SPORTS BUSINESS; Checketts Leaves Knicks Murkier

* Print
* Save

Article Tools Sponsored By
By CHRIS BROUSSARD
Published: May 16, 2001

With Latrell Sprewell demanding change, Allan Houston opting out of his contract and the hope of landing Chris Webber alive throughout the Knicks' organization, this off-season was already destined to be one of the team's most complicated in years.

But yesterday's announcement that Dave Checketts had resigned as president of Madison Square Garden made the immediate future of the franchise even murkier.

With the hiring of a new Garden president, questions surrounding the team include the job security of General Manager Scott Layden and Coach Jeff Van Gundy, and the impending free agency of Houston.

Neither Layden nor Van Gundy, both of whom were named to their current positions by Checketts, returned phone calls yesterday, and Cablevision executives refused to comment on their futures. Layden and Van Gundy simply released statements of support for Checketts.

Layden and Van Gundy each have two years left on their contracts, and their jobs would seem to be safe at least through next season.

Though the Knicks were recently eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, Van Gundy's position is almost certainly secure. He joined the Knicks five years before Checketts became president and has emerged as one of the league's most successful and respected head coaches.

Layden's short-term job security is tied to the Knicks' need for a semblance of stability this summer, with so many decisions to be made. Layden worked in the Utah Jazz organization while Checketts was the Jazz's president from 1983 to 1989, and Checketts persuaded him to come to New York after 18 successful seasons in Utah. Their relationship left Layden in Checketts's shadow in his two seasons with the Knicks.

Now, Layden will have the chance to distinguish himself without Checketts peering over his shoulder. While either James L. Dolan, the president of Cablevision and the interim Garden president, or Checketts's eventual successor will oversee all basketball decisions, the advice that Layden provides on Houston's situation will go a long way in deciding his future.

A major problem during Checketts's era was the committing of long and lucrative contracts to marginal players. Under the leadership of Checketts, Layden continued that trend last season, trading the soon-to-be free agent Patrick Ewing for Glen Rice, Luc Longley and Travis Knight, each of whom is signed through 2004 to contracts that total roughly $90 million.

Then, in midseason, the Knicks traded Chris Childs for 36-year-old Mark Jackson, who has three years left on his $16.4 million deal.

Checketts had been publicly committed to signing Houston again and had told Houston several times in private that the Knicks would bring him back. Those assurances almost certainly made it easier for Houston to decide to opt out in hopes of signing a seven-year deal that under league rules could be worth as much as $125 million.

While opting out gives Houston leverage because he can veto any sign-and-trade deal, the Knicks also gain leverage because no playoff team can offer Houston anything near $125 million as a free agent. So the Knicks are seemingly in position to sign Houston for much less than the maximum.

Layden, with help from Van Gundy, will also try to figure out a way to bring Webber, Sacramento's All-Star free-agent forward, to New York. Executives and coaches throughout the National Basketball Association believe there are several teams that can put together more enticing sign-and-trade packages than the Knicks, even if they include Houston in the deal. So the Knicks will most likely have to get a third or even fourth team involved to obtain Webber.

If the Knicks are unable to get Webber, they will have to find a way to acquire another strong frontcourt player through trade or with their $4.5 million midlevel exception to the salary rules. Getting a player like Antonio Davis, who is a close friend of Jackson's, would be a boon.

What does it mean that the stranging allegedly happened during sex? I'm no psychiatrist, but if this is true, there's something going on with Spree here.

Apparently Spree was fantasizing about PJ during his sexual encounter, and so he started choking his partner. Apparently that's called getting Sprewelled.

Mating lol

Okay, so now that Sprewell won't be charged, all I hear are the sounds of crickets. Some probably still believe he did it. Don't everyone be in a rush to post comments upon hearing this news.

You just know he's thinking it.

What's there to say? He got off the hook as just about every athlete does, but that's a different subject for a different thread.

Posted by bigpimpin:

Sir, there are many athletes that are sitting in a prison as we speak because they were found guilty of the charge.

They didn't "get off" as you so eloquently put it.

Maybe in a different sense? :P

AP - Tuesday, March 3, 1998

PLEASANT HILL, Calif. (AP) - Latrell Sprewell lost control of his car on a northern California freeway while changing lanes, causing another vehicle to flip onto its roof, authorities said Monday.

Sprewell, fired by the Golden State Warriors and suspended by the NBA for his attack on coach P.J. Carlesimo, was not injured in the accident Sunday morning about 80 miles northeast of San Francisco. Two people in the other car suffered minor injuries. All were wearing seat belts.

No tickets were issued, and the accident was under investigation.

California Highway Patrol officer Cliff Kroeger told the Contra Costa Times that Sprewell was traveling south on Interstate 680 at a high speed. After changing lanes into an exit-only lane and trying to return to the freeway, his 1997 Mercedes SL-600 struck sand barrels, hit a wall and collided with a Toyota Corolla, flipping it over, Kroeger said.

The occupants of the Corolla were taken to the hospital, where the driver was treated for a scraped forehead. The passenger had neck and back pain.

Witnesses told the officers they had seen Sprewell speeding while cutting through traffic.

"He was using multiple lanes to maintain a high speed," Kroeger said.

Kroeger said Sprewell was not driving under the influence of intoxicants and was cooperative with authorities.

[Edited by - basketballjones on 09-09-2006 23:03]