Latrell Sprewell was a promising player when he joined the league in 1992. He was the 24th overall pick of that year’s Draft by the Golden State Warriors and immediately showed that he could be an offensive scoring machine any club would covet.
Unfortunately, Spree’s career would take a huge turn in 1997. The shocking news of the All-Star guard-forward choking P.J. Carlesimo got out, a development that would alter the former Alabama Crimson Tide’s pro basketball career.
It was an unfortunate incident that just got out of control. Brian Shaw, a member of that squad at the time, shared that Sprewell was provoked into going after Carlesimo. PJ was ranting at the team and wanted more out of the 6-foot-5 player.
Sprewell , who appeared to have heard enough of Carlesimo's bellyaching, got fed up and warned the coach that if he continued barking, he would go after him. The 48-year-old didn’t listen, and that was when hell broke loose.
Costly choke
The question of who is to blame hardly mattered after the incident. The fact remained that Sprewell assaulted Carlesimo at the time. After initially being suspended for 10 games, Spree’s $23.7 million three-year contract would be voided, and he was banned from playing in the league for a year. It was the harshest penalty ever in NBA history.
The development would be a big hit to Sprewell and his career. After the hefty sanction, he issued a public apology to Carlesimo and stressed that he had hoped to meet with the Warriors and the league so that they could hear his side of the story.
“No one was willing to listen at the time. My career didn't happen overnight, and I don't think it should have been taken away from me overnight,” he said via the New York Times .
The NBA player union would file grievances against the NBA and the Warriors, blasting the penalties that they felt were excessive. The case was taken into arbitration by Spree and was overturned. However, he remained suspended for 68 games of the 1997-98 season without pay. Latrell later admitted that it was one of the most difficult things he has had to deal with in his life.
“It was the most difficult thing that I had to deal with in my life. And I don't think many people would have held up under that much pressure,” Sprewell said.
Related: Michael Jordan opens up about his older brother Larry not making the NBA: "He has always been a good player, but he just didn't grow enough"
Going overboard
It was only in 1999 that Sprewell was able to get his basketball career back on track. He joined the New York Knicks and proved his worth. After five seasons with the Knicks, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2003, his last NBA team.
The athletic forward had his share of issues on and off the court. But come the mid-2000s, Spree felt that he was worth a lot of money. Moreover, he preferred to listen only to contending teams at the time.
Teams such as the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Lakers tried to offer Latrell a deal. None of them came close to signing the 1994 All-NBA First Team member, and Spree would just quietly fade from the NBA scene in 2005.
Related: Latrell Sprewell recalls how the Dada Supreme Spinner became his shoes: "I had a shop in California where we accessorized cars"
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