
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 3, 1990                   TAG: 9004250761
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-5   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: associated press
DATELINE: EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.                                 LENGTH: Short

HEAD OF NBA PLAYER'S UNION SUGGESTS PAYING COLLEGIANS

Charles Shackleford's troubles, including allegations of point shaving at North Carolina State, have prompted the director of the NBA palyer's union to call for college athletes to be paid.

Charles Grantham's comments came Friday, two days after ABC News sources implicated Shackleford in an alleged point-shaving scheme at N.C. State, and a day after the New Jersey Nets' forward was charged with possessing a small amount of marijuana in Orange, N.J.

Shackleford, 23, allegedly is the system's latest victim, according to the union. He has been under a microscope since ABC sources said he and three teammates allegedly were given as much as $1,000 by New Jersey businessman Robert Kramer to fix games. Then came the marijuana charge, which could result in a six-month jail sentence and a $500 fine.

Shackleford has been unavailable for comment since his arrest, but the Nets said he will be available for questions at 2 p.m. today, before the start of their home game against Atlanta.

Shackleford and Kramer, through their lawyers, have denied being involved in point shaving.

Grantham, meantime, had sonething to say about the entire college athletic system.

"It's becoming more and more apparent that Division I football and basketball players are going to need collective representation at some point," Grantham said in a telephone interview from his New York office.

"We need to take a step back and look at the system," Grantham said. "The money being generated by college and professional sports is in the millions of dollars and the players need to get a share of it."

by CNB