http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/125900.html
Marty Mac's world: Petrie was the king of one-on-one event
By Martin McNeal - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Tuesday, February 20, 2007
The message was left on Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie's voice mail 17 minutes after the hour, and the return call came 16 minutes later.
With travel back from the NBA All-Star Game, things were a little slow on the phones. Well, it's doubtful Petrie bypassed the calls of Memphis president Jerry West or Miami president/coach Pat Riley to get with me. The trade deadline is Thursday, and Petrie says only that he has been fielding and making calls.
However, the reason for the call to Petrie was to discuss his participation in a league-sanctioned one-on-one tournament in the early 1970s. The league had the tournament for a couple of years, and Petrie won the second and last one.
The belief here is another tournament, similar in makeup, would be worth trying again.
"You had to win five matchups to win the whole thing," said Petrie, one of the game's best scorers during his brief NBA career. "I beat (Bobby) Dandridge, Mike Riordan, Gail Goodrich, Bob McAdoo and Barry Clemens.
"The first three matches were held away from the All-Star Game site that weekend. They replayed the matches during broadcast games the rest of the regular season, and then the semifinals and finals were played at the conclusion of playoff games."
Certainly, times have changed 30 years later, but in a best-laid plans scenario, attracting the likes of LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash and Dwyane Wade to go against each other would be hot. Playing one-on-one would reduce the injury factor to something less than having 10 players on the floor at once.
Surely, sponsors could be found to put up some nice prize money. Percentages of the cash could go to the players and charity.
Petrie said he thought he received about $15,000 for winning the tournament he believed occurred in either 1973 or 1974. Could another be held today?
"I don't know," he said. "If a wise and learned and respected person said it was possible, then maybe it could. If another wise and learned and respected person said it wasn't possible, then he'd probably be wrong. But it's like one of those things where eventually everything old becomes new again."
Petrie said he didn't remember how much his annual salary was the year he won the tournament. But he did know that as a Portland rookie he earned $50,000 in the 1970-71 season, after which he was voted the co-Rookie of the Year with Boston's Dave Cowens.
Petrie on high picks
During a just-talking trash conversation with Petrie last week, he was warned he'd be ripped big-time in this space if the Kings were fortunate enough to get the No. 1 draft choice in June and he selected tremendous Texas freshman scorer Kevin Durant instead of Ohio State freshman Greg Oden. Neither has said he plans to turn pro, but it's never too early to prepare a dude for an imminent attack.
Petrie said something to the effect of, "Well, I don't think we'll have that opportunity, and I don't think you'd have that opportunity."
Durant is a heck of a talent. But put Oden on the Kings right now and they are an immediate playoff team capable of contending for a title. The big young boy who looks like an NBA veteran is a game-changer for the next 10 years.
Toronto's Mitchell top coach?
After starting the season 2-8, the Toronto Raptors are tied with Indiana for the fourth-fewest losses in the Eastern Conference and are capable of throwing fear into any team during a playoff series.
Sam Mitchell has had a rough road during his tenure up north, but he now has to be ranked highly as a Coach of the Year candidate with his squad leading the Atlantic Division.
About the writer: The Bee's Martin McNeal can be reached at mmcneal@sacbee.com.
Marty Mac's world: Petrie was the king of one-on-one event
By Martin McNeal - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Tuesday, February 20, 2007
The message was left on Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie's voice mail 17 minutes after the hour, and the return call came 16 minutes later.
With travel back from the NBA All-Star Game, things were a little slow on the phones. Well, it's doubtful Petrie bypassed the calls of Memphis president Jerry West or Miami president/coach Pat Riley to get with me. The trade deadline is Thursday, and Petrie says only that he has been fielding and making calls.
However, the reason for the call to Petrie was to discuss his participation in a league-sanctioned one-on-one tournament in the early 1970s. The league had the tournament for a couple of years, and Petrie won the second and last one.
The belief here is another tournament, similar in makeup, would be worth trying again.
"You had to win five matchups to win the whole thing," said Petrie, one of the game's best scorers during his brief NBA career. "I beat (Bobby) Dandridge, Mike Riordan, Gail Goodrich, Bob McAdoo and Barry Clemens.
"The first three matches were held away from the All-Star Game site that weekend. They replayed the matches during broadcast games the rest of the regular season, and then the semifinals and finals were played at the conclusion of playoff games."
Certainly, times have changed 30 years later, but in a best-laid plans scenario, attracting the likes of LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash and Dwyane Wade to go against each other would be hot. Playing one-on-one would reduce the injury factor to something less than having 10 players on the floor at once.
Surely, sponsors could be found to put up some nice prize money. Percentages of the cash could go to the players and charity.
Petrie said he thought he received about $15,000 for winning the tournament he believed occurred in either 1973 or 1974. Could another be held today?
"I don't know," he said. "If a wise and learned and respected person said it was possible, then maybe it could. If another wise and learned and respected person said it wasn't possible, then he'd probably be wrong. But it's like one of those things where eventually everything old becomes new again."
Petrie said he didn't remember how much his annual salary was the year he won the tournament. But he did know that as a Portland rookie he earned $50,000 in the 1970-71 season, after which he was voted the co-Rookie of the Year with Boston's Dave Cowens.
Petrie on high picks
During a just-talking trash conversation with Petrie last week, he was warned he'd be ripped big-time in this space if the Kings were fortunate enough to get the No. 1 draft choice in June and he selected tremendous Texas freshman scorer Kevin Durant instead of Ohio State freshman Greg Oden. Neither has said he plans to turn pro, but it's never too early to prepare a dude for an imminent attack.
Petrie said something to the effect of, "Well, I don't think we'll have that opportunity, and I don't think you'd have that opportunity."
Durant is a heck of a talent. But put Oden on the Kings right now and they are an immediate playoff team capable of contending for a title. The big young boy who looks like an NBA veteran is a game-changer for the next 10 years.
Toronto's Mitchell top coach?
After starting the season 2-8, the Toronto Raptors are tied with Indiana for the fourth-fewest losses in the Eastern Conference and are capable of throwing fear into any team during a playoff series.
Sam Mitchell has had a rough road during his tenure up north, but he now has to be ranked highly as a Coach of the Year candidate with his squad leading the Atlantic Division.
About the writer: The Bee's Martin McNeal can be reached at mmcneal@sacbee.com.
