European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 30, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday january 30,1989 the stars and stripes Page 25 w commentary by Howard Ulman let s see now. Seven feet tall. Red Chin. Finding Bill Walton should t be too Tough. Of god Boston celtics general manager Jan Volk exclaimed the last time i saw him was at the end of last Walton guards his privacy. Cliches about plays not clues about his personality dominated his inter views. Start to pry open the door and the Safet Chain stopped you. It s hardly surprising. A Brilliant basketball player his career was repeatedly interrupted by severe Foo problems. Conversations inevitably focus on what could have been. Not very pleasant for him to walkabout. When healthy Walton was easy to find. He was the giant clutching rebounds firing outlet passes shoving shots Back Down shooters throats and scoring Points. As a backup Center he was a key to the celtics Aba title in 1986, his first season with them. But the next season a right foot injury limited him to 22 games. Last season he did t play at All. This season he has t been seen in the Boston area. He did visit Italy in August. Volk was upset that he considered playing in a pro league there. But Walton no longer under contract to the celtics an apparently hoping his foot would allow him to play at a level below the Aba did t stay Long. The Trail led Back to Cambridge mass. He live there when he was with the celtics. Sorry he moved. It is known that he was in Whittier calif., Onset. 13. That s when he had his second operation on his right foot in a year. But that was More than four months ago. Try san Diego. He was born in that area. Word she moved Back. I be left messages but Haven t hooked up wit him Volk said. He s a very difficult Guy to Hook up or. F. William Wagner reports a Walton sighting occurred about two weeks ago. He walked on his congenitally bad feet into Wagner s Whittier office for a checkup. He walked out wondering once More about his future. He May need another Small Bone taken out of his right ankle Wagner said. This is a big decision for still rehabilitating from his september surgery Walton now had to contemplate still another opera Tion. Wagner said that could allow him to play next s privacy Bill Walton shown loosening up at the Boston Garden in 1987, was easy to find when he was healthy. Season. But there Are no guarantees. He s already 36. Volk said Walton s return to the Aba is Proba Bly As unlikely As it could possibly but he was t supposed to come Back from previous injuries which forced him to miss three full seasons Midway through his pro career. The Pursuit continued with a Call to Greg Lee. If anyone has seen Walton certainly Lee be been fast friends since they were College teammates at Urcla. They live less than a Mil apart. Their children Are Best buddies. Has anybody run across Walton lately nobody in this country has Lee said. He been spending the last couple of weeks vacationing in of course Mexico just Over the Border from Sandiego. A Quick getaway. A place to relax. Sun to bask in. Beaches to run on. I have no idea How to reach him said or. Tony Daly who also treats Walton and does t think he a play again. I Don t know if he has a phone where he no problem. Lee says Walton has a b9at in Baj California. A scrawled message stuffed in a bottle tossed in the Pacific should work dear Bill if you have a minute we d All like to know How you re doing. Will you Ever play again but there s a better Lead. Lee says Walton should be Back any Day. In fact he May even be Home now. Great dial the number. One ring. Two rings. Hello Bill at last. The Long search has ended. The questions Are about to be answered. How s the foot How s the future will the final image of his career be As i should that of an athlete running simply running would be a Triumph up and Down an Aba court Walton is polite. He says he was in Mexico. He says he just returned Home. He says Little else. He says it s nothing personal. I Don t really have anything to say he m sorry. Say hello to goodbye. See you around. The associated press Iraklion takes 3rd straight Small units Crown Sembach a West Germany Iraklion s an Thony Jackson hit two 3-pointers late in the game to help the minotaur pull away to a 67-58 Victory Over the Geilenkirche panthers sunday for the team from Crete s third consecutive Safe Small units Basket Ball championship. The minotaur never trailed in the close defensive Bat the. The panthers tied it for the last time at 49-49 on von Anderson s Lay up with 8 50 left. After Geilenkirche s Steve Edmonds missed two free throws Iraklion scored the next eight Points of the game to put it away. Jackson banged in a 3-Pointer with seven minutes Safe basketball left and nailed another one with 5 15 to play to put the panthers up 55-51. Jackson then dished off to Daniel Ellerbe for a Lay up that put Iraklion in control at 57-51 with 3 30 to play. William Hughes pumped in a game High 20 Point for Iraklion. Marchie Murdock who won the map award for the second straight year finished with 12 Points. Jackson had 11 Points and six assists. Ellerb scored 10 Points and led All Rebo unders with 17. Anderson topped Geilenkirche with 19, followed Usa eur skier wins British meet slalom Meg eve France Melissa Campanile Ausa eur skier from Hohenfels West Germany captured the women s slalom at the British International interservice championships sunday winning by the biggest margin in the history of the event. Campanile a 24-year-old coloradans who has been stationed in Europe for three months was timed in 1 minute 21.50 seconds for the two runs each with 33 Gates Over an 890-meter course. She won by 12 /2 seconds Over runner up Stepha Nie Robinson of the British Royal air Force whose time was 1 34.20. Allison Bradley of the British army placed third in 1 36.23. Dawn Thurston a Safe skier from Sembach finished Lith. Another Safe competitor Kathy Welsch of Neu Brucke placed 29th of 35 entrants. Maria Rothgeb of Nurnberg a Usa eur ski Champion last year missed a Gate near the end of the first run. The men s slalom which was also scheduled for sunday Here was postponed to Friday because of a Lack of Snow for a longer race. The British forces meet will continue 9nwednesday with the downhill which Campanile plans to run As the Only woman entrant. The men Sand women s giant slalom Are scheduled for thurs Day. The . Military team Here is composed of 10usareur skiers and 10 from Safe. Also entered Are five British forces squads and military teams from Canada Australia and other european countries. By Tony Jones with 16 and Greg Stamps with 14. Stamps also pulled in 12 rebounds and Anderso grabbed 10. Murdock Ellerbe and Anderson were named to the All tournament first team along with Clemon Booker of Ankara the tournament s top scorer and Ryan Gates of Buchel. Murdock also played on the . Team atthe shape International military basketball Lourae ment in december. Jackson Hughes and Jones made the second team As did Ralph Sanders of High Wycombe and Harold Parker of Buchel. Lewis Biondi entered in slam Dunk tourney new York a a collection of eight outstanding athletes including olympic heroes Carl Lewis and Matt Biondi will try and prove that Aba stars Are not the Only ones who can Dunk a basketball with flair and Pizazz. The eight will compete in the foot locker slam est a $130,000 slam Dunk Competition at Boca Raton fla., feb. 3, with the Winner earning $50,000. Lewis won six Gold medals in track and Field in the1984 and 1988 olympics. Biondi earned five swim Ming golds in last year s games. Joining them will be olympic triple jump medallist Michael Conley pro football players Eric Dickerson of the Indianapolis Colts and Mike Quick and Keith Jackson of the Philadelphia eagles outfielder Vince Coleman of the St. Louis cardinals and olympic vol Ley Baller Steve Timmons. Conley is the defending Champion in the slam fest
