Commentary: Checketts abandoned principle to acquire Sprewell
Detroit MI News (Westchester Journal News) 20Jan99 L3
By Ian O'Connor: Westchester Journal News

Can Latrell Sprewell save face in a Knicks uniform?

O'Connor, a sports columnist for the Westchester, NY Journal News, says that Mormon sports business executive Dave Checketts has a lot of explaining to do. Yesterday, Checketts, who as head of Madison Square Garden runs the New York Knicks basketball team, among other things, traded Knicks star John Starks and Chris Mills for the Golden State Warrior's Latrell Sprewell. Sprewell caused a lot of controversy last March when he choked his coach.

Checketts has promised that the Knicks would never acquire Dennis Rodman, but O'Connor says that Checketts has now acquired a worse player. O'Connor notes that Checketts had been considered kind of a moral compass in sports - so much so that his name has been featured prominently as a candidate for leading the SLOC out of controversy. But now Checketts is dealing with the likes of Sprewell, controversial boxing empressario Don King and scandal-ridden Marv Albert.

But, of course, the bottom line is how the team performs, and O'Connor admits that the Knicks may perform better with Sprewell. Still, if they don't, Checketts may end up at a microphone explaining why he traded for Sprewell.