Daniels maintains no regrets

No one has given Antonio Daniels an official explanation for the reasons behind the trade that shipped him away from San Antonio, the city he described as "the perfect place for me."

He only has a few clues, suspicions and hunches supported by innuendo, speculation and rumors.

For the real story, he said, you'd have to ask R.C. Buford, the San Antonio general manager, and coach Gregg Popovich. But they will say only that both sides parted amicably.

"He's one of the more fun people I've ever been around," Popovich said after yesterday's Spurs practice. "Just good-natured, good people, right down to the bone. He's always got a smile on his face. He's always ready to go.

"As a player, he is unbelievably athletic, really tough in transition, somebody who has learned how to play the point position. He's turned into a point guard, where he can make decisions and find open people. His shooting has improved over the years. He's just a player that's improved as he's gone on."

The description of Daniels, who along with Brent Barry, a former Sonics guard, are the linchpins connecting Seattle and San Antonio as their best-of-seven series begins tomorrow at SBC Arena, is accurate, but not complete.

It leaves out the true reasons for Daniels' departure, which Daniels said he believes began the day when a few of his friends accosted a 23-year-old man after a dispute between him and Daniels during a summer pickup basketball game.

What followed was a media circus complete with reporters camping outside Daniels' gated-community home, screaming headlines, police reports, threats of lawsuits and a tarnished reputation.

And perhaps none of that had anything to do with San Antonio packaging Daniels along with guard Charles Smith and center Amal McCaskill and sending them to Portland for guards Steve Kerr and Erick Barkley and a 2003 second-round draft pick.

But this much is certain: Before June 9, 2002, Daniels was a role-model citizen and basketball player in San Antonio, where David Robinson and Tim Duncan set the bar extremely high.

And eight weeks after that fateful day, Daniels was no longer a Spur. He would spend just one season with the Trail Blazers in 2002-03 before joining the Sonics as a free agent.

"Who knows if that [the altercation] had anything to do with it," Daniels said after Sonics practice. "That's such a clean-cut organization, and in my four years there that's the thing that I got into. And right after it happened, that's when the trade talks started to surface."

In hindsight, the scuffle appears to have been much ado about nothing.

At the time, Daniels was reticent to discuss the incident, but yesterday he acknowledged an incident ensued between Adara Davis and Daniels' friends at the Barshop Jewish Community Center in San Antonio.

Davis told police he received a 5-inch scratch across his neck, but no charges were ever filed.

"After a basketball game, me and this guy somewhat got into it," Daniels said. "Nothing really happened with me and him. But some of my boys that were at the game with me, they grabbed him. It wasn't like anybody got beat up or nothing like that, but they grabbed him. Me and Sonia [Daniels' wife], we left. I left and I went home and thought nothing of it. I thought whatever, you know. An argument, whatever it may be, and I left and went home.

"So the next day, I was sleeping in the afternoon and I got a call from R.C., Pop, our assistant coaches, everybody. They were all like, 'What happened?' And I'm like, 'Nothing. Why? What do you mean what happened?' And they told me to turn on the news, and it led the news. It was the first story on the news. That shows you how small San Antonio is."

In keeping with the city's provincial nature, the Spurs urged Daniels to conduct a news conference and apologize to the fans for his involvement in the incident.

At that time, he sensed a sudden shift in his relationship with the team.

Suddenly, his reluctance to play point guard — a stance he later abandoned — became an issue once again, as did his suspect three-point shooting. His performance during the 1999 NBA championship season and contributions in the community, such as a summer basketball camp, no longer held the same value.

The Spurs were intent on trading him, but kept him abreast of the potential suitors and promised not to deal him to a place he didn't want to be.

"Not every organization does that," Daniels said. "To me, that said first class."

Because of his graceful exit, Daniels maintains no ill will toward San Antonio, where he met his wife and where he still maintains an offseason residence.

He treasures his close friendship with Duncan, a groomsman in his wedding last year, and Popovich, whom he credits with teaching him discipline.

"He's big on that," Daniels said. "There is no being late. Defensive rotation, you make it or you come out. ... You have a job to do and you don't need to step out of it and be something that you're not. You need to be who you are and stay as disciplined as possible. That's the biggest thing I learned from him."

Those lessons in San Antonio have served Daniels well during his two years with the Sonics, where, at 30, he is the oldest player on the youngest team still in the playoffs.

"Almost everything I know about basketball, I learned in San Antonio," Daniels said. "And for that, I can never have any regrets. That place was like the perfect place for me."

Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com

Game 1

Tomorrow at San Antonio

5 p.m., TNT

Game 2

Tuesday at San Antonio

6:30 p.m., TNT

Game 3

At KeyArena

Time TBA

Game 4

At KeyArena

Time TBA

Game 5

At San Antonio

If necessary, time TBA

Game 6

At KeyArena

If necessary, time TBA

Game 7

At San Antonio

If necessary, time TBA