AMID THE 76ERS' CHAOS, WEATHERSPOON STANDS TALL.

Byline: Bill Lyon Philadelphia Inquirer 

This is an acknowledgment. It goes to the most unappreciated athlete in Philadelphia.

His name is Clarence Weatherspoon and he is concluding his fourth season in exile, serving on basketball's version of Devil's Island.

Wednesday night Weatherspoon played in his 316th NBA game, all of them as a 76er. Feels like somebody ought to be apologizing to him for that, doesn't it? Or, failing that, at least saying thanks. As usual, though, hardly anyone noticed.

By any definition of the term, Weatherspoon has done hard time in this town. He has endured 235 defeats and has basked in the sober and muted glow of only 91 victories.

He has done all of this with barely a peep of complaint. He has shown up virtually every night. He has missed 10 games out of 326, which speaks both to his threshold of pain and to his work ethic. He has done his best and played hard even when it was hopeless, which it is most nights, and the only way you can tell he is frustrated is by his scowl, but then he seems to scowl even when he is happy, too.

The wonder is that he has not permitted all the persistent losing to grind him down. He has not given in to what other players on eternally bad teams tend to do, which is quit, take a slide and just collect a pay check. Mainly, Weatherspoon has been a professional, and you may argue that this is precisely what he is handsomely paid to do, which is true enough. But in these times of compromised values and shunned responsibility, it is worth pointing out.

Being a 76er has meant being in a perpetual state of turmoil and upheaval. This is a franchise that has had all the stability of a tree house built squarely astride the San Andreas Fault.

In his four seasons here, Weatherspoon has had the absurd total of 61 different teammates. And three different head coaches. Two different general managers. Two different owners. Two different trainers. And, soon, two different buildings.

He may or may not be here for the opening of the new arena next autumn. The rumors have had him traded almost every day since he was drafted. The fact is, he and Jerry Stackhouse are really the only marketable commodities the Sixers possess.

What is truly astonishing is that Weatherspoon says he doesn't want to leave Philadelphia. Surely the sane man would beg to be released from this purgatory, but Weatherspoon says that after spending all his days in a desert he wants to be here when the water comes and the oasis is built.

The penalty for being a good player on a bad team is to be overlooked. In fact, some of Weatherspoon's numbers will catch you by surprise.

For the second time in three seasons, he is a member of the Century Club - at least 100 each of rebounds, blocks, steals, assists and points. Only three other players in the league have done that - David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shawn Kemp. They are all - or have been - Dream Teamers. If Weatherspoon is at the Olympics this summer, he will have to buy a ticket.

I'm not suggesting that Weatherspoon is their equal, by any means. But those numbers also suggest that he is a much more productive player than we have realized. His light shines under a peach basket.

One other stat worthy of note: Weatherspoon is only the third player in 76ers history to amass at least 5,000 points and 2,500 rebounds in his first four seasons. The other two were Billy Cunningham and Charles Barkley. Again, pretty select company. And again, this is not to say that he is in their class, but it is compelling evidence that he does more than most of us are aware.

Not that he couldn't do more.

John Lucas has been on him hard this season because he is convinced that there is more there. A pro ought to add at least one new move to his repertoire each off-season and Weatherspoon has not broadened nor diversified his game enough.

At the same time, there is a mitigating factor. He has never been exactly sure what the 76ers have wanted from him. He began under Doug Moe, with the ill-fated motion offense. And then came Fred Carter, with a different approach. Followed by Lucas. Weatherspoon has been a small forward and sometimes a power forward and people have chafed because he is a classic 'tweener and is better suited to a half-court game, but sometimes they ask him to play with his back to the basket and sometimes facing it, so it is understandable if he tends to feel at sea.

The fact remains, on a team of chaos, he will be there every night. He will play his 40 minutes (which ranks him eighth in the league) and he will give a wretched team 16 points and two handfuls of rebounds, make almost half his shots and eight of every 10 free throws.

And continue to do so without recognition.

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