Cadle calls for rule change

Basketball

DUNCAN HOOPER

The London Towers coach, Kevin Cadle, is calling for American players to be excluded from salary cap restrictions, claiming the move would boost the quality of domestic players in the Budweiser League and the national team.

Cadle, the American former national team coach, said: "We are never going to compete with top European clubs until we have the quality of American players to match theirs."

Orlando Woolridge, who played for Buckler Bologna in last month's McDonald's Championship, earns $500,000 (pounds 325,000) a season from the Italian club. Budweiser League clubs are restricted to a total salary bill of around pounds 100,000 for their entire team.

Cadle, speaking during the two-week league break for England's European championship games, said: "There is no need to restrict the amounts clubs pay to their Americans.

"There are so many to choose from that clubs aren't in competition to sign them. Domestic players will improve just from playing alongside better Americans and that will also help the national team. Attendances would also be boosted, which will help pay for them. Imagine what it would do for a club to have a player like Woolridge turning out every week."

n Hakeem Olajuwon became the 21st player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points and only the ninth to also have at least 10,000 rebounds. The Nigerian who plays for Houston reached the 20,000-point plateau in 833 games, the 13th-fastest in league history.