European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday january 18,1967 the stars and stripes Page 20 Bird Navratilova named. Boston a Larry Bird lire firs basketball player Ever to be named the associated pros male athlete or he year says he s living a dream with the Boston critics. Ill Tell you i can t envision myself playing for somebody else Bird Swid thursday. Looking Back it s just been a dream. This is my eighth year and it s gone so fast i m Gonna be out of Here  Bird who turned 30 last month said he s still having Tan As an Aba super Star and he s very Happy with his s2 million a year contract which has three Yean remaining plus an option year. I m very Happy with what the celtic give me he said ill never go in and ask for More Money. The Only thing i concen trate on 13 winning a championship.". Then in apparent reference to re port that slugger Jim Rice of the red sox was the highest paid Boston Al Lete also with a reported s2 million Las year. Bird said Why i m not even in highest paid athlete in Boston. Bui i Don t worry about  Bird who won the Aba s most valuable player award for the third consecutive year in 1986, edged the american league map Roger Clemens of the mar tit Niv Nellow. Another great year Boston red Soi for the a athlete of the year Honor. Bird was named on 60 of the 95 bal lots cast by a nationwide group of sport writers and sportscasters. Clemens who had a 24-4 record in pitching the red sox to the american league Pennant was named on 63 bal lots but Bird had 30 first place Voles and214 Points based on five Points for first three for second and one for third. Clem ens had 19 first place votes and 189 Points while Mike Tyson 20, who be came the youngest heavyweight boxing Champion in history had 22 firsts and186 Points. Tour de France cyclist race Winner Greg Lemond had nine first place votes pro golfer Greg Norman had eight and National league map Mike Schmidt seven Norman had 72 Points Lemond 64 and Schmidt 39. Other top finishers were Tennis Star Van lend 35 Points Argentine soc cer player Diego Maradona 32 Don Mattingly of the new York Yankees 39 Heuman trophy Winner Vinny Testaverde 28 and nil scoring Leader Wayne Gretzky 28. Bird presented the sporting news 19th annual Man of the year trophy at a luncheon in Boston thursday said getting patted on the Back so much does t go to my Licad. These things arc just icing on the cake he said. I by re really Nice but if you Don t win he championship you re really missing  Bird said that Whf he was drafted by the celtics As the six if stayer picked Overall in 1978. He did t feel thai Good Aboul in because he was return ing to Indiana state far another year. However he said he changed his mind after meeting with celtics president re Dauerbach and some of the players and learning of the mystique involved in their Wynn ing championships red was always around at practice and he let us know thai if you Don t Winthe championship you be had a bad year Bird said. It s been that Way Ever since i be been  Bird said that although he is not Able to do some of the things i be done in the past such As playing the number of hours used to in the summer basketball still is fun for him. If i feel Good t play Good he said. Once you re playing the game it s so much fun when the game is Over an you win it s a great  Bird is the fourth Boston athlete to Winthe male athlete of the year. The others were members of the red sox Ted Wil Liams in 1957, Carl Yastrzemski in 1967,and Fred Lynn in 1975. Apr Toto celtics Urry Bird. Beats out Roger Clemens. Top a athletes of 86 new York a Martina Nav Rai Tiova continuing her assault on the record Book every Lime she Steps onto the court was named the associated press female athlete of 1986 Friday. Ii is the second Lime in four years the world s no. Ranked Tennis player has won the award. She also won in 1983. This year she polled 377 Points 10 easily outdistanced golfer Pat Bradley who finished second in the nationwide balloting of sports writers and Broad casters with 240 Points. Finishing third was track Star Jackie Joyner with 126 Points followed by distance runner Crete Wail of Norway with 99 world figure skating Champion Debi Thomas 9" basketball Star Che Ryl Miller 87 and distance runner in Grid Kristianscn of Norway 33. Twenty athletes were named in the annual poll with Navratilova collecting57 first place ballots 33 for second and 23 for third. Bradley received 31 votes for first place Joyner 15, Thomas 7, Waitz and Miller six each and Kristiansen 3. Five Points were awarded for a first place vote three for second and one far third. Navratilova had a typical Navratilova year in 1986. She finished As the world Champion determined by the Virginia slims world championship series Point standings for he fourth straight year. She reached the final of the championships Al Madison Square Gar Desfor the ninth consecutive time and pos Ted her seventh Victory including he last four. Thai extended her match winning Streak to 53 fourth Best behind heroin record of 74, a 56-match string by Chris Evert Lloyd and 54 by Navratilova she had a match record of 89-3 in1986, winning 14 of 17 tournaments and missing Only one final when she lost to Kithy Jordan in the semifinals of the Vir Ginia slims of California in february teaming with Pam Shriver. She won the Virginia slims championships Dou Bles title As they increased their double Victory Streak to 32 and improved their 1986 record to 40-1.  and Shriver hold the doubles record of 109 consecutive match victories. It is always special 10 be picked for a award like this Navratilova said in Mel Bourne Australia where she is competing in the australian open when she Learned of her selection. Women s Tennis has tended in be overshadowed by other sports Only in olympic years and it s Nice to keep it at the forefront to keep the Torch  and that she has done becoming the fourth Tennis player to win the award in the 1980s and the 10th Tennis player to be honoured since 1973. Navratilova reached the final of Al three grand slam tournaments played in 1986, losing to Chris Evert Lloyd in he French open and winning Wimble Don and the . Open. Her official earnings in 1986 were11,905,841, bringing tier career earn Ings to $11,792,315, More than any other Tennis player male or female. During the year she posted her 1,000thcareer match Victory. During her career Navratilova has won 125 tournaments and 1,160matches, second in both categories Only to Lloyd. "1 think it was my most satisfying year she said. "1 was pushed much harder and there were More Good play ers making their presence fill. There were lots of Challenge for me perhaps the most emotional Chal Lenge came in july when she returned to Czechoslovakia for the first time since her defection to the United Stales in 1975. In Prague Czechoslovakia with the crowds cheering her on she led the american team to Victory Over Czecho Slovakia in the federation cop final. "1 overcame physical problems the flu at a couple of awkward limes and was still Able to win Navratilova said. I won my Light matches and loss three times so i have to be  giants9 Taylor wins Bell award Aba Philadelphia Cap new York giants line Backer Lawrence Taylor says he will spend his spare time in Pasadena Calif., playing Golf not talking with reporters about the super bowl game against Denver. I Don t think i la be badgered Taylor said thurs Day after being named the Winner of the Maxwell club s Ben Bell award As the season s outstanding nil player. Taylor recorded 20w sacks As the giants posted a 14-2 regular season record. Taylor said that he was disappointed with falling Short of the nil record of 22 sacks but that has a positive note. It gives me something to work for next year he said. Taylor received i,50s Points second highest in the 28-year history of the award named after late commissioner Bert Bell quarterback Dan Marino of the Miami dolphins polled 1,555 Points in 1984. The 243-Pound Taylor Only the third defensive player to get the award received 212 first place votes out of 502 cast. Giants running Back Joe Morris was second in Points with 668, followed by Marino 468eric Diek Erson of the los Angeles rams 418quarterback Joe Montana of the san Francisco 49m 310quarterback John Elway of the Denver Broncos 276and defensive tackle Reggie while of the Philadelphia eagles Taylor and University of Miami quarterback Vinnie Testaverde voted the College player of the year will be honoured at the club s banquet feb. 17. He also said that the giants Are confident not cocky As 916-Point favourites against Denver. We know what we have to do what kind of Talent we have. I Don t feel we re cocky. The biggest problem with Denver is cd John  from Page 21 Laimbeer and Adrian Dantley adding 16 each lost for Only the fifth Lime in 25 games Mavericks 124, Buck 122 Milwaukee Rolando Blackmun had four Points and Sam Perkins got three As the Dallas Maver icks scored the first seven in overtime and then Hung on for a Victory Over the Bucks winning in Milwaukee for the first time. Super sonic 134, nuggets 100 Seattle Xavier Mcdaniel scored 30 Points and Tom Chambers added 29 to Lead Seattle to a rout of Denver As the supersonics earned their fifth Victory in six games. Warriors 111, Clippen 106 Oakland Calif. Eric sleepy Floyd scored 10 straight Points late in the game As the Golden stale rallied past the los Angeles dippers