Greeley Daily Tribune from Greeley, Colorado • Page 26

GREELEY (Colo.) TRIBUNE July 8,1975 Nuggets deal blow to NBA by getting David Thompson Tribune NEW YORK (AP) All- American David Thompson has decided to sign with Denver of the American Basketball Association rather than Atlanta, dealing the Hawks and the National Basketball Association a second major setback in less than a month. Atlanta, which held the NBA rights to Thompson, also lost Marvin "The Human Eraser" Webster to the Nuggets, who signed him for an estimated $1.2 million to $1.5 million. The deal for Thompson is expected to cost Denver as much as $3 million spread over six years and would make Thompson the highest paid rookie in the history of pro sports. In Denver, the Rocky Mountain News reported in its late editions that it had learned the former North Carolina State star signed a Denver contract Tuesday in New York. The story by News columnist Woodrow Paige Jr.

said the signing will be announced on Monday, after sale of the Nuggets franchise to a Colorado group is completed. Confirmation of Thompson's decision came Tuesday from Atlanta Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons. "Atlanta has been informed by Larry Fleisher, Thompson's agent, that Thompson has made a decision to play in the ABA with Denver," Fitzsimmons told The Associated Press. Fleisher, reached in New York, said, "David called me at 11:30 this morning and told me he had decided to play for Denver." Management of the Atlanta team, which reportedly has been struggling financially, was distraught at the loss of Thompson, a three-time All- American at North Carolina State whose super leaping ability tabbed him for almost immediate pro success. "We're extremely disappointed, but life goes on," said Hawks President and General Manager Bud Seretean.

He said the Hawks now would concentrate their efforts on signing second-round choice Bill Willougby, a er from Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, N.J. Meanwhile, Nuggets' Coach Larry Brown was understandably delighted. "I do think we signed the best two players coming out of college," Brown said. "The NBA felt that way and we felt that way all along. For the league to get a kid of his really a good thing." Formal signing of the 6-fooH Thompson was expected within a week.

Bob King, assistant general manager of the Nuggets, said he didn't expect Divid Thompson Thompson to be "signing anything for four or five days." Nuggets General Manager Carl Sheer was in New York to talk to Thompson and Fleisher, and to discuss other matters with ABA Commissioner Dave De- Busschere, King said, and was returning to Denver Tuesday night. One highly placed' ABA source said: "We felt pretty sure of getting him (Thompson). We had indications a's long as two weeks ago he would sign with Denver. If he does sign, it'll be just super for our league." The loss of Thompson, who led N.C. State to a national championship in 1974, was a serious blow to the Atlanta franchise.

Through the Pete Maravich trade last year with New Orleans, the Hawks went into the NBA draft in March with two first-round draft choices, the first and third picks. Atlanta first chose Thompson, the jumping jack who averagec nearly 30 points a game during his career at N.C. State, then took Webster of Morgan State as their third pick. The ABA's Virginia Squires originally drafted Thompson but Denver was able to negotiate for him under an ABA rule that allows a club to go after another team's property if that player can not be signed Denver reportedly will send leading scorer Mack Calvin, G- 11 center Mike Green and Jan van Breda Kolff to the Squires as compensation for Thompson. In losing Thompson, Atlanta became the first NBA team to lose the league's top pick to the ABA.

Fleisher said Thompson agonized over the decison for almost two weeks before picking the Nuggets. "He told the financial arrangements were exactly the same," Fleisher said, "he felt more comfortable playing in Denver, primarily because of Bobby Jones and Monty Towe, and he told me he was very impressed with larry Brown and that they were a young and winning team." Jones is a former standout at the University of North Carolina. Towe, a tiny guard, was drafted and recently signed by the Nuggets after playing four years in college with Thompson. Fitzsimmons insisted it wasn't the end of the franchise for the Hawks, despite the, losses. think David's decision has anything more to do with Atlanta than with any other city," he said.

"He probably feels very comfortable in the Denver situation. "He visited out there when the Nuggets were in the playoffs, and 1 am sure he was impressed by the full house he saw in attendance. In contrast, he came here when we were people in the Omni (Atlanta's playing Seattle in a day game arena). I'm sure he was aot and might have seen 3,000 very excited about that." Wheeler the Dealer trounces Littleton Doug Hansen got his fifth win of the year as the Greeley Legion A baseball team pounded Littleton Heritage, 155, at Butch Butler Field last night. Greeley got off to its usual slow start with one run in the first and Littleton went ahead in the bottom of the second.

Then' Wheeler the Dealer team tied things up in the third. Greeley scored two more runs in the fourth and in the sixth when Hugh Boyle led off the inning with a double. Boyle was picked off at second for the first out. Will Talmadge reached first on an error and then scored on Doug Hansen's Greeley could not quite put Heritage away as they came back in the bottom of the sixth to score three runs. Littleton started the inning with a walk, then a single advanced him to second, from there he scored on a passed ball.

At this point Greeley held op to a slim one run lead. In the sixth Greeley came up with six runs to put the game away. Littleton pitchers walked the first six men to score two runs. Greeley catcher John Haefle; hit a bases loaded single accounting for the other runs. The game was called after eight innings due to the ten-run rule.

The win gives Greeley a 14-10 overall record and a 6-2 league record which put them into a first place tie with Boulder Fairview. Greeley will meet Fairview later this month. Greeley will host Denver North tonight in a night game at. Butch Butler Field at 8 Chiefs obtain MacArthur Lane GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) that the Packers were "fairly Green Bay Packer running compensated with the draft back MacArthur Lane has been choice we have obtained." traded to Kansas City for an Lane, from Utah State, rank- undisclosed future draft choice, ed third among National Foot- the Packers announced tbday.

ball Conference rushers in 1970 The 6-foot-l, 220-pound Lane, with St. Louis, totaling 977 a veteran of seven National yards on 206 carries. His NFL Football League seasons, be- career rushing average is 3.9 came a mainstay of the Packer yards per carry, with 3,447 backfield after being acquired yards in 888 carries, in a 1972 trade which sent Donny Anderson to St. Louis. Lane, 33, had his best season as a Packer in 1972, rushing for 821 yards and catching 26 passes for 285 yards.

He rushed for 528 yards in 1973 but slipped to 362 yards on 137 carries last season Tor a 2.6- yard per carry average. He also caught 34 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns in 1974. "He did everything, including kicking," Packer Coach Bart Starr said today. "You hate to give up that kind of person." Starr added that the trade was "in our best interest" and Greeley (15) Lopez, ss Butherus, rt Kramer, rf Saqe, lb Haeleli, Boyle, 2b Talmadqe, 3b Edgerlon, If totals Littleton (5) 0 0 0 0 Newcomer, 3b 1 0 Parker, If 1 Vandest vy, pti 0 0 partko, 0 0 0 Leonard, 0 I Totals Littleton 020 003 00-- 5 5 Greeley 101 202 63--15 Harden 5 0 and Hfleleli. Hille (L); and Neptune.

1 0 1 0 2 2 2 2 15 11 bi 0 0 0 0 Optique slips by LaSalle Avatar's 1975 Belmorit Stakes victory is considered as a 74 rating race. He was timed in 2:29 1-5, or 26 lengths slower than Secretariat's record tor the mile and a half. LA SALLE The Greeley Optique Legion baseball team scored four runs in the sixth inning en route to a 6-4 win over the La Salle team here Tuesday. A two-run double by Jerry Andrade and a costly error by La Salle accounted for the four- run rally by Optique. The team now has a 7-5 overall record.

Greeley also added a single run in the second inning when Steve Shields doubled and later scored on three straight walks. Shields, who went two-for- four in the game, also gave Greeley Optique an insurance run in the seventh inning when he blasted a solo home run to lead off the inning. Shields and Mike Stoffler both had two hits apiece "to lead Optique offensively. Tim Cotner was the winning pitcher, allowing only three hits, and striking out seven. La Salie scored three of its runs in the first inning off Cotner as the team got all three of its hits.

Cotner then settled down and didn't allow a hit the rest of the way and was nicked for an unearned run in the sixth inning. Greeley Optique will host. Boulder in a league game this Friday at 6 p.m. Greeley 010 01)4 1--6 7 I Salle 300 001 0--1 3 3 Cotner (W); and Rome. Rains (L); and Kaufman.

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