Tuesday, April 21,1987/The Battalion/Page 9
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Three Suns' players test
negative for drug use
Boston and L.A. still stand
as NBA’s dominant teams
PHOENIX, Ariz. (AP) — Man-
Idatory drug tests conducted the
[day after three Phoenix Suns’
[basketball players were indicted
Ion drug-related charges found
[no traces of illegal drugs in any of
[the players’ systems, the National
[Basketball Association said Mon-
[day.
James Edwards, (.rant
iGondrezick and Jay Humphries
[underwent urinalysis tests on Fri-
[day, the day after they, former
[Suns’ players Garfield Heard and
[Mike Bratz and five other people
[were indicted by a Maricopa
[County grand jury in Phoenix.
[Charges against the five ranged
[from possession to trafficking in
■cocaine and other illegal drugs.
“We’re pleased that the results
[were negative in each case,” said
■Tom Ambrose, a spokesman for
■the Suns. “We’re pleased for the
[players. We’re pleased for the or-
Iganization.”
The three players were tested
[under an anti-drug agreement
[between the NBA and the Players
[Association, Ambrose said. He
[said the players may be tested
[three more times within the next
|six weeks.
“I hope they do that and I
[hope they do it at random,” said
jWilliam Friedl, an attorney for
IHumphries. “Before we took the
[test, we gave them (the NBA) a
[letter saying we’d like to be tested
[as many times as possible and that
[we’d like for the tests to be con-
Iducted at random.”
Under the NBA’s anti-drug
[agreement, a player who fails a
[mandatory drug test is banned
[from the NBA for a minimum of
Itwo years. A player who is con-
Ivicted of a drug charge or pleads
guilty also faces the minimum
Itwo-year suspension.
Sylvia Lopez, a spokeswoman
Ifor Maricopa County Attorney
fom Collins, said Monday that
Itwo other people were indicted
Thursday, but their names were
Inot made public because they had
Inot been arrested.
Lopez said she didn’t know if
the two were Suns players.
Larry Fleisher, general counsel
for the NBA Players Association,
told The Phoenix Gazette that it
was his “understanding that no
more ball players are involved.”
Fleisher indicated that he had
been told that pending indict-
“I hope they do that and I
hope they do it at random.
Before we took the test,
we gave them (the NBA) a
letter saying we'd like to
be tested as many times as
possible and that we'd like
for the tests to be con
ducted at random. ”
William Friedl
By Ed Bodde
Assistant Sports Editor
The NBA playoffs are just around
the corner, and once again almost
anyone who’s a betting man will be
laying his
money on ei- _
ther the Celtics Viewpoint
or the Lakers.
And who can
argue. Boston and Los Angeles have
won six of the last seven NBA Cham
pionships. Julius Erving led the Phil
adelphia 76ers to the title in 1983.
Somehow, year after year, these
two teams continue to succeed, while
others rise to the top for a season or
two and then fall back down to medi
ocrity. In short, the Celtics and
Lakers are the elite of the NBA —
the Big Two.
So, is there something that can be
ments involve “businessmen . . .
yuppies.”
Edwards’ agent, Reggie
Turner, said in Phoenix last week
that he had been told by former
Suns’ player Alvin Scott that
Scott, All-Star guard Walter Da
vis, rookie center William Bed
ford and former player Johnny
High all were granted immunity
in exchange for their testimony
before the grand jury.
Collins declined to comment,
saying his office is “ethically
bound not to discuss details of the
case and we will stand by it.”
The indictment said Davis,
Bedford, Scott, High and former
Suns Don Buse and Curtis Perry
either witnessed drug trans
actions or knew about them, but
they were not charged.
Davis, a six-time All-Star and
the all-time leading scorer in the
Suns’ 19-year NBA history,
turned himself into league offi
cials Friday for drug rehabilita
tion. It was his second such in
volvement in 16 months and he
was suspended without pay.
pinpointed as the reason for both
teams’ tremendous success?
Yes, the key to Boston and L.A.’s
success lies in the front office.
It’s there that each team builds for
the future, and nobody does it better
than these two. Especially when you
consider that the NBA draft is de
signed to help the weak teams in the
league, something which the Celtics
and Lakers aren’t.
It’s both organizations’ eye for tal
ent that keeps them on top.
One has to wonder what other
teams are thinking about as the Cel
tics sign a free agent such as Bill
Walton or when the Lakers trade for
a proven veteran like Mychal
Thompson as the playoffs approach.
When Larry Bird and Magic
Johnson, two of the game’s greatest
players, came out of college in 1979,
it was Boston and L.A. who landed
the two stars.
And in a sport where few players
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drafted beyond the first round make
it, the Lakers have come up with Mi
chael Cooper, a third-round pick in
1978, and the Celtics have Danny
Ainge, a 1981 second-round pick.
But where both teams excel is in
trading for talent while not giving
up anything too substantial. The
Celtics got starting point guard Den
nis Johnson and a first- and third-
round pick for Rick Robey and two
second-rounders. Robey isn’t exactly
burning up the nets. Johnson, how
ever, is an integral part of Boston’s
team. He plays great defense and is a
solid point guard.
The Celtics were also able to pick
up sharp-shooting Jerry Sichdng
two years ago for a 1990 second-
round pick and future consider
ation.
In 1983, the Lakers got Byron
Scott and Swen Nater from the San
Diego (now Los Angeles) Clippers
for Norm Nixon, Eddie Jordan and
two second-round picks. Norm
Nixon, once an outstanding point
guard, hasn’t even played this year
because of injuries and is already
past his prime. Scott made the all
rookie team in 1984 and fits in per
fectly to the Lakers running game.
But perhaps the greatest steal the
NBA has ever seen was when the
Lakers got Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
from Milwaukee in return for such
legends as Elmore Smith, Brian
Winters, Dave Meyers and Junior
Bridgeman. Only Bridgeman still
plays.
It’s such deals that allow the
Lakers and Celtics to play the game a
cut above everyone else during the
regular season and in the playoffs.
Contrary to what some people
may think, the other teams in the
league still have some catching up to
do to reach the same plateau as Bos
ton and L.A.
After last season, Rocket fans
thought their team had arrived. And
the success of the Hawks and Maver
icks this year has given rise to talk of
the Big Two becoming the Big Lour.
But it isn’t possible, not just yet, any
way.
Although a team may put to
gether a great year, like Houston did
last season, it’s still a club’s record
over the long haul that destines it as
elite or as a dynasty. And only Bos
ton and L.A. have proved they’re ca
pable of contending for the title each
year. If some team other than Bos
ton or L.A. can win three titles in the
next six years, then come talk to me
about dynasties.
Neither the Lakers nor the Celtics
are ready to give up their throne
atop the NBA. The Celtics are hop
ing to be the first team to repeat as
champions since they did it them
selves in 1968-1969. And the Lakers
are out to avenge last year’s loss in
the Western Conference finals to
Houston. Both teams are hungry
and ready to play the type of basket
ball required for the playoffs.
And the playoffs are a different
brand of basketball from the regular
season.
Scoring machines like Dominique
Wilkins of Atlanta, Adrian Dantley
in Detroit and Mark Aguirre of Dal
las won’t say, “What?” when the
coach asks them to play defense.
Loose balls will be contested as
though they are a player’s last pay-
check. And the games will be more
physical than an Ali-Frazier re
match.
Yes, the Celtics and Lakers will be
pushed to win their respective con
ferences; and the NBA finals will
once again be Boston vs. L.A, the
Bird Man vs. the Magic Man. Look
for the Lakers to prevail 4-2 and win
their fifth NBA championship.
My prediction for 1988. Easy. Ei
ther the Lakers or the Celtics.
Septien upset
with Dallas'
front office
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Veteran
placekicker Rafael Septien, waived
by the Dallas Cowboys after pleading
guilty to a charge of indecency with a
child, complained in an interview
published Monday that the club
management turned its back on him.
“I’m let down by the attitude of
the Cowboys’ management, which
turned its back on me when the crit
icism increased,” the Mexican citizen
said in the interview with the news
paper Excelsior.
Speaking by phone from his home
in Denton, Septien told Excelsior: “I
pleaded guilty because of the advice
of my lawyers and of the Dallas kick
ing coach, since they assured me that
I wouldn’t have greater problems.
“I’m not an American and carry
ing out a long trial could have been
very prejudicial. But it was the com
munications media that started a
campaign of harassment, and they
even said I raped the girl when noth
ing could ever be proved.
“The incredible thing was that my
team, instead of supporting me, said
that public opinion was adverse and
the best thing for my career was to
go to another team. That hurt me a
lot because I did very positive things
for Dallas,” Septien said.
“Despite everything, I’m calm and
confident that I will continue as a
kicker somewhere else.”
Asked about reports he might
sign with the Los Angeles Raiders,
Septien said he would like to play in
Los Angeles.
“Ever since I was contracted by
Dallas, A1 Davis was very interested
in my services and now that I’m free,
there are great possibilities,” Septien
said. “Personally, I would like to play
in Los Angeles.”
Septien, 33, pleaded guilty April 8
in Denton in exchange for 10 years
deferred probation and a $2,000
fine. He was indicted Jan. 22 in the
sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl,
who was a friend of his roommate’s
daughter.
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