Rookies Bow To Stoudamire
Damon Stoudamire, the runaway early choice for the Rookie of the Year award, showed everybody what all the fuss was about by leading the East to a 94-92 victory over the West in the Schick Rookie Game on Saturday night in San Antonio.
Stoudamire of the expansion Toronto Raptors had 19 points and 11 assists and showed off his considerable one-on-one skills to win the Most Valuable Player award in the NBA’s third annual rookie game.
“It put a cap on a great first half of the season for me. I didn’t know how long or short it would take me to get used to the NBA, but I’m lucky I got put into the right situation. I wanted to perform for the people who haven’t had a chance to see me perform. Toronto’s not on TV a lot.” Stoudamire said.
Stoudamire probably wouldn’t have won the award, however, if Joe Smith of the Golden State Warriors had released the final shot of the game a split-second earlier. Smith, who had 26 to lead all scorers, nailed a 3-pointer just after the buzzer.
The basket was waved off and the award was Stoudamire’s.
“I won’t believe it was late until I see the replay,” Smith said.
Two years ago, Tim Legler won the CBA 3-point shot contest and got two airline tickets to Disneyland.
The basketball vagabond, who has played for six NBA teams and three minor-league professional clubs, earned $20,000 by winning the NBA All-Star Game 3-point shootout.
“My body is numb,” said Legler of the Washington Bullets.
Legler, 29, set a blistering pace that no other competitor could match. He scored 23 points in the first round, followed it with 22, and posted 20 in a final shootout with Dennis Scott of the Orlando Magic, who won $10,000 with rounds of 19, 19, and 14.
On the 20th anniversary of the inaugural slam dunk contest, Brent Barry of the Los Angeles Clippers won the latest version with the same dunk that Julius Erving used to win the first.
It was the old dash downcourt, leap-from-the-foul-line, hold-the-ball-high and slam-it-through dunk. Barry used it in the first round and brought the crowd to its feet, then did it again in the final round of the lackluster contest and was awarded a score of 49.
That beat the 46.2 that Michael Finley of the Phoenix Suns was awarded for his final dunk, making Barry the champion.
“Nobody else did anything that I thought was better than what I did in the first round, so I did it again,” said Barry, the son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry.
Demetrius Houston missed his shot at $1 million at All-Star Saturday when his 3-point shot hit the left edge of the rim and the backboard.
Instead of a cool $1 million, Houston got $10,000 for his efforts in the Foot Locker Million Dollar Shot. The disappointed Houston put his hands to his head, and tutor George Gervin gave him a big hug.
“I’m glad I went through it and just got it on out of the way,” said Houston, 17. “I was nervous a little. But when I stepped on the court, I blocked everything out of my mind.”
Houston, who lives in Fort Pierce, Fla., and is a high school junior, plays basketball in the Greater New Bethel Church league.
Mid-season awards
From David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, an early look at the leading candidates for some of the league’s major awards:
Most valuable player - Chicago’s Michael Jordan. There appears to be some sentiment for Jordan’s teammate Scottie Pippen. That sentiment is misplaced. Jordan is the best player on the team with the league’s best record. How does that qualify Pippen for the award?
Coach of the year - Chicago’s Phil Jackson. Cleveland’s Mike Fratello will receive strong consideration. But Jackson has been overlooked in the past and is on the verge of something historic.
Defensive player of the year - Denver’s Dikembe Mutombo. Chicago’s Dennis Rodman has recaptured his defensive tenacity from recent years. San Antonio’s David Robinson is always a contender for this award. But Mutombo disrupts an offense like no other player in the league.
Sixth man - Houston’s Sam Cassell. He epitomizes what this role is all about. Cassell is so valuable as a sixth man that coach Rudy Tomjanovich passed over him as a starter when Kenny Smith slumped and turned to former CBA player Eldridge Recasner.
Not-so-sweet Pea
World Boxing Council welter-weight champion Pernell Whitaker was arrested and briefly jailed early Saturday after scuffling with three off-duty officers during a party held for the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in San Antonio. Whitaker, 32, was booked on two misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. He was released at about 8 a.m. on two bonds of $800 each. He came away from the ruckus with a swollen mouth.
Around the league
Miami is looking at 76ers’ shooting guard Jeff Malone… . The Nuggets are trying to deal Reggie Williams, with no takers… . The Pacers continue to look for a big guard to match up with the Bulls and Magic, and are trying for Minnesota’s Doug West… . One reason the Bullets have soured on Calbert Cheaney: Against Phoenix last week he had 29 points, 0 rebounds and 0 assists. The Bullets now say they’ll try to re-sign Brent Price after the season and expect Mark Price to sign with Atlanta.