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Monday, March 5, 2001
NBA explains tampering policy to Garnett
Associated Press
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MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett
got an explanation of the NBA's tampering policy for his comments
urging former teammate Joe Smith to come home.
On Friday, NBA senior vice president of basketball operations
Stu Jackson called Garnett and asked him to refrain from comments
about getting Smith, now with the Detroit Pistons, to return to the
team when he becomes a free agent this summer.
After the T-Wolves beat Detroit 111-100 Wednesday at Target
Center, Garnett said: "Everybody wants him back. We'll start a
campaign. I'll be the leader."
Under NBA tampering rules, no player, coach or management person
may entice or induce a player under contract to another team to
play for his team. New York's Latrell Sprewell also talked with
league officials in November after comments in which he tried to
entice Sacramento's Chris Webber to sign with the Knicks.
Coach Flip Saunders downplayed the comments. "The only time
this has ever been brought up is when we play Detroit," he said.
"I know as far as our staff is concerned, we stay away from
that."
Smith signed with Detroit on Nov. 20 after NBA commissioner
David Stern voided his contract with the T-Wolves, for whom he played
the previous two seasons.
Stern ruled Minnesota circumvented the salary cap by signing
Smith to a secret long-term contract before the 1999 season. That
deal led to the suspensions of T-Wolves owner Glen Taylor and vice
president Kevin McHale and the loss of the team's first-round draft
picks in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005.
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