SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
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Regrets over the one who got away
Monday, October 31, 2005
By AL IANNAZZONE
STAFF WRITER
The phone was on Lawrence Frank's ear so often it was as if he had an extra appendage. Mostly, Shareef Abdur-Rahim was on the other end.
Up to eight times a day Frank spoke to Abdur-Rahim, assuring him that the Nets still wanted him despite his potential knee condition. It didn't matter in the end. The physical that canceled Abdur-Rahim's introductory news conference ultimately nixed the deal, and Abdur-Rahim signed with Sacramento.
This hurt the Nets. It hurt Frank more.
The Nets' coach and the former All-Star power forward became close friends in the Grizzlies' organization. Abdur-Rahim attended Frank's wedding. Frank wanted Abdur-Rahim to be the low-post presence the Nets needed.
"Initially, it was very hard because I have a deep-seated relationship with Shareef," Frank, a Teaneck native, said. "With all the stuff that went down, it was very, very hard.
"I was talking to him five, six, seven, eight times a day. He wanted to be here and we wanted to make it work. There were some circumstances that it just didn't work. I don't know if there's any bitterness from his camp that we did it wrong or bitterness from us. We all moved forward."
Trying to salvage the deal, the Nets offered Abdur-Rahim a guaranteed four-year, $23.3 million pact. It would equal the original six-year, $38.5 million deal if Abdur-Rahim met incentives. The Kings gave him five years and $29 million.
Frank hasn't spoken to Abdur-Rahim since the deal was voided Aug. 9. Frank's messages have not been returned. The Nets play at Sacramento on Nov. 23.
The Abdur-Rahim episode is over for Frank. Looking back would be a disservice to his players.
Even without Abdur-Rahim, the Nets, who open the season Wednesday against Milwaukee, should be in the top four in the East this season. When they lost Abdur-Rahim, they used their trade exception on banger and capable scorer Marc Jackson.
"Once the decision was made, it was, 'All right, here are the contingency plans. Let's go,'Ÿ" said Frank, who is beginning his second full season as Nets' coach. "That's the way you do it. It's not being callous. But your loyalty is to the players and the team."
Living for today is one of Frank's strengths.
Frank stayed positive after the Nets traded Kenyon Martin before last season. With Frank's guidance - and help from Vince Carter and Jason Kidd - the Nets made the playoffs after a 3-12 start.
"You've got to work every day to try and get your team better, and I think Lawrence is great at that," Nets' president Rod Thorn said.
"Lawrence goes out and coaches whoever we give him," general manager Ed Stefanski said. "He'll coach the 15th guy to the first guy."
The Nets could have had Stromile Swift, but Frank wanted Abdur-Rahim. Frank was at Abdur-Rahim's Atlanta home at 12:01 a.m. on July 1 to start the recruiting.
Frank and Thorn worked the longest and hardest, but others helped, including captain Kidd, who hosted a dinner at his Saddle River home for Abdur-Rahim that Frank, Thorn, Stefanski and all their spouses attended.
"We thought we had the deal pretty much done until the physical," Kidd said. "The physical didn't work out and they had to move on. The Nets did everything."
Kidd said he turned the page quickly. It took Frank longer.
"It was a little bit harder because this is a guy I talked to every single day," Frank said. "But in this situation every effort was made on behalf of the Nets to make the deal work. I saw how hard the Nets were working and I was listening to Shareef. A deal couldn't be agreed."
The phone isn't on Frank's ear as much now. No worries. Frank is coaching a team that could compete for the Eastern Conference championship, even without Abdur-Rahim.
Regrets over the one who got away
Monday, October 31, 2005
By AL IANNAZZONE
STAFF WRITER
The phone was on Lawrence Frank's ear so often it was as if he had an extra appendage. Mostly, Shareef Abdur-Rahim was on the other end.
Up to eight times a day Frank spoke to Abdur-Rahim, assuring him that the Nets still wanted him despite his potential knee condition. It didn't matter in the end. The physical that canceled Abdur-Rahim's introductory news conference ultimately nixed the deal, and Abdur-Rahim signed with Sacramento.
This hurt the Nets. It hurt Frank more.
The Nets' coach and the former All-Star power forward became close friends in the Grizzlies' organization. Abdur-Rahim attended Frank's wedding. Frank wanted Abdur-Rahim to be the low-post presence the Nets needed.
"Initially, it was very hard because I have a deep-seated relationship with Shareef," Frank, a Teaneck native, said. "With all the stuff that went down, it was very, very hard.
"I was talking to him five, six, seven, eight times a day. He wanted to be here and we wanted to make it work. There were some circumstances that it just didn't work. I don't know if there's any bitterness from his camp that we did it wrong or bitterness from us. We all moved forward."
Trying to salvage the deal, the Nets offered Abdur-Rahim a guaranteed four-year, $23.3 million pact. It would equal the original six-year, $38.5 million deal if Abdur-Rahim met incentives. The Kings gave him five years and $29 million.
Frank hasn't spoken to Abdur-Rahim since the deal was voided Aug. 9. Frank's messages have not been returned. The Nets play at Sacramento on Nov. 23.
The Abdur-Rahim episode is over for Frank. Looking back would be a disservice to his players.
Even without Abdur-Rahim, the Nets, who open the season Wednesday against Milwaukee, should be in the top four in the East this season. When they lost Abdur-Rahim, they used their trade exception on banger and capable scorer Marc Jackson.
"Once the decision was made, it was, 'All right, here are the contingency plans. Let's go,'Ÿ" said Frank, who is beginning his second full season as Nets' coach. "That's the way you do it. It's not being callous. But your loyalty is to the players and the team."
Living for today is one of Frank's strengths.
Frank stayed positive after the Nets traded Kenyon Martin before last season. With Frank's guidance - and help from Vince Carter and Jason Kidd - the Nets made the playoffs after a 3-12 start.
"You've got to work every day to try and get your team better, and I think Lawrence is great at that," Nets' president Rod Thorn said.
"Lawrence goes out and coaches whoever we give him," general manager Ed Stefanski said. "He'll coach the 15th guy to the first guy."
The Nets could have had Stromile Swift, but Frank wanted Abdur-Rahim. Frank was at Abdur-Rahim's Atlanta home at 12:01 a.m. on July 1 to start the recruiting.
Frank and Thorn worked the longest and hardest, but others helped, including captain Kidd, who hosted a dinner at his Saddle River home for Abdur-Rahim that Frank, Thorn, Stefanski and all their spouses attended.
"We thought we had the deal pretty much done until the physical," Kidd said. "The physical didn't work out and they had to move on. The Nets did everything."
Kidd said he turned the page quickly. It took Frank longer.
"It was a little bit harder because this is a guy I talked to every single day," Frank said. "But in this situation every effort was made on behalf of the Nets to make the deal work. I saw how hard the Nets were working and I was listening to Shareef. A deal couldn't be agreed."
The phone isn't on Frank's ear as much now. No worries. Frank is coaching a team that could compete for the Eastern Conference championship, even without Abdur-Rahim.
