KNICK NOTES
If you thought the Knicks had publicly humiliated Latrell Sprewell enough, they actually attempted to hide one of their punishments.
Last week, the Knicks secretly fined Sprewell $50,000 for failing to show up for Thursday’s conditioning session at the Knicks’ practice facility, ringing up the total of his fines this preseason to a whopping $437,500.
“We don’t announce all our fines,” Knicks spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz said.
The Knicks never announced the $50,000 fine, but it became public last night when the Player’s Association filed two appeals on Sprewell’s behalf – for the undisclosed $50,000 hit and for the one-game suspension without pay that stole $137,500 (1/90th of his wages).
Sprewell had already filed an appeal last week on the $250,000 pounding for not reporting his right-hand injury promptly. All told, Sprewell has filed three appeals against the Knicks this preseason.
Two hours after Sprewell ripped GM Scott Layden and Garden prez Steve Mills on Monday, poking fun at the GM’s “track record,” the Knicks announced a suspension for failing to adhere to his rehab program and taking off his cast without consent. Considering he already had gotten fined for missing a rehab session, it now seems clear Monday’s suspension was mostly due to Sprewell’s Layden/Mills bashing, with the cast removal a throw-in.
“It is redundant and excessive,” NBPA spokesman Dan Wasserman said, adding the three grievances likely will be lumped into one case.
*
They booed Allan Houston at a Garden wheelchair charity exhibition last month. Last Sunday, at a feel-good open practice at St. John’s, Houston drew the only boos after shooting an airball. Although he had a slightly more consistent season than fan fave Sprewell, who shot an anemic 40.4 percent, Houston is still the Knick scapegoat. Houston knows 100 million reasons why. “It might have to do with the contract,” Houston said. “It’s just reality. People put a dollar value on something and expect the world to be turned upside down.” . . . Layden decided against using his injury exception to claim 6-9 SF Lee Nailon off waivers. The GM probably feels he can do better trading the exception to a team looking to dump a frontcourt player. The Bulls have a frontcourt glut and reportedly have shopped Marcus Fizer to the Knicks. Memphis and Golden State also have frontcourt logjams . . . Don Chaney, whose club finishes preseason tonight vs. Nets, is no longer angry at Byron Scott for insinuating he played Antonio McDyess too many minutes. “Byron’s OK, I like Byron,” Chaney said. “We haven’t talked yet but he’s alright. He’s a young coach.” . . . Knicks waived Danny Johnson, meaning Toby Bailey and Mark Pope will likely make the roster.