CBA'S PATTERSON ANSWERS CRITICS OF LEAGUE'S RECRUITMENT PLAN

          CBA Commissioner Steve Patterson was interviewed on
     CNNfn's "Sports Inc."  Patterson, on the CBA targeting young
     players: "Many of these young men ... want to make a living. 
     They can make a good living in the CBA while they still
     prepare for the NBA at the same time."  In responding to
     criticism regarding its offer to 17-year-old Lamar Odom and
     other young players, Patterson said, "[I]t's important as we
     embark upon this to put an educational program and a life
     skills program in at the same time, so as we're developing
     players to become better basketball players ... we also
     educate them in life skills.  The NBA addresses this, we
     think we need to go further, and we think it's probably
     easier to do in the smaller markets that we're in than in
     Chicago, [L.A.], New York, where the temptations and the
     distractions are so extraordinary" (CNNfn, 9/17).