The state of the NBA was examined by the media in light
of the recent trading deadline which saw players, such as
Rony Seikaly and Kenny Anderson, dictating where they were
traded to. Jazz Owner Larry Miller: "To start having
players say, 'I don't want this team or that team, or this
city or that city,' I think is very serious. If it becomes
the norm in the league, it would create chaos. We sure
can't just let them run amuck" (N.Y. POST, 2/22). Magic GM
John Gabriel: "If players are not going to report, there
needs to be some sort of penalty" (S.F. EXAMINER, 2/22).
KIDS ON THE BLOCK: In Tampa, Bill Fay said players will
next "want to become owners. ... This week, however, they
climbed up the ladder a huge notch. They appointed
themselves general managers, making or voiding trades as
their mood suits. ... Rome continues to burn" (TAMPA
TRIBUNE, 2/22). In Salt Lake, Steve Luhm: "In essence, are
the inmates running this high-priced sports asylum?" ESPN's
David Aldridge: "Teams have every right to suspend a guy if
he doesn't report. Teams need to start saying, 'You don't
want to play here? Fine, sit and rot'" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE,
2/22). In Charlotte, Rick Bonnell: "What these guys did
must terrify every general manager in the league. If GMs
can't make trades, then they can't rebuild. That's a real
threat to the competitive balance of the NBA" (CHARLOTTE
OBSERVER, 2/22). In Miami, Steve Wyche: "The players
dictate how this league is run" (MIAMI HERALD, 2/22). Agent
Mark Bartelstein: "It almost seems that we're at a stage
where players are being rewarded for being a bad guy. The
good guys are taken for granted." In Chicago, Carol Slezak
wrote the NBA is "a players league. More so than ever. All
the owners can do is try not to get tangled in their leashes
as they're walked around in circles" (SUN-TIMES, 2/22).
TRUTH REVEALED? For those wondering why Kobe Bryant
didn't play in the 4th quarter of the All-Star Game, in
Detroit, Chris McCosky wrote that Gary Payton, David
Robinson and Karl Malone "were completely fed up with"
Bryant's "selfishness and total disregard for winning the
game," and executed the "freezeout" (DETROIT NEWS, 2/22).
