Orlando Magic's GM Recieves Death Threats

[mrtonguetwista]

By Tim Povtak |  Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted July 7, 2004, 5:52 PM EDT

Orlando Magic General Manager John Weisbrod doesn't have time to worry about the death threat messages left at his home last month in the wake of the controversial trading of star Tracy McGrady.

And if he had to do it over again, he might not have told anyone about the threats, hoping they would fade quicker that way.

"I honestly, genuinely don't even think about it now. It's not something I'm worried about,'' Weisbrod said. "In all likihood, it was just some quack.''

Weisbrod, who is orchestrating a major reconstruction of the roster, first found a type-written note on his front door June 17, threatening his life if McGrady was traded. Then on June 30, the day McGrady was traded, someone scribbled a follow-up threat - UR DEAD -- on his glass front door with a grease pencil.

He has received no threatening messages since, he said Wednesday.

Although Magic officials notified the Orange County Sheriff's Department after the first note, no official report was filed until Wednesday when news of the threats became public. After he found the original note, Weisbrod crumpled it up, then went to dinner with draft prospect Emeka Okafor.

"We didn't want to make a big deal about this. We tried to handle it without doing a report,'' Weisbrod said. "I didn't want to draw any attention on myself, and away from the business at hand. I've moved on to free agency now.''

Although Weisbrod lives alone, law enforcement authorities advised him to stay at an area hotel for a couple days after the second note. He also spent a weekend at the home of Bob Vander Weide, Magic president.

The crumpled letter has been placed in an evidence file, and the sheriff's department is continuing to investigate, now considering the possibility of surveillence close to Weisbrod's home.

"Not trying to make a serious issue not serious, but I don't consider it too realistic,'' Weisbrod said. "It's just not a big deal to me. I've got too many other things here going on.''

Weisbrod, who stepped into the job of general manager in March, traded McGrady and three other Magic players to Houston in exchange for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato, a trade that has received mixed reaction from Magic fans. He also made the debatable choice to take high school star Dwight Howard as the No. 1 pick in the draft instead of Okafor.

"I'm accustomed to receiving negative correspondence, but usually it's at the office,'' he said. "So you could say, this was a little disconcerting, but everything is back to normal now.''

McGrady, who is from nearby Auburndale, joined the Magic as a free agent in 2000. He quickly became the Magic's most popular player, one of the most popular in history. He led the NBA in scoring the last two seasons, but when the Magic struggled, he quickly became the scapegoat.

"All incidents of threats are serious,'' said Carlos Torres, spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. "We're taking this seriously.''

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