The Only Color Involved in This Case Is Green

The Sprewell case is about dollar bills, the millions he just blew. That’s how he finally found it in his heart to say he was sorry to Carlesimo. His ATM card suddenly generated that message: “Insufficient funds.”

His case is also about anger management. Poor guidance. Stupidity.

It is not, however, about race, despite the insinuations the past few days from San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and Sprewell’s agent, Arn Tellem. . . .

The NBA has been good for everyone involved, from its millionaire white owners to its millionaire black players. It doesn’t want to blow that like Sprewell blew his top, hence the stiff punishment it issued.

What Latrell Sprewell did was so out of bounds it isn’t even worthy of debate. His plea for forgiveness, however, isn’t worthy of the racial discrimination defense, either. It isn’t about black and white, after all, just green.