European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 2, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes ports june 2,.1991 b Page 24 it s nil group signs Payton for racing Dallas apr Walter Payton and the National football league Are together again a sort of. Nil properties has signed on to manage Payton s Auto racing team. Payton was to race sunday for the first time this season at the Dallas grand prix. He was to compete in the Oldsmobile pro sports series a new National Road racing championship sanctioned by the sports car club of America. Last year Payton competed in the full gt1 class season and had two victories and one second in seven starts. Nil properties first ventured into another sport by sponsoring pro Golf s Payne Stewart who wears nil team colors on the tour. The new venture with Payton is called a nil team 34,�?� and spinoffs include a new apparel line sponsored by the team and professional Auto racing. A Payne Stewart really took off with us and we re hoping to do the exact same thing with Walter Payton and his racing endeavours a a said Doug Quinn spokesman for nil properties the marketing promotions licensing and publishing company for the nil and its 28 teams. Payton is among a group of investors trying to get an nil expansion franchise in  Louis. But As for racing Payton said he foresees an nil Challenge series with former players like himself racing cars decked out in their team  a every Guy that a involved in football they have High performance cars they re into racing a Payton said. A a can to you see it a Payton said. A red a too Tali Jones Dwight Clark Joe Greene. Everybody knows How of drive. Everybody has that competitive Edge take them to a driving school for a Cou pie of weeks so that can understand basically what racing is All about. Quot a then before the super bowl or after the super bowl we could have the super bowl of . After All Payton said racing is safer than playing football. A a in be hit the Wall at 11 Niph and nothing happened a he said. A a in be had linebackers hit me at less than 15 Mph and i can barely walk the next Daw. You make the  inside sports Fresno state upsets flu Atcas Page 18 saturdays net action at open Page 21 Toronto cools off Langston a Page 22 Souther takes 5th title in stride a Page 23 by Alan Goldstein the Baltimore Sun Chicago a air is. Magic it sounds like the advertisement for an illusion Stic show on a the strip in Las vegas where the sequined magicians make elephants and tigers disappear before your eyes. And if no cd a sports producers had their Way the next two weeks they would Only be too Happy if the supporting cast would vanish leaving Only Michael Jordan and magic Johnson to go one on one with their bag of tricks when the Aba finals open in Chicago on sunday. For All the hoopla surrounding this showdown of pro basketball a most charismatic superstars this Best of seven series probably will be decided by their less celebrated teammates. Because watching Jordan or Johnson Selling some product or other is unavoidable it is easy to forget that Forward James worthy is a six time All Star and was voted the most valuable player in the 1988 finals the last time the lakers won the title. A and front court rival Scottie Pippen of Jordan Johnson the bulls has emerged As a Star in. His own right. The versatile Small Forward who has almost As much explosiveness As Jor Dan and also relieves him of the Ball handling duties was the principal reason the bulls swept the two time Champion Detroit pistons in the Eastern conference finals. And Laker Power Forward Sam Perkins proved he just might be Worth the $3 Mil lion a year investment the team made to solidify its front court after trading Orlando Woolridge to the Denver nuggets. Perkins obtained As a free agent tron the Dallas Mavericks took Center stage in the playoffs capping it with his 26-Point performance in the Western conference clincher Over Portland. And then there is Bill Cartwright the bulls awkward born again Center. Some critics said Chicago made a bad Deal with the new York kicks three years ago trading rebounding Demon Charles Oakley for Cartwright who was More known. For his medical problems and passivity in new York than his gamesmanship. But in this seasons playoffs Cartwright again neutralized kicks superstar Patrick Ewing,.-then the pistons Bill Laimbeer in the sweep of Detroit. Neither los Angeles nor Chicago was expected to run the Gauntlet of conference rivals particularly the lakers who in preseason were considered a level below emerging Trail blazers Phoenix suns and san Antonio spurs. After they were swept by the pistons in the finals two years ago the lakers were supposed to be in a rebuilding phase with Youthful Vlade Divac of Yugoslavia at Center and Perkins carrying a soft reputation from his Days with the underachieving Mavericks. They also were supposed to need time to adjust to the teaching techniques of Mike Dunleavy getting his first head coaching Job at 36. The lakers had be time Aba finals on an game 1 a . Lakers at Chicago bulls sunday 9 . Radio 9 30 . Television. Chicago bulls a no to Ltd my the finals regular season team comparison  61-21 Overall record 58-24 35 6 Home record 33 8 26-15 Road record 25-16 0 2 overtime record 3-3 29-12 first half 30-11 32 9 second half 28-13 110.0 avg. Points 106.3 101.0 Opp avg. Points 99.6 9.0 margin 6.7 .510 Fiel goal pct .484 .475 Opp. Fiel goal pct. .462 .366 3-pt. Fiel goal pct. .304 .304 Opp. 3-pt. Fiel goal pct. .311 1.9 3-pt. Fiel goal game 2.8 2.3 Opp. 3-pt. Field goodgame 2.2 .760 free throw pct. .798 42.6 rebound avg. 42.9 39.3 Opp. Rebound avg. 40.5 14.0  avg. 13.1 13.0 Opp. Off. Rebound avg. �?o13.8 27.0 assist avg. 25.5 24.6 Opp. Assist avg. 24.4. 14.4 turnover avg. 14.7 17.1 Opp. Turnover avg. 14,3 10.0 steals avg. 7.8 7.7 Opp. Steals avg. 8.1 5.3 blocks avg. 4.74.2 Opp. Blocks avg. 4.1 a individual leaders ��1 a Michael Jordan 31.5 scoring 21.4 James worthy Horace Grant 8.4 rebounding 8.1 Vlad Divac Scottie Pippen 6.2 assists 12.5 Earvin Johnson John Paxson .548 Fiel goal pct. .565 Vlade Divac Michael Jordan .851 free throw pct. .906 Earvin Johnson John Paxson .438 3-pt. Rel goal .324 Byron Scott Michaei Jordan 2.72 steals 1.33 James worthy Scottie Pippen 1.13 blocked shots 1.55 Vlade Divac a Feague Leader come accustomed to former coach Pat Riley a intense drive and demanding nature. A could Dunleavy Wake up the championship ghosts with his even tempered personality los Angeles started the season 1-4, and rival players such As the Houston rockets Hakeem Olajuwon and the suns Kevin Johnson began questioning their commitment to winning. T but they May have forgotten Johnson s indomitable spirit and matchless leadership. A Dunleavy while concentrating on Shor tag up the defense had the Good sense to leave the lakers offence in Johnson a matchless hands. Under Dunleavy the lakers no longer burned rivals with their fast break but outsmarted them in a slowdown game alternately using Johnson worthy and Perkins to Post up rivals and find the open Man with Crisp Ball movement. In Chicago it was mostly a Case of patient coach Phil Jackson convincing Jor. Dan that he finally had a Strong enough supporting cast to reach the finals