Charles Barkley said Thursday he will repay $400,000 in gambling markers he owes the Wynn Las Vegas, but he didn't tell the right people. Responding to a story in the Las Vegas Sun on Thursday, the NBA Hall of Famer told reporters at a golf tournament in Alabama that he would take care of the debt, according to the Associated Press. But as of 5 p.m. Thursday, he had not contacted the Clark County district attorney's bad check unit to make arrangements for restitution. The bad check unit has authority under state law to investigate unpaid casino markers in the same manner as bad checks. Chief Deputy District Attorney Bernie Zadrowski, who runs the bad check unit, said Barkley has to make arrangements to repay not just the debt but also a 10 percent fee -- $40,000 in this case -- that will go toward funding the bad check unit. Otherwise, Barkley will face felony charges.
Several core Warriors are convinced owner Chris Cohan is considering paying off ($5.1M) Don Nelson rather than risk a players' rebellion next season. That gloomy forecast is largely based on how downbeat last season ended. In the second half of the Warriors' elimination-from-playoff-contention loss (next to last game) at Phoenix, Nelson benched Baron Davis - purportedly because his offense backfired (2-13) in the opening 24 minutes. He did not play in the second half, as if a franchise player never shot blanks only to rediscover his stroke of genius in the final 24. The night before the game, Versace held a reception for Davis in Phoenix that was scheduled to last from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. It was not a party, underlines a Warriors official, yet it was referred to in that sense by the Arizona Republic the next day. Numerous observers, me included, were convinced Nelson disciplined Davis for "partying" the night before such a big game after he was unable to find the range in the first half.
Suns owner Robert Sarver summarily disqualified (campaigning) Eddie Johnson, Vinny Del Negro and Tom Chambers as coaching candidates when asked about his three Suns' employees on a Phoenix radio station. Confirming desert reports, Mark Jackson will meet with president/GM Steve Kerr and senior VP David Griffin today in Los Angeles. I'm informed there are no plans to reach out to Avery Johnson. Contrary to projections about a lengthy search, it appears management's list is rather condensed. Pistons assistant Terry Porter yesterday huddled with Kerr and Griffin. Kurt Rambis will get his turn after Jackson. Kerr looks up to Phil Jackson, whom he played for in Chicago. Rambis is a Lakers' assistant and exhibits a similar free spirit.
Donnie Walsh's disinclination to volunteer the name of the European coach he interviewed regarding the Knicks' job, notwithstanding, a source reveals it was Italian (but of course) Ettore Messina, whose CSKA Moscow team won the European Championship two weeks ago in Madrid.
Isiah Thomas is living the life. While Mike D'Antoni was being introduced at a Garden press conference Tuesday, Thomas was far, far away - scouting in Europe, The Post has learned. According to a source close to Thomas, president Donnie Walsh dispatched Thomas last week to France and Italy. Walsh wanted him to scout two lottery possibilities in Danilo Gallinari and Nicolas Batum.