Rider Still Thinks He Will Land With a Team

Isaiah Rider again has worn out his welcome with an NBA team.

The talented, troubled guard didn’t even make it through a season with the Atlanta Hawks, who waived him Friday night after he showed up late for a game against Boston. Despite being let go from the third team in his career, Minnesota and Portland being the others, Rider remains confident he’ll find a job somewhere.

“I’m not worried about who wants me,” Rider said during a rambling diatribe after a 114-90 loss Friday to the Celtics.

According to Rider, the Hawks killed a trade with Miami because they didn’t want him going to a contending team. Rider also claimed teammates Dikembe Mutombo and LaPhonso Ellis went to the NBA with unfounded charges of marijuana abuse by Rider. “I don’t turn people in. I don’t work for the police,” Mutombo said.

In Cleveland, Miami Coach Pat Riley conceded that he spoke with Atlanta about a trade but didn’t sound all that interested in Rider, who was leading the Hawks in scoring at 19.3 points per game.

“Yeah, we had some discussions,” Riley said at the shoot-around before Saturday night’s game against the Cavaliers. “Everybody did.”

Now, even if Rider were signed by a team, he wouldn’t be eligible for the playoffs.

Rider came to the Hawks in August with a troubled reputation, going back to his first pro practice with Minnesota in 1993, when he showed up late. He has feuded with coaches and been convicted for marijuana possession and assault.

The Hawks realized they were taking a major gamble when they dealt Steve Smith, one of the league’s most respected players, to Portland for Rider and Jim Jackson. But General Manager Pete Babcock pointed out that the team still has Jackson, now the team’s top scorer with a 17.4 average, and additional cap room for next season.

Rider was making $5.4 million in the final year of his contract.