Top pick set to play in Italy
Olowokandi has escape clause to return if lockout ends
Posted: Monday January 04, 1999 08:58 PM
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Olowokandi and his agent feel there will be no NBA season Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport |
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Michael Olowokandi, the No. 1 pick in last June's NBA
draft, intends to sign with a top Italian club but could return to the NBA
if the lockout ends.
Olowokandi will be joining Kinder Bologna immediately after arriving in
Italy, beating the Monday deadline for the Euro League's playoff rosters.
His NBA rights are held by the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 7-foot-1 Nigerian has a clause in his contract allowing him to come
back to the NBA on Feb. 15 if the labor dispute is settled.
"I can't wait as a whole bunch of people who already have millions in
their bank accounts discuss my fate for what I'm supposed to do in the
future," Olowokandi said Monday at a news conference.
"As soon as the lockout is taken care of, I'll be on the next plane
back," he added.
Olowokandi is believed to be signing for $3 million, with $1 million
payable even if he returns to the United States.
Billy Duffy, Olowokandi's agent, said his client made the move because of
the uncertainty surrounding the NBA season.
"But with the ability to return on Feb. 15, I think we've eliminated the
risk of him not being able to play in the NBA this year," he said.
Olowokandi, who grew up in England, played at Pacific University and
averaged 22.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks as a senior. He has been
playing competitively for just three years.
He is expected to make his Kinder debut Thursday in a Euro League
second-round game at Greece's PAOK Salonica.
Euro League teams are limited to two foreigners per roster. Olowokandi
and guard Sasha
Danilovic, formerly of the Miami Heat, hold the two
spots for Kinder Bologna.
"We're betting the NBA season won't start," Kinder spokesman Marco
Angrisani said. "We have reached a tentative agreement with Olowokandi's
agent and now we're just waiting for him to get here."
Kinder Bologna's other center is Radoslav Nesterovic, the top pick (17th
overall) of the Minnesota
Timberwolves.
Vinny Del
Negro of the San
Antonio Spurs signed last week with Kinder's Italian League rival, Team
System Bologna.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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