European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 9, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday february 9,1992 the stars and stripes Page 21 Aba All Star game no magic solution to controversy by Bill Barnard a basketball writer Orlando Fla. A magic Johnson visits the magic kingdom tonight in what should be a magical and memorable Aba All Star game. Johnson who retired from the Aba on nov. 7 after testing positive for the virus that causes aids wanted to join the Western conference team after finishing first in the fan balloting that determines the starters. The ballot with Johnson a name on it was set in october before the Aba season began. But his appearance in today a game for which tickets reportedly Are being scalped for up to $1,000, is not without controversy. Sex teammates . Green and Byron Scott Eastern conference starter Charles Barkley East Reserve Mark Price and Houston coach Don Chaney Are among those who have said openly that Johnson should reconsider playing. Others have expressed similar sentiments privately. A people Are going to say different things. But that s not going to discourage me that a not going to distract me a Johnson said. A i already made up my mind. I know How in a feeling i know what in a capable of. Ana As Long As in a still running four Miles a Day shooting two or three hours a Day that Sall that matters. A a in be gotten so Many letters from people who Are handicapped or sick and they be said they feel that now they can go on because they see my courage and that in a still living and going on. A so Byron ., Don Chaney Mark Price All of them Are not going to Stop me from doing what in a going to do. They have their opinion and i respect that because they re All great people and they re doing a great Job. But in a going to go  Johnson concerned that he would take a roster spot away from a deserving player asked Aba commissioner David Stern to add a 13th player. When Stern agreed putting Golden state Saba All Star game9 . Get sunday on an seb to and radio Tim Hardaway on the roster before the other seven West reserves were added Johnson was on his Way to Orlando. A i talked to Tim and i told him that it takes a real professional to do what he a doing and i told him that i appreciate it a Johnson said. A the could have said a whole lot of things and acted a different Way. But it takes a real Man to say a hey i done to mind him playing and starting in front of me because he should be  i told him i appreciated  As the Western conference coach Golden states Don Nel son has Johnson a appearance in his hands. Nelson is making his first All Star appearance in his 30th year in the Aba a 14 As a player 15 As a coach and one As a front office executive. A thirty years is a Long time to watch from the stands Quot Nelson said. A i thought maybe this year was my most Remote Chance to make it because there Are so Many Good teams in our conference. Those last two weeks before the cutoff Date we were going to sports bars and rooting for teams to lose. Once we were hoping Phoenix would beat Portland but we were pulling for the wrong team because of a new Rule that says a coach can to go to the All Star game two years in a  but even with his excitement Over coaching in the game Nelson does no to mind being overshadowed by Johnson. A the Chance to coach magic is very special a Nelson said. A the has the kind of Charisma i Hope i can catch a Little of. He a one of the unique athletes in the whole  Johnson said Nelson told him Quot he a going to play me a lot of different ways. He asked me about the minutes and i told him i was healthy enough to play whether it was 5, 10, 20, 25, whatever. Ill be ready for it. I la feel great just being there because it will do a lot for me and a lot for other people with his a a whatever the minutes Are if its two ill go All out. If its five ill go five. In a not going to say How Many minutes in a going to play because there Are other Guys on the team. I know How All Star games Are. So whatever minutes you get you re Happy to get them and you just go from  Nelson said Johnson a will not make a Cameo appearance and in a also not going into the game with the idea of overkill. Hell get Normal minutes for an Allstar starter unless he tells me he a tired. He says he a Fine and i think hell be  Rodman s rugged regimen pays off across the boards by Harry Atkins Auburn Hills Mich. A its no Accident that Dennis Rodman leads the Aba in rebounds. Consider his routine for each of the Detroit pistons Home games a before shoot around Rodman does 30 minutes of aerobics while watching a videotape of that nights opponent. A after shoot around its another 30 minutes of aerobics then Home for a Short rest. When he returns to the Palace he takes shooting practice. A when the game is Over Rodman a who has been averaging 39.7 minutes of playing time a spends at least 30 minutes peddling a stationary Bike. A you can task for More than that a said teammate John Salley who Calls Rodman a a 30-year-old Man in an 18-year-old  a the should be the highest paid player on this team. Man i wish i were his  the work has certainly paid off for the pistons. Rodman is averaging a career Best 18.1 rebounds per game and is on a Pace to shatter Bob Lanier steam record of 14.9 rebounds a game. Nobody in the Aba has averaged More than 16 rebounds Over a season since Moses Malone averaged 17.6 per game a in 1979. Rodman a 32 rebounds against Charlotte was one Short of the team record set by Lanier. The fewest rebounds Rodman has had this season was five in the opener against Milwaukee. He has led the team in rebounding in every game since. A a it a a work ethic a Piston coach Chuck Daly said. A every coach in the world has tried to get Guys to do it. Its the hardest thing in the game to do. A a there a less carryover from practice to games in rebounding in getting Guys to Box out. Its Only when a Guy makes up his mind like Dennis did this year that it happens. Many Guys Are capable of it physically. We be got five or six. But no recent rebounding leaders by Tiamo Cwi pins no Aba player Sines 1979 hat a staged 16 rebounds or More per game Tor the season. The Detroit pistons Dennis Rodman is averaging 10 rebounds now. Here Are the a bad a yearly rebound leaders their team and season average 1990-91 David Robinson san Antonio 13.0 1969-90 Hakeem Olai Awon Houston 14.0 1968-89 Hakeem Olaf Sunn Houston 13.5 1967-88 Michael Cage la. Clippers 13.03 1986-87 Charles Barkley Philadelphia 14.6 198546 Bil Laimbeer Detroit 13.1 1984-06 Rosae Malone Philadelphia. 13.1 1963-84 Moree Malone Philadelphia 13.4 1962-83 Moree Malone Philadelphia 15.3 1961-82 Moree Malone Houston 14.7 1960-81 Moses Malone Houston 14.8 1979-80 Sven Nator san Diego 15.0 1978-79 Moses Malone Houston 17.6 Many do  Rodman is one of the few players to make the Aba All Star team for defense alone. Heaven knows he does no to score much. Rodman is averaging Only 9.7 Points per game. His highest was 20, twice. He has never scored More than 34 Points in a game modest by Aba standards. Yet he shaving a season worthy of map consideration. A a it a a message to the entire basketball world a Daly said. A it tells kids who can to shoot that there Are other parts of the game that Are very important and you can be very successful other than scor in6�?T u a unfortunately the game is based on stats scoring things of that nature. But Here a a Guy who does it with hard work. And he gives a whole new area for people to get involved with in  Rodman a feats Are All the More remarkable when you consider that he stands just 6-foot-8. There Are Point guards that tall these Days. But he plays with a determination few can match. A i want the Ball a Rodman explained simply. A i know that a the Way to go because i know at the offensive end in a not going to get it and shoot it. So i just focus myself to get the Ball any Way i can either on offence or defense. A anything i can do to get the Ball off the rim in a going to get it. I will not be  imagine if Rodman averaged 20 Points a game and still played defense the Way he does. He might Force the Aba to invent a whole new grading system. But it wont happen. A the thing that makes Dennis so Good is he a very simplistic a Isiah Thomas said. A the rebounds and he plays defense. He does the things that he can do. He stays away from the things that he can to do. A the things that he can do he practices them All the time. Therefore he becomes better and better at the things that he can do. The things that he can to do he does no to waste his time practising on  Thomas is part of the reason Rodman became what he is today. He told Rodman Early on that he could help the club most by playing defense. A when he walked into Camp he was the third or fourth Best player on our team at the time As a Rookie a Thomas recalled. A i thought a How could so Many people miss How could he get to the second round a a Piston general manager Jack Mcclos key answered that. Fresh out of Southeastern Oklahoma state in 1986, Rodman impressed Many pro scouts at a summer Rookie Camp. But in two other Camps in Chicago and Hawaii he played poorly and his Stock dropped. A i sent our Trainer Mike Abdenour to Check Dennis out a Mccloskey recalled. A it turned out he was suffering from  so the pistons took a Chance. They made Salley the 11th player selected Overall with their first round draft pick. Then they held their breath hoping Rodman would slide. He did and Detroit made Rodman the 27th player drafted Overall with their second round pick. A i was so thankful we could get Dennis a Mccloskey said. A i just thought head be a great  a a rebound Leader Dennis Rodman. A i will not be denied the pistons were afraid Rodman had a broken left hand Early in january. A rays were negative but the hand remains sore and he will Wear a pad on it the rest of the season. In addition he has a rotator cuff injury to the right shoulder. A a it a no problem a Rodman said. A i can keep going. I feel