Page 14/The Battalion/Thursday, November 10,1983
TANK MCNAMARA
Commissioner for eight years
by Jeff Millar &
O’Brien resigns as NBA boss
United Press International
NEW YORK — Lawrence
O’Brien, admitting he was be
ginning to feel like he was riding
a “merry-go-round,” jumped
off the carousel Wednesday and
resigned as commissioner of the
National Basketball Association,
effective Feb. 1, 1984, at the ex
piration of his contract.
The 66-year-old O’Brien,
who has served as NBA commis
sioner for more than 8 Vs* years,
made it clear that he was not
quitting under pressure from
the league’s Board of Gov
ernors. On the contrary, he said
that last September a four-
member Special Committee of
the league’s Advisory Commit
tee proposed to him a new five-
year contract that included a
provision that he rerhain as com
missioner through the 1984-85
season.
O’Brien said he was resigning
his post because the job, while
challenging, was becoming too
repetitive.
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“I was beginning to get the
feeling of going around on a
merry-go-round,” he said. “It
was starting to get to me a little.
You don’t want to lull yourself
into continuity. There should be
an end — and this is the end. I
have a rueed for new challenges.
“I think 8 V2 years is the
longest I’ve ever spent concen
trating on a particular situation
or subject. I think when I came
into this league if you told me
that I’d be standing here 8 V2
years later I wouldn’t believe it
for a minute. Normally, I don’t
stay that long.”
O’Brien, who had a career in
politics before becoming NBA
commissioner, would not say
what he intended to do in the
future but there was speculation
that he might return to politics.
He previously served as Post
master General in President
Johnson’s administration, was a
special assistant to Presidents
Johnson and Kennedy and
served as national chairman of
the Democratic Party before
succeeding Walter Kennedy as
NBA commissioner.
“My future will be the subject
of another news conference, but
Lawrence O’Brien resigns
as commissioner of NBA
it won’t necessarily involve you
sports people,” said O’Brien.
David Stern, the NBA’s execu
tive vice president of business
and legal affairs, has been men
tioned as a leading candidate to
replace O’Brien as commis
sioner.
“Whomever they choose has
to be a very strong guy who deals
with everyone at arms length,
who treats everyone as fairly and
equally as you possibly can and
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does not concern himself about
any animosities that might occur
by virtue of his actions,” said
O’Brien.
O’Brien will leave behind a
legacy of achievement. Despite a
current labor dispute between
the league and its referees that
has yet to be resolved, O’Brien’s
reign as commissioner pro
duced a great many significant
changes that has left the league
in its best shape ever.
Among the accomplishments
of O’Brien’s reign were:
• An increase of 300 percent
in television revenue.
• An increase of 200 percent in
gate receipts.
• The settlement of the Oscar
Robertson suit that paved the
way to the absorption of the four
surviving ABA teams in 1976.
• A settlement of a collective
bargaining agreement between
the league and the Players Asso
ciation in 1983 that was hailed as
a landmark labor agreement in
professional sports. The agree
ment places a cap on team salar
ies and benefits. In exchange,
the players are guaranteed 53
percent of the defined gross re
venues of the league.
• Establishment of an innova
tive anti-drug program in 1983
that calls for a player being per
manently banished from the
league if implicated because of
drugs.
Hagler 3-1 favority 5
over Duran toniglt A
United Press International jR®
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Defend
ing champion Marvin Hagler
will be fighting for fame and
riches and Roberto Duran will
be seeking a niche in boxing his
tory Thursday night when they
face each other in a multi
million dollar duel for the world
middleweight title.
Hagler, who is undisputed
world champion, is considered
by many to be the finest boxer in
the world today. He is 57-2-2
and has not lost a fight in nearly
eight years. Hagler won the title
by knocking out Alan Minter in
three rounds in 1980 and has
made seven successful title de
fenses, all ending in knockouts.
gin shortly after 9:30j
will l>e televised work
closed circuit televisia|
Hagler was rated ij
rite to retain his title.
Hagler, who has!
dleweight for hisentirt|
career, will have thee
sically. At S-OVi, he isti
‘This past year without ques-
of the
tion is a highlight year
NBA,” said O’Brien. “When you
look at the collective bargaining
agreement, the unique aspects
of it, it’s a first, it’s historic. And
we did it together. And then
move from that into the drug
agreement, which I know in the
world of sports just floored
everyone.”
But Hagler has not been able
to break into the truly big money
in boxing — until now. Hagler’s
duel with Duran is his first
mega-buck fight and could
bring him close to $ 10 million. It
also could bring him the public-
acclaim he feels he has not been
given despite his impressive ring
performances.
Marvin Hagler favored
to win middleweight title
taller than Duran and*
an eight-inch reach <
He is expected to wti^l
three pounds moretH
when the fighters
10:30 a.m. KSTThui
Duran, who is seeking an un
precedented fourth title, is no
stranger to big money fights. He
ruled the lightweight division
for nearly a decade in the 1970’s
and then won the World Boxing
Council welterweight title by
handing Sugar Ray Leonard his
only defeat, a 15-round decision
in June of 1980.
Five months after his specta
cular victory over Leonard, an
out-of-shape Duran destroyed
his own career by quitting in the
eighth round of his rematch
against Leonard. He was
branded a coward and a traitor
in his native Panama and it took
him nearly three years to climb
back into favor.
"This is the one
waiting for,” Haglerh
bden fighting a long tm|
haven’t lost a fighting
but 1 could never gtu
money fight. I watchedii
Larry IIolmes and
Cooney and Sugar RaiL
and Thomas Hearns coo
after me and get bit
W S 1
ft
auer me ana gei
fights right away andl«|r I
disputed world chamsC’ *_
getting nothing conip^
them. This will changeilR*^
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That came earlier this year
when, after two losses and an un
inspiring victory, Duran pro
duced two major victories to put
himself in line for a shot at box
ing history. First, he knocked
out former welterweight cham
pion Pipino Cuevas in four-
rounds in January to earn a title
100
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shot. And then he became only
the seventh fighter in boxing
history to win titles in three divi
sions by pounding out defend
ing champion Davey Moore in
eight rounds last June to win the
World Boxing Association
junior middleweight title.
Duran, who is 76-4T {,■
his career in the 13il||j
lightweight class andtu Hispanic
through the welter**e: )U p 0 f Hi
junior middleweightdhi£ $ J )n f or
cornpete for Hagleni Tminai
pound middleweight iference '
feels his vast expenenc(^ za anc i
burning desire forasp y an
ing history will overcorThc conn
ler’s phvsical advantage jul be 01
os.s the n
Thursday night's fight, to be
held in a specially constructed
15,200-seat outdoor stadium at
Caesars Palace, is scheduled for
15 rounds. It is expected to be-
“I feellamdes.ined ,k l sman t .
Ixjxing history.tobfffiO^!-?. -
first man ever to winkle .!fl
titles.” Duran said, vvl11
1 lagler’s size and streng" ® ' na J°
bother me because 11 rk ’ New
anyone like me — thei:'® 0n ‘‘ nu
talent in his division^ 1
show him things he tojr e , sa . K 1
seen before in the ring 1
Urate 111 ;
;£ fe ' ,l
)lte. They
spanic c<
tesklentia
mcess. Be
I . “I thin
show Arfc
UT’s
tourney
vote agai
United Press Intfration'blic t ela
AUSTIN — TheU^nalLeag
of Texas’ first annual Lo:itn|Ciuzei
Invitational basketballtoAlthoug
ment in 1984 will featurtfbids the
ford, Army and Mercer,T an y pc
with the host Longhorns (^findivi
pport t
UT Coach Bob WeilMfe.
the school’s First holidayt< He said
ment is scheduled forDec Hfrmnit
at the 16,231-seat Franh use he “
Center.
:spair.
“Jack'
“We wanted quality
4r Black Awareness
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rams from various parts 3 j|
country, and I think »£’«! ’
ten them,” said WeitlicbL', “
very happy with these© , ■
teams.” fc;
Bonil
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Dr. Charles H. King
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RACISM
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Nov. 10
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