COMMENTARY
'Bad Boy' Mahorn gets the royal boot
J
Photo by The Magnificent Eye
Ma horn's brutish reputation follows him to Minnesota. The Minneapolis press has already labeled him as "The
Big, Bad Wolf."
The NBA championship party was over
before it started for Rick Mahorn.
Only two days after the Detroit Pistons
swept the injury devastated Lakers for their
first ever league title, big Rick discovered that
his former employers were shipping him to a
The suddenness of Mahorn's removal
didn't sit well with the former Hampton Uni
versity performer. He bolted from the festivi
ties faster than a light switch going off.
The 6-10, 260 Mahorn gave the Pistons
what they have never had -- a tough guy who
could bang in the paint and be the enforcer
that teams need to win championships,
*
According to the folks in the Detroit
media, Mahorn was simply caught in an odd
Situation. League rules only allowed teams to
protect eight of their 12 players from being
taken in expansion draft for factory new type
teams like Minnesota and the Orlando Magic.
After all, it wasn't likely that the Pistons
would let Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson get
away, and certainly they decided they would
n't part with back-up pivotman James
Edwards, who is the team's only true low post
scorer.
Some say that Mahorn became expend
able because of "chronic" back problems.
That's odd. Since being in Motown, the only
time Mahorn really missed a lot of time
because of the back was during the '87-'88
season when the Pistons took the Lakers to a
seventh game before losing.
Let's not forget that Mahorn was voted
Detroit's MVP by his own teammates that
year.
Oh sure, I'm not particular about
Mahorn's World Wrestling Federation style of
play. He knows how to utilize his considerable
bulk. It's an art form be picked up from Wes
Unseld. But deeper still, he has become
skilled at getting to opponents' heads. This
guy has a way of rubbing folks the wrong
way.
Yeah - there have been some elbows
thrown that produced shock waves to those
who found themselves in the way. You can say
what you want, but when Mahom created the
"Bad Boys" image, it gave the Pistons and the
city of Detroit the kind of much needed lift
they haven't felt for many moons when it
! comes to that town's sports teams.
No doubt, the Pistons wouldn't have got
I ten as far as they did without Mahom. He's the
kind of guy that fans or opponents don't care
for. But when he's on your team, you don't
mind it at all.
It will be interesting to discover if the
Pistons can remain a complete team without
their prime enforcer and earth shaker to stir
folks minds and bodies.
They're going to need some beefy mean
ness considering the tough competition they'll
face in the NBA's Central Division.
Well, Rick, at least you got your ring.
They can't take that from you.
-Craig T. Greenlee