Vin Baker Exercises Away Spirits Of Bad 1999

THE FORMER ALL-STAR, INTENT ON PROVING LAST SEASON A FLUKE, IS WORKING HARD AT GETTING BACK IN SHAPE. HE SAYS HE WANTS TO PROVE HIMSELF AGAIN IN SEATTLE.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Vin Baker, sweat dripping from his face, rests on the bench after practice at Naguabo Coliseum - its blue walls, paint peeling, contrast with the shining stars who roam the floor.

Baker, the Sonic free agent, looks across the gym and watches as Tim Duncan practices the fancy footwork that helped him become perhaps the league's best player.

Baker sees Kevin Garnett throwing down an exclamatory dunk before he steps off the court.

At 6 feet 11 and 250 pounds, Baker easily blends with the NBA superstars who make up this Dream Team.

But his nightmare of an NBA season stands out among members of the U.S. National team, which is shooting for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

"I definitely think I belong," Baker said. "I won't let one nightmare season determine the rest of my career, and I hope no one will let one season determine the rest of my career. I'm not going to let that one hold me down."

Baker is undergoing a transformation - back to his former self. After shedding 15 pounds through an exercise regimen, the power forward is starting to resemble the player who combined quickness and strength to become an NBA All-Star.

He has helped the U.S. team win its first five games of the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament of the Americas, held at Roberto Clemente Coliseum. Baker had eight points in 16 minutes last night as the U.S. beat the Dominican Republic 107-71.

"He's doing well," said Larry Brown, who coaches the U.S. team. "I think he wants to prove a point that last year was a fluke. So he's come in shape and he's playing hard. I'm proud of him."

Brown has had his U.S. team practicing since June 6. But Baker has been exercising away his demons since May, when the Sonics missed the NBA playoffs largely because of his mediocre season.

"I want to get my mind-set back to being positive," said Baker, who played on the U.S. junior team in the 1991 World Championship games. "And I think by winning and qualifying with this team, that will help."

Baker's harrowing season - his worst ever - stemmed from entering training camp out of shape. After taking a week off, the 27-year-old started an exercise regimen befitting a Navy Seal. He trained twice a day with Dwight Daub, strength and conditioning coach for the Sonics. In the morning, Baker sprinted for about 20 minutes and rode the Stair- Master for about 45 minutes.

"Right now, he's working out every day," said point guard Gary Payton, Baker's best friend on the Sonics and a teammate on the U.S. squad. "He can still go out and have fun, but he understands that he has to get up in the morning and work out, and that's what he's doing this summer."

At night, Baker shot baskets - especially free throws - before lifting weights.

"It wasn't hard because there was motivation," said Baker, who still needs to shed about 10 pounds to get back to his ideal playing weight. "I want to get back to the way I played before this season. I'm even looking forward to after the tournament, getting back to my routine."

His re-dedication to fitness came too late to prevent a 25-25 season for Seattle, which finished a victory away from the eighth Western Conference playoff spot.

"He felt that he let himself down and his teammates down," Payton said.

Baker had reasons for feeling that way, particularly after his career had reached its peak in the 1997-98 season. It was his first with Seattle after being traded for Shawn Kemp. Baker was named to the All-NBA second team as he led the league in field-goal accuracy (50.1 percent).

But his career hit a valley last season: He had career lows in shooting accuracy (45.3 percent) and rebounding (6.2 per game).

"Going to the gym wasn't fun for me," Baker said, "because I wasn't playing to my own expectations."

Early in the season, he missed 18 consecutive free throws, and he was benched during crunch time for the first time in his pro career.

He felt the most pain - mental anguish - after his second injury, a deep bruise in his right knee April 11. Team doctors told Baker he would miss the rest of the season. Baker remained in Seattle to rehabilitate the injury while his Sonic teammates were on a road trip, fighting for a playoff berth.

Sitting in his living room in Bellevue, Baker watched his teammates lose one night on television.

"I just went upstairs and started crying, because I just felt like everything wasn't going right at all," he said. "I just started breaking down. I was thinking about how the year was going, and I think that was probably my lowest point.

"I'm usually a tough person, and I fight back. But I think that was the one point where I just broke down, and everything overwhelmed me for a moment."

Baker inadvertently brought some of his misery upon himself by letting his body get out of shape.

Shortly after the 1997-98 season, Baker started practicing at the University of Hartford, his alma mater. But he was told by the players association that the season likely would be postponed.

He and Payton were supposed to represent the United States in the World Championship games last summer in Athens. NBA players boycotted the games because of the league's ties to USA Basketball. Instead of practicing with some of the NBA's best players, Baker played little basketball last summer.

"Last summer, he just ate, chilled out, chilled out and chilled out," Payton said.

Fortunately for Baker, the U.S. team was chosen before the 1998-99 season, which meant an emerging star like Denver forward Antonio McDyess was left off the team. McDyess averaged 21.2 points and 10.6 rebounds - numbers the old Vin Baker used to put up.

"I think (Baker) deserves to be on the team," said Rod Thorn, the NBA's vice president of basketball operations, who served on the committee that selected this Dream Team. "When the team was picked, he was a relatively easy pick. We tried to get people who would be a good fit.

"What would have happened if the team was chosen after the season? I can't speculate on that. He didn't have his greatest season."

Payton saw that firsthand.

He considers Baker his "little brother," and they are almost inseparable on the road. But Payton didn't give Baker much brotherly advice during his slump.

"It's all up here," said Payton, pointing at his temple. "If I'm slacking, it's not up to somebody to say something to me. Somebody can come say something to me and say, `You should work out.'

"And when they're not around, shoot, I won't get up. It's got to be on my own that I want to be better and I want to prove to people that I messed up last year and I'm still a star."

Payton's most extensive - and harshest - words came during a practice April 8. He and Baker were on opposing teams, and they started talking trash.

It escalated into name-calling, with Payton questioning Baker's toughness. Sonic Coach Paul Westphal finally stopped the scrimmage for a few minutes and urged both players to shake hands.

"That's probably the only time I talked to him about his game," Payton said. "I don't have to talk to Vin about his game. He knows how to play. He's been playing basketball since he was little."

After averaging 13.5 points last season, Baker exercised a clause in his contract to become a free agent. Instead of his value decreasing, he is looking at a maximum contract with Seattle of $87.5 million over seven years.

"We're convinced Vin will return to his form of the previous years," said General Manager Wally Walker, who flew here Thursday to visit Payton and Baker. "He's got tremendous pride. His skill level is still extraordinary, and he's just too good of a player to not come back."

Walker intends to rebuild the Sonics around Payton and Baker, in keeping with the idea that championship teams have two superstars.

Seattle last went to the NBA Finals in 1996, with Payton and Kemp. Until the Sonics have similar success with Baker, negative comparisons will follow him like his long shadow.

But Walker has no doubt that Baker will flourish once again.

In early June, Baker had a 10 a.m. flight from Seattle to Connecticut. Walker came to work at the Sonic practice facility around 7:30 a.m., and Baker was there, getting in an early workout before leaving for Sea-Tac Airport.

"When I saw that," Walker said, "I knew he would back up his words with actions."

During the offseason, Baker has mused about playing for the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat. Both scenarios are because of his family situation. Baker is close to a grandmother, who lives in Florida. And Baker always has been intrigued with returning home and playing for the Celtics. His father, James, recently discovered he had a heart ailment. Baker plans to have his father move to Seattle.

"I definitely want to return to Seattle," Baker said. "I think it's a great situation for me. Gary is my best friend, and I have unproven business there.

"That's my main motivation. To start over again, that's not what I'm really looking for."

Instead, he's looking for more than a season's worth of moments like this one: Vin Baker receives a pass on the low block, and he twirls in one motion for a layup. A hapless defender can only foul.

After the basket, Baker receives a high-five from Duncan, and Payton walks over and slaps Baker's behind.

The old Vin Baker is among the stars.