Dennis Rodman knows he had a head, er, hand in the suspension and fine that Los Angeles’ Nick Van Exel got for shoving referee Ronnie Garretson this week.
Van Exel was fined $25,000 and suspended seven games for his actions. Rodman was fined $20,000 and got a six-game suspension for head-butting referee Ted Bernhardt the last time the Bulls were in New Jersey.
“The league’s hands were tied,” Rodman said. “They had no choice. If they had given him $10,000 and three games, I would have had a fit. The league had to make a statement and I had to be the guinea pig. Now, whoever touches the referee, it’s got to be six games or more.”
In the running? The name of Bulls assistant coach Jim Cleamons is being tossed around as one of many possible replacements for New Jersey Nets coach Butch Beard, who is expected to lose his job at the end of the season. Heading the long list is Kentucky coach Rick Pitino. Cleamons’ contract is up at the end of the season. Teams intersted in Cleamons must wait until then to talk to him.
“The only thing I can do is wait and see what happens,” Cleamons said. “At the end of the year, hopefully some opportunities will be there. But right now, I’m happy with the Bulls.”
Cleamons thinks Beard should get another shot next season, especially because the Nets unloaded stars Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson. They’re still a game ahead of their pace last season.
Lights, cameras, action I: A crew from David Letterman’s “The Late Show” showed up at the Bulls’ shootaround Thursday to try to put together a “Top 10 List” involving the Bulls, but the deal fell through. Letterman also wanted to tape a skit in which Rodman took off his hat and scared the talk-show host with his hair color.
Lights, cameras, action II: A television crew from ABC’s “Nightline” will follow the Bulls until they reach the 70-win mark for a feature on that milestone’s significance.
