http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/44153.html
Kings stand by their coach
Musselman apologizes for DUI arrest as team, owners back him.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Monday, October 23, 2006
The original plan was a mea culpa of a smaller sort, with Eric Musselman surrounded by his bosses and one lonely microphone.
All eyes would be on the first-year Kings coach, who was arrested early Saturday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence and was about to begin his amendment tour Sunday inside Arco Arena.
But when Musselman took the stage, he was surrounded by 20 others, his entire team and equally teary-eyed bosses having his back in the most literal kind of way.
"I think it helped that we support him so much so he doesn't feel like he's alone," said point guard Mike Bibby, who suggested the idea moments before the news conference and insisted this was no public relations gimmick. "We don't condone it, but we're going to back our coach."
Musselman took the road to recovery in humble fashion, apologizing to his family, the community, and his team in a remorseful statement inside Arco Arena.
"First let me say that I'm sorry, embarrassed and ashamed," Musselman said. "I'm well aware of the seriousness of the situation. It's not representative of how I've lived my life, and I want you to know, that I will never take it lightly. It was a huge mistake on my behalf.
"A little bit ago, I apologized to the team. I apologize to the city of Sacramento and these great Kings fans. I apologize to the Maloof family and Geoff Petrie. ... Most importantly, I want to apologize to my family, most of all my two sons, Michael and Matthew."
Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, who joined their coach on stage, reiterated their stance that there will be no disciplinary action against Musselman, who was hired in June to replace former coach Rick Adelman.
"We don't like fining anybody, and we don't attack anybody," Joe Maloof said. "It's not in our nature. He said he was sorry. We told him we were disappointed. But that's as far as it's going to go. ... He's a good man who did a bad thing."
Musselman could be suspended by the National Basketball Association if he is convicted, and he is expected to face charges in November. Calls to league officials were not immediately returned, though Petrie said he has contacted league attorneys and is awaiting response. A decision from the league likely won't come until the matter is resolved in court.
"I think (Musselman) understands completely the gravity of the situation in which he finds himself and the potential ramifications of that," Petrie said. "At the same time, we don't intend to desert him in his hour of need. Certainly this is a self-inflicted wound, but it need not to be, nor should it be, a mortal one."
The Maloofs acknowledged the poor timing of the incident, with their push for a new arena through ballot Measures Q and R nearing a Nov. 7 vote. But, Gavin Maloof said, Musselman's arrest should be judged on its own.
"It's not a positive," he said. "This is an isolated incident. I think people have to look at the merits of Q and R on their own and not just it by this incident."
When Musselman was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol on K St. in his 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350 just after 2 a.m. Saturday, he was with two women and Kings executive director of media relations Darrin May. Petrie said May will not face a reprimand, either.
It is not known where they spent the evening, though Musselman was at Arco Arena at least until 9:30 p.m., as the Kings had defeated Utah 112-96 in Musselman's home debut. According to jail records, he was pulled over near 30th Street by a CHP officer after cutting off another motorist. According to an arrest report filed at the Sacramento County jail, he failed two Breathalyzer tests after registering a 0.11 both times. The legal limit in California is 0.08 percent.
At the news conference Sunday, Musselman did not take questions from the media, citing legal matters. But speaking to The Bee's Ailene Voisin afterward, he said he was touched by his team's response. Players either phoned or text messaged him Saturday, and the support only grew.
When he apologized to the team before the news conference, Gavin Maloof said he was emotional. Then before the Kings' Sunday afternoon shootaround, point guard Bibby informed team officials that the team wanted to be present.
Just before Musselman took the podium, small forward Ron Artest implored the group to join him on the stage, saying "No, we're standing up there with him."
"You always feel like your team is a family," Musselman told The Bee. "But in all the years I've been playing and coaching, that was the one moment when I really felt this is an extension of a family."
Musselman, who spent his past two seasons as an assistant in Memphis, said his most heartfelt apology was reserved for his family. His sons, Michael, 10, and Matthew, 5, live in Danville with their mother, who has been divorced from Musselman since December.
While his phone rang off the hook Saturday, he was repeatedly e-mailing with his cousin, Chris Anderson, a sports marketing and entertainment representative who lives in Dallas. Anderson, like many others, said there is a lesson from Musselman's mistake.
"In the e-mail, I said, 'Hey, I don't care if you have a beer after the game when you're talking with the staff or if you have a margarita when you go out for Mexican food," Anderson said, "the lesson is, 'Somebody else has got to drive.' "
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Kings stand by their coach
Musselman apologizes for DUI arrest as team, owners back him.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Monday, October 23, 2006
The original plan was a mea culpa of a smaller sort, with Eric Musselman surrounded by his bosses and one lonely microphone.
All eyes would be on the first-year Kings coach, who was arrested early Saturday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence and was about to begin his amendment tour Sunday inside Arco Arena.
But when Musselman took the stage, he was surrounded by 20 others, his entire team and equally teary-eyed bosses having his back in the most literal kind of way.
"I think it helped that we support him so much so he doesn't feel like he's alone," said point guard Mike Bibby, who suggested the idea moments before the news conference and insisted this was no public relations gimmick. "We don't condone it, but we're going to back our coach."
Musselman took the road to recovery in humble fashion, apologizing to his family, the community, and his team in a remorseful statement inside Arco Arena.
"First let me say that I'm sorry, embarrassed and ashamed," Musselman said. "I'm well aware of the seriousness of the situation. It's not representative of how I've lived my life, and I want you to know, that I will never take it lightly. It was a huge mistake on my behalf.
"A little bit ago, I apologized to the team. I apologize to the city of Sacramento and these great Kings fans. I apologize to the Maloof family and Geoff Petrie. ... Most importantly, I want to apologize to my family, most of all my two sons, Michael and Matthew."
Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, who joined their coach on stage, reiterated their stance that there will be no disciplinary action against Musselman, who was hired in June to replace former coach Rick Adelman.
"We don't like fining anybody, and we don't attack anybody," Joe Maloof said. "It's not in our nature. He said he was sorry. We told him we were disappointed. But that's as far as it's going to go. ... He's a good man who did a bad thing."
Musselman could be suspended by the National Basketball Association if he is convicted, and he is expected to face charges in November. Calls to league officials were not immediately returned, though Petrie said he has contacted league attorneys and is awaiting response. A decision from the league likely won't come until the matter is resolved in court.
"I think (Musselman) understands completely the gravity of the situation in which he finds himself and the potential ramifications of that," Petrie said. "At the same time, we don't intend to desert him in his hour of need. Certainly this is a self-inflicted wound, but it need not to be, nor should it be, a mortal one."
The Maloofs acknowledged the poor timing of the incident, with their push for a new arena through ballot Measures Q and R nearing a Nov. 7 vote. But, Gavin Maloof said, Musselman's arrest should be judged on its own.
"It's not a positive," he said. "This is an isolated incident. I think people have to look at the merits of Q and R on their own and not just it by this incident."
When Musselman was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol on K St. in his 2006 Mercedes-Benz E350 just after 2 a.m. Saturday, he was with two women and Kings executive director of media relations Darrin May. Petrie said May will not face a reprimand, either.
It is not known where they spent the evening, though Musselman was at Arco Arena at least until 9:30 p.m., as the Kings had defeated Utah 112-96 in Musselman's home debut. According to jail records, he was pulled over near 30th Street by a CHP officer after cutting off another motorist. According to an arrest report filed at the Sacramento County jail, he failed two Breathalyzer tests after registering a 0.11 both times. The legal limit in California is 0.08 percent.
At the news conference Sunday, Musselman did not take questions from the media, citing legal matters. But speaking to The Bee's Ailene Voisin afterward, he said he was touched by his team's response. Players either phoned or text messaged him Saturday, and the support only grew.
When he apologized to the team before the news conference, Gavin Maloof said he was emotional. Then before the Kings' Sunday afternoon shootaround, point guard Bibby informed team officials that the team wanted to be present.
Just before Musselman took the podium, small forward Ron Artest implored the group to join him on the stage, saying "No, we're standing up there with him."
"You always feel like your team is a family," Musselman told The Bee. "But in all the years I've been playing and coaching, that was the one moment when I really felt this is an extension of a family."
Musselman, who spent his past two seasons as an assistant in Memphis, said his most heartfelt apology was reserved for his family. His sons, Michael, 10, and Matthew, 5, live in Danville with their mother, who has been divorced from Musselman since December.
While his phone rang off the hook Saturday, he was repeatedly e-mailing with his cousin, Chris Anderson, a sports marketing and entertainment representative who lives in Dallas. Anderson, like many others, said there is a lesson from Musselman's mistake.
"In the e-mail, I said, 'Hey, I don't care if you have a beer after the game when you're talking with the staff or if you have a margarita when you go out for Mexican food," Anderson said, "the lesson is, 'Somebody else has got to drive.' "
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.