8B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
THURSDAY, MARCH 3. 2005
NBA
Former Kansas guard named interim coach
Pritchard replaces Portland's Cheeks
BY ANNE M. PETERSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PORTLAND, Ore. — For all his popularity among the players and the fans, Portland Trail Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks ultimately didn't have the wins.
Kevin Pritchard, director of player personnel for the Portland Trail Blazers, speaks at a news conference in Portland, Ore., yesterday. Pritchard was appointed interim coach after Maurice Cheeks was fired by general manager John Nash.
Greg Wahl-Stephens/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Former Kansas guard and team director of player personel Kevin Pritchard was named interim coach.
Cheeks was fired yesterday morning, after the Blazers had lost seven of their last nine and tumbled to 22-33.
"It's a sad day for me because I've got guys on my team that I really ... ," Cheeks said, his voice trailing off in disappointment during an emotional news conference a few hours after he was let go.
"I didn't do as well a job as I could have, as I did in previous years," he concluded.
With Portland's chances of making the playoffs dwindling, the Blazers chose to look for other options.
"Our players liked Mo a great deal, but sometimes a fresh
voice might ignite them to go in a different direction," Blazers general manager John Nash said.
While the Blazers are not entirely giving up on the playoffs, Pritchard's appointment shows the team is going to focus on evaluating younger players.
"I'm not going to mislead anybody. It's a long hill battle to get to the playoffs from where we're at — 11 games under .500." Blazers president Steve Patterson said.
The Blazers are in 12th place in the Western Conference, six games behind the Lakers for the eighth and final playoff spot. Portland went 41-41 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time in 22 years.
Portland's latest defeat came Tuesday night, 103-93 to the defending champion Detroit. That left Cheeks with a 162-139 record as Blazers coach. He was in the final year of a four-year contract worth an estimated $12 million.
Cheeks, who played in the NBA for 15 seasons, was hired
by Portland in 2001 to replace Mike Dunleav.
"I enjoyed teaching kids, I enjoyed being around the players and I loved the game itself," Cheeks said.
But the Blazers hardly made Cheeks' tenure easy, on or off
There were several players cited for marijuana possession and forward Qyntel Woods was investigated in a dog fighting scandal.
the court.
Former Blazers forward Rasheed Wallace drew unwanted attention to the team two seasons ago when he threatened a game official on the loading dock of the Rose Garden. Wallace, later traded, was suspended for seven games by the NBA.
Although he was generally popular among his players, Cheeks did have a couple of high-profile verbal run-ins with former guard Bonzi Wells and current forward Darius Miles. Both players served team suspensions for their actions.
Cheeks never shied away from questions about his team's misbehavior, bringing him the respect of fans and reporters who covered the Blazers.
He endeared himself to many in April 2003 when he came to the rescue of a 13-year-old girl, Natalie Gilbert, who forgot the words to the national anthem before a playoff game against the Dallas Mavericks. Cheeks went to her side and helped her with the words.
Both Patterson and Nash said it was with great regret that they broke the news to Cheeks at the team's practice facility yesterday
morning.
"We were kind of hoping in January and February that we'd gain some momentum — but that didn't happen." Nash said.
The assistants who served under Cheeks will remain with the team.
Cheeks, 48, said he'd likely take a vacation, and wouldn't mind coaching in some capacity again soon.
"I love the game too much to stay away," he said.
Pritchard, hired by the Blazers in August after serving as a scout for the San Antonio Spurs, was asked if he thought the role as interim coach was an audition.
"This is not the role and not the career path I want to take," Pritchard said. "That said, I would do anything to help this organization."
NBA
Pritchard, 37, who played at Kansas, spent four seasons in the NBA. Before joining the Spurs organization, he served as coach, general manager and director of player personnel for the Kansas City Knights of the American Basketball Association.
Kobe Bryant, accuser settle lengthy civil lawsuit
BY JON SARCHE
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER — The 20-year-old woman who accused NBA star Kobe Bryant of rape nearly two years ago settled her civil lawsuit against him yesterday.
"The parties and their attorneys have agreed that no further comments about the matter can
Terms were not released. A statement faxed to The Associated Press by Bryant's attorneys said only that the matter had been resolved "to the satisfaction of both parties."
Bryant
or will be made," the statement said. A motion to dismiss the case was filed simultaneously in Denver federal court.
A Los Angeles Lakers spokesmar
said Bryant declined to comment on the settlement. Bryant was in Boston for a game against the Celtics and was unavailable before the game.
The lawsuit, filed three weeks
before the criminal case against Bryant, collapsed last summer and sought unspecified damages for mental injuries, public scorn and humiliation the woman said she has suffered since their June 2003 encounter at the Vail-area hotel where she worked.
A married father of one, Bryant has apologized for his "behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered," but has insisted the sex was consensual.
Speculation that a settlement was close increased Monday after L. Lin Wood, one of the woman's attorneys, said
A married father of one, Bryant has apologized for his "behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered,"but has insisted the sex was consensual.
Bryant's long-awaited deposition three days earlier had been called off. Legal experts said a settlement would be in the best interest of both parties because it would spare them the expense and possible embarrassment of
a trial.
Bryant, 27, has never been questioned under oath about what happened in his hotel room as he prepared for knee surgery in Vail the next day.
The accuser is now married
and pregnant. Like the criminal case, the civil case ultimately would have rested on the testimony of a woman the defense suggested was a promiscuous, attention-seeking liar.
The lawsuit was similar to the outline of the criminal case, accusing Bryant of flirting with the woman during a tour of the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera. After the two ended up in his room, they began to kiss and Bryant became more aggressive, finally holding her by the throat while he raped her, the lawsuit said.
Stop by Wescoe or the Kansas Union between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.each day this week to celebrate march madness! Each day there will be different prizes to win!
Tuesday, March 1 Tradition Keeper Appreciation Day: Get spotted in your TK T-shirt and you might win!
Wednesday, March 2 Free food, prizes and much more! KU Senior Night and KU beats KSU!
Thursday, March 3 Sign the Good Luck Card for the Basketball Team located on Wescoe Beach
Friday, March 4 Sign the Good Luck Card for the Basketball Team located in the Kansas Union Both locations: KU trivia contest to win the ultimate Jayhawk fan prize!
Sunday, March 6 Go KU! Beat MU!
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