Agent mum on possible lawsuit

November 15, 1997

COMPILED BY JOHN DELONG

• IS MUGGSY BOGUES contemplating a lawsuit against the Charlotte Hornets?

David Falk, Bogues' agent, wouldn't answer that question last night when asked specifically about the possiblity before the Hornets' game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago.

''I can't comment on that,'' Falk told the Journal. ''I've been advised by the lawyers not to discuss that aspect of Muggsy's situation. You've been around me for a long time and you know I'll tell you what I can, but I'm not gonna discuss that.''

Bogues' 10-year association with the Hornets came to an end last week when he was traded to the Golden State Warriors along with Tony Delk in exchange for B.J. Armstrong.

Falk has been extremely critical of the way the Hornets handled Bogues' situation from the moment they signed David Wesley as a free agent last summer and quickly proclaimed Wesley to be their starter.

''They mishandled the entire situation from the beginning,'' Falk said. ''If anyone ever symbolized the Charlotte Hornets, it was Muggsy. He literally played his guts out for 10 years and he deserved a better ending. He is the same player he was last year when they didn't have another point guard and he played 65 games.''

The lawsuit, should one be in the works, could center around promises apparently made to Bogues during the off-season when Falk and Bogues met with owner George Shinn and Bob Bass, the Hornets' executive vice president of basketball.

At that time, Shinn told reporters that there was a plan in the works for Bogues to take a front-office job with the Hornets after he retired. Bass has since said that no job could be offered because any such deals would be in violation of NBA rules.