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Rider rants, later skips team flight
Posted: Thursday December 30, 1999 02:28 AM
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Isaiah Rider missed the Atlanta Hawks' team flight to Detroit on Wednesday after questioning his teammates' desire to win following a 27-point loss to Indiana. The Hawks played the Pacers on Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta, then traveled for Thursday night's game against the Pistons. Team spokesman Arthur Triche confirmed that Rider was not on the flight. Rider sat on the floor near the Atlanta Hawks' bench with a warm-up jacket covering his head after a 116-89 loss to the Indiana Pacers Wednesday, and later questioned his teammates' will to win. "People don't care, man," Rider said. "I'm tired of this laughing and giggling ... when we're losing. People don't care, man. I care. "I want to win, man. Now if you get my point, you get it. If you want to talk about me, talk about me. I don't give a [expletive deleted]. I want to win." Rider entered the game averaging 23.3 points per game -- eighth-best in the NBA and easily the best of his seven-year career -- but said those numbers mean little compared with the Hawks' 11-17 record. Atlanta, which fell eight games back of Central Division-leading Indiana, has lost five of six and eight of its last 10 games. Rider played last season for a Portland team that advanced to the Western Conference finals. "Yeah, I'd rather win, man," he said. "[Expletive deleted] this seventh-in-the-league, sixth-in-the-league scoring, man. I'd rather win, man. "That's why I was reluctant to come to this [expletive deleted]." Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens was exasperated, too, saying he did not fault Rider's stance. In wasting a 10-point halftime lead, Atlanta was outscored 40-10 in the third quarter as Pacers star Reggie Miller scored 19 of his 25 points on five 3-pointers. "You're up by 10 -- you have to come out in the second half very hungry and very aggressive," Wilkens said. "We let them off the hook. We let guys get going, and you let Reggie get going, he's going to make some big-time shots. Our defense was just horrendous in the third quarter." Rider has stayed free of controversy since the Hawks suspended him for their Nov. 18 game against Charlotte. He missed practice the day before, saying his Mercedes-Benz had been vandalized. Hawks general manager Pete Babcock noted that Rider did not need a car to get to Philips Arena, which is located a short walk from the hotel. After coming to the Hawks in August in a trade with Portland, Rider missed the opening of training camp. He was excused from the team's Nov. 2 opener so he could attend his grandfather's funeral, but then failed to return for practice. Rider's history of NBA offenses dates back to his first pro practice with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1993, when he showed up late. Other problems have included feuds with coaches and convictions for marijuana possession and assault.
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