Sports: Heat commentator Ramsay leaves for ESPN

Heat commentator Ramsay leaves for ESPN

By Compiled from Times wires

MIAMI -- Hall of Fame NBA coach Jack Ramsay will leave his job as the Heat's color commentator to work full time for ESPN.

Ramsay confirmed the move, saying that working for both the Heat and ESPN has been "very fatiguing" the past two years.

"My duties with ESPN expanded," he told the Miami Herald for a story in Thursday's editions. "There just weren't enough hours in the day."

"Dr. Jack," as he was affectionately called, joined the Heat eight years ago after a three-year stint with the Philadelphia 76ers as an analyst. He worked alongside Heat TV announcer Eric Reid, adding excitement and humor to the broadcasts by yelling "slamma" or "stuffa" whenever a Heat player dunked.

Heat coach Pat Riley liked to give Ramsay interviews before games, usually exchanging a joke with Ramsay at the end of an interview before addressing the beat reporters. Riley also consulted with Ramsay on the team plane or in training camp, though Ramsay was careful not to intrude on team matters.

Ramsay, who coached the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA championship, will provide color analysis and commentary for ESPN during telecasts and on its Web site.

MOURNING CONCERNED: With his team making big changes after another playoff failure, Heat center Alonzo Mourning is worried that chemistry will be an issue next season.

Riley has been aggressive on the trade market this summer, acquiring Anthony Mason and Eddie Jones from Charlotte and Chris Gatling from Denver.

Gatling will be rerouted to Cleveland along with Clarence Weatherspoon in a three-way trade with Portland that will bring Brian Grant to Miami -- a deal will be made official by the end of this month.

The trades "look great on paper," Mourning said at the NBA Store, where he made an appearance to promote the U.S. Olympic team. "But the key to winning a championship is not how many talented guys you have, because I've seen a lot of teams with a lot of talent that haven't won.

"It's a matter of getting everybody on the same page, mentally and physically, and getting everybody thinking the same way so that there are no self-centered attitudes that interfere with our journey."

One player who fit the description of selfless commitment to the team was forward P.J. Brown, who was traded to Charlotte along with Jamal Mashburn in the deal for Jones and Mason.

The Heat will have at least two new starters along with several newcomers to the bench rotation.

Miami has been knocked out of the playoffs by the Knicks in each of the past three seasons.

CAVALIERS: Point guard Brevin Knight had right knee surgery and is expected to be out up to four months. Knight's knee has bothered him for about a month and he had a bone fragment removed from his kneecap. The team expects a full recovery.

SIXERS: Free-agent guard Jermaine Jackson signed, and forward Toni Kukoc is expected to sign over the weekend. Jackson played in seven games during his rookie season with the Pistons, averaging 1 point and 1.6 rebounds. Kukoc, who agreed to terms Wednesday, had a flight from Chicago to Philadelphia canceled because of bad weather.

DRAFT: The league probably will stage its future drafts in New York, scrapping the practice of holding the event in different NBA cities, Bloomberg News reported. The plan would begin with the 2001 draft, which is scheduled for June 27. No site has been picked. Among the reasons for the change is the difficulty for the New York-based league to stage an important event far from its offices only several days after the NBA Finals. NBA spokesman Seth Sylvan declined to comment.