Embry Says Athlete’s Character Is as Important as His Ability

Professional sports teams now must be as concerned about athletes’ personal habits as they are about their athletic abilties, the general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers says.

“I think it’s a shame that the purity of sports has disappeared to the point where we have to be concerned about the individual’s personal habits,” Wayne Embry said.

Embry said the Cavaliers are a young team and that the team will be looking for players to shore up its roster in the upcoming National Basketball Assn. draft. However, he said players will be subjected to scrutiny of their personal habits as well as their athletic abilities.

Embry said the Cavaliers, who pick seventh in the draft, would love to have an opportunity to pick Navy’s David Robinson, but he noted Robinson probably would be the first player selected.

“If all the other teams don’t want David Robinson, we’ll be glad to have him,” he said.

Embry said the Cavaliers will spend the next month preparing for the draft by examining the backgrounds of the players in which the team is interested. While he praised the play of this year’s rookies, he said the team needs more veteran players, such as Phil Hubbard, who can provide leadership on and off the court.

Embry said the team was not satisfied with only 31 victories this season. But given the youth of the team, “we don’t know how much progress we’ll make next year.”

Embry said society is to blame for many of the problems experienced by today’s athletes. He said many schools exploit athletes by concentrating only on their contributions to athletics at the expense of their educations.