Sprewell Quits Before Season Starts This Time - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

MavKikiNYC · 09-30-2002, 08:17 PM

Hope this will stuff Spree-to-Mavs rumors for a while....

Broken hand will shelve Sprewell for 4-6 weeks
September 30, 2002
By MSGNetwork.com

Knicks shooting guard Latrell Sprewell has a broken pinky on his right hand and will undergo surgery Tuesday at Beth Israel Hospital. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Susan Craig-Scott.

Sprewell will wear a cast for four weeks and is expected to be out of action for six weeks.

Despite the injury, he will travel to meet the team in Charleston, S.C. Wednesday to participate in training camp.

It is unknown how Sprewell sustained the injury. After complaining of the problem, X-rays were taken Monday, where the extent of the injury was discovered.

Sprewell averaged 19.4 points on 40.4 percent shooting last season.

Drbio · 09-30-2002, 09:56 PM

Great news. Now along with Thomas beating the crap out of his wife, we won't have to listen to all those unfounded bullshit NY generated dumbass baseless Thomas/Ward/Spree to Dallas for NVE trade rumors.

Fidel · 09-30-2002, 10:03 PM

We could still trade for Houston [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img].

Drbio · 09-30-2002, 11:32 PM

Grrrrr....[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Dooby · 10-01-2002, 08:08 AM

Man it is always suspicious when a guy shows upt to camp with an injury and no explanation.

Reminds me of Moises Alou in Houston. He said he fell off a treadmill. Sure, if by treadmill, you mean waterskis.

FilthyFinMavs · 10-01-2002, 02:31 PM

Does anyone realize tha if all these trade rumors were true Mavericks be in hell right now? Mourning is hurt Kurt is havin problems Spree is hurt I mean damn lol.

Hoopsmeister · 10-01-2002, 11:03 PM

<< Does anyone realize tha if all these trade rumors were true Mavericks be in hell right now? Mourning is hurt Kurt is havin problems Spree is hurt I mean damn lol. >>

Yep. As a guy who was anti- almost every trade suggested all summer, I'd like to take a moment to gloat. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

Rhylan · 10-01-2002, 11:09 PM

ditto.

What I don't get is why all these big, studly, tough guys are such wusses about fessing up to injuries and getting surgery. AI, Shaq, Spree. I don't get it at all. Seriously... it should be a violation of contract terms to withhold information about an injury or pointlessly postpone surgery when it's absolutely necessary.

Lvubun1 · 10-02-2002, 03:59 AM

MavsFanFinley · 10-04-2002, 11:57 PM

Report: Sprewell may have injured hand throwing punch

October 4, 2002

NEW YORK (AP) -- Latrell Sprewell might have broken his hand by throwing an errant punch at the boyfriend of a woman who vomited on his new yacht, the New York Post reported Friday.

The newspaper, citing two eyewitnesses who asked not to be identified, said the New York Knicks' star was injured when he slammed his right hand into a wall during a skirmish at a late-night party.

Agent Robert Gist acknowledged Friday that Sprewell hurt his hand aboard the luxury yacht he bought over the summer.

Sprewell underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a displaced fracture of the bone beneath his right pinkie. He will wear a cast for a month and is expected to be sidelined at least six weeks.

The Knicks were stunned when Sprewell arrived in New York on Monday with a broken hand. After initially saying Sprewell would join the team for training camp in Charleston, S.C., the Knicks said Sprewell had been told to stay in New York until the team returned.

Knicks president Scott Layden and coach Don Chaney plan to meet with Sprewell on Monday.

Gist told The Associated Press he did not speak to Sprewell about exactly what caused the injury, although the agent was quoted in detail in the Post describing how Sprewell banged his hand while shifting the boat's navigational system, frantically pulling on a rope to redirect the vessel after it was smacked by a wave.

``Quite frankly, I don't care how it happened. I care more about his recovery and the upcoming season,'' Gist said Friday.

Gist maintained that Sprewell did not realize the severity of the injury until he arrived in New York and had the hand X-rayed.

The two eyewitnesses quoted by the Post said that after they sailed on his yacht Sept. 20, Sprewell had a party while it was docked at the lakefront area in downtown Milwaukee.

An argument ensued about 2:30 a.m. after a woman Sprewell hadn't invited vomited on a carpet by the bar area. Sprewell wanted the woman to leave the boat, but her boyfriend objected.

Sprewell took a swing at the boyfriend, missed and hit a wall. Sprewell cursed in pain and asked his guests not to say anything about it, the Post said.

Drbio · 10-05-2002, 04:55 PM

Spree is a tard....

MavKikiNYC · 10-05-2002, 07:27 PM

Interestingly, that story is omitted from yesterday's and today's NYTimes.

MavKikiNYC · 10-05-2002, 08:17 PM

This could be the first good break for the NYKs all year.

SPREE MIGHT HAVE BROKEN KNICKS DEAL

By MARC BERMAN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 5, 2002 --
CHARLESTON - Latrell Sprewell, in possibly failing to give "prompt notice" to the Knicks about his off-season hand injury, might have breached his Knick contract, according to a clause in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The last time Sprewell breached his contract was when he choked his coach P.J. Carlesimo five years ago. Golden State terminated the contract, but it was later reinstated by a judge.

The Knicks don't plan to terminate his contract, but a fine or suspension could be in order after GM Scott Layden, Garden sports prez Steve Mills and Don Chaney meet with Sprewell Monday at their Westchester practice facility.

It appears to depend upon how contrite Sprewell, who will make nearly $13 million this season, acts during the meeting.

It also could hinge who defines the word "prompt" as it relates to Sprewell here.

With evidence mounting Sprewell fractured his right pinkie by punching a wall during a Sept. 20 altercation at a party on his new yacht, this could be the final straw in his often-stellar but always controversial Knick career. Sprewell didn't inform the Knicks about the injury until 10 days later - is that prompt? That question remains to be answered.

According to Chaney, he only told them he banged his hand on his boat. Sprewell will miss at least six weeks.

The relevant clause in the CBA states, "The player agrees to provide to the team's coach, trainer or physician prompt notice of any injury, illness or medical condition suffered by him that is likely to affect adversely the player's ability to render the services required under his contract, including the time, place and nature of such injury, illness or condition."

A prominent Manhattan hand surgeon confirmed that the injury Sprewell suffered - a fracture of the fifth metacarpal in the pinkie area - can be known as "a boxer's fracture" and is most commonly caused from punching something hard.

"Boxer's fracture tends to come from a clenched fist striking a solid object," said Dr. Pamela Sherman of the Hospital for Special Surgery. "That's usually how it happens, punching a wall or drawer; something solid that doesn't move."

Two eyewitnesses told The Post on Thursday that Sprewell, hosting a party on his yacht docked at Milwaukee's lakefront area, got angry when a woman guest drinking shots of alcohol threw up on a white carpet by the bar. They said Sprewell wanted the woman off the boat, but after her boyfriend interfered, Sprewell took a swing and missed. Sprewell denied the incident through one of his publicists.

Bob Gist, Sprewell's agent, backpedaled on his prior account that his client suffered the fracture navigating his yacht after a Lake Michigan wave smacked the vessel. "I don't know and I really don't care how he hurt his hand, as long as it's not a crime," Gist said.

Shopping Sprewell was a management priority this summer. With Shandon Anderson the scourge of a tumultuous training camp, Sprewell's Knick career is in jeopardy again.

Layden made a telling remark Tuesday. Layden said of Sprewell's replacement, Anderson, "I'm hoping he plays so well that Coach [Chaney] has an unbelievable decision as what to do when we're at full strength." You don't say that about your supposed franchise player.

Chaney said he has to believe Sprewell's version for now. "I read it in the paper but I'd like to speak with him to find out exactly what the story is," Chaney said. "That's one of the reasons we'll be meeting. I can go by only what he said. He said he banged his hand on his boat. We still don't know. Right now we're talking about hearsay."

MavKikiNYC · 10-07-2002, 03:37 PM

Oh well....all's well that ends well. I'm sure this is the last we'll here about this.

Union to appeal Sprewell's fine

Embellished Headline: Layden Reportedly Sprouts a Testicle

Monday, October 7

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Latrell Sprewell was fined $250,000 Monday by the New York Knicks, who also told him to stay away from the team until he can make "a positive contribution."

Sprewell was punished for failing to tell the team that he injured his shooting hand two weeks before training camp started. He had surgery last week and is out at least six weeks. He will miss at least the first two weeks of the regular season.

Billy Hunter, executive director of the NBA Players Association, told ESPN on Monday that the union will appeal the fine. Hunter said he spoke with Sprewell for about 30 minutes Monday morning and that Sprewell claims he did not know he had broken a bone in his shooting hand when he reported to the training camp last week.

Based on that, Hunter says the players' union believes the team has no basis to impose the fine. A grievance would be heard by Grievance Arbitrator Roger Kaplan.

"If the player is not aware, you can't hold him accountable," Hunter said. "Our view is under the circumstances, Latrell was not aware of the injury until he was examined by the team physician. And if that is true, there's no basis for the fine."

Knicks president Scott Layden met with Sprewell for 20 minutes at the team's practice facility Monday. Sprewell told team officials he broke his hand when he tripped and fell on his new yacht.

According to a report last week in the New York Post, Sprewell might have broken his hand by throwing an errant punch at the boyfriend of a woman who vomited on his yacht. The newspaper, citing two eyewitnesses who asked not to be identified, said Sprewell was injured when he slammed his right hand into a wall during a skirmish at a late-night party aboard the yacht in Milwaukee.

Robert Gist, Sprewell's agent, said in a statement Monday that Sprewell has asked him to explore litigation against the Post for running "grossly irresponsible and false" stories.

Layden emphasized that Sprewell was not officially suspended, but no time frame was given for the four-time All-Star's return to the team.

"He has a responsibility to let us know. He had an obligation to do that," said Madison Square Garden president Steve Mills, who also met with Sprewell, along with coach Don Chaney.

Sprewell left practice without speaking to reporters. Layden described him as "upset" by the punishment.

Layden admitted the Knicks are taking a different tack than they had in the past in disciplining Sprewell, whose transgressions were often excused by the team. Sprewell skipped all of training camp in 1999 without explanation, and he routinely has arrived late for games during his four seasons in New York.

The Knicks acquired Sprewell from Golden State after he was suspended for a majority of the 1997-98 season for choking Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo.

"The approach we've taken thus far has not been effective. We need to try something different,'' Layden said.

He said Sprewell will remain an important part of the team, which missed the playoffs last season for the first time in 15 years. Sprewell was the Knicks' second-leading scorer at 19.4 points per game.

He was suspended by the team last season for one game after he missed a shootaround before a game in Miami. But the team later cut that fine from $125,000 to $2,500.

Monday's fine "will not be rescinded,'' Layden said.