NBA CHAMPIONSHIP : LAKERS VS. CELTICS : Notebook : Italians, Soviets to Play Bucks

By GORDON EDES and MARK HEISLER

June 9, 1987 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writers

BOSTON — David Stern, commissioner of the National Basketball Assn., announced Monday that the Milwaukee Bucks will play in an international tournament this fall against the Soviet national team and Tracer Milan of Italy, European professional champions.

The round-robin tournament will be played in Milwaukee from Oct. 23-25 and is a joint undertaking of the NBA and the international basketball federation (FIBA). Prize money of $100,000 will be put up by McDonald’s, and ABC and cable station WTBS are expected to televise the games.

“I’m sure you’d like a prediction,” said Dan Peterson, coach of Tracer Milan, whose star player is former Laker Bob McAdoo.

“It would be very difficult to stay even with the Milwaukee Bucks in Milwaukee.”

One of the tournament’s big drawing cards is expected to be 7-foot 2-inch center Arvidas Sabonis, the 23-year-old Soviet star who was drafted by the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers.

Peterson, however, said Sabonis has an injury to his Achilles’ tendon.

“We all know what that means,” Peterson said. “. . . They say he’ll be out five months, but he should be back.”

Said Stern: “We have assurances that if Sabonis is healthy, he will play.”

There is speculation, of course, that the Soviets are less than eager to bring Sabonis to the United States because of the Trail Blazers’ interest in him, as well as that of LSU Coach Dale Brown, who made a recruiting trip to the Soviet Union last year.

Why Milwaukee?

“We thought some of the other names (teams) might have scared the Soviets away,” Stern said.

“Things get focused more in a small city. This is going to be a nice thing in Milwaukee.”

Stern said the NBA hopes one day to hold games overseas. The league also is interested in merchandising in an international market.

Laker Coach Pat Riley, on the four technical fouls called on the Lakers for illegal zone defenses:

“It cost us 11 points,” he said. “Eleven points in a six-point game.

“We got caught. But I counted 25 (illegal defenses) for Boston, another 10 for us.

“It’s so ridiculous this time of year. We isolate, they isolate. It’s whoever gets caught first.

“Larry Bird hasn’t played his man yet. All year. . . . But we were blatant with it. And got caught.”

Boston Coach K.C. Jones, told of Riley’s comments, deadpanned: “I counted them more. Fifty times.”

Larry Bird on Len Bias, the Celtics’ No. 1 draft choice who died of a cocaine overdose nearly a year ago:

“He was drafted by the Celtics, but he was never a Celtic.

“You know what I think of guys using cocaine. I don’t believe in it, and if you use it, you pay the consequences.

“A guy like him, using cocaine, could have destroyed this team. Like his mother said, he might be better off where he’s at.

“I’m not glad he’s gone, but I’d hate to see him come into this situation on cocaine.”

Riley, on why the Celtics play so well in Boston Garden: “They get a lot of support. It’s the biggest public relations thing in the NBA.

“They sell it just like we sell Showtime, which makes a lot of people back East want to throw up.”

Does marketing win basketball games?

“Sometimes it does,” Riley said. “There are guys in this league, when they see the Lakers coming on the fast break, they’re worried about being embarrassed by Showtime.

“It definitely has an impact. And this (the Garden mystique) is something that goes back 20, 30 years.”

James Worthy, on his chances of having another 6-of-18 shooting game: “I can’t recall having back-to-back games like that.”

In the Lakers’ 13 playoff wins, Worthy averaged 26.6 points and shot 65.1%. In their two losses, Worthy averaged 12 points and shot 36.7%.

Prediction from that great soothsayer of the West, Denver Coach Doug Moe: Lakers in five. . . . The Clippers have named Todd Parker director of publicity, with Jack Gallagher becoming director of information.

A spokesman for Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham said he is willing to speak to NBA officials in an effort to keep the league from moving its annual meetings out of the state.

NBA officials are considering moving the fall meetings because of Mecham’s controversial cancellation of a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, The Phoenix Gazette reported.

“I’m sure if they’re still in the decision-making process, if given all the facts, then they wouldn’t have to reconsider anything,” said Ron Bellus, Mecham’s press secretary. “Apparently, they haven’t been given all the facts. They’re just getting one side.”

The meetings are scheduled for Sept. 18-21 in Scottsdale. But the Gazette quoted sources saying it was a “very strong possibility” the NBA may move the meetings.

“I didn’t realize the NBA is involved in politics,” Bellus said. He added if the Phoenix Suns wanted the governor’s office to intervene and speak to NBA officials concerning the issue, he would do so.

Laker sixth man Michael Cooper still can’t forget the loss to the Celtics in the 1984 championship series.

“They made ladies out of us,” he recalled. “They ran when they wanted to and pounded us when they wanted to. I don’t mind losing, but when you are getting your butt kicked royally and losing the basketball game, that really hurts.”

The Lakers, though, gained a measure of revenge the next season when they defeated Boston in the finals. Cooper was asked if this series reminded him more of 1984 or 1985.

“It’s rolling along the lines of 1984,” Cooper said after a pause. “I hope we can rectify the situation before (Boston’s momentum) gets started.”

Remember at the start of the series, when it was the Celtics who were tired and the Lakers who were well rested? Well, Riley worked his club only 30 minutes Monday, saying: “We’ve worked 10 out of the last 11 games, so fatigue might be setting in.”

Associated Press and United Press International contributed to this report.