Extended tug of war ends in trade

David Falk is the NBA's most powerful agent. Friday he sounded like the angriest.

Falk ripped the Charlotte Hornets' treatment of client Muggsy Bogues, after the Hornets traded Bogues and guard Tony Delk to the Golden State Warriors for B.J. Armstrong.

Falk wasn't mad about the trade -- for that he was thankful. But he called the Hornets' treatment of Bogues over the past six months ``despicable.''

``I'm very, very disappointed in how Muggsy was mistreated,'' Falk said from his Washington office. ``I'm very happy Golden State has given him his chance.

``This league is very, very small. I'm sure we'll be dealing with each other again. I'll just have to remember, and learn from this.''

It's probably not wise for an NBA team to antagonize Falk. He represents many of the league's best players, including Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and the Hornets' Glen Rice.

Falk said pushing Bogues out the door will make players think twice about whether Charlotte is a place they want to be long-term.

``It's embarrassing,'' Falk said. ``And don't think that doesn't register with Dell (Curry), with Vlade Divac, with Matt Geiger, with Glen. It could have been done with dignity and class.''

Said Hornets vice president Bob Bass: ``What does he mean by that? I really don't want to say anything about what he said.''

The Bogues situation started in June, when coach Dave Cowens said at a media gathering that Bogues should retire because of a chronic injury to his left knee.

Bogues reacted angrily, saying he would continue playing. Bogues told The Observer, ``If they don't want me, trade me, because I'll be playing basketball somewhere.''

Bogues, Falk, Hornets owner George Shinn and team vice president Bob Bass met in August. Falk thought the situation was resolved at that meeting, and said Bogues was promised a job with the Hornets after his playing career was over.

That meeting didn't end the hostility. Bogues was barred from the first few practices of the preseason because he refused to take a magnetic resonance imaging exam on the knee. After agreeing to the test, Bogues felt he wasn't used enough in practice or exhibitions to get in shape or compete for playing time.

By Friday's trade, Bogues had dropped from starting point guard last season to third behind David Wesley and Corey Beck.

Falk has repeatedly accused the Hornets of pressuring Bogues into retirement, so the team could recoup much of his remaining salary through disability insurance.

``It's clear -- and I've said this all summer -- they've been trying to force him out,'' Falk said. ``It's a testament to his grit that he wouldn't let them push him out of the game.''

Falk said he's particularly shocked that this would happen to Bogues, one of two remaining original Hornets along with Curry. Bogues has been the team's most popular player, particularly with children, because of his 5-foot-3 height. Falk repeated that Shinn has said he thinks of Bogues like a son.

``He's hurt,'' Falk said of Bogues, who flew to San Francisco Friday. ``It's hard for Muggsy -- after all the things that were said to him by the owner -- to accept being treated like this.

``It's really despicable. He virtually came to be a symbol of this team. To have him be treated like that -- that's something for players to think about.''

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