Sports

NBA

Tomjanovich resigns

By wire services
Published February 3, 2005

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - The stress of coaching the Los Angeles Lakers wore Rudy Tomjanovich down to the point where he needed medication just to get by.

When that didn't work, he realized something had to change.

So, Tomjanovich resigned Wednesday, his tenure as coach of the Lakers lasting barely half a season.

"I think this is the best decision for me and the Lakers," a subdued Tomjanovich said at a news conference. "A month ago, I became conscious of not feeling good. As the time went by, I started to feel my resistance going down. I went from this energetic, pumped-up guy to all of a sudden being sapped of a lot of energy.

"I hadn't been on antibiotics for a couple of years, or at least a year, and already here, because of my resistance being low, I was on it consistently, you know, with infections. And it just seemed like I just got deeper and deeper into not feeling good."

Tomjanovich, 56, said he'll never coach again.

"That's clear in my mind - absolutely not," he said.

He said he felt disappointed, but not ashamed.

"I couldn't shut it off when I was away from the arena," Tomjanovich said. "Why this happened now and why my body couldn't take it now, I do not have the answer. I've been through a heck of a lot more."

Like the life-threatening punch he took from Kermit Washington as a player in 1977; his battle with alcoholism, and dealing with bladder cancer less than two years ago.

Proudly, he said his sobriety hasn't been threatened by what he has been going through.

"There are no outside influences, be it pressure from above, anything to do with my players or being here in Los Angeles," Tomjanovich said. "This is all about me and how I'm wired. Nobody put pressure on me but me."

Tomjanovich went 24-19 in his first season as Phil Jackson's successor and with a revamped lineup built around Kobe Bryant, who has missed the last nine games because of a sprained ankle.

Included are the two wins the Lakers earned under assistant Frank Hamblen in games Tomjanovich missed this week because of a stomach virus.

Tomjanovich will remain with the Lakers as a consultant, mainly working as a scout. He had signed a five-year, $30-million contract last July.

General manager Mitch Kupchak said Hamblen would stay on indefinitely as coach, but didn't rule out the return of Jackson.

Tomjanovich addressed the team in an emotional meeting shortly before speaking to the media, and said the get-together with his players got quite emotional.

"I don't cry a lot. I did in that situation," he said.

"He just basically came in and poured his heart out to us," Bryant said. "We just wish him the best. He's extremely passionate, emotional. But he's a fighter. To see him down like that, it really hurt and shocked us all."

ISIAH SAYS NO: Isiah Thomas, who has maintained he would like to return to coaching some day, took himself out of the running for the Lakers job, saying he was committed to remaining president of the Knicks and rebuilding the franchise.

Wednesday's games

ROCKETS 118, SIXERS 95: Tracy McGrady outperformed the NBA's top scorer, and visiting Houston knocked Philadelphia out of first place in the Atlantic Division.

McGrady made five 3-pointers and had 34 points and nine assists for the Rockets, who completed a two-game stretch against the top teams in the NBA's weakest division with a pair of victories.

Allen Iverson, leading the league with a 29-point average, had 15 of his 28 points in the first quarter but just two in the second quarter and five in the third.

CELTICS 110, NETS 89: Paul Pierce had 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his fifth career triple-double to lead host Boston back into first place in the Atlantic. Jason Kidd's 25 points led New Jersey, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

SUNS 108, WOLVES 79: Amare Stoudemire scored 23 to lead six Phoenix players in double-digit scoring, and the Suns finished 5-1 on their six-game trip. They led led by 40 at one point. Kevin Garnett scored a season-low 12 for struggling Minnesota.

RAPTORS 98, PACERS 97: Chris Bosh had 25 points and 15 rebounds, and Jalen Rose hit two free throws with less than a second to go as visiting Toronto handed Indiana its sixth straight loss. The Pacers blew a 19-point lead in the third quarter, but led 97-96 with 1.9 seconds remaining.

MAVS 90, HORNETS 82: Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 on an off-shooting night and Jerry Stackhouse added 19 to lead visiting Dallas. Nowitzki, who has been playing through cold symptoms, was 7-of-21 from the field.

BLAZERS 97, NUGGETS 94: Nick Van Exel scored 26 to help host Portland end Denver's three-game winning streak under new coach George Karl. It was the Blazers' third win in the past five games after a six-game losing streak.

PISTONS 99, HAWKS 84: Chauncey Billups scored 27 and Richard Hamilton added 21 to help host Detroit post its fifth straight victory.

[Last modified February 3, 2005, 01:08:13]

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