76ers President Pat Croce announced last night on
Comcast SportsNet that Philadelphia would host the 2002 NBA
All-Star Game at the First Union Center. The 76ers were
scheduled to host last season's All-Star Game, but it was
canceled due to the lockout. The NBA has not made an
official announcement (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 12/1)....USA
TODAY's Peter Brewington reports that MLS' sale of Crew F
Stern John to Nottingham Forest of the English Premier
League could be worth $6M to the league (USA TODAY, 12/1).
WHO'S TO BLAME FOR LEON SMITH'S STRUGGLES? NBPA Exec
Dir Billy Hunter, on Mavs GM/coach Don Nelson's treatment of
rookie Leon Smith: "Some of the coaches have trouble
relating to what we refer to as a Generation X player. You
have to have a great deal more sensitivity. You can't use
methods tried in the past. They don't apply today" (CHICAGO
SUN-TIMES, 12/1). But in Dallas, Tim Cowlishaw wonders
where Hunter "get[s] off, blasting" Nelson. Cowlishaw:
"Where was the [NBPA] and all of its millions in resources
before Smith's suicide attempt?" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS,
12/1). Nelson responded to Hunter's remarks yesterday: "We
were working with Leon very closely on an individual basis,
and not only was it obvious that he wasn't ready for the
NBA, it was also clear that he had psychological problems
that needed to be dealt with" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 12/1).
