Sprewell back after suspension by Knicks - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

MFFL · 04-16-2002, 10:54 PM

Somehow I think Sprewell will welcome a trade.

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Here's the link

Tuesday, April 16
Sprewell back in lineup following suspension
Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Latrell Sprewell made it to his team's pre-game shootaround Tuesday and said the New York Knicks went "overboard" and were "too severe" by suspending him for last Sunday's game against Miami.

Sprewell, who was expected to start Tuesday night against the Wizards, lost 1/90th of his salary -- about $125,000 -- after he failed to show up for the shootaround on Sunday morning and did not call team officials.

Sprewell said he understands he was wrong, but thinks the team came down too hard. He plans to file an appeal through the Players' Association.

"I mean, that was like the worst thing I think they could have done," he said. "They chose to do that; that was their choice, obviously. But as a player, you have rights, and when you think that the team has gone overboard, so to speak, you have your right in arbitration. I discussed that process, and hopefully, things will go fine."

The latest Sprewell saga helps provide a sour finish to a season of disappointment for the Knicks, who were expected to contend for the Eastern Conference title. Instead, they find themselves in last place in the Atlantic Division and headed for the draft lottery for the first time since 1987.

Many of the players have admitted having a hard time getting motivated to play out the final games of the regular season.

Coach Don Chaney has been trying to encourage professionalism, even running the team through a rugged practice session late last week -- long after they had been mathematically eliminated from contention.

He also scheduled a shootaround for Sunday morning, but Sprewell did not attend and admitted to reporters that he did not wake up until 4 p.m. He refused to say what time he went to sleep.

Sprewell arrived late for the Heat game (he routinely arrives late on game night), was summoned to speak with Chaney and was told of the suspension.

"I thought it was a serious deal, but I didn't think it warranted missing a game. During the course of an 82-game season, you have things like that as a player," Sprewell said.

"Frankly, I've been a guy that has played throughout the entire year; I've been in practice; I've played in games sick. That's the thing that's disappointing to me. I've really extended myself and done everything this year to try to help this organization win games. ... I've been at virtually every practice and every shootaround. It's not like this was something that was happening all the time."

Sprewell believes his status as a team leader was a factor in the suspension, saying that players such as Felton Spencer and Lavor Postell would have received more lenient treatment for a similar offense.

Those players, however, do not have the same type of history Sprewell does.

During training camp in 1999, Sprewell did not show up for five days and neglected to call the team to tell them of his whereabouts. It turned out he was making a cross-country drive to camp.

When he was with the Golden State Warriors, Sprewell was suspended for the final 68 games of the 1997-98 season for choking coach P.J. Carlesimo during an altercation at practice.

Dan Wasserman, a spokesman for the players' union, said it was not uncommon for players to file appeals when they believe the punishment is unjust. He confirmed that Sprewell spoke Monday with union director Billy Hunter, and said Sprewell has 20 days to file a formal grievance.

Sprewell has repaired his image in New York and remains one of the team's most popular players. He has been steadfast throughout the season in insisting that he would like to remain with the Knicks.

But this off-season is not expected to be a quiet one for the team, which is saddled with players holding lucrative, long-term contracts that will be very difficult to move.

One of the exceptions may be Sprewell, whose contract is far more tradable than the $100 million deal that was given to Allan Houston last summer.

"I think they were going to shop everybody in the summer, anyway. That's going to continue to happen, and they're going to do the best possible thing to help the organization," Sprewell said.

MavsFanFinley · 04-16-2002, 10:57 PM

What are the Knicks going to do?

Who do you work on trading first?

What team(s) are willing to help them out?

Drbio · 04-16-2002, 11:00 PM

To answer your questions.....

1. They are going to suck.

2. Anyone would be tradable.

3. Noone in their right mind.

MavKikiNYC · 04-17-2002, 10:47 AM

LaThug is a total, complete, absolute, abject loser and has been nothing but a cancer for the Knicks. I had been a NYKs fan/follower until they signed him in '99, but my enthusiasm for NYKball dried up as soon as he got here. They totally fluked into the Finals that year, and there are Thug-freaks up here who still salivate into his braided butt-hairs like he was responsible for getting them there--which is one of the many reasons I don't forsee myself ever bonding with some of the hardcore Nix faithful.

NYKs, whether they understand it or not, are facing a long-term radical Decon and rebuild. They'll have to move pretty much the entire roster at a loss in order to do this (cf Kiki@Denver).

Anyone/everyone is/should be available. But who'd want them?

TheKid · 04-17-2002, 11:19 AM

Kiki, as much as I hate to agree with you, you're right. They're about to be bad and BAD FOR A LONG TIME!!! That sucks too because after the Oldman days they went into a terrible stage for a minute then they've been good every since Pitino. That's why they weren't sticking with Nelson, they didn't even give him an entire season.

However right now, they're in a WORLD of hurt. Also Sprewell......... Well I don't know exactly what to say about him. He's a guy I've stuck up for when people use to bash him about the Carlisimo thing, but once again we have him here ADMITTING to doing something wrong but says the punishment was TOO HARSH... Still doesn't want to step up and accept the blame.

MFFL · 04-17-2002, 03:30 PM

I wouldn't mind having Spree on the Mavs. They've got a couple of other players who are interesting to a few teams. They'll just have to trade players for contracts - trade a good player with a long term deal for a bad player with only a year left - in order to get competitive again. Or get the first pick in the draft again (it happened before).

Dooby · 04-17-2002, 04:51 PM

The Knicks will be bad until Commissioner Stern fixes the draft lottery like he did the last time they were bad and they got Patrick Ewing.

madape · 04-17-2002, 05:53 PM

The Knicks are way over the cap and spending crazy money on average players. They have got to look to try to dump some salary and rebuild. This is exactly the kind of situation the Mavs have typically looked to take advantage of. We almost hooked them in on a trade near the deadline where we received Camby and others, and they received Juwan Howard. It is not out of the question that we will explore trade options with NY in the future.

Nelson is a huge Sprewell fan. He drafted him and developed him into a superstar. He tried to get Ross Perot to agree to a deal to bring him to Dallas during the PJ Carlisimo scandal. If a deal can be done, and Sprewell is put on the trading block, you can be sure that Dallas will be interested.

MavKikiNYC · 04-17-2002, 05:55 PM

<< I wouldn't mind having Spree on the Mavs. >>

<GASP!!!> Take it back, MFFL! Say it isn't so!

Thug is poison! He's a conscienceless gunner and ball-hog, who then rips teammates in the press for not contributing more. He ripped Ewing saying the team would be better off without him, and then after Ewing left and the team's weaknesses were REALLY exposed, he lit into Houston, accusing him of not leaving everthing out on the court in last year's playoffs. This year he's taken on Mark Jackson, Charlie Ward, Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas. The Knicks' team chemistry is radioactively toxic.

Thug has choked in at least half a dozen game-winning situations this year for the Knicks, and when you consider what their season record is, his poor performance has been the difference between making the playoffs and landing in the lottery. He tanked at least 15 games before the trading deadline to try to lower his trade value because he didn't want to leave NY's nightlife behind. Then after the season was a lost cause, he got himself ejected from the Portland game for slugging Bonzi Wells, went 1-11 against the Sonics, got ejected for clubbing Doug Christie, then missed a team shootaround and was suspended for the game against Miami (which, incidentally, the Knicks won without him).

He's habitually late to home games, frequently misses team shootarounds, and seems to operate on the assumption that team rules aren't for him. He would completely poison the incredibly rare team chemistry that the Mavs have enjoyed for the last couple of years.

He is, always has been and always will be the lowest-life kind of loser. Even when he still had the athletic ability to dominate some games he wasn't worth having, and now that he has lost a couple of degrees of athleticism, his effect on teammates will make him tough for the Knicks to move.

No, NO, HELL NO! to Thug showing up on the Mavs.

Drbio · 04-17-2002, 06:09 PM

I also would prefer not to have the cancerous spree on the Mavs.

Murphy3 · 04-17-2002, 08:51 PM

hmm..spree as a mav...interesting

Drbio · 04-17-2002, 08:53 PM

No thanks...the Mavs have great chemistry right now and look to be improving for next eyar....Spree would be a cancer and a HUGE distraction.....keep his ass far away from here please.

MavsFanFinley · 04-17-2002, 10:44 PM

I don't care for Spreewell either and hope he doesn't end up a Mav.

But, I think Cuban will be willing to help them out. I wouldn't be surprised to see the trade of NVE to NY for Camby, Anderson and Ward pop up again.

Drbio · 04-17-2002, 10:45 PM

Ugh. I hope not.