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 Inside the NBA
Posted: Tuesday March 30, 1999 03:51 PM Kemp Lite | The Fine Line Around The Rim | Spotlight: Kurt Thomas Charles Oakley has finally stopped pining for New York By Jackie MacMullan
It's the little things that keep Toronto veteran Charles Oakley going now, like that overtime basket on March 21 that sealed a victory against the Knicks, his former team, the team that ripped his heart out, stomped on it, then shipped it to Canada, second-day air. All right, so maybe that win wasn't such a little thing after all. "I'm still enjoying that one," Oakley admits. When Raptors vice president and general manager Glen Grunwald swung the deal for Oakley in June, many said it was folly. Oakley would be a free agent in the summer of 1999, skeptics noted; why on earth would he stay? "It takes some courage to come up here," says Grunwald. "Oak could have been like some other guys, but he's been real positive." Oakley arrived with his elbows sharpened and his mind open. He and fellow veteran Kevin Willis tutored young players like rookie Vince Carter and former high school phenom Tracy McGrady, who had floundered in his first season. The mix of young and old has worked. Through Sunday, Toronto was 14-14 and flirting with a playoff berth. The shock of being traded for forward Marcus Camby has worn off, and Oakley has made a place for himself north of the border. He brought his defense, rebounding, toughness and locker-room presence to the young Raptors. Carter, who has vaulted over Sacramento point guard Jason Williams and Boston forward Paul Pierce as the Rookie of the Year favorite, is the rising young star who can invigorate the franchise, but if you look a little closer, you'll see Oak in the background, telling the kid what's around the next corner. "Vince is getting a lot of double teams now, so I tell him how they're going to come at him," Oakley says. "But he doesn't need any lessons on [how to deal with] intimidation. When we played Atlanta, he went inside and Mutombo blocked him. Next play, Vince goes in again, only this time he goes in a little higher." Carter is Oakley's kind of guy: He's not afraid, and he's willing to do whatever's needed to win. He's also willing to tackle even bigger challenges, like bringing respectability to a franchise that was reeling last year. Executive vice president Isiah Thomas resigned in an ugly dispute with ownership, franchise player Damon Stoudamire forced a trade, and veteran Kenny Anderson, dealt to the Raptors by Portland in exchange for Stoudamire, refused to report. Toronto had become an NBA death sentence -- it was too cold, the taxes were too high (a canard), the team played in a cavernous baseball stadium (SkyDome), and the Raptors, a poor stepchild to the Maple Leafs, couldn't even boast of being the big fish in a small pond. Toronto attempted to sign Oakley to an extension before he'd even unpacked his bags, but he was still chafing from the trade and still hopeful that the Lakers would swing a deal to acquire him. Oakley won't say how much the Raptors put on the table, but, referring to a $10 million balloon payment due this year, he cracked, "I lost more money during the lockout than they offered me." Oakley, who will be 36 in December, says he will take less money to sign with a contender next season, but don't be surprised if he stays with Toronto, which can pay him more than anyone else can and may be willing to reward him with a three-year deal. The team has a nucleus of young talent, a new arena (the Air Canada Centre, which opened on Feb. 20), new ownership and a chance for another bountiful draft, because it has Denver's first pick this summer. Former players' association executive director Charlie Grantham, who represents Oakley, says the Raptors "might be the best fit for Oak." Oakley may have moved on, figuratively and literally, but he's not about to feign indifference about the Knicks, his team for 10 seasons. He talks regularly to his former teammates, and he senses the tension on that team. "The stuff is swirling around there, ain't it?" says Oakley. "Let me tell you -- something's going to blow." Oakley realizes that the Knicks needed to start looking toward the future, which is why the 25-year-old Camby was attractive to them. But he also knows those fickle New York fans still love him. "If you are going to make a move, at least get some guys who have been there before," he says. "Spre is a great player, but he's not an East Coast player. He belongs out West. And Camby ... I know he's got talent, but in a seven-game playoff series, I like my chances a whole helluva lot better." The Raptors agree, and they're hoping Oakley will stick around long enough to show them how that postseason stuff works.
Divac's Family Peril:
Milica, the niece of Sacramento center Vlade Divac, was told that the sirens were warning of an air raid, so she quickly gathered her coat, her blanket and her doll, and followed her parents to a nearby bomb shelter. Her native Yugoslavia is under siege by NATO, which began bombing it on March 24 after Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic refused to halt attacks on Kosovo. This story is merely a USA Today headline for most NBA players. For Vlade Divac, a Serb, it is a living nightmare. When Divac is not at practice, he scans CNN for the latest news or tries to make contact with his elderly parents, who live in Prijepolje, a small town perilously close to some of the designated military targets. "I am not a politician," Divac explained, "but it is ridiculous to think these bombings will solve anything. Please, stop bombing and start talking." Divac does not blame Americans for their disdain of Milosevic, but, he said, innocent people are paying for Milosevic's sins. "People ask me if I support that gentleman in Belgrade [Milosevic]. That is not the issue. I care about the innocent people -- the children in my town, the Albanians [in Kosovo], the pilots who are flying over there. This is not some cartoon. The pictures on your television are real. People are dying." The Kings have pledged their support to Divac and have tried to help him maintain contact with his family. In the meantime he suits up each night with trepidation, his hands shaking after a day spent worrying. He now realizes that the game he loves is a welcome distraction. "Believe it or not, basketball helps so much," Divac said. "For a couple of hours, at least, I can actually think about something else."
Kemp Lite: Remember when Cleveland forward Shawn Kemp reported to camp looking like the Michelin Man? Estimates varied, but it was clear that Kemp was at least 30 pounds over his ideal playing weight. Nearly two months later, Kemp has whittled away at his waistline. Now there's only one problem: He wishes he had some of that heft left. Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas broke his left foot and is lost for the season, and his backup, Vitaly Potapenko, was dealt to Boston on March 11. Although Cleveland received big man Andrew DeClercq and a first round pick in that swap, coach Mike Fratello informed Kemp that he will be playing major minutes in the middle for the balance of the season. "People have been talking about my weight all year," Kemp says. "Well, I could use some of those pounds back now." When the Cavs got Kemp in a three-way trade with Milwaukee and Seattle in September 1997, they handed him a $107 million, 7-year extension with the expectation that he would emerge as a leader and their franchise player. Last season Kemp was up to the challenge, averaging 18.0 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers had high hopes for the shortened 1999 season -- only to discover that their power forward had spent the lockout powerlifting a fork. "Our expectations were high," says Fratello. "But Shawn came in with all that weight, then Zydrunas went down." Fratello says Kemp has played well despite the excess tonnage. "He is an incredible physical specimen," Fratello says, "to be able to play like that even with the extra weight." Kemp concedes the wisecracks about his physique would have destroyed him when he was younger. "Five years ago I might not have handled it too well," Kemp says. "But I've learned how to take a thing like this and turn it into a challenge." Kemp is not thrilled about banging against the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Patrick Ewing night after night, but he plays center without complaint because the team has no choice. The consolation, Kemp says, is that Ilgauskas will return next season. Or so Cleveland hopes. There is some fear that Ilgauskas, who has been sidelined by a broken foot before, has a chronic condition. "It's an unknown," Fratello says of his center's prognosis. "You can ask as many professional people as you want, but the truth is, we're not really sure." Brad Miller, Hornets In a 110-81 victory over the Toni Kukoc-less Bulls on March 24, rookie center Brad Miller -- whose previous NBA high was 14 points -- had 25 points (9-of-9 FG, 7-of-7 FT), five rebounds, two steals, two blocks and no turnovers in 18 minutes. His single-game points-to-minutes ratio was the highest in team history. "I was amazed by my performance," Miller said. You know Portland is deep, but did you know that seven players lead the Blazers in major stats categories? Through Sunday, Isaiah Rider led in scoring (15.7 ppg), Damon Stoudamire in assists (6.9), Rasheed Wallace in field goal percentage (52.8%), Brian Grant in rebounding (11.0), Jimmy Jackson in free throw percentage (85.0%), Arvydas Sabonis in blocks (1.39) and Greg Anthony in steals (1.25) ... Naysayers who predicted Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston couldn't play together had a point. While Sprewell was out with a stress fracture in his right heel, Houston shot 51.1% from beyond the three-point line. With Sprewell in the lineup, Houston is shooting 39.6% from the three-point line through Sunday. The question persists: Will the Knicks try to deal one of them this summer -- more likely Sprewell, who has ignored hints from coaches, teammates and local columnists that he consider the occasional pass? ... In the waning seconds of a 115-86 loss at Milwaukee, Detroit coach Alvin Gentry lambasted his players for not reacting when Bucks guard Michael Curry shoved Pistons forward Jerome Williams out of bounds. After the game, Bison Dele second-guessed his coach's challenge, asking, "What does that accomplish? You just end up writing a fine check and looking like a fool." It would have been hard to make Dele look any worse that night. His line: 8 minutes, 5 fouls, 4 turnovers, 3 points and 0 rebounds. Issue date: April 5, 1999
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