NBA Commissioner David Stern joined TNT's Ernie Johnson
and Kenny Smith during halftime of last night's Pacers-Bulls
game. Stern, on a possible lockout: "When you've had 52
years without a disruption, you would tend to think that you
could continue to do it. It doesn't mean that we're not at
a considerable gap in our negotiations, but I'd like to at
least remain the optimist." Smith asked if labor issues are
strong enough to stop the league from playing. Stern: "If
you have several billion dollars of revenue, and
undisputedly the league's finances continue to go down,
where I'd say next year we'd be lucky to break even, there's
something to negotiate over, and it's up to us and our
players to find a way to bridge the gap" (TNT, 5/19).
ON LATRELL: Stern said he "was saddened" to hear of
Latrell Sprewell's intention to file suit against the
league. Stern: "I think this indicates that Latrell may
have a problem in terms of thinking of himself as a victim
here. And, the one thing I can tell you is Latrell Sprewell
is not a victim" (TNT, 5/19). Sprewell has called a news
conference for this afternoon in Oakland where he will
announce his suit against the league (Mult., 5/20). In
S.F., Tim Keown writes the suit "is a more egregious act
than the one that spawned the whole mess" and represents a
"horrible misreading of public sentiment" (CHRONICLE, 5/20).
ON YOUTH: During TNT's pregame show, Nets F Jayson
Williams wondered "why" the NBA has "to take people in who
are 18 and 19 years old. Why not let them go to college and
come out to be a Keith Van Horn, a Tim Duncan. ... I think
we're now bringing in kids that are too young, and it's
hurting the college game, and it's not doing [anything] for
the NBA game." TNT's Kenny Smith cited those remarks to
Stern, who replied, "On balance, if you're running a league,
you'd like the players to come in more fully developed. ...
On the other hand, it's hard to tell those players that, no,
we've decided what's best for you, even though you and your
family think you have the ability, you have to stay out. We
have a couple of ideas to make it less attractive, perhaps,
for young players to come in" (TNT, 5/19).
ON FIGHTING: Stern said he met with Heat coach Pat
Riley and Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy yesterday about the
teams' hostile rivalry. On Van Gundy's attempt to break up
the Alonzo Mourning-Larry Johnson fight: "You know, it's not
funny, because he could have gotten hurt." TNT's Johnson:
"Would you suggest those guys stay on the sidelines?"
Stern: "No. I'm suggesting he came out to try to be a
peacemaker, but ... trying to be a peacemaker, he put
himself at risk. ... [I]t just shows the importance of
eliminating the risk by ... demanding our players, and our
coaches, and our teams, to tone it down" (TNT, 5/20). After
meeting with Stern yesterday, Riley said, "I don't like
what's going on with the league. I don't like the approach,
the attitude of a lot of the players, and the overly
physical play, the gesturing and the provocation. ... I'm
tired of it. Not only on my team, but in the league. ... If
they say I'm contributing to that, then I have to do things
a different way" (Steve Wyche, MIAMI HERALD, 5/20).
