European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 27, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday january 27, 1993 sports the stars and stripes a Page 29 by Ailene Voisin Cox news be fake this has been far More difficult than he Ever imagined. Four countries three cultures. Wrist surgery two years ago that threatened his career. Now Only months after relocating in a foreign land for the Sec Ond time in three years Alexander Volkov once again is seated on the sidelines relegated to the role of cheerleader the injury occurred 16 Days ago when he collided with Dino Radja one of Europe a other major stars. Knees banged. Bodies fell. Radja stood up quickly unharmed. Volkov moved More slowly thought he was Fine then Felt his right knee buckle As he attempted a Trot. A such a stupid thing a he says now Volkov the leading scorer and rebounded for Panasonic r. Calabria the Only pro basketball team in Italy a Boot three weeks ago slightly Tore cartilage and a ligament in his right the prognosis following arthroscopic surgery was encouraging he is expected to return in March a he admits to being Are funny joints fully capable of serving up the occasional cruel joke. Witness the abbreviated careers of Clark Kellogg Derek Smith and Steve Sti Panovich to name a few. Yet shifting moods easily As usual and speaking from his Villa in Calabria Volkov teases. Does anyone doubt he will be Back consider where he has been. Joining forces with 5arunas Marciulionis Andrei Chesnokov Natalia Zvereva and Gary Kasparov in the late 1980s, he helped pressure the soviet government into allowing the nation s Premier athletes to pursue professional careers overseas the Steep Price of government stipends notwithstanding. He Learned to speak English. Purchased a Lovely Home on the Chattahoochee. Fathered a daughter Stacy on . Soil. Played three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. Overcame major injuries to both wrists. Outlasted the communists he reminds. Doubt him. Former Atlanta Hawk Alexander Volkov a i am same old player now too a he adds. A much More since signing with Calabria for almost $1.7 million last summer Volkov has re establish cd himself As one of Europe a Best players along with Radja Toni Kukoc Arvydas Sabonis and Predrag Danilovic. He was averaging 20 Points and eight rebounds at the Lime of the injury his team in second place. But his failure to become a consistent Aba player still rankles. He Speaks often with Marciulionis a Star with Golden state. He closely monitors the Progress of Drazin Petrovic among the games Premier shooters and Vlade Divac the gifted los Angeles Laker with the Demeanour of an unbridled Colt. The Aba was his dream too he says. Still is. Though preoccupied with the immediate task of recovering from his injury Volkov who will turn 29 in March remains receptive to Aba offers. A i miss Aba no question a he says. Quot level of play in Europe is getting better slowly but to me is still like two different basketball games. But it has to be right team. Here i feel needed and the Perks indeed Are aplenty. The club provided him with a spacious Hillside Villa overlooking the City and with an idyllic View of Sicily. The sea is but Yards away. And while the streets below arc far from meticulous Volkov says it is unnecessary to lock the doors on Homes or cars. A because of the mafia a he reveals laughing. He marvels at the shopping his wife Alta s favorite pastime. Of the Friendly admiring italians. Of the music. Of the fans raucous and passionate. Yet while the contrast is far from that of moving from Kiev .s.r., to Atlanta in 1989, Volkov misses the Case of life in the us. And he misses his House. A in America i own my Home a he says proudly. Volkov plans to return after the playoffs then visit Kharkov where he is helping finance a club team to facilitate further growth of the. Sport. Already the task threatens to overwhelm. Funds arc nonexistent the basketball federation uncooperative. Even obtaining the most Basic equipment is an ordeal. Hawks Trainer Joe of Toole has helped with Small shipments of old �?T60s, �?T70s practice jerseys. Other friends have provided basketballs sneakers even tape. I 1 the struggles have created serious doubts about Volkovs involvement with his country a efforts in the 1996 olympics another of his goats. A so far i have bad relationship with Ukraine basketball Feder at Ion. We disagree on so Many Points. A the european championships arc next summer yet they never Call me. They have no Money. They arc using old communist methods and 1 do hot like a a a. Still he allows that his life has changed so dramatically so often that anything is possible. Laughing again he says one Story characterizes his life Calabria a owners scheduled an extravagant Christmas party for the players and their families. Everyone planned to attend until the team suffered a bad loss. And the party was cancelled. 76ers Bol by the associated press Philadelphia 76er Center minute Bol won $486,000 playing a High tech Slot machine called a High rollers at the Trump Taj mahal in Atlantic City n.j., on sunday according to a report. The new York Post reported tuesday that the 7-foot-7 Bol received $456,000 and a new Mercedes Benz which he declined for an additional $30,000. The newspaper said the Casino confirmed there was a Jackpot Winner sunday but would not confirm it was Bol saying the Winner requested anonymity. Quot a a a Over-50 Days when Michael Jordan scored 64 Points and David Robinson 52 on Jan. 16, it marked the 11th time in Aba history that two players scored at least 50 Points on the same Day. Jordan has 30 50-Point games in his career but it was the first time that another player has joined him with 50-plus on the a Aba notes same Day. Wilt Chamberlain with 46 50-Point games in 1961-62 alone appears on the 50-Point dubs list seven times five with Elgin Baylor and twice with Jerry West. The most memorable Day with two 50-Point scorers was april 9, 1978, the final Day of that season. David Thompson in second place in the scoring race took Over the Lead with 73 Points. Scorce Ger Vin won the title with 63 Points later in the Day. That game marked the Only Lime in 27 years a from 1963 to 1990 a that two players scored 50 the same Day. A a a. Domino effect Tim Hardaway upset his coach and the Miami heat in a game at Oakland coliseum recently but you have to like the reason his did it. The warriors with 119 Points had their game against Miami Well in hand when Hardaway deliberately fouled Miami a Kevin Edwards with a half second showing on the clock. After Edwards free throws Hardaway took the inbound pass and heaved a three Quarter court bomb that swished through the hoop. The coliseum erupted the fans thinking the shot qualified them for free pizza in a promotion because it put Golden state above the magical 120 Mark. The referees however ruled the shot did t count leaving the warriors with a. 119-105 Victory and leaving the fans disappointed and pizza less. A coach Don Nelson did no to like that a Hardaway said. A the thought i was pro longing the game and embarrassing the other team and i m sorry about that but sometimes you have to do something for the a a a like father like son Eric Mussel Man 28 years old and the son of former Timber wolves coach Bill Mussulman recently became the youngest known coach in United states professional basketball history to Post his 100th career Victory it Mussulman in his third year at the Helm of the rapid City thrillers of the Continental basketball association achieved the Milestone on Jan. 14 when the thrillers bested the Yakima Sun Kings 129-115, records front the Aba Cua Eastern basketball association and the United states basketball league As Well As the defunct Aba world basketball league global basketball association and Western basketball association were scoured and none turned up a younger 100-game Winner than Mussulman. Musselman whose thrillers owned a Cuba bust 23-3 record heading into the weekend has won 102 of 138 games he a coached a .739 winning Lake police probing charges against blazers Salt Lake City a police Are investigating allegations of sexual misconduct involving two members of the Portland Trail blazers with three teen age girls in Salt Lake City. _ it. Marty Vuyk said monday that the girls parents and guardians told police that the teen agers who had run away from Home in suburban Murray spent saturday night in the players hotel rooms. Vuyk said the players met the girls All under the age of 18, at the downtown Crossroads mall and invited them to a party. Vuyk who declined to identify the players said the investigation was just getting under Way and refused to answer further questions a due to the premature nature of the investigation.�?�. Geoff Petrie the Trail blazers senior vice president for operations said Aba Security director Horace Balmer called him sunday night. Petrie said Balmer said he needed to interview two players but disclose the nature of his investigation. 1 a we Are aware of the allegations and Are looking into it a Aba spokesman Brian Mcintyre said. Team spokesman John Lashway said a a we re still awaiting further information from the league coach Rick Adelman returned to Portland on monday night from Southern California where he had been since sunday s game in Salt Lake City. �?o1 have no idea what s going on and done to even want to make any comment Quot Adelman said. A the first 1 heard about it was when my daughter told me some thing after i walked in the Portland players were generally unavailable for comment but Cliff Robinson told Kate to a i done to want to comment on it because 1 done to have anything to do with it. I done to know what a going on.�?�1
