Staying put for now
NBA's top pick, Olowokandi, staying abroad despite lockout end
Posted: Thursday January 07, 1999 10:04 PM
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Olowokandi signed a $1 million deal with an escape clause that allows him to leave on or after Feb. 15 AP |
SALONICA, Greece (AP) -- The NBA's top draft pick is staying in Europe for
now. And once again, the Los Angeles Clippers
could be hurt.
Michael Olowokandi, chosen by the Clippers as the No. 1 pick in June,
joined the Italian team Kinder Bologna in the final days of the lockout.
He will stay with the European club champion at least until Feb. 15
even though the lockout is over, the Italian team said Thursday.
The 7-foot-1 Nigerian, who played at Pacific, joined Kinder on Tuesday,
signing a $1 million deal with an escape clause that allows him to leave on
or after Feb. 15. He gets another $2 million if he stays longer.
"He has a contract with us until Feb. 15," said Roberto Brunamonti,
Kinder's vice president. "We have many important games before then."
Asked if he would leave as soon as his time at Kinder is up, Brunamonti
said: "He might."
Later in Los Angeles, Clippers vice president Elgin Baylor said Olowokandi
definitely will rejoin the NBA team when his short-term deal with Kinder
ends in mid-February.
"After that, he'll be on the first plane back," Baylor said. "He's
looking forward to coming back and playing in the NBA."
A truncated NBA season is not expected to begin until Feb. 5 with each
team playing 50 games.
The Clippers would not comment on Olowokandi's status.
Kinder is not alone in the gamble to court NBA talent. Vinny Del
Negro jumped from the San Antonio Spurs, and
will stay with the Italian club TeamSystem Bologna at least until Jan. 31,
Bologna said Thursday.
Playing in Europe could be a plus for Olowokandi and the Clippers,
giving him some needed work at the professional level while NBA players
remain idle until the training camps are allowed to open. But it could be
another draft debacle for the Clippers.
Since the draft lottery began in 1985 to help non-playoff teams, the
Clippers have had nine picks from among the top eight players -- but with
little to show for it.
A previous No. 1 pick, Danny Manning,
starred for the Clippers before sustaining serious knee injuries and later
went to Charlotte and Phoenix. Danny Ferry was a
No. 2 pick and wouldn't even talk to the Clippers, ending up with
Cleveland.
Antonio
McDyess was a No. 2 pick but was traded to Denver. A No. 3 choice by
the Clippers who fizzled was center Benoit Benjamin.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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