HoopsHype.com Rumors

(His first reaction when Sprewell choked him) More surprise, not shock. Again, I mean, there were so many people around. It was, you know, it’s a practice, and things happen at practice, but no, there was nothing that led up to it. So it was more surprise.(On of if he ever felt in danger) No. It wasn’t a situation like that. (Was he surprised that Sprewell returned to practice 20 minutes after the incident) Yes. NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Coaching, Latrell Sprewell, PJ Carlesimo 

On what went wrong between him and Sprewell, and if it still bothers him today: No, to this day, I don’t (know what precipitated it), I’m not sure exactly what it was, but…something set him off, and, just, that’s the way he reacted, and the rest is history. I think people who don’t know basketball, that’s the only thing they know. Like if someone says Spre’s name or someone says my name…they say, "Oh, that, those two guys, I know that." From here (New York area), if you say my name, they’ll probably relate it to Seton Hall. If you say it on the West Coast, people relate it to Golden State or to Portland. Did the incident have any racial undertones? No, no, no. People are always gonna, you know, look at it and say, "Well, it’s a black player, it’s a white coach." No. I don’t think so. A lot of the players and coaches in the league (NBA), (who) immediately, you know, stood up and said, "Whoa, wait a minute." Let’s not bring something into this that’s not in it." That never had any legs. NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Coaching, Latrell Sprewell, PJ Carlesimo 

Did he and Sprewell patch things up? No, not really. (If they ever spoke about the incident) Not really. You know, "Hello", before a game, after a game, something like that. But first time we were together again was my first game I did for NBC when I was doing broadcasting with another Fordham buddy of your(s), Mike Breen. The first game we did, Christmas Day (2001). It was Madison Square Garden and Spre came over, I think, to do a post-game radio (interview) with Clyde or something like that, but that was the first time we had been face to face since the…since the hearing. Again, it was, you know, hello, somewhat... It was cordial. (If Sprewell ever apologized) Not a problem. No. (Did he expect him to?) No, no. (If Carlesimo wants him to apologize) No. No, not needed. No, it’s over. I mean, it’s over. It was a long time ago, and (you) move on. NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Coaching, Latrell Sprewell, PJ Carlesimo 

Eyes wide open is how Smith lives his life. There is a reason why he’s tweeting at all hours of the day: He doesn’t sleep, like another Knick who wore No. 8: Latrell Sprewell. “Latrell didn’t sleep much but he would sleep,” says Marcus Camby, Sprewell’s former teammate in New York and Smith’s teammate in Denver and New York. “J.R. never sleeps.” Said Smith: “I don’t know what it is, I’ve never been a big sleeper. I feel like I’m missing something when I’m sleeping. It’s one of my good qualities, I guess.” New York Daily News

New York Knicks, Twitter, JR Smith, Latrell Sprewell 

Carlesimo knows that the only way he can whack the name Sprewell from the first sentence of his biography is to do something that overshadows it. And what could be bigger than somehow holding on to this job and being the first coach to bring a professional title to Brooklyn since Walter Alston's Dodgers beat the Yankees in 1955? "It really comes down to results. People's perceptions are still colored to a lot of degree by your success," Carlesimo said. "Bill Parcells was demanding but he got results, so he's a great communicator." Newsday

Brooklyn Nets, Coaching, Latrell Sprewell, PJ Carlesimo 

This is not something that Carlesimo would ever do. Because if there is one thing that he learned from those 15 seconds on Dec. 1, 1997 -- when Sprewell, then his star player with the Golden State Warriors, responded to criticism of his passing skills ("Put a little mustard on those passes!'') by dragging Carlesimo to the practice floor and wrapping his hands around his neck -- it is this: "There are things in life you have no control over," Carlesimo said. "The way it evolved, the way it spun so big and so out of control, you just had to ride it out. It is what it is." Newsday

Brooklyn Nets, Coaching, Latrell Sprewell, PJ Carlesimo 

But before McGee gets to the "skill" part, Denver's coaches want him to get the "routine" part down. Karl, who emphasizes that he is impressed with McGee's skill set too, wants him to be more Tim Duncan and less Latrell Sprewell. "He's got to understand that lazy and crazy isn't going to make it work," Karl said. "We want solid and we want fundamental, and we want spectacular but only when it happens, not forcing the action where sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't." Denver Post

Denver Nuggets, Javale McGee, Latrell Sprewell 

By all accounts, Carlesimo has learned, evolved into more of an NBA coach 15 years after the Sprewell choking incident. Still, it's not easy to shake the past or a personality, especially as the only current NBA coach who made his bones in college. Even in his dealings with the media, there are signs that Carlesimo still has a college coach's mentality — like when he painstakingly mentions the contributions of every last player in postgame interviews, right down to the 12th man’s minutes in garbage time. Guys like Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Calhoun, Dean Smith and Bobby Knight never made the jump to the NBA. Rick Pitino and John Calipari failed when they tried. New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets, Coaching, Latrell Sprewell, PJ Carlesimo 

Carlesimo left and never turned back. “I think there’s a lot of truth in that (Carlesimo’s style is more suited for the college game),” said Donyell Marshall, who played under Carlesimo on three different NBA teams. “But P.J. and I are too good of friends for me to throw him under the bus. New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets, Coaching, Donyell Marshall, Latrell Sprewell, PJ Carlesimo 

Milwaukee native and former NBA star Latrell Sprewell was arrested for disorderly conduct Monday afternoon after police received repeated complaints about loud music coming from a house on E. Pleasant St. on Milwaukee's east side, according to jail records reviewed by the Journal Sentinel Tuesday. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Law, Latrell Sprewell 

Frank Isola: James Dolan once suspended Latrell Sprewell for showing up for training camp with a broken hand. This could get ugly Twitter

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, James Dolan, Injuries, Latrell Sprewell 

The Wisconsin government is getting proactive about its delinquent taxpayers – it has posted the Top 100 online. And two of the top three are former NBA players. No. 1 is Milwaukee native Latrell Sprewell, who the government claims owes them $3.53 million in taxes. No. 3 is something of a surprise: Anthony Mason, the former Milwaukee Bucks’ power forward. The government says Mason owes them $2.07 million in back taxes. The Big Lead

Latrell Sprewell, Anthony Mason 

Marc Berman: Sprewell, still living in Milwaukee, did shake my hand and say "Let's bury the hatchet.'' A $40 million handshake. Twitter

Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Latrell Sprewell 

Steve Adamek: By "fans" chanting "Sprewell's better" to Melo, it's a group of kids who get a section @ every game. Other fans just in out of the rain Twitter

Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Latrell Sprewell 

Chris Tomasson: I was told by someone Milwaukee native Latrell Sprewell was so excited about Pack's playoff run recently got a Green Bay tattoo on his neck. Twitter

Latrell Sprewell