Pacers' Dale Davis Is Tardy

Dale Davis reported to Indiana Pacers training camp on Wednesday, a day late and soon to be more than a few dollars short.

The $5 million forward was fined an undisclosed amount after he failed to show up for the team's first two practices at the Disney Institute in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Davis said he did not report on time only because he had to take care of personal matters.

"The majority of it was personal," said the 6-foot-11 Davis, a starter on Pacers teams that reached the NBA Eastern Conference finals four of the past six years. "I got it straight with (team president) Donnie (Walsh) and I'm back on the page."

"I just had some personal things I had to deal with."

"Dale came to my room yesterday and said he had some personal issues to deal with," Walsh said. "We discussed it and he said he was ready to come back. I think that's it. He's in and he's under contract. He will be fined to the point where he came into camp."

"I was confused about it," Walsh said of Davis's absence. "But I give him the respect that he had personal issues to deal with."

Coach Larry Bird said he wasn't concerned.

"I'm glad he's back," Bird said. "It's always good to have him and he looks like he's in decent shape. It was out of my control. Yes, I'd like to have everybody here, but you deal with it and move on."

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