Admittedly, Sprewell was erratic, but he played with absolute commitment.
They didn't have to worry about Sprewell slacking off like Robinson did.
George Karl was always complaining that management never brought him players with fighting spirit, right? Didn't he miss the days in Seattle with Gary Payton? Well, now he was going to get a player with even more energy than Payton, so he couldn't complain anymore, could he?
However, as the trade talks progressed, Knicks General Manager Scott Layden made a demand that infuriated Larry Harris: "Any trade involving Latrell has to include Travis Knight (C)."
Knight was a seven-foot white center, drafted by the Lakers the same year as Kobe, then sent to the Celtics and finally went to New York with Glen Rice as part of a trade, but he didn't fit the Knicks' tactical system. He played only a few games and had to be paid four million US Dollars a year.
Getting rid of Glenn Robinson's contract surpassed many other concerns.
