Eddie Griffin dies in car wreck.

[jn]

Sad to say but this isn't surprising.  I'm sure when the toxicology tests come back they will find alcohol.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2985307

[westkoast]

Was just about to make this thread.  RIP.

I personally have never understood people that drink and drive.  Especially when they make enough money to rent a limo each time they want to go out.

[Lurker]

Was just about to make this thread.  RIP.

Always tough to hear of someone dying...but then Griffin's approach to life would make one wonder when not if he was going to "crash & burn".

I personally have never understood people that drink and drive.  Especially when they make enough money to rent a limo each time they want to go out.

Tell that to Sprewell who is struggling to feed his children...and just had his $1.5 mil yacht repossessed.

Report: Spree's yacht 'Milwaukee's Best' seized
ESPN.com news services

Former NBA star Latrell Sprewell had his yacht repossessed by the bank holding the loan on the 70-foot, $1.5 million vessel, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported Wednesday.

According to the report, a U.S. Marshal armed with an order from U.S. Magistrate Judge William E. Callahan Jr., seized the yacht, the "Milwaukee's Best," in Manitowoc, Wisc., about 80 miles north of Milwaukee on the shore of Lake Michigan.

The bank has claimed in federal court that the owner, LSF Marine Holdings, a company run by Sprewell, has failed to make monthly payments of $10,322 in a timely fashion and has not maintained the necessary insurance on the vessel, according to the report.

The bank wants the "Milwaukee's Best" sold to pay off the $1.3 million it says is remaining on the loan, according to the Journal-Sentinel.

The newspaper said it could not reach Sprewell for comment.

Sprewell last played in the NBA in 2004-05 with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He famously turned down that team's three-year, $21 million contract offer, telling a reporter for the Star Tribune of Minneapolis: "They're not doing anything for me. I'm at risk. I have a lot of risk here. I got my family to feed. Anything could happen."

Sprewell, a swingman, played 13 seasons in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Timberwolves, averaging 18.3 points per game.

[jn]

As I've thought about this a bit more I have to wonder if this was an accident.  Griffin was obviously a depressed man.

[rickortreat]

What I can't understand is, why didn't Minn. get him professional help?  Going into a clinic is a start, but for an NBA player- he needed a handler someone to watch over him, keep him out of trouble and remind him that drinking was bad for him.

So many NBA players come out of a bad environment and all of a sudden come into more money than they know what to do with.  It makes sense for teams to have a staff of people to help these young players to deal with the all of the opportunities and dangers that come from being suddenly wealthy.

There must have been 10,000 decent families in Milwaukee that could have adopted Eddie, helped him develop more middle-class values, respect for oneself, restraint when it comes to drugs and alchohol, etc.

The NBA has chased a lot of decent players out of the league because they couldn't live as adults.  Roy Tarpley would have been a great player, if he could have stayed away from weed.  Such a sad story. 

[msc]

I'm with you jn, I don't think this was an accident.  Eddie clearly had deeper mental problems than just the usual running in to a bunch of money at an early age and getting in to drugs and alcohol. 

[WayOutWest]

....live as adults.

End of story, just cause you make a ton of money doesn't mean you get to be excused from adulthood and get pampered like a 4 year old.  Tough shyte, happens everyday, I'm tired of EXTRA sympathy just cause he's famous or rich.

[rickortreat]

....live as adults.

End of story, just cause you make a ton of money doesn't mean you get to be excused from adulthood and get pampered like a 4 year old.  Tough shyte, happens everyday, I'm tired of EXTRA sympathy just cause he's famous or rich.

It's not sympathy, I just think it's a waste that could have been prevented.  Teams win because of the players they get. Each player is an investment by the team.  If a player has talent, it behooves the team to make sure they get the help they need.

Most people have no idea what's coming down the road with this economy.  A lot of people are going to loose their homes because they took on more than they could paying that nut every month.  They should have known better, and the lenders should have known better than to loan money to someone who COULDN'T EVEN MAKE THE DOWNPAYMENT.

You tell me, who is at fault, the buyer for borrowing, or the lender for lowering his standards to allow that person to obtain a mortgage?

I remember writing about California real estate a while back and everyone said no, no, California is different.

Somehow, saying I told you so, just doesn't seem to cut it. 

[Derek Bodner]

End of story, just cause you make a ton of money doesn't mean you get to be excused from adulthood and get pampered like a 4 year old.  Tough shyte, happens everyday, I'm tired of EXTRA sympathy just cause he's famous or rich.

On the flip side, these are kids that, at 19 years old, are asked to be faces of franchise and have a TON of responsibility, meanwhile most college kids at 19 are out partying on their parents dime, skipping classes and getting stoned.

I think sometimes we forget that.  Just because these kids are rich doesn't mean they're NOT kids.  We expect them to be fully matured adults when they enter the league, and that's just not always reality.

While there was obviously that altercation at Seton Hall, everything I've read about Eddie these past few years has been that he's obviously got issues, but that he's a good kid.  Seemed the heart was in the right place, but the head wasn't.  Such a shame.

[westkoast]

End of story, just cause you make a ton of money doesn't mean you get to be excused from adulthood and get pampered like a 4 year old.  Tough shyte, happens everyday, I'm tired of EXTRA sympathy just cause he's famous or rich.

On the flip side, these are kids that, at 19 years old, are asked to be faces of franchise and have a TON of responsibility, meanwhile most college kids at 19 are out partying on their parents dime, skipping classes and getting stoned.

I think sometimes we forget that.  Just because these kids are rich doesn't mean they're NOT kids.  We expect them to be fully matured adults when they enter the league, and that's just not always reality.

While there was obviously that altercation at Seton Hall, everything I've read about Eddie these past few years has been that he's obviously got issues, but that he's a good kid.  Seemed the heart was in the right place, but the head wasn't.  Such a shame.

Better yet some of them were never raised right in the first place and a lot of them were never disciplined at all.  I've watched plenty of quality sports stars at Mater Dei and local high schools get pampered beyond belief.  Something happens, a coach finds a way to cover it up.  Or an alum.  Maybe even the principal.  There was always someone to get them out of bad situations so why would they think otherwise?  Not to mention having a bunch of yes men and woman who are friends or family members trying to do anything they can to live through that player.

You guys remember Jamal Sampson?  He played for the Lakers for about 15 seconds.  Perfect example of being handed everything at a young age in high school.  I witnesses it first hand.

[jn]

Rick,

The Wolves not only helped get Eddie in touch with John Lucas and his substance abuse program, they also sent him (at Eddie's request) to rehab and the team trainer provided the anti-alcoholism drug Antabuse.  There is only so much you can do for an adult even when they want to change, which Griffin apparently did.   

[msc]

You tell me, who is at fault, the buyer for borrowing, or the lender for lowering his standards to allow that person to obtain a mortgage?

The buyer for borrowing.  We all have to be responsible for our own actions.  Just because a lender will gladly enable you to overleverage yourself doesn't make it a good idea.   

[Lurker]

You tell me, who is at fault, the buyer for borrowing, or the lender for lowering his standards to allow that person to obtain a mortgage?

The buyer for borrowing.  We all have to be responsible for our own actions.  Just because a lender will gladly enable you to overleverage yourself doesn't make it a good idea.   

Exactly.  Or put another way...who is at fault:  the heroin addict that robs you or the pusher who won't sell on credit?

[WayOutWest]

You tell me, who is at fault, the buyer for borrowing, or the lender for lowering his standards to allow that person to obtain a mortgage?

The buyer for borrowing.  We all have to be responsible for our own actions.  Just because a lender will gladly enable you to overleverage yourself doesn't make it a good idea.   

Exactly.  People commit suicide all the time jumping off the Golden Gate bridge, so is it the bridge builders fault?

[WayOutWest]

On the flip side, these are kids that, at 19 years old, are asked to be faces of franchise and have a TON of responsibility, meanwhile most college kids at 19 are out partying on their parents dime, skipping classes and getting stoned.

I think sometimes we forget that.  Just because these kids are rich doesn't mean they're NOT kids.  We expect them to be fully matured adults when they enter the league, and that's just not always reality.

While there was obviously that altercation at Seton Hall, everything I've read about Eddie these past few years has been that he's obviously got issues, but that he's a good kid.  Seemed the heart was in the right place, but the head wasn't.  Such a shame.

Derek,

You are making my point exactly.  Do you have any idea how many non-famous or non-rich KIDS face 10X worse situations?  Where the F are all the apologist for them?