Bayno thinks Sprewell should be sent to jail

Steve Carp

Thursday, Dec. 4, 1997 | 9:32 a.m.

It's a good thing for Latrell Sprewell Bill Bayno is not running the NBA.

If the UNLV coach were calling the shots, the Golden State guard/pugilist would be sidelined for a long time.

Sprewell Monday physically attacked Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo twice during the team's practice in Oakland and subsequently had his contract terminated. Sprewell had feuded with Carlesimo virtually from the day the latter took over the Warriors last summer.

Bayno, who was a graduate assistant to Carlesimo at Seton Hall in 1985-86 and remains close to the coach, called for Sprewell's banishment.

"I think Latrell Sprewell should be kicked out of the NBA," Bayno said after his Wednesday luncheon at the Harley Davidson Cafe. "What kind of message does that send when a player can attack a coach?

"He should be in jail. The fact that P.J. isn't pressing charges says a lot for P.J."

Ironically, Bayno nearly came to blows with a player while he was an assistant at Massachusetts.

"Mike Williams and I had a heated exchange," Bayno said. "We were playing Duquesne and Mike had words with John (Calipari, former UMass head coach) and I just got in Mike's face because he was disrespecting John.

"I think Mike was frustrated at the time. He and John didn't get along. They actually hated each other.

"It didn't get physical, but it was close," Bayno continued. "We were face-to-face and we both put our hands up. I think it was the heat of the moment. He erupted and I erupted."

Bayno said what Sprewell did to Carlesimo is bad for the game's image.

"Is that the kind of message you want to send to young kids? To college kids?" Bayno said.

Bayno called Carlesimo Tuesday from Los Angeles where the Rebels were playing Southern Cal to offer his support as a longtime friend.

"I'm very close with P.J. and his family," Bayno said. "I talk to his mother (Lucy) all the time. In fact, I talked to her just the other day and she said she'd say a prayer for us before the (USC) game."

Bayno said he doesn't know Sprewell and he doesn't know all the circumstances that led to Monday's physical confrontation with Carlesimo. But he said that doesn't change anything.

"What he did was wrong, period," he said. "There is no excuse to ever throw a punch at a coach. He should be suspended for at least a year for what he did. He's obviously got some behavioral and anger problems."