keeffe leaves



Publication Date : March 3, 1999

Marketplace of ideas

I grew up in San Antonio and enjoyed keeping up with news and sports, the latter through Kevin O'Keeffe's column.
Express-News sports columnist Kevin O'Keeffe's reported resignation as a result of not being able to criticize the Spurs is a sad day for sports fans and anyone who appreciates the marketplace of ideas that the free press is supposed to allow.

My new hometown paper, the Washington Post, regularly features the highly opinionated views of staff columnists. They are allowed to express themselves freely in the marketplace of ideas because they have earned the right through years of service, credible analysis and intelligent reporting. The marketplace of ideas is big enough to allow this to happen.

It is a shame that the Express-News isn't big enough to let O'Keeffe express a view that is likely held by a large number of Spurs fans.

Express-News editors should not be surprised that I no longer find their paper to be a source of ideas and opinions that a free press is supposed to allow. Chris Caperton, Washington, D.C.

Idea of pressure silly

It is incredibly hard to believe that a major newspaper such as the Express-News would allow itself to be pressured into terminating a columnist by any outside interest, including the Spurs.

So you can imagine how ridiculous Express-News sports columnist Kevin O'Keeffe looks when he cries to anyone who will listen about how the Spurs cost him his job.

His complaints sound about as credible as some of his columns.

I admit that I did sometimes agree with O'Keeffe. However, his columns rarely impressed me, whether I agreed with them or not. I wish him well in whatever endeavor he decides to pursue, but I will not miss his column. San Antonio deserves better. Bill Reynolds

A favorite writer gone

I am sad to hear that Kevin O'Keeffe has left the Express-News. He is probably one of my favorite writers and his was always one of the first columns that I read.

He has such a passion for writing, and he shared that with the students in my journalism classes at MacArthur High School. Many of my students have included Kevin's columns in their reading logs, and I know that they will miss his way with words. I hope that Kevin continues to write and share his love for the language with others. Patricia Gathright

City left a bit poorer

I find it hard to believe that someone who has worked at a job for more than 20 years would resign if something was not amiss.

If the Spurs organization is not big enough to take criticism from a local scribe, perhaps it is time for them to move.

I feel that censoring the media for doing its job is an abridgment of the First Amendment. When the rich and powerful can pressure a newspaper not to print anything but a rosy picture of a floundering franchise, then the newspaper has lost all journalistic credibility.

The Spurs and the Express-News have made this city a little bit poorer. William Moke

[SPARKY]

[timvp]

Nice.

You've hit the gold mine.

[ShoogarBear]

True or false: Baseline Bum was in attendance at Drob's first game as a Spur

Hmm, depends what you mean by "first game".

I was at DRob's first preseason game, October 17, 1989 in Hartford, CT versus the Celtics. He destroyed Robert Parish and I was thinking "hey, we may be on to something".

The reason I remember the exact date? It was the same day as the World Series earthquake.

[travis2]

Kevin O'Keefe was an asshole.

[2pac]

He was an opinion columnist fired for his opinion. Bush-league.

OKeefe proved to be wrong on many things. Bob Hill turned out to be a scrub and never really coached again, if you dont count Division II basketball.

Pop developed into one of the best - but at the time, Pop had no respect.


BTW: no one answered about what former Spur teammates were drafted consecutively.

Danny Ferry was drafted 2 and Sean Elliott was drafted 3 in 1989.

[travis2]

The problem with O'Keefe was that he evidently had an axe to grind. Why, I don't know. Were he and Bob Hill distantly related? Did Pop cut one of his kids? Don't know.

It's one thing to be an opinion writer...but his lack of objectivity in covering the Spurs (at that time) was really glaring. I'm not saying he never wrote anything good...but in the end, everything always devolved back into some conspiracy theory concerning Pop.

It really got wearing.

[travis2]

Here's a trivia question...

Devin Brown is not the first San Antonio college product to spend some time with the Spurs. There was a year in which the Spurs drafted two SA college players.

1. Name them
2. Name their school(s)
3. Extra credit - Name the rounds they were drafted in

[SPARKY]

Be sure to order your copy today.

O'Keeffe developed a relationship with Hill and supposedly was in the process of writing a book with him when he was canned. Hence O'Keefe's rather obvious mission to destroy Popovich in print, no matter how hysterical and downright pathetic he appeared. It wasn't just that he was voicing an anti-management opinion but rather that the man had let his hatred of Pop get the better of him. That was Bush-league, to say the least.

If SPARKY remembers correctly, O'Keeffe is now working in the Texas AG's office.

[SPARKY]

Henry James St. Mary's