Nba Sidelines Sprewell With One-Year Suspension

Less than 12 hours after his former employers, the Golden State Warriors, terminated his contract and its $23.7 million balance, the NBA terminated Latrell Sprewell’s job prospects, suspending him for a year - the rest of this season and the start of the next.

Also, the Converse sneaker company, which had vowed to stand by Sprewell, dropped him.

“Latrell Sprewell assaulted coach P.J. Carlesimo twice at Monday’s practice,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “First, he choked him until forcibly pulled away. Then, after leaving practice, Mr. Sprewell returned and fought his way through others in order to commit a second, and this time clearly premeditated, assault.

“A sports league does not have to accept or condone behavior that would not be tolerated in any other segment of society. Accordingly, Latrell Sprewell is suspended from the NBA for one year.”

The suspension is the longest in NBA history. The previous record was held by the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kermit Washington, who missed half of the 1977-78 season after throwing the punch that caved in Rudy Tomjanovich’s face.

Billy Hunter, director of the NBA Players Association, who had criticized Sprewell and indicated that the union would stay out of it when the Warriors handed down the first suspension of 10 games, said he will now file a grievance. Sprewell has admitted to twice assaulting Carlesimo after the coach threw him out of Monday’s practice, to choking him, saying “I’ll kill you,” and later, after going to the front office to demand a trade, returning and going after him again.

Warriors general manager Garry St. Jean said Sprewell made “multiple unprovoked” assaults but the Contra Costa Times quoted an unnamed Warriors player as saying, “P.J. provoked it,” claiming Carlesimo walked three-quarters the length of the court to confront Sprewell, who kept warning him, “Don’t come up on me.”

Sprewell said he only uttered the death threat because “I was upset.” Nevertheless, extra security was brought in for Wednesday’s game.

The suspension is effective immediately and will end Dec. 3, 1998. Sprewell may be picked up on waivers, or signed as a free agent when waivers expire, but can’t play for a new team until then.