「我對溜馬感到非常失望，如果我早知道 Thomas 下一季不會待在溜馬的話，
我當初就不會同意跟溜馬續約了。」小歐尼爾聽到老湯被炒之後的反應。
小歐，有你的，說的出這種話，老湯確實沒有白疼你 ...不過，你到底什麼時
候才會長大啊？你的視野總是這麼小小小嗎？@_@
走著瞧吧你 ...
--
Move angers O'Neal
All-Star says he feels deceived by the Pacers
http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/6/069256-1906-039.html
By Mark Montieth
mark.montieth@indystar.com
August 28, 2003
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Jermaine O'Neal declared his future with the
Indiana Pacers uncertain Wednesday in the wake of the news that Isiah
Thomas had been fired as coach.
O'Neal, a member of the USA Basketball national team that defeated
Mexico 96-69 Wednesday night, said he was stunned and angered by the
decision, although he was calm and smiling with reporters after the game.
"I'm extremely upset. If it wasn't for Isiah Thomas, I wouldn't be
here," O'Neal said. "Isiah has given me the confidence to be not only
the player I am today, but the father and the son that I am today.
He's sat down and been a father figure for me. I was just sitting
there trying to grasp going into the season without him."
O'Neal, who signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Pacers
on July 16, said he would not have re-signed with the Pacers if he
had known Thomas would not be his coach next season.
He acknowledged that he feels deceived by the Pacers, but stopped
short of saying he would demand a trade. Not yet, anyway.
"I don't want to get into that now," he said. "I'm here to accomplish
one goal and that's to play for USA Basketball. I'll handle everything
else next week.
"I'm going to go (back to Indianapolis) next week sometime and try
to figure where my future is with the team."
The U.S. team, now 7-0 in the Olympic qualifying tournament, finishes
play on Sunday. The top three teams receive a bid to the 2004 Olympics
in Greece.
O'Neal said he heard of Thomas' firing in a telephone call from Thomas.
He was taking a nap at the time, and was bewildered by the news.
"I said, 'Hold on, let me sit up a second. Are you kidding me?' " he
recalled.
O'Neal said Thomas expressed disappointment rather than anger in their
conversation.
O'Neal then called the Pacers' office and talked briefly with CEO
Donnie Walsh and president of basketball operations Larry Bird.
Walsh said he told O'Neal to remain focused on USA Basketball and
that they would sit down and talk next week.
U.S. coach Larry Brown, a former Pacers coach, said he was "crushed"
by word of Thomas' dismissal.
Brown had invited Thomas to accompany the national team as a consultant
and scout, a duty Thomas performed during their training camp in
New York last week and here in Puerto Rico until he was called back
to Indianapolis by the Pacers on Tuesday.
"I understand everybody gets let go," said Brown, who left Philadelphia
to sign with Detroit, which fired Rick Carlisle to create an opening.
"My biggest concern is the timing. He'd probably be the coach in
Detroit (if the decision had been made earlier)."
"What better choice with what he's meant to that franchise? When I
left Philly there were eight or nine openings. I understand firing,
that's everybody's prerogative, but I'm a little concerned about
Jermaine and I'm a little concerned about the timing.
"Isiah's meant a lot to our league and he's meant a lot to me. He's
made our league better. I just feel bad about it. But I'm confident
he'll be back."
O'Neal played one season in Portland when Carlisle, who's expected
to replace Thomas, was an assistant there. He offered no opinion of
Carlisle, however.
"That was eight years ago," O'Neal said, exaggerating his point.
"I don't know what kind of head coach he is."
O'Neal said he talked with Pacers teammates Al Harrington, Jonathan
Bender and Jamison Brewer on Wednesday, and that all were stunned
and disappointed by the news.
Now he's unclear what the direction of the franchise is.
"We were all geared up to go after this really strong," he said.
"Now we have to retool and look at a new system. . . . Are we really
trying to win a championship this year?"
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.csie.ntu.edu.tw)
◆ From: 61.228.109.220