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Tampa Bay's first choice helps make ABA history

By MIKE READLING

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 29, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs promised to be ahead of the curve when the American Basketball Association inaugural season begins, and Thursday they took the early lead by signing the league's first player.

The ThunderDawgs placed the first name on their roster when Kwan Johnson, a shooting guard from the University of New Orleans, signed a one-year contract.

Johnson played under ThunderDawgs coach Darryl Dawkins for the United States Basketball League's Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs and also in Winnipeg. Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder, averaged 24 points with Pennsylvania.

"He has experience and he will be an excellent crowd-pleaser," Dawkins said. "He has the ability to hit the jump shot, drive the lane and dunk on anybody, and he has a crossover dribble that will leave both of your shoes tied together."

Dawkins hasn't decided who will make up the rest of the roster, but he said the addition of Johnson sets one position in stone.

"He will be my starting guard," Dawkins said. "Without a doubt, he will be starting for us this season."

Dawkins said he didn't take Johnson in August's rookie or professional drafts because he knew other teams "hadn't heard of Johnson" and he could get him later.

The team also announced it signed St. Petersburg physical trainer Taryn Hemingway. Hemingway is believed to be the first female trainer to travel with a men's professional sports team, Dawkins said.

"We're making history right now," he said.

The ABA season begins Dec. 26, although final schedules have not been released. The ThunderDawgs will play their home games at the Bayfront Center.

CELTICS: Paul Pierce, his eye swollen and forehead bandaged, walked out of the hospital three days after being stabbed nearly a dozen times, hoping for a quick return to the team.

To the cheers of a few dozen onlookers, Pierce was accompanied by his mother and two brothers as he left New England Medical Center in Boston.

"I'd just like to tell everybody I feel good," he said. "I can't wait to get back on the basketball court and join my Celtics teammates."

Pierce was stabbed in his face, neck and back and hit over the head with a bottle at a private nightclub party Monday. The 22-year-old swingman had lung surgery, with the other wounds mostly superficial.

The Celtics begin training camp Monday, but Pierce did not indicate if he would be there.

Two of three men police believe attacked Pierce pleaded innocent to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and were ordered held on $15,000 cash bail.

Prosecutors say Tony Hurston, 31, also known as Tony McCrary, initiated the fight in the club's pool room. They say he came up behind Pierce, punched him and hit him on the head with a bottle as he lay on the ground.

Prosecutors say Trevor Watson, 34, and William Ragland, 28, joined the fight and stabbed Pierce. The motive is under investigation.

Ragland, also charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, remained at large.

Hurston's lawyer, John Swomley, says his client was at the club but left when the fight began. Hurston was working in New York when he learned Tuesday of his arrest warrant and returned to Boston to surrender. Swomley added that Hurston has no prior criminal record.

The three men charged reportedly have ties to the rap group Made Men, whom Swomley also represents.

Watson was with Made Men member Raymond E. "Ray Dog" Scott when the rapper was arrested by police. The two men were questioned after a store employee reported that Scott had made large credit card purchase.

The card turned out to be Scott's. He filed charges against police, who were acquitted.

A judge denied prosecutors' requests to demand a $250,000 cash bail from Watson. He was out on supervised release after a July 1999 conviction for weapons possession.

Pierce, 6 feet 7 and 220 pounds, averaged 19.5 points and was second in the NBA in steals with 2.08 a game. An All-American at Kansas, Pierce was drafted in the first round in 1998 after his junior season.

MAGIC: Orlando signed free-agent rookie guard Troy Rolle, 23, who earned first-team All-Big West Conference honors as a senior at Utah State last season, averaging 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

WARRIORS: Chris Mullin, waived two weeks ago by the Pacers, will return to the Golden State this season. Mullin, 37, played his first 12 NBA seasons with Golden State, making four All-Star teams. He averaged 25 points for five straight seasons with the Warriors, including a career-high 26.5 in 1988-89. A two-time Olympian, Mullin was one of the Warriors' most popular players until he was traded for Erick Dampier and Duane Ferrell in 1997.

BULLS: Chicago acquired former Valparaiso star Bryce Drew from the Rockets for a first-round draft pick or two second-round draft picks. Drew, a 6-foot-3 guard, averaged 5.8 points in 72 games. In five games as a starter, he averaged 17.2 points and 6.6 assists.

HEAT: Rick Brunson, the free-agent point guard who spent the past two seasons with the Knicks, signed an undisclosed contract. Brunson averaged 1.9 points and 1.3 assists in 37 games last season while playing behind Charlie Ward and Chris Childs. The Heat also signed swingman Jamal Robinson.

-- Information from Times wires was used in this report.

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