THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 25, 1996 TAG: 9610250784
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: 70 lines
He's the 6-foot-9 guy from Maryland who left a lot of tickets for friends and family.
Ok, the other 6-9 guy from Maryland who left a lot of tickets for the game at Hampton Coliseum.
He's Tony Massenburg, and he's got a few things in common with Joe Smith. Just a few.
``Everybody can't sign that 7-year, $100 million contract,'' said Massenburg, who scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds for New Jersey. ``Some guys have to take the hard road.''
Massenburg, who went to Sussex Central High, knows the hard road. He's played for eight teams in a five-year NBA career, and also spent two years in Europe.
During the 1991-92 season, he played for four teams. His longest stay in any place has been one season. He spent the 1994-95 season with the Clippers, where he averaged 9.3 points and 5.7 rebounds.
``Like anybody else I'd like to get a long contract and stay with one team,'' he said. ``But the business is unpredictable. You've got to take what you can get and go with it.''
Massenburg, 29, is hoping he can put down roots in New Jersey. He's got just a one-year contract, but he emphasizes that New Jersey came after him, not the other way around, after Philadelphia renounced his rights in July.
``Tony's gotten a lot better,'' said Nets general manager John Nash. ``We had him in camp when I was with Washington and we probably would have kept him, but he decided to make more money overseas.
``He'll be in the league now as long as he wants to be.''
Massenburg's not the most talented guy. But he's got a big, 245-pound frame, and he'll probably stick around as long as he's willing to bang in the post. With a decent touch around the basket, he was averaging 10 points in Philadelphia when a broken foot ended his year.
``I played against him,'' Nets assistant coach Kenny Gattison said. ``If Tony plays like he's capable, he should really help us this year.''
HUNGRY JOE: Smith treated several of his Warriors teammates to a pre-game meal at his mother's house in Norfolk Thursday. Letha Smith cooked turkey, chicken, spare ribs, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and much more.
Apparently not sated, Smith then went out and ate New Jersey's lunch. He scored 17 points in the first half, on 8-of-11 shooting. He finished with 20, in 28 minutes.
Smith got the crowd of 9,517 into it early, throwing down a lefthanded dunk, then a righthanded jam. He then blocked a dunk try by New Jersey's 7-foot-6 Shawn Bradley.
Smith bruised an ankle taking a charge in the third quarter, and didn't return. ``It's fine. Preseason, no use taking chances,'' he said. ``It felt good to come back home.''
NEXT YEAR: Sources said that the Warriors and the Hampton Roads Partnership are close to a deal to stage a Golden State-Philadelphia game next year at Scope.
Warriors GM Dave Twardzik, an Old Dominion graduate, said Golden State would like to play at Scope.
Philadelphia, of course, has Hampton native Allen Iverson.
``Wouldn't be a bad time for that game, would it,'' Twardzik said. ILLUSTRATION: Tony Massen- burg, right,
fights with Golden State's Joe Smith, the other 6-9 forward from
Maryland, for a rebound. ``If Tony plays like he's capable, he
should really help us this year,'' new Nets assistant Kenny Gattison
said.
LAWRENCE JACKSON
The Virginian-Pilot by CNB