SPORTS
Secretary
Of Defense
Ron Rothstein helped build the
Pistons' defense, but now he's taking
a shot at a head coaching job
MIKE ROSENBAUM
Sports Writer
A
lthough the Piston's sea-
son ended in a tough
loss, the past year was
the most successful one
in the 31-year history of
professional basketball in Detroit.
The Pistons' playoff run was
highlighted by outstanding defense.
They consistenly held opponents
under the magic 100-point mark on
their way to game seven of the NBA
finals against the Los Angeles
Lakers. That success was partly due
to the work of assistant coach Ron
Rothstein.
Now, with his already strong
reputation enhanced by the Pistons'
accomplishments, Rothstein is a can-
didate for the head coaching job with
the Miami Heat, an NBA expansion
team. Rothstein interviewed for that
position on June 29 and 30. He ex-
pects an answer from Miami's
management this week.
Rothstein met with Miami of-
ficials, including part-owner Billy
Cunningham, a former NBA All-Star,
and director of player personnel Stu
Inman. Rothstein, understandably
reluctant to give out any details of the
talks, says the interviews "went pret-
ty well." He met with Miami officials
for three hours on June 29 and seven
hours the next day. "You name it, they
asked . . . It was very thorough!'
The questions he was asked,
Rothstein reports, included his
"background, philosophy, where you
want to go in the future, how you
want to handle this, how you want to
handle that:'
If he does not get the job, Roths-
tein says he will return to the Pistons
and head coach Chuck Daly.
Despite all the hard work and
preparation involved in the Pistons'
playoff run, Rothstein says he had
time to appreciate what was happen-
ing. "It was a great experience?' he
says. "There's no question it was a lit-
tle disappointing when we were so
close. We had our chance. But Isiah
(Thomas) getting hurt in that sixth
game (of the finals) really hurt us for
that seventh game.
"My feeling was, really, when we
left to go back out to LA for game six,
deep down inside I really felt we'd win
a game seven. I felt that we were good
enough and our guys were confident
enough, that even if we lost game six
we would've won game seven. I think
if Isiah hadn't gotten hurt we
would've?'
The team's attitude was confident
before the final contest, Rothstein
recalls, even though Thomas, their
point guard and leader; had to play on
a badly sprained ankle. After the loss
the players were "a little disap-
pointed. But I think, realistically, the
guys were proud of themselves and
Ron Rothstein
how far we had come. But yet, being
so close there's got to be a little bit of
disappointment?'
Thomas was not the only member
of the organization who worked
through pain. Rothstein was ill with
food poisoning at the end of the con-
ference finals against Boston. "I was
on some medication and just wasn't
able to truly enjoy and celebrate the
way I wanted to" after the series-
ending victory.
But Rothstein feels that the real
pressure of the playoffs came earlier.
The Pistons and Washington Bullets
were tied at two games apiece in their
best-of-five opening-round series.
"Talk about pressure, there was a lot
of pressure in that one. We lose that
and go home, we're bums. The
season's over!"
Rothstein says the attention he
received as the architect of the
Pistons' defense "was flattering; Like
a lot of things, probably blown a lit-
tle bit out of proportion. It was satis-
fying?'
Whether or not Rothstein is here
to work on the Pistons'defense next
season, he says the organization will
face the added pressure of high public
expectations.
"If we don't win the championship
next year, we failed then, I guess. You
get to this point and then you're ex-
pected to win it the following year.
But a lot of things have to happen and
a lot of things have to fall in place?' ❑
Dick Savitt Is Still Winning Points For Israel Tennis
MIKE ROSENBAUM
Sports Writer
IN
orld class tennis has
changed a great deal
since the amateur era
ended in the '60s. One
thing which remains constant,
however, is the grandeur of the sport's
premier tournament, Wimbledon.
Another constant is the difficulty
of winning the two-week, seven-match
tennis marathon in suburban
London.
40
FRIDAY,' JULY 8, 1988 -
"If you win it, obviously you're
glad that you won," says Dick Savitt.
Savitt won the event in 1951, the on-
ly Jew to do so. "It's just a long hard
struggle," he recalls. "Whoever's won
it every year I'm sure feels the same
way — they're glad it's over and they
feel very satisfied. But it's a tough,
long, uphill battle?'
Savitt, seeded sixth, had a battle
in his first match. Kurt Nielson, a
future two-time finalist, extended
Savitt to five sets before losing.
Another Jewish-American player,
Australian Ken McGregor,
Herb Flam, faced Savitt in the semi-
finals. Savitt, who had never beaten Savitt's opponent in the Wimbledon
Flam, trailed 1-6, 1-5 in the second -final, was "a serve-and-volley player,"
set. "It looked like he was gonna win says Savitt, "but made quite a few er-
rather easily?' he says. But Savitt rors. For me, that year, he was a good
rallied to win the second set 15-13 — guy to play in the finals!' Savitt, with
there were no tiebreaks at his steadier, all-court game won 6-4,
Wimbledon then — and won the next 6-4, 6-4. On the final point, Savitt
two sets to reach the final. Flam "was recalls, "He came in (to the net) on a
a great player," says Savitt. "He was serve or approach shot. I hit a
a finalist at the U.S. (Championships) backhand down the line by him for
at Forest Hills in 1950. He was na- the match. I threw the racquet real
tional intercollegiate champion, na- high in the air and was very elated!'
Savitt says that little notice was
tional clay court champion."