Over And Back: Stories About Nba History

In the third edition of our NBA 20 Years Ago series, we explore the events of December 1997 in the NBA, including Latrell Sprewell being suspended for choking Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo, the Wizards opening a new arena, the Mavericks naming Don Nelson as coach, the slam dunk contest being canceled, and Michael Jordan being the victim of a hoax involving his mother's health during a game.We discuss the initial reporting of the Sprewell scandal and the racial coding in much of the response, the Warriors deciding to terminate Sprewell's contract, the NBA suspending Sprewell for one year and the players union's reaction, Sprewell's first public apology and a press conference involving famed attorney Johnnie Cochran, and how the story became a national phemonenon and affected the NBA's perception.We also talk about the NBA's first regular season game in Mexico, the Mavericks' dance team being robbed, Penny Hardaway's knee problems, Jordan passing a series of all-time scoring mile