Nba Announces Schedule

Neither the Toronto Raptors nor the Vancouver Grizzlies will have to face a league powerhouse in its first home game, according to the 1995-96 schedule.

Toronto is scheduled to open at home Nov. 3 against the New Jersey Nets, 30-52 last season, and Vancouver is to play host Nov. 5 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 21-61 in 1994-95.

The Grizzlies will start their season on the road, playing at Portland and its new arena.

Vancouver and Toronto are part of a 14-game opening night slate. But the NBA noted the schedule is contingent on a “timely” resolution of the labor situation.

A team of retired NBA stars lashed out at the agents who represent a select group of players attempting to decertify their union.

“In the midst of these euphoric times emerges a small group of agents and players threatening the game that has been so good to all of us,” Bob Cousy said at a midtown Manhattan news conference staged by the NBA Retired Players Association.

Cousy, the playmaker of the Boston Celtics who was instrumental in establishing the NBA Players Association in 1955, added, “Their greedy and destructive behavior, frankly, makes me ashamed and a bit resentful that I played a role in starting all of this 40 years ago.”

Oscar Robertson, Dave DeBusschere and Bob Pettit joined Cousy in expressing outrage over the current NBA lockout, which began July 1 after the players’ association failed to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement.