Latrell Sprewell

infobox NBA Player
name = Latrell Sprewell

---

position = Guard/Forward
height_ft = 6
height_in = 5
weight_lbs = 195
nickname = Spree
nationality = American
birth_date = birth date and age|1970|9|8
birth_place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin
highschool = Washington (Wisconsin)
college = Three Rivers CC
Alabama
draft = 24th overall
draft_year = 1992
draft_team = Golden State Warriors
career_start = 1992
career_end = 2005
former_teams = Golden State Warriors (1992–1997)
New York Knicks (1999–2003)
Minnesota Timberwolves (2003–2005)
awards = 4-Time NBA All-Star

Latrell Fontaine Sprewell (born September 8 1970 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a former American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2004-05 NBA season.

A 6'5" (1.96 m) guard/forward, Sprewell is perhaps best known for choking P.J. Carlesimo, his then-coach with the Golden State Warriors. For this action, Sprewell was suspended for 82 games, though that was later reduced. However, he was also an effective player on the court, making four All-Star teams while leading the New York Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals following his return to the league.

NBA career

After attending Washington High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sprewell played competitively with the Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri from 1988–1990, and from 1990–1992 with the University of Alabama, where he was a teammate of current NBA player Robert Horry.

He was selected 24th overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. Sprewell, nicknamed "Spree", made an immediate impact, starting 69 of the 77 games he played in during his rookie season and averaging 15.4 points per game. His performance would improve over the next few years, leading the team in scoring and playing for the Western Conference All-Star team in 1994, 1995, and 1997.

Over the course of his career, Sprewell has started 868 of 913 games he has played in, averaging 18.8 ppg, 4.2 apg and 4.1 rpg with playoff career averages of 19.7 ppg, 3.4 apg and 4.3 rpg. Sprewell was named to the All-NBA First Team at the end of his sophomore season, and to the All-NBA Defensive second team that same year.

1997 choking incident

Though a four-time All-Star, Sprewell's career has been permanently overshadowed by an incident on December 1, 1997, in which he attacked head coach P. J. Carlesimo during a Warriors practice. When Carlesimo yelled at Sprewell to make crisper passes (specifically asking him to "put a little mustard" on a pass [cite news |title=Report: Sonics set to make Spurs assistant Carlesimo coach |url=http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10245270 |work=CBSSports.com |date=July 3, 2007] ), Sprewell responded that he was not in the mood for criticism and told the coach to keep his distance. When Carlesimo approached, Sprewell threatened to kill him and dragged him to the ground by his throat, choking him for 10-15 seconds before his teammates pulled Sprewell off his coach. Sprewell returned about 20 minutes later and landed a glancing blow at Carlesimo before being dragged away again.

Aftermath

Sprewell was suspended for 10 days without pay. The next day, in the wake of a public uproar, the Warriors voided the remainder of his contract, which included $23.7 million over three years, and the NBA suspended him from the league for 82 games. Sprewell took the case to arbitration, and, as a result, the contract voiding was overturned and the league suspension was reduced to the remaining 68 games of the season. Due to the NBA lockout, Sprewell did not play again until February 1999, [ [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/38835785.html?dids=38835785:38835785&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Feb+06%2C+1999&author=Associated+Press&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=SPREWELL+CAN'T+SAVE+KNICKS+MAGIC+WIN+OPENER%3B+CAMBY%3A+10+SECONDS&pqatl=google "Sprewell can't save Knicks"] . Associated Press. February 6, 1999.] after the Warriors traded him to the New York Knicks for John Starks, Chris Mills and Terry Cummings.

Many pundits felt that signing the volatile Sprewell was too big a gamble for the Knicks to take, but Sprewell himself vowed that he was a changed man. As soon as Sprewell arrived in the Big Apple, he won the hearts of New York fans with his trademark intensity, quickly becoming one of the most popular players on the Knicks. New York narrowly qualified for the 1999 playoffs, making the field as the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. New York shocked the NBA as they navigated past the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and finally the Indiana Pacers en route to becoming the first eighth seeded team to make it to the NBA Finals, where they met the San Antonio Spurs. They eventually succumbed to the Spurs in 5 games, though Sprewell enjoyed a good series for the most part, averaging 26.0 ppg. He tallied 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Knicks' 78-77 Game 5 loss. He had become so popular after his successful rebound that season that he was featured on the cover of the September 1999 issue of "SLAM Magazine".

2003–2005

Over the next few years, Sprewell's popularity and appeal went global. Sprewell and teammate Allan Houston represented the Knicks during the 2001 All-Star Game in Washington D.C., where the East defeated the West in a remarkable late-game surge. After 10 years of service, he was still piling up the points, averaging 19.5 ppg and setting his own career high in the 2002 season, when he notched 49 points against the Boston Celtics. That season, Sprewell scored 40-plus points on three occasions.

In 2003, Sprewell made NBA history as he connected 9 of 9 from the three-point arc, making the most three pointers without a single miss en route to a season-high 38 points versus the Los Angeles Clippers (this has since been tied by Chicago Bulls' Ben Gordon). After the season, Sprewell was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a four-team trade involving Keith Van Horn, Glenn Robinson, and Terrell Brandon.

During that regular season, Sprewell became part of the league's highest-scoring trio, alongside Kevin Garnett and point guard Sam Cassell. Sprewell helped the team earn the first seed in the Western Conference playoffs, but Minnesota's franchise-record playoff run drew to an end when they were defeated by the Lakers in 6 games in the Western Conference Finals. Sprewell finished second in team scoring, pacing at 19.9 ppg behind Garnett's 24.0 ppg.

On October 31, 2004, the Minnesota Timberwolves offered Sprewell a 3-year, $21 million contract extension, substantially less than what his then-current contract paid him. Insulted, he publicly vented his outrage, declaring, "I have a family to feed." He declined the extension, and, having once more drawn the ire of fans and sports media, had the worst season of his career in the final year of his contract.

One month into the 2005-06 season and without a contract, Sprewell's agent, Bob Gist, said his client would rather retire than play for the NBA minimum salary, telling "Sports Illustrated", "Latrell doesn't need the money that badly. To go from being offered $7 million to taking $1 million, that would be a slap in the face." Several days later, Gist said that Sprewell planned to wait until "teams get desperate" around the trade deadline in February, and then sign with a contending team (an eventuality that never materialized). Gist said that Sprewell would not be interested in signing for any team's $5 million mid-level exception, calling that amount "a level beneath which [Sprewell] would not stoop or kneel!"

In March 2006, Sprewell was offered contracts by the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, both of whom were considered at the time to be strong favorites to win the NBA Championship; however, when contacted by these teams, Sprewell failed to respond with an answer to whether he would sign with them. As a result, the Mavericks and Spurs were no longer pursuing him, and he remained a free agent as the season came to a close. There was also some interest in Sprewell by the Los Angeles Lakers at the beginning of the 2005-2006 season, but a disagreement in the contract offer resulted in a failure to reach a deal.

Possible NBA return

As of August 2007, many people have speculated a possible NBA return for Sprewell amid talks of Allan Houston, Reggie Miller, and Penny Hardaway's pending or imminent NBA comebacks (though Reggie Miller has since stated he no longer anticipates a comeback at age 42). Sprewell's personal life since he last played in the NBA has been plagued with controversy and financial trouble.

On August 30, 2006, Milwaukee police investigated a claim by a 21-year-old female who claimed that she and Sprewell were having consensual sex aboard his convert|70|ft|m|sing=on yacht, named "Milwaukee's Best," when Sprewell began to strangle her. Police allegedly observed red marks on the woman's neck. Police investigating the allegation searched Sprewell's yacht for evidence. [cite news |author=Bob Purvis and Charles Gardner |title=Sprewell questioned in alleged assault |url=http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=8/30/2006&id=10707 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=August 30, 2006] On September 6, 2006, police indicated that he would not face any charges from the alleged incident. Sprewell is seeking a restraining order against the woman along with "civil remedies" against the accuser. [cite news |author=Bob Purvis |title=No charges against Sprewell |url=http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=9/6/2006&id=11009 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=September 6, 2006]

On January 31, 2007, Sprewell's long term companion sued him for $200 million for ending their relationship agreement. She claims Sprewell agreed to support her and their four children since they were in college. [cite news |author=Scott Ostler |title=Captain Spree should remain a landlubber |url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/08/23/SPGT3RNR151.DTL |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=August 23, 2007]

On August 22, 2007, it was reported by multiple news agencies that Latrell Sprewell's yacht was repossessed by federal marshals after Sprewell failed to maintain payments and insurance for the vessel, for which he reportedly still owed approximately $1.3 million. [cite news |title=U.S. marshal seizes Sprewell's $1.5M yacht |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20396558/ |format= |work=msnbc.com |date=August 22, 2007] In addition, while piloted by Sprewell, the yacht was run ashore near Atwater Beach, just north of Milwaukee. Sprewell refused to contract with a professional salvage firm to remove the yacht. The yacht was eventually freed with the help of a local fishing vessel. [cite news |author=Erin Richards |title=Sprewell's yacht freed |url=http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=482234 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=August 10, 2006]

Others have speculated that Sprewell may have been quietly considering a comeback but has not received an offer for the level of compensation that he feels would be adequate to bring him out of retirement. [cite news |author=Sean Deveney |title=If Penny can play, why can't Sprewell? |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=254553 |work=SportingNews.com |date=August 11, 2007] Furthermore, on December 19, 2006, Troy Hudson, Kevin Garnett and Trenton Hassell met for dinner after which Hudson was quoted as saying that "(Sprewell) looks like he could play 48 minutes right now," and "he just said he's enjoying his time off," which may suggest he is not retired but taking a break from the NBA. [cite news |title=Sprewell Spotted Having Dinner With Three T-Wolves |url=http://www1.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/43840/20061220/sprewell_spotted_having_dinner_with_three_t_wolves/ |work=RealGM |date=December 20, 2006] As of 2008, it is not known whether Sprewell will attempt an NBA comeback.

In February 2008, Sprewell's yacht was auctioned for $865,000 after he defaulted on a $1.5 million mortgage, [cite news |author=David Doege |title=Sprewell yacht sold at auction |url=http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/02/11/newscolumn2.html?jst=pn_pn_lk |work=The Business Journal of Milwaukee |date=February 8, 2008] and in May 2008 a Milwaukee area home owned by Sprewell went into foreclosure status. [cite news |author=Marie Rohde |title=Latrell Sprewell's home foreclosed |url=http://blogs.jsonline.com/proofandhearsay/archive/2008/05/12/latrell-sprewell-s-home-foreclosed.aspx |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=May 12, 2008] He also owes more than $72,000 in unpaid taxes and his company, Sprewell Motorsports, has not paid credit card bills in months. [cite news |author=DJ Gallo |title=Spree's road to financial recovery starts here |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=gallo/080514&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos2 |work=ESPN.com |date=May 14, 2008]

References

External links

*
* [http://www.nba.com/playerfile/latrell_sprewell/index.html?nav=page Sprewell Bio at NBA.com]
* [http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/story/2006/5/21/122958/792 #1 Hoops Feud of All Time]
* [http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/story/2006/7/4/13642/38087 Latrell Sprewell: The American Dream]