Everyone pays the price if Rodman has to adjust

Sporting News, The, March 28, 1994 by Shaun Powell

Commissioner David Stern has done what no hairdresser or tattoo artist in his or her right mind would dare to do. He placed a limit on Dennis Rodman's right to expression.

Technicals and ejections began to gravitate to Rodman like rebounds, and that disturbed Stern. But what really alarmed the commissioner was Rodman's reaction to those penalties. He would reply by ripping off his protective face mask and slamming it to the court, or by stripping off his jersey, or by flinging an equipment bag over his shoulder.

So Stern summoned the Spurs' colorful forward to the league's New York offices last week for a meeting Stern considered so urgent that it was scheduled the morning of a Spurs game in Denver. Stern gave Rodman something to think about: If the pattern of behavior continues, then the Spurs and Coach John Lucas will pay the price.

Rodman got the message, all right. He earned a technical foul that night, then another one three days later.

That's why Stern's sit-down with Rodman was an especially risky move, and one that, if enforced, will result in nothing but losers all around -- Stern, the Spurs and Rodman.

Why would Stern give Rodman an ultimatum? That's like throwing a hanging curve to Barry Bonds. There hasn't been a rule placed before Rodman that he hasn't smashed, which is why Lucas doesn't have many for him. It's OK for Rodman to miss practices and shoot-arounds and show up 15 minutes before tipoff because Lucas knows the Spurs will benefit from the trade-off -- Rodman will be a maniac on the floor.

Stern also called Rodman on the carpet for a crime that's petty. Rodman hasn't injured a fan or struck a referee. Rodman's antics are pretty harmless and definitely mild compared to others that should merit Stern's attention -- such as players who constantly show up on police blotters. Rockets guard Vernon Maxwell has run afoul of the law three times in 20 months and Stern hasn't sent for him.

And though it isn't Stern's intention, he runs the risk of stripping away some of Rodman's individuality. That would be a shame, because after Charles Barkley, Rodman is the NBA's best entertainment ticket for the dollar. Most fans find him fascinating. He's unpredictable, he's a showman and at the very least, he's a sight for the eyes.

The Spurs are understandably nervous about Stern's threat. Although the commissioner didn't elaborate about the nature of his proposed penalties, they probably are in the form of fines for the team and suspensions for Lucas. Obviously, the Spurs can't afford either.

Now they're left with the tricky task of getting Rodman to adjust. Lucas is trying. After Rodman was booted from a recent game against the SuperSonics, Lucas benched him for the next game, an important one against the Rockets. The Spurs won, thanks largely to David Robinson. Yet the person who really triumphed was Lucas. He knew that taking away Rodman's most precious privilege -- playing -- would get his attention.

But how many times will Lucas have to resort to such measures, and how will it affect the Spurs as they battle the Rockets and Jazz for the Midwest Division title?

Rodman was defiant before and after his meeting with Stern. "This isn't going to change me," he says. "I'm still going to be the same. I'll still be feisty and aggressive as I've ever been. Why change? I'm still going to raise hell, be late and raise all kinds of havoc."

Altercation alteration

Other than a smattering of shoves, some strategically placed elbows and the trendiest form of retaliation -- head-butts -- there has been a reduction in mayhem.

The reason for this can be traced to last fall, when a significant event virtually assured a more peaceful season.

Yes, Bill Laimbeer's retirement in November helped. But that's not it.

The league introduced a point system to discourage flagrant fouls, and it has become quite an effective way to lower the volume on violence. By piling up points through flagrant fouls, a player faced a series of suspensions. The player's coach and team faced stiff penalties as well. Through last week, no player reached six penalty points and earned the automatic suspension. Knicks forward Charles Oakley, with four points, was closest.

In addition, the league kept intact a rule put into effect for last year's playoffs: A thrown punch, whether it lands or not, is an automatic ejection. Mindful of that, a lot of players developed short arms.

"We've had only a few incidents of players coming off the bench, but overall, not nearly as many altercations as last year," says Rod Thorn, the NBA vice president who pushed for the point system. "Now, I think, everyone knows that if you throw a punch, you'll get suspended."

The real test for the league will arrive next month, when the playoffs begin and the aggressiveness intensifies. Thorn isn't absolutely sure that the game will stay clean.

"I hope so, but I'm loathe to make predictions," he says. "I remember last year at the All-Star break when I told owners that we had only two instances of fighting. Then through March, we had a series of altercations.