Howard Is NBA's First $100M Man
Gaga Ekeh
Howard is NBA's First $100 Million Man
MIAMI (Reuter) - Juwan Howard is the NBA's first $100 million man.
Howard officially signed with the Miami Heat Wednesday for a reported $110
million over seven
years. At a news conference in Miami, he said he is up to the challenge of being
the first nine-figure
player in team sports.
``Fans have expectations, and fans are hungry for a win,'' he said. ``I'm a
marked man right now.
They look at me as one of those one hundred million-dollar guys that's out there
in the NBA.''
The 6-10 Howard receives a deal worth more than $15 million per season, despite
the fact that he
has played just two seasonplayoffs.
Howard played his first two seasons with the Bullets and college teammate Chris
Webber. He was
scheduled to earn $1.7 million next season before he exercising an option in his
contract to
become a free agent.
As many as 15 teams expressed an interest in acquiring Howard. The Bullets made
an initial
contract offer of seven years for $78 million in their effort to retain him.
The 23-year-old Howard made the Eastern Conference All-Star team last season,
when averaged
22.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He averaged nearly 30 points and 11
rebounds per game
in April, when he was named Player of the Month.
Howard was selected fifth overall by the Bullets in the 1994 draft and averaged
17.0 points and
8.4 rebounds in his rookie season.
In other NBA news:
-- The Los Angeles Lakers are apparently not giving up without a fight in tar
free
agent center Shaquille O'Neal.
The Tampa Tribune reported Wednesday that thanks to some moves made Tuesday, the
Lakers
are now prepared to offer O'Neal a sever $117 million, a $22 million
jump from their initial offer of $95 million.
Los Angeles can also choose to renounce the rights to forward Elden Campbell and
boost the
offer to $140 million, an average of $20 million per season, if necessary.
The Tribune also reported that O'Neal and his agent Leonard Armato rejected
Orlando's
seven-year, $119 million offer from last week. They were to meet with Lakers
general manager
Jerry West in Atlanta Wednesday and a final decision could be made by Thursday.
-- The Orlando Magic re-signed free agent forward Horace Grant Wednesday to a
five-year
contract worth a reported $50 million, leaving star center O'Neal as the team's
only starter still
unsigned.
Several newspapers reported the value of the deal. If Grant were to receive the
maximum 20
percent annual increase allowed by the new collective bargaining agreement, the
last two years of
the contract would be worth nearly $25 million.
The re-signing of Grant -- who won three championships with the Chicago Bulls
and helped the
Magic reach the NBA Finals in 1995 -- could help Orlando re-sign O'Neal, who is
the subject of
a bidding war between the Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers.
``My gut feeling is that he will come back to Orlando,'' Grant said at a news
conference tonight.
Grant left the Bulls for the Magic as a free agent following the 1993-94 season.
-- The Los Angeles Times and Daily News report that Dennis Rodman's agent, Dwht
Manley,
has met with the Lakers.
If the Lakers are unsuccessful in their attempt to land Shaquille O'Neal, they
would have plenty of
money under the salary cap to use on Rodman, who was initially seeking a deal
worth $10 million
a year.
Rodman, best known for his outrageous antics and assortment of hair colors,
helped the Chicago
Bulls to an NBA record 72 wins and their fourth title in six years this past
season.
Rodman was acquired by Chicago from San Antonio last October and earned $2.5
million last
season.
-- The Dallas Mavericks signed free agent forward/center Chris Gatling to a
five-year deal and
renounced the rights to four players to fit him in under the salary cap.
The Mavericks introduced the five-year veteran at an afternoon news conference.
KTCK Radio in
Dallas reported Tuesday that the five-year agreement was for $22 million.
The 6-10 Gatling averaged 11.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season with
the Golden
State Warriors and Miami Heat, while ranking second in the NBA in field goal
percentage (57.5).
``Dallas was my first choice and now it's my only choice,'' said the 28-year-old
Gatling. ``What I
bring to the team is aggressiveness and I never quit. I'm a high energy player
who works hard
every day. I give 110 percent in practice and in games.''
``We're looking to get better and Chris Gatling should improve our
flexibility,'' said Dallas vice
president of basketball operations Keith Grant. ``We went into the summer
wanting to improve
our center and power forward positions and the additions of Eric Montross,
Samaki Walker and
Chris Gatling accomplish that. Hopefully, these moves will translate intoyed his
first four seasons with Golden State (1991-95). He averaged a career best 13.7
points and led the league in field goal percentage (63.3) in 1994-95.
To make room for Gatling, the Mavericks renounced the rights to guards Lucious
Harris and Scott
Brooks and forwards Lorenzo Williams and David Wood.
-- The Golden State Warriors announced they have finalized the agreement to
contruct a new
arena in the Oakland Coliseum Complex and signed a 20-year licensing agreement
with four
five-year options to play in the new facility.
The Warriors, the City of Oakland, the County of Alameda, Oakland-Alameda County
Coliseum,
Inc. and Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority agreed to the deal today.
The Coliseum Authorent with Tutor-Saliba Corporation to begin
construction of the arena. HNTB Corpl be the lead design architect.
The team will play its home games next season at the San Jose Arena while the
new arena is being
renovated.