Latrell Sprewell

Latrell Sprewell

Personal information
Born	(1970-09-08) September 8, 1970 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nationality	USA
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
College	Three Rivers Community College, University of Alabama
NBA draft	1992: 24th overall
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Playing career	1992–2005
Position	Guard/Forward
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Latrell Fontaine Sprewell (born September 8 1970 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2004-05 NBA season. A 6'5" (1.96 m) guard/forward, he is best known for his athleticism, versatility, combative manner, choking technique, and his middle name "Fontaine."

NBA career

After attending Washington High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sprewell played competitively with the Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri from 1988–1990, and from 1990–1992 with the University of Alabama, where he was a teammate of current NBA player Robert Horry.

He was selected 24th overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. Sprewell, nicknamed "Spree", made an immediate impact, starting 69 of the 77 games he played in during his rookie season and averaging 15.4 points per game. His performance would improve over the next few years, leading the team in scoring and playing for the Western Conference All-Star team in 1994, 1995, and 1997.

Over the course of his career, Sprewell has started 868 of 913 games he has played in, averaging 18.8 ppg, 4.2 apg and 4.1 rpg with playoff career averages of 19.7 ppg, 3.4 apg and 4.3 rpg. Sprewell was named to the All-NBA First Team at the end of his sophomore season, and to the All-NBA Defensive second team that same year.

1997 choking incident

Though a four-time All-Star, Sprewell's career has been permanently overshadowed by an incident on December 1, 1997, in which he attacked head coach P. J. Carlesimo during a Warriors practice. When Carlesimo yelled at Sprewell to make crisper passes (specifically asking him to "put a little mustard" on a pass), Sprewell responded that he was not in the mood for criticism and told the coach to keep his distance. When Carlesimo approached, Sprewell threatened to kill him and dragged him to the ground by his throat, choking him for 10-15 seconds before his teammates pulled Sprewell off his coach. Sprewell returned about 20 minutes later and landed a glancing blow at Carlesimo before being dragged away again.

Aftermath

Sprewell was suspended for 10 days without pay. The next day, in the wake of a public uproar, the Warriors voided the remainder of his contract, which included $23.7 million over three years, and the NBA expelled him from the league. Sprewell took the case to arbitration, and, as a result, the contract voiding was overturned and the league suspension was reduced to the remainder of the season. Sprewell did not play again until January 1999, after the Warriors traded him to the New York Knicks for John Starks, Chris Mills and Terry Cummings.

Many pundits felt that signing the volatile Sprewell was too big a gamble for the Knicks to take, but Sprewell himself vowed that he was a changed man. As soon as Sprewell arrived in the Big Apple, he won the hearts of New York fans with his trademark intensity, quickly becoming one of the most popular players on the Knicks. New York narrowly qualified for the 1999 playoffs, making the field as the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. New York shocked the NBA as they navigated past the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and finally the Indiana Pacers en route to becoming the first eighth seeded team to make it to the NBA Finals, where they met the San Antonio Spurs. They eventually succumbed to the Spurs in 5 games, though Sprewell enjoyed a good series for the most part, averaging 26.0 ppg. He tallied 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Knicks' 78-77 Game 5 loss. Nevertheless, he had become so popular after his successful rebound that season that he was featured on the cover of the September 1999 issue of SLAM Magazine.

2003–present

Over the next few years, Sprewell's popularity and appeal went global. Sprewell and teammate Allan Houston represented the Knicks during the 2001 All-Star Game in Washington D.C., where the East defeated the West in a remarkable late-game surge. After 10 years of service, he was still piling up the points, averaging 19.5 ppg and setting his own career high in the 2002 season, when he notched 49 points against the Boston Celtics. That season, Sprewell scored 40-plus points on three occasions.

In 2003, Sprewell made NBA history as he connected 9 of 9 from the three-point arc, making the most three pointers without a single miss en route to a season-high 38 points versus the Los Angeles Clippers (this has since been tied by Chicago Bulls' Ben Gordon). After the season, Sprewell was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a four-team trade involving Keith Van Horn, Glenn Robinson, and Terrell Brandon.

During that regular season, Sprewell became part of the league's highest-scoring trio, alongside Kevin Garnett and point guard Sam Cassell. Sprewell helped the team earn the first seed in the Western Conference playoffs, but Minnesota's franchise-record playoff run drew to an end when they were defeated by the Lakers in 6 games in the Western Conference Finals. Sprewell finished second in team scoring, pacing at 19.9 ppg behind Garnett's 24.0 ppg.

On October 31, 2004, the Minnesota Timberwolves offered Sprewell a 3 year, $21 million contract extension, substantially less than what his then-current contract paid him. Insulted, he publicly vented his outrage, declaring, "I have a family to feed." He declined the extension, and, having once more drawn the ire of fans and sports media, had the worst season of his career in the final year of his contract.

One month into the 2005-06 season and without a contract, Sprewell's agent, Bob Gist, said his client would rather retire than play for the NBA minimum salary, telling Sports Illustrated, "Latrell doesn't need the money that badly. To go from being offered $7 million to taking $1 million, that would be a slap in the face." Several days later, Gist said that Sprewell planned to wait until "teams get desperate" around the trade deadline in February, and then sign with a contending team (an eventuality that never materialized). Gist said that Sprewell would not be interested in signing for any team's $5 million mid-level exception, calling that amount "a level beneath which [Sprewell] would not stoop or kneel!"

In March 2006, Sprewell was offered contracts by the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, both of whom were considered at the time to be strong favorites to win the NBA Championship; however, when contacted by these teams, Sprewell failed to respond with an answer to whether or not he would sign with them. As a result, the Mavericks and Spurs were no longer pursuing him, and he remained a free agent as the season came to a close. There was also some interest in Sprewell by the Los Angeles Lakers at the beginning of the 2005-2006 season, but a disagreement in the contract offer resulted in a failure to reach a deal. As of 2007, it is not known whether or not Sprewell will ever play another NBA game.

Currently, he and his brother own the company Sprewell Racing, a part of Sprewell Motorsports, a San Gabriel, California-based auto shop that provides custom body market and aftermarket performance parts. Sprewell is himself an avid automotive enthusiast.

In February 2008 Sprewell's large Milwaukee-based yacht, "Milwaukee's Best," was auctioned for $865,000 after he defaulted on a $1.5 million mortgage.

Possible NBA Return

As of August 2007, many people have speculated a possible NBA return for Sprewell amidst talks of Allan Houston, Reggie Miller, and Penny Hardaway's pending or imminent NBA comebacks (though Reggie Miller has since stated he no longer anticipates a comeback at age 42). Sprewell's personal life since he last played in the NBA has been plagued with controversy and, as some have even speculated, financial trouble.

On August 30, 2006 Milwaukee police investigated a claim by a 21-year-old female whom claimed that she and Sprewell were having consensual sex aboard his yacht, "Milwaukee's Best," when Sprewell began to strangle her. Police allegedly observed red marks on the woman's neck. Police investigating the allegation searched Sprewell's yacht for evidence.

On September 6, 2006 police indicated that Latrell Sprewell would not face any charges from the alleged incident in which a woman accused him of choking her against her will while they had sex on his boat in Lake Michigan in August 2006. Sprewell is seeking a restraining order against the woman along with "civil remedies" against the 21-year-old accuser.

On January 31, 2007 Sprewell's long term companion sued him for 200 million dollars for ending their relationship agreement. She claims Sprewell agreed to support her and their four children since they were in college.

On August 22nd, 2007, it was reported by multiple news agencies that Latrell Sprewell's 70-foot yacht, named "Milwaukee's Best," was repossessed by federal marshals after Sprewell failed to maintain payments and insurance for the vessel, for which he reportedly still owed approximately $1.3 million USD. In addition, while piloted by Sprewell, the yacht was run ashore near Atwater Beach, just north of Milwaukee, and required a tug boat to free the vessel.

Others have speculated that Sprewell may have been quietly considering a comeback but has not received an offer for the level of compensation that he feels would be adequate to bring him out of retirement. Furthermore, on December 19, 2006, Troy Hudson, Kevin Garnett and Trenton Hassell met for dinner after which Troy Hudson was quoted as saying that "(Sprewell) looks like he could play 48 minutes right now," and "he just said he's enjoying his time off," which may suggest he is not retired but taking a break from the NBA. As of late 2007, it is not known whether Sprewell will attempt an NBA comeback.

External links

• Template:Espn nba
• Sprewell Bio at NBA.com
• #1 Hoops Feud of All Time
• Latrell Sprewell: The American Dream