NJ high school basketball player Al Harrington said
Monday that he will skip college and make himself eligible
for the NBA Draft, according to Michael Amsel of the ASBURY
PARK PRESS. Harrington, 18, said he reached the decision on
Saturday after a "heated debate" with his mother, Mona
Lawton, who wanted him to attend Seton Hall. Harrington
said he is going is to sign with an agent today, and Amsel
writes that the "most likely choice appears to be Eric
Fleischer," who handles Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury.
Harrington said he talked to Garnett for advice: "Kevin told
me he is having the time of his life. But he said, 'Be
prepared to really work'" (ASBURY PARK PRESS, 5/12).
DOES THE GAME SUFFER? In Philadelphia, John Smallwood
writes under the header, "Child's Play Hurting Quality Of
NBA Game." He writes that the NBA's declining skill level
"has become a serious problem," as today's young players
lack the proper fundamentals, which "is visibly hurting the
NBA product" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 5/12).
BOBBY'S CAMEO: In Atlanta, Terence Moore questions why
top college coaches like John Thompson, Roy Williams, Dean
Smith and Bobby Cremins, among others, agreed to appear in
Spike Lee's "He Got Game." Moore: "What were they
thinking?" But he adds that Cremins and others may have
been "ambushed" by Lee. Cremins said that while at a camp
in NJ last year, Lee came up to him and asked if he could
shoot a scene for his movie. Cremins: "I said sure, and my
line was, 'I've seen Stephon Marbury and Kenny Anderson --
but Jesus is better.' Being Catholic, I felt bad about
saying something about Jesus, but I just trusted Spike"
(Terence Moore, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 5/12).
