DIGNITY & CLASS (aka San Antonio Spurs) WINS NBA TITLE

The Spurs won the NBA championship in five games over the valiant New York Knicks. The feat enabled them to become the first ABA team to win a championship since the two leagues merged in 1976-77.

The combination of the Spurs franchise, three number-one draft picks (David Robinson, Sean Elliott and Tim Duncan) blending in with their journeymen teammates, exemplified what teamwork and harmony can do [See Feature Archives: "Spurs Pit Bulls"].

The series was classic for several reasons…. The Spurs teamwork and unselfish play was one. They played like teams in the past….TOGETHER. The Spurs won with grace, class and NO HOLLYWEIRD ANTICS.

ROBINSON expressed to USA Today his feelings about how the game is played today.

"I think basic skills on sharing the basketball have gone down a little bit. Guys don't concentrate on really learning how to help one another. They worry about doing their own thing. And it just makes teams ugly. I mean it's ugly basketball when you aren't playing together. It's beautiful when you're playing together."

DUNCAN is, and rightly so, the GOLDEN CHILD of the NBA's future. The polite, gentle, gentlemen, giant is being acclaimed as one of the best basketball players of all-time. The 23-year seven-foot Championship series MVP has accomplished these accolades in only his second year of NBA play.

Elliot told USA Today his feelings about Duncan. "He just quietly goes out and plays the game with a lot of style and a lot of class. And he's fundamentally sound. … Not only that, he's humble about it. You just don't find packages like that every day."

The Knicks held up their end by displaying a gracious attitude in defeat. They were the unwanted UGLY STEPCHILD of the NBA. In LATRELL SPREWELL, they had an outcast of the league, who was coming off being suspended for a year for assaulting his former coach P.J. CARLESIMO last season when he was a member of the Golden State Warriors. The Knicks gave him a chance and they benefited by his outstanding playoff play.

They took the more talented Spurs to the limit. They made the Spurs WORK for everything they got. The Knicks did it dispite losing their star player PATRICK EWING and ignoring the sideshow of their coach JEFF VAN GUNDY being villainized and victimized with rumors of being fired. Before the playoffs began, Van Gundy looked like a sow's ear. When it was over, he looked like a silk purse.

The Knicks fought hard to overcome major odds and injuries before succumbing to a healthier, more talented, less-distracted team. In defeat, the Knicks went down with a presence commanding respect.

The San Antonio Spurs won and they LEFT THEIR EGOES AT THE DOOR.

SPEAKING OF EGOES -- TOXIC LAKERS SITUATION: After the Lakers exercised there option on GLEN RICE'S contract, the LA TIMES reported that Rice called Lakers Executive VP JERRY WEST and General Manager MITCH KUPCHAK last Wednesday to express his displeasure. This is another case of putting another log on the Lakers fire compounding the organization's TOXIC environment [See Feature Archives: "Lakers Die-Nasty"].

The Times said Rice was interested in trying the free agent market, hoping to realize more than the $7 million for next year that the agreement called for. Rice is reportedly seeking a $12 per season multi-year deal.

NBA.COM noted that Rice had been offered in trade to the Houston Rockets for Scottie Pippen. The team's new coach PHIL JACKSON has expressed and interest in having Pippen on the team. Pippen's $14 million salary is a major obstacle.

The day after Rice's call, the LA press sought a clarification from West of Rice's trade bait status during the off-season. West deflected the question. The Times said West criticized the press for reporting about Rice's trading possibilities. They noted he said such reporting was harmful to the team. The Times also pointed out the West did not say that Rice ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT BE TRADED….

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DID YOU KNOW?: Spurs coach GREGG POPOVICH wasn't always a winner. He registered a 69-100 in his seven years as Pomona-Pitzer College [California] coach from 1979-80/1985-86. Entering this season he had a 73-73 record for the two years he had been the Spurs coach….

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RACIST RADIO RETURNS: The Los Angeles Times reported that JOE McDONNELL aka "The Big Nasty" will return to the airwaves and co-host a show on KCDT in Los Angeles at the commencing July 19th. The station is with the One on One Network. He will be working with his former radio co-host partner DOUG KRIKORIAN.

McDonnell was the host of a show last August on the Los Angeles station KXTA [a then Jacor Network station] that was a hoax. He had someone call claiming to be a friend of RUPERT MURDOCH. Murdoch is the chief of FOX, who among other things, is the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The impersonator made comments about Murdoch being unhappy with HIDEO NOMO because he didn't learn how to speak English. The caller also made some derogatory comments about the Japanese press.

The Times reported that McDonnell was fired from KXTA in November.

LARRY STEWART, the Los Angeles Times television radio columnist asked the question, "Do we really need these guys polluting our airwaves again? Isn't LA sports talk bad enough?"

For the entire story of McDonnell's hoax last August [See FEATURE ARCHIVES and Go To: "RACIST RADIO". ]

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OSCAR DE LA HOYA SINGS: The Associated Press reported that boxing champion OSCAR DE LA HOYA signed a recording contract with EMI LATIN RECORDS. The East Los Angeles-California native will sing on Spanish and English-Language albums...

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TRIVIA QUESTION: MARTINA HINGIS holds the record for being the world's youngest No. 1 ranked player. Who previously held the record?

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DID YOU KNOW???: On July 6, 1985 KATHY JORDAN and ELIZABETH SMILEY defeated PAM SHRIVER and MARTINA NAVRATILOVA 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, to win the Wimbeldon doubles title. The loss snapped a 109-match winning streak for Navratilova and Shriver…

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TENNIS BUFFS in the Los Angeles California area LISTEN UP!: Volunteers are needed for the Mercedes-Benz Cup to be held at Straus Stadium on the UCLA campus July 26-August 1. Those interested should call the tournament office at (310) 824-1010.

Some of the competitors who will compete for the $1 million MERCEDES-BENZ CUP prize money include PETE SAMPRAS, THOMAS ENQVIST of Sweden, ANDRE AGASSI, TIM HENMAN of England, Chile's MARCELO RIOS and JIM COURIER.

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TRIVIA ANSWER: In 1991 MONICA SELES was the world's youngest ever men's or women's No.1 player at the age of 17.

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