The Other Dream Team Page #4

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but really dealt with the very highest

levels of the Soviet government,

we weren't in a position to do that.

Basically a free agent signing

just like you would

any American player or European player.

The difference was

he was behind the Iron Curtain.

They just told us,

"You can't have a conversation

"inside Sarunas' apartment

because it's bugged. "

So never did we ever talk about anything

inside the apartment.

After a while he told me, he opened up,

he said, "By me walking

around with you in public,

"a westerner, an American,

"people associate that with money

"and I'm putting myself in danger. "

Exposure to western lifestyle

is what Soviet sports bosses worry about.

They have watched

the enormously popular Garry Kasparov,

World Chess Champion,

thumb his nose at the sports establishment.

I used all opportunities

given by the glasnost

and perestroika for my fight.

Kasparov comes and goes as he wants.

One of the only Soviets who can.

Other sporting chiefs will be very slow

to allow their athletes his kind of freedom.

We were with Garry Kasparov

the night before Sarunas was going to

basically take on the establishment.

Sarunas knew the odds

and he was doing something

that could cost him his career.

And Garry said right there to his

face, he said,

"Sarunas, tomorrow you're gonna be one

of the richest men in our country,

"free to pursue your professional dream,

"or you're gonna be in Siberia. "

I remember walking in,

I guess it would have been

the Sports Ministry in Vilnius,

and I never saw Sarunas

so nervous in my life.

The five Americans sat

at one side of the table,

and there must have been

15-20 Lithuanians representing

all different parts of

Lithuanian government,

the Sports Ministry,

all the teams they played on.

All there really to say,

"What part of this do I get

if Sarunas goes to the NBA?"

I just remember seeing him,

he never looked up,

he looked down at the floor the whole time.

When we walked out,

he kind of grabbed my arm and he said,

"Wouldn't it be nice, this is my life,

if I could make the decision.

"But you see where I am?"

I'll never, ever, ever forget that.

Sarunas rolled the dice.

He basically read the tea leaves and said,

"The country's falling apart right now.

"If I act as an individual

and sign my own deal,

"kicking back nothing to the Soviet sports

machine that helped train me,

"but sign my own deal with Golden State,

"I'm gonna gamble that

they're not gonna come in and void it

"or put me in prison

or do anything to keep it from happening. "

And sure enough, he read it right.

The Golden State Warriors

of the National Basketball Association

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