Sparrow Becomes a Role Model

The journey was long, but Rory Sparrow finally found a home.

After a decade of bouncing from the New Jersey Nets to the Atlanta Hawks, from the New York Knicks to the Chicago Bulls, Sparrow landed in Miami.

The National Basketball Association expansion city grabbed him as a free agent in 1988 and made him feel like a star.

As the senior member of the Heat, Sparrow enjoyed status and respect. People overlooked his limitations as a point guard, accepting his mediocre shooting and modest foot speed.

Heat fans focused on the positive aspects. They were impressed by Sparrow’s leadership and feel for the game.

At 32, nearing the end of a career that covered more rugged terrain than smooth expressway, Sparrow settled down.

“They made a commitment to me,” Sparrow said. “They told me to start building my home.”

On June 27 Sparrow’s world fell apart. He was attending an NBA Players Association meeting in Hawaii when he bumped into a tourist -- the mother of former Sacramento Kings guard Randy Wittman -- who told him he had been traded to the Kings.

“In retrospect, there was bitterness,” Sparrow said this week at the Kings’ Yuba College training camp. “I didn’t expect a trade. They hadn’t said anything at all.”

Sparrow will return home when the Kings make an abbreviated trip to Boca Raton, Fla., for an exhibition game Sunday against the Heat at Florida Atlantic University.

The trade forced Sparrow back into the role he thought he had escaped, the role of NBA nomad.

Since joining the Nets as a fourth-round draft pick from Villanova in 1980, Sparrow had been traded, waived or released seven times.

Now the cycle is beginning again. Sparrow has landed on a new, rebuilt team with an uncertain future.

The Heat made a calculated decision to trade Sparrow. In simple language, he was too old.

Despite assurances there would always be room for Sparrow in Miami’s heart, the Heat was impressed by the progress made by rookie guard Sherman Douglas last season. Douglas, 24, made Sparrow expendable.

When the Kings offered to trade a second-round draft choice for Sparrow, the Heat accepted. Miami’s risk was rewarded when guard Bimbo Coles was still available with the 40th pick of June’s draft.

The Heat instructed the Kings to draft Coles on Miami’s behalf, gaining a young point guard while sacrificing Sparrow. The Kings didn’t like losing Coles, but they were eager to acquire an experienced guard like Sparrow.

“We had our eyes on three veteran guards, but Scotty Stirling swore by Rory,” Kings coach Dick Motta said. “He said Rory would be perfect for us, with the right mentality, attitude and work ethic.”

Stirling, the Kings’ scout, was general manager of the Knicks when Sparrow played in New York. Stirling bubbled with praise for Sparrow, noting, “You can’t go wrong with him.”

Sparrow is part player, part teacher. The Kings have four rookies and five free agents in camp. Rookie guard Travis Mays, a former shooting guard, is making the switch to point guard.

“Travis is going to school on Rory,” Motta said.

Sparrow’s value extends beyond his tutorial talents. With his working-class skills and experience, he is ideally suited for Motta’s half-court offense and physical defense.

But Sparrow isn’t ready to concede the starting job to Mays. A collision with Byron Irvin’s elbow split Sparrow’s lip Tuesday. After seven stitches, Sparrow was back in uniform Wednesday but avoided contact.

Sparrow is trying to make the best of his circumstances with the Kings. His contract expires next summer. He hopes to win a new agreement and stay in the league for another few years.

“This team is a lot different than Miami,” he said. “Here, we have two All-Star caliber guys in Wayman Tisdale and Antoine Carr. They’re capable of scoring when we need it.

“In Miami, we would play hard but couldn’t finish. I took a lot of last-second shots.”