Bell: 'I don't want to go back to Milwaukee' - Detroit Pistons Fan Community

buddahfan · #1 (**permalink**) 09-16-2007, 01:12 AM

Quote:

By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer
September 15, 2007

Restricted free-agent guard Charlie Bell said Saturday that he does not want to return to the Milwaukee Bucks this season.

"They told me they were going to take care of Mo Williams and that they would take care of me, but they haven't," Bell said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I'm either going to sign an offer sheet with another NBA team, or I'm going to accept a great deal to play in Greece.

"I don't want to go back to Milwaukee. I'm really disappointed in how this has turned out, but I don't see any way I could play for the Bucks again because my heart just won't be in it."

Bell signed a two-year contract with Milwaukee in August 2005 after leading the Spanish League in scoring, averaging 27 points for Breogan, the previous season. He played in all 82 regular-season games for the Bucks in 2006-07, averaging 13.5 points and 35 minutes.

The 28-year-old Flint, Mich., native helped Michigan State win the 2000 national championship but went undrafted. Bell played for the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks in 2001-02 and then spent three seasons in Italy, leading all scorers in 2003-04 with 25.5-point average for Livorno.
The Bucks signed Williams, a point guard, to a six-year, $51.5 million contract in July.

Bell: 'I don't want to go back to Milwaukee' - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

jammertime · #2 (**permalink**) 09-16-2007, 01:16 AM

It looks like no one wants to play for the Bucks.

himat · #3 (**permalink**) 09-16-2007, 01:35 AM

He'll get an offer from another team.

**max** · #4 (**permalink**) 09-16-2007, 03:49 AM

What happened to that team anyway? They were making the playoffs and then last year the bottom fell out.

Bell is fortunate that he got that huge deal out of them that he is comming off of. Probably will have to settle on 1/3 of that from another team.

jslove1408 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-16-2007, 12:38 PM

No one wants to play for the bucks because they get no fan support compared to any other team. The only sport in Wisconsin that gets attention is football. You go to a sporting goods store in Wisconsin and you will see an unreal amount of packers stuff and maybe 1% of anything else for any other team.

buddahfan · #6 (**permalink**) 09-16-2007, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jslove1408

No one wants to play for the bucks because they get no fan support compared to any other team. The only sport in Wisconsin that gets attention is football. You go to a sporting goods store in Wisconsin and you will see an unreal amount of packers stuff and maybe 1% of anything else for any other team.

No Badger stuff in sporting goods stores in Wisconsin?

I find that very upsetting!!

buddahfan · #7 (**permalink**) 09-17-2007, 06:53 PM

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Heat sign Bucks' guard Charlie Bell to offer sheet
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer

September 17, 2007

MIAMI (AP) -- Restricted free-agent guard Charlie Bell signed a $18.5 million, five-year offer sheet with the Miami Heat on Monday, and now will wait to see if the Milwaukee Bucks choose to match that deal.

The 6-foot-3 Bell has made it clear in recent days that he wants to play for the Heat, who were foiled in a bid earlier this offseason to woo guard Mo Williams away from the Bucks. Bell averaged a career-high 13.5 points in a breakout season last year for Milwaukee, making 64 starts.

"It's been a very long and drawn out process this summer," said Bell's agent, Mark Bartelstein. "And Charlie is at the point where he's kind of broken his emotional ties to the Bucks."

The Bucks have seven days to match Miami's offer.

"I hope they don't match it," Bell said Monday afternoon i n a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "The Bucks said they didn't have this kind of money and didn't want to give me a long-term deal, so I would hope they stick to what they said and let me go... I'm really thankful Miami stepped up."

Bell signed with Milwaukee two seasons ago after averaging a league-best 27 points for Breogan of the Spanish League. He went undrafted after helping Michigan State win the 2000 national championship, played briefly with Phoenix and Dallas before spending three seasons playing in Italy.

He also had an offer from a Greek team, but South Florida is where he wants to be, Bartelstein said.

"He feels very strongly about it and his mind is made up," Bartelstein said.

Williams was Miami's top point-guard pursuit this summer, but could only offer him a deal worth about $31 million. Milwaukee easily topped that to retain Williams, giving him a six-year pact worth $51.5 million.

Bell's status, meanwhile, remained in limbo.

"I had a really bad summer because of how all of this went down with Milwaukee, so I don't want to be there," Bell said. "I don't think I could give my all to the Bucks anymore, so I hope they respect that."

And with training camp starting in two weeks, Bell hopes his wait is now over.

"The last thing Charlie or I want to do is be disrespectful about this," Bartelstein said. "But he signed the offer sheet with Miami, not with Milwaukee, and there's a reason for that."

AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this report.

Heat sign Bucks' guard Charlie Bell to offer sheet - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

BillLaimbeer · #8 (**permalink**) 09-17-2007, 08:44 PM

That would be funny if Milwaukee matches the offer.

coynejeremy · #9 (**permalink**) 09-18-2007, 03:09 AM

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Originally Posted by BillLaimbeer

That would be funny if Milwaukee matches the offer.

It would make for great soap opera.

**max** · #10 (**permalink**) 09-18-2007, 05:09 AM

I would not want a guy like that on my team. What does he have to gain by blasting the team that gave him a chance in this league.