European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 9, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday february. 1986 the stars and stripes Page 21 sports slam dunkers go to work Aba a Star game Forfay in Dallas by William r. Barnard Dallas a while Dominique Wilkins reputation As a Dunker is Well established his reputation As a National basketball association All Star is in its infancy. This weekend he has a Chance to add to his reputation on both counts. Wilkins happiness Over winning the Aba slam Dunk title last year was tempered by his failure to make the All Star team despite a 27.4 Point average sixth Best in the Aba and scoring in double figures in every Gam for the Atlanta Hawks. When j won the slam Dunk championship last year i set my ultimate goal to be in both events this year the slam Dunk and the All Star game Wilkins said Friday. To be in the All Star game you have to prove you re a Complete player not just a Wilkins was chosen for today s 36th All Star game by Eastern conference coaches who were impressed not Only with his 28.4 average third Best in the league but also his improved rebounding and leadership ability. I be broadened my game this season the 6-foot-7 Wilkins said. I m playing belter defense rebounding better and taking a leadership role. Playing with All these great athletes will be a treat the ultimate vindication for me As a player. This is what i be worked so hard for to prove i belonged with the other Wilkins is not ready to give up his status As the King of the crowd pleasing Dunk however. As a prelude to the game sunday Between the top 24 players in the league from the Eastern and Western conference the Aba presented on Friday another slam Dunk contest another old timers game and a first time three Point shooting contest. Among the challengers to Wilkins title were his team mate 5-7 Spud Webb and Wilkins brother Gerald of the new York kicks. I m going to be fired up Dominique Wilkins said. Spud will have a lot of people behind him because he s the Little Guy who can Dunk and because he s from dal Las. As for my brother i be been hearing a lot of junk from him All Day. I heard he was dunking Over a among the competitors in the three Point shooting contest Are Larry Bird of the Boston celtics and Trent Tucker of new York the league Leader in three Point contestant Leon Wood of Washington said at a press conference Friday that he had made 2.1 of 25 three pointers in practice. The players have one minute to shoot 25 three pointers in each round of the contest. Sunday s All Star game starters for the East Are Julius Erving and Moses Malone of Philadelphia Bird Sidney Moncrief of Milwaukee and Isiah Thomas of the West Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Playing in a record 15th All Star game will Start along with fellow los Angeles lakers Earvin magic Johnson and James worthy Alvin Robertson of san Antonio and Ralph Sampson of Houston last year s All Star most valuable player. The West won 140-129 last year leaving the East ahead 23-12 in the All time series. Kicks Rookie Patrick Ewing who injured his right knee in thursday night s loss to the Utah jazz will play in the All Star game officials said Friday. Ewing is the Lone kicks representative in the game. Washington turns Back Montreal from press dispatches Landover my. The Washington capitals Haven t lost to Montreal at the capital Centre in almost seven years but they re merely playing catch up with the canadians. Staked to an Early. 2-0 Lead on goals by Larry Murphy and Alan nil Roundup Haworth. The Caps Defeated Mon Treal 3-2, Friday night and extended their recent Home record against the canadians to 8-0-5. To Tell the truth i was t eve aware of it Haworth said. But i d sure like to know the statistics atthe forum in Mon Realand see How Many teams have not won there in a Long Haworth would t have to Loo far to find that one of the worst records at the forum belongs to Washington. The Caps have a life time 1-23-2 record in Montreal. Washington recorded Only two fits 22 shots in the final period of the game which Drew a third consecutive sellout crowd of 18,130. In the Only other nil game Fri Day canucks 5, jets 2 Vancouver British Colum Bia Thomas Gradin s Gral with 2 06 left in the second period broken 2-2 tie in route to Vancouver s Victory Over Winnipeg Patrik Sundstrom and Koelemay who like Grade had lost their scoring touch of late and Sun Smyl also scored for the canucks now unbeaten in six games for the first time since March of 1983. Ordain also scored a third period Stern defends Aba drug policy Dallas up Aba commissioner David Stern defended the league s drug pol icy Friday saying the program was de signed to help players overcome drug prob lems not just throw them out of the league. Stern speaking at a news conference kicking off the Aba s annual All Star weekend began with talk of improved Tele vision ratings and proposed expansion. But he soon was bombarded by reporters with questions concerning drug abuse in pro Bas wednesday Chicago s Quintin Dai Ley admitted a drug problem for the second time this season. Earlier this year new Jersey s Micheal Ray Richardson and Pho enix s Walter Davis spent time in rehabilitation Aba allows a player two drug re lated offences before barring him from the league for two seasons. John Drew of the Atlanta Hawks was judged to be a three time offender last month and is not allowed to return to the Aba until the 1987-88season. It would be easy to line up the so called druggies and get rid of them but that s just not the arrangement Stern said. We feel it takes a lot of courage for a player to come Forward and admit it a drug problem. Patience has its limits but we feel we have gained a measure of respect far this league and from our players for this program. Giving somebody two chances is a Way of demonstrating Good Faith to be Able to look to an individual to try to straighten out his own life. If he can t do it after two tries then he s out of the Stern also stood by the league s agreement with the players association which states a player cannot be penalized for a drug offence committed before the present agreement was reached. Richardson Dailey and John Lucas of Houston for example admitted drug use before the agreement went into effect but those did not count toward the players allotted three strikes. That s a Public relations problem Stern said. But that s the agreement we have with the players and Well five up to earlier Stern said the league wants to extend the agreement with the players maybe by the end of the Spring so the Aba can begin serious talk of expansion. The pact expires after next season. File Polo a lds Lem. Patience has its limits gets increase of $350,000 mariners Bradley wins pay arbitration by the associated press outfielder Phil Bradley of the Seattle mariners the eighth Best hitter in the american league last year became the first major league player to win his salary arbitration Case Friday earning an in crease of nearly $350,000. Bradley who batted .300 with 26 Home runs 88 Bis 100 runs scored and 33 doubles in 1985. In his second full season in the majors was asking for $475.000 after eang $126 370 last season. The mariners had offered $375,000. It was the second straight year that Bradley had hit .300 or better his 1984avmg was 301, but he failed to hit a k run and knocked in Only 24 runs. The mariners remaining arbitration cases involve Pitcher Mike Moore Catcher Kearney and Pitcher Mark the week his teammate first baseman Alvin Davis the 1984 a l Rookie of the year along with outfielder Kevin Mcreynolds of the san Diego padres and Catcher Alan Knicely of the Philadelphia Phillies had lost their arbitration cases. Two other arbitration bound players signed contracts Friday. They were out fielder Mel Hall and Pitcher Dave von Ohlen both of the Cleveland indians. Meanwhile David Palmer who pitched a five inning perfect game against St. Louis for Montreal in 1984, signed a one year contract with the Atlanta braves and Veteran free agent Pitcher Dickie noles signed with Cleveland and was assigned to the roster of the indians Maine farm club in the International league. Also on Friday the Boston red sox signed Relief Pitcher Steve Crawford and infielder Dave Stapleton who both had filed for arbitration. The signing of Crawford and Stapleton left Boston facing salary arbitration Battles with third baseman Wade Boggs Catcher Rich gedman pitchers Bruce Hurst and Dennis Oil can Boyd. Second baseman Marty Barrett and infielder de Jurak. Bradley a former All big eight con Ference quarterback at the University of Missouri has been a consistent .300 hitter in his professional baseball career. He Bat Ted .301 with Burlington in 1981. .331 with Bakersfield in 1982 and .323 with Salt Lake in 1983, before joining the mar Iners and hitting .269 in 23 games at the end of the 83 season. Hall injured most of last season appeared in Only 23 games with Cleveland and batted .318, with no homers and 12 Bis. After earning $280,000 in 1985. He was asking for $390,000 this year. The indians offered $315,000
