European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 8, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday november 8,1992 i sports the stars and stripes b rage 25 magic foundation Well grounded o Neal mature beyond years by Jan Hubbard news Day Orlando Fla. Two hours before the Orlando magic were to play an exhibition game Shaquille of Neal a the first magic player to arrive for the game a stood in front of his locker eyes fixed on an overhead television set. The local news was on and of Neal watched As police led a 15-Ycar-old boy who was handcuffed toward a police station. The teen Ager had been arrested for shooting a fan about a Block away from Orlando Arena after a magic game. As he listened to the report a scowl formed on of Neal a face. A Man a of Neal snapped at the television almost As if he were admonishing the boy in person. A where Are your parents a it was a moment reflective of one Small but very significant part of the of Neal package. He is big and fast and Strong. But he also understands responsibility and priorities. At 20, the youngest player in the Aba he is Only five years older than the boy accused of the shooting. A a he a from a very close family a said Orlando general manager Pat Williams. A you can Tell that he has been taught great values. We had a two Day seminar in Orlando that All the rookies were required to attend. The Aba brought in All the experts on drugs and nutrition and How to Deal with the Media. The Day after it was Over i asked if he had Learned anything from it and he said a no. I already Learned All that stuff at Home. That was  thus in at least one important respect the magic has Little to worry about in the future development of o Neal whose seven year $40-milion contract is the most lucrative any Rookie has received. Hell have to learn to Deal with Patrick Ewing David Robinson Hakeem Ola Juwon Brad Daugherty Aba referees travel fatigue and the enormous expectations of Orlando fans. But the foundation of the franchise has a great base of character. And magic coaches and officials and players Are almost As excited about that As they Are about of Neal son court potential. The key word of course is  you can to look at Shaw the player and not be in Awe. He a 7-1, 310 pounds wears size 20 shoes and opened the magic training Camp by running a mile in 6 45. He has manhandled every Center he has played against in the exhibition season. He is a fearsome inside presence with his shot blocking scoring rebounding and animated slam dunks. But he also has shown touch particularly with a Low Post turnaround move that almost is impossible to defend. Once he establishes his position and gets the Ball of Neal simply turns too fast and jumps too High for any defensive player to Stop the five foot shot. Since first setting foot on the floor Here he has commanded respect. On the magic a first play of the first game of exhibition season of Neal was double teamed in the Pivot by the heat. During his three seasons at leu he made Only 57.5 percent of his free throws. Last season he made 52.8 percent. But of Neal is confident he will improve and so is the magic. Of Neal a size is matched by his quest for greatness. The magic knew that which is Why the team offered a Job to Marie Mcnamara a Journeyman Aba Center who played last season in Spain. Mcnamara never was a great player but he is a student of the game and members of the magic organization believed he would be a Good Tutor. A the thing that was surprising was that on the first Day i told him a if there a anything you want to know just come to me a a Mcnamara said. A since then he basically comes to me every Day. At first the questions were simple. But now he a asking things like a when in a in weak Side help How can i get Back Over to my Man a he a learning quickly. His questions Are reflective of  of Neal a arrival has put the magic in a delicate situation. The team is elated to have what could be the makings of an eventual Aba Champion. Yet of Neal has Only an average supporting cast. Dennis Scott and Nick Anderson Are Young players with potential but they Are unproven Over time. Scott skills has his moments at Point guard but he has been inconsistent. And the other players Are forgettable. Yet because of of Neal the army brat who spent his 9th-Grade season at Fulda american High school magic fans arc talking about winning a title a this season. Magic officials arc trying to restrain themselves. A we won 21 games last year a Williams said. A we should be better. We re More interesting. We re an attraction on the Road. But we need help. We need two or three More players in the draft. We need to keep it in perspective and it Hasni to been in perspective since we got of Neal. Expectations arc unbelievably High. We re not ready to win a championship yet but some people around Here think we  Shaw for one is patient. But he a also confident. A a it a called expectations a he said. A never since i started dominating i always had a lot of expectations. So far in be passed All my expectation tests. In High school i passed All of them. In College it took me one year and then i started dominating. In this league i wont Start dominating right away. But there a Only a few players who do that. In Myoung in be got Young legs and if things go right ill be Here a Long time. If i done to dominate right away ill dominate one Day. A Mcnamara agrees. A a in be been fortunate enough to play with most of the Best centers in the league with the exception of Ewing and Olajuwon a Mcnamara said. �?o1 20-year-old Shaquille o Neal. A a in la dominate one Day a played with Moses Malone Artis Gilmore Jack Sikma Kareem Abdul Jabbar and David Robinson. The thing that impresses me the most about Shaquille is that he seems to be a blend of All the above. He a got the strength and quickness of Moses the athletic ability of Robinson and he seems to have a sense for scoring like Kareem did. Artis Gilmore was always known As the strongest Guy in the Aba. I think Shaquille is As  weaknesses a a there a nothing a Mcnamara said. A a that a the thing. There a nothing that he does no to have. You look at contracts today and you May shake your head at the amount of Money players arc getting. But i did no to even blink at his contract. He a Worth every Penny lies the Ideal Center. If you were drawing it up in a test tube you  do a better  goes to Bench by Pam Schmid Minneapolis a four years after his induction into the pro football Hall of Fame Alan Page will be inducted into another elite group in an altogether different Arena. An assistant attorney general Page made history when he was elected tuesday to the Minnesota supreme court. He became the first Black Ever to sit on an appellate court in the state. He said his Victory was a tremendously important because of that. A it sends a message to Young people across this state whether they be Young men and women of color or not it sends the message that if you work hard if you prepare yourself you can be successful Quot he said. Page 47, was a defensive tackle with the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago bears. He played nine consecutive pro bowl games from 196876, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1988. He also has practice 13 years As a lawyer and served As a University of Minnesota Regent since 1989. He won the supreme court seat with 62 percent or the vote to Hennepin county or Justice Alan Page. A sends a message prosecutor Kevin Johnson a 38 percent. Page forced the open seat on the court by suing after gov. Arne Carlson extended associate Justice Lawrence Yetka a term for 22 months. A panel of judges ruled the governors term Extension authority did not apply in Yetka Scase. Yetka 68, faced mandatory retirement at 70 and did not seek re election. Stallings credits Curry for Bama win Streak Montgomery Ala a Many Alabama fans cheered when coach Bill Curry left for Kentucky nearly three years ago. Now perhaps he deserves some appreciation. The no. 3 Crimson tide 8-0 has won 18 in a Row a mostly with players recruited by Curry and his staff before they departed for Kentucky following the 1989 season. A i have absolutely no problem with giving Curry Al he credit a said his successor Gene Stallings who has a 26-6 record in two plus seasons As Alabama a coach. This year the tide is heading toward a berth in the first Southeastern conference championship game a and possibly a shot at the National title a with a lineup that has a distinctive Curry flavor to it. Of the 22 players who started in the tides last game 15 were signed by Curry and his staff. A a in a not interested in redemption a Curry said. A it does no to matter. What matters to me is that those Young men have a Good experience and receive their education. It seems to me they  Curry left Alabama following a 10-2 season in 1989 that included a share of the Sec title and a loss to National Champion Miami in the sugar bowl. In three seasons with the tide he posted a 26-10 record. But Curry never gained widespread acceptance from Alabama fans who were upset that he had no links to their school and that he came from Georgia tech which used to be one of the tides most despised rivals. Finally when he was t offered a contract Extension to his liking after winning Alabama a first Sec title in nearly a decade Curry left. He was replaced by Stallings a former assistant to legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant. A if people want to give Ray Perkins the Alabama coach before Curry credit for the 1989 championship and Stallings the credit for this one that a Fine with me a Curry said. A a in a Happy for the  the Curry Era players include tailback Derrick Lassie the tides leading rusher and two ends who Anchor the nations top defense John Copeland and Eric Curry. Also cornerback George Teague linebackers Antonio London and Derrick Oden receivers Kevin Lee and Prince Wimbley and four of the five starters on the offensive line were signed by the previous regime. Two other players cornerback Antonio London and nose tackle James Gregory were recruited by Curry a staff but signed with Alabama after Stallings was hired. A i think when they left Here they had won 10 games the year before a Stallings said. Quot so it Wasny to like there weren to any players Here. In be said that from Day 1.�?�