Radmanovic admits he lied about injury

[Dos Equis]

Now here is something out of the ordinary.  A pro athlete actually comes clean.  This guy has been an absolute bust for the Lakers so far. 

Radmanovic admits he lied about injury
By Steve Springer, Times Staff Writer
February 24, 2007

Vladimir Radmanovic made a painful admission Friday: He had lied about his shoulder injury.

Six days after dislocating his right shoulder in Park City, Utah, during the All-Star break, and three days after telling the Lakers he'd hurt himself slipping on a patch of ice, Radmanovic admitted he got hurt while snowboarding, an activity specifically prohibited in his contract.

"I wasn't thinking too much," Radmanovic said of his initial explanation. "After a couple of days, when things settled down, I realized I did the wrong thing.

"I did a stupid thing snowboarding. I don't want to be a liar. That's not something that I am. Obviously I lied, but there was a way to correct it…. I decided to … bring out the truth. And I'm really glad I did.

"When you lie to the whole world, and then come out four or five days later and say, 'That's not true,' it's embarrassing. I hope people will have some understanding and some forgiveness."

Radmanovic initially admitted the true cause of his injury to Lakers Coach Phil Jackson on Friday morning. The two then went to see General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Neither man was surprised that Radmanovic had done more than slip on a street.

"When a person goes to a ski resort," Kupchak said, "and gets an injury associated with winter sports, your antenna goes up."

Speaking to the media earlier this week, Jackson had joked about hiring a detective to investigate Radmanovic's claim.

"The truth will out. He knew that and he came forward," Jackson said Friday.

"After a couple of days," Radmanovic said, "I figured out the best thing to do was to come out with the truth, no matter what the consequences and penalties were going to be.

"I just couldn't keep it to myself anymore…. I felt really bad about letting my teammates down, letting the whole organization down, not letting them know what really happened."

Said teammate Ronny Turiaf, "Everybody makes mistakes. He probably had friends telling him how much fun he was going to have [snowboarding]. I am disappointed he is not going to be out on the court for us. We will miss him."

Radmanovic, 26, in his sixth pro season, told reporters Friday that he had never snowboarded before.

"Unfortunately before I stepped on that board, I wasn't really thinking," he said. "Things happen, but you never really think it's going to happen to you."

The accident occurred at mid-day Saturday.

"Coming down a slope," he said, "I just flipped forward and fell on my shoulder."

Radmanovic went to a doctor near Park City who took X-rays and informed the 6-foot-10, 235-pound forward from Serbia of the nature of his injury — one that can take eight weeks to heal.

"I was really scared," Radmanovic said. "I panicked as to what the reaction was going to be."

Looking back, Radmanovic says he shudders at the thought of what might have been.

"This could have been something that finished my career," he said. "Fortunately, it didn't. It will be a good lesson for me."

How costly a lesson?

Kupchak and Jackson said they would sit down and discuss possible penalties for Radmanovic. They could void his contract, a highly unlikely outcome, according to a league source. They could suspend him, although he is already out six to eight weeks. Or they could simply fine him.

It's not a "criminal offense," said Kupchak, who added that Radmanovic's decision to publicly admit he had lied "is itself a punishment."

Radmanovic has been a disappointment with the Lakers, averaging only 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds a game in the first season of a five-year, $30.2-million contract.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakerep24feb24,1,2386045.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-lakers 

[UPINTHEMGUTS]

Oh-boy. What an idiot. These pro atheletes know that they can't be doing this kind of shit. There are specific clauses in their contracts which do not allow potentially dangerous activities.

Just like Rothlesberger and his motorcycle accident.

You have to be smarter than that.

As a Washington Wizards fan, I almost shit myself when I saw Gilbert Arenas jump off a trampoline and dunk a ball during the all star game. I bet Abe Pollin's old ass almost keeled over when he saw that.

[Dos Equis]

Lakers fine Radmanovic $500,000
Forward who was injured while snowboarding says he won't appeal penalty.
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
March 2, 2007

Do they fine Vladimir Radmanovic $1 million because of a snowboarding excursion gone awry, or do they fine him closer to $100,000 because he is under contract for four more seasons, underscoring the need for an agreeable relationship between player and franchise?

The Lakers landed somewhere in the middle and fined Radmanovic $500,000 for a violation of his contract, one of the biggest fines imposed by an NBA team on one of its players.

Radmanovic, 26, sustained a separated right shoulder while snowboarding in Park City, Utah, during the All-Star break. He initially claimed he hurt himself by slipping on a patch of ice while crossing the street after having coffee with a friend, but told team officials the truth a few days later. He had never snowboarded until that weekend and was injured when he flipped during a run on the slopes on Feb. 17.

Radmanovic, averaging 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds, is out until mid- to late April because of his injury, a span of about 25 games.

The standard NBA contract bars players from taking part in activities that pose a significant risk, including skiing. The contract does not specifically mention snowboarding, but its similarity to skiing is what landed Radmanovic in trouble.

Radmanovic seemed thankful that the team did not try to void his contract, an option never seriously considered by the Lakers, who think they have a decent player at a fair price. Radmanovic signed a five-year, $30.2-million contract last July.

"That's their legal right," Radmanovic said when asked if his contract could have been voided. "They didn't do it and I'm really grateful for that."

Radmanovic was scheduled to make $5.2 million this season, which puts his fine at about 10% of his salary.

The NBA Players Assn. could not be reached for comment, but Radmanovic said he would not appeal the fine. The union probably would not intervene on his behalf because he does not want to appeal.

"It's fair for what I did. I just want to move forward and try to get healthy and get back on the court," Radmanovic said.

The Lakers had been debating for almost a week on a fair fine.

"We discussed internally among our coach, ownership and management a variety of disciplinary options and thought that this was the fairest and most appropriate action," General Manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. "We consider this a closed issue now and look forward to Vlade's return to action, where he'll be able to use his talents to help our team."

When reached later, Kupchak declined to comment beyond his statement.

Radmanovic has been a disappointment in his first season with the Lakers. He sustained a sprained ligament in his right hand during the exhibition season and never seemed to hit his stride other than a few notable games. He was labeled a "space cadet" by Coach Phil Jackson a few months ago for freelancing too often in the triangle offense.

For now, he is getting ribbed by teammates, who are calling him "Slalom Vlade" and "Half-pipe." Radmanovic doesn't seem to mind.

"It's a lot of money and nobody likes to lose money, obviously," he said. "I made a mistake and I'm paying the price for it right now."

. . .

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers2mar02,1,4569472.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-lakers