Unbelievable stuff. If true, this sheds a lot of light on the team's implosion, and why Vince was sucking in Toronto... http://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article.jsp?content=20050211_180703_4744 Carter's mom: Vince threw Mitchell in confrontation By Marty York, Sportsnet.ca Sportsnet.ca -- Almost two months before Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell reportedly challenged Rafer Alston to a fight this week, he was in an actual fight with the team's former superstar, Vince Carter. Sources, including a member of the Raptors and Vince's mother Michelle, have told Sportsnet that the incident took place in the Raptors' locker room after the coach challenged Carter to a physical confrontation. Feeling provoked, Carter lifted Mitchell and slammed him down on the massage table, Michelle said. In a 45-minute telephone interview with me on Friday, Michelle also revealed that she and Vince still hear frequently from members of the Raptors, who tell them Mitchell has many of them shaking their heads in disbelief and wanting out of Toronto. Sources have told Sportsnet that four Toronto players have asked management to be traded. The four: Eric Williams and Aaron Williams, who were traded to Toronto from the New Jersey Nets in the Carter deal, as well as Lamond Murray and Donyell Marshall. "I just heard from Mo Pete (Morris Peterson) yesterday," Michelle said, "and he's very, very concerned. All the players are having a tough time with Sam Mitchell. It's breaking my heart. These players shouldn't have to put up with Mitchell's nonsense. Many of the Raptors are like nephews to me. I'm sick about what Sam is doing to them." Michelle said she found out about the altercation between Mitchell and her son from the coach, not from her son, and she was stunned. "Sam was talking about the incident at the team's Christmas party to a bunch of people, right in front of Vince, his wife and myself," Michelle said. "He just came out and said Vince whooped his ass, and I could tell it wasn't just a figure of speech. So I asked Vince what happened. He told me he couldn't take Sam's challenges any more, so he picked him up and threw him on the massage table. That definitely happened. No question about it. And if anyone says it didn't happen, they're lying." A member of the Raptors told me Friday he witnessed the Carter-Mitchell incident in the locker room, and he also said it wasn't much different than what took place at halftime between Mitchell and Alston in Cleveland this week, although the player said Alston restrained himself. "All the Toronto players say Sam's like that," Michelle said. "They say he likes to challenge them physically to fights. "I could see the signs of some irrational behaviour from Sam before what happened with my son, but, for me, that was the last straw. That's when I really started praying. I said, 'God, please get my child out of here.' Thank God my prayer was answered. But still, I feel sorry for the other players who are still in Toronto." Michelle told me she believes the change of environment for Vince has helped him return to supertstar status. "He couldn't motivate himself to work for people like Sam Mitchell, (general manager) Rob Babcock and (club president) Richard Peddie," Michelle said. "I don't care who you are, you want to be in a good working environment, working for people you like, not for people who challenge you to fights and treat you poorly and mislead you. "I'm a teacher," Michelle continued, "and I always thought coaches were like teachers. I always thought coaches should carry themselves with a certain degree of decorum and professionalism. That's not happening in Toronto, believe me." Michelle said she has thought about speaking out publicly many times in the past few months but bit her tongue for fear that her remarks would be viewed as sour grapes from a malcontent's mom. But hearing about the Alston confrontation gave her the incentive to open up and answer questions. And she certainly opened up Friday with some comments that clearly stirred her emotions. Mitchell insisted after the Raptors' loss Friday night that the incident with Carter was horseplay. Neither Michelle Carter nor Sportsnet's other source agreed with that.
wtf? this is really bizarre now. it happens on occassion but for a coach to repeatedly challenge his players to a fight is downright strange. i don't know how mitchell still has a job.
Never knew Mitchell was such a loose cannon. Wasn't he considered Kevin Garnett's mentor while playing in Minnesota? I wonder if those 2 ever butted heads.
I remember Sam Mitchell and Kevin Willis getting into it in a playoff game between the Rox and the T-Pups.
I wonder what ever happened to that guy that got punched by KG for playing good D. I guess Sam taught KG a thing or two.
Sportsnet is a cable company, I believe. This is some crazy stuff, but if you read reports in the Toronto Sun, Star, and even the venerable New York Post -- they appear to conflict with some of this. Mo Pete says he hasn't spoken with Mrs. Carter, etc.
I thought people made to big of a deal out of challenging Alston to a fight. I could see how it might occassionally be an effective coaching tool. He might want to be careful not to overuse it though.
I think this is relevant. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...g=insidedishgarnettdeserve&prov=tsn&type=lgns
I don't think it's a horrible idea to allow players to buy out of their own contract (a la Europe). If you want out, fine. Buyout your contract and become a FA. Pay back a certain percentage (60% of the current year's salary?) to the team (who would lose fan revenue if a star up and leaves) and go on the waiver wire. If a team can claim you within the salary cap rules, your contract stays intact. If not, you forfeit the previous contract and must be signed to a new one. The union would like this idea better than the owners, for obvious reasons. The trade offs (in an ideal world) would be: as stated above, the disgruntled player can not keep his previous contract (guys like Kidd or Carter) unless they are claimed off the waiver wire (which would be funny since that would mean an under the cap squad like Atlanta). Also, 4th year team options should be automatically included in max contracts (6 or 7 years). Just how I'd like to see it done. Lets guys that want to leave put their money where their mouth is, and gives teams the ability to drop washed up guys that can't earn the money their signed for (Houston, KVH, etc). Evan
Now we got role players calling the shots? Forget franchise players, but role players. If i was an owner, i would make mithcell my GM and tell him to pound anyone demanding a trade.
This (non) story has been refuted by several people, namely Mitchell, Peterson and Alvin Williams - who were present. Michelle Carter backpedalled and said "they were obviously horsing around" and even Carter did a 20 minute interview on Toronto radio putting this issue and several others to rest. Mitchell was hassling the guys who were getting rubdowns after the game and calling them old. When it was his turn for a rubdown, Carter was doing some mock WWF moves on Mitchell and Alvin Williams was hooting encouragement. Hardly the "altercation" it was painted to be. What you guys have to realize is that Toronto has 4 daily newspapers, 3 all sports TV stations, RaptorsTV and a host of other media that compete for scoops and often resort to pushing the envelope. There's a very drama-queen feel to a lot of the reports which are greatly exaggerated or taken out of context to make the sound bites as juicy as possible. The guy who broke this scoop is a CFL reporter who was blasted on a TV discussion panel by other members of the local basketball media and guys from his own TV station said they were embarassed to work for th same employer. He goes to one or two Raptors games a year and tries to paint himself as an insider. It's funny how you guys sorta do the same thing here, You take the initial reports at face value - make rash comments based on partial truth - but make no effort to follow up and see if there was any meat to the original story .