Weisbrod says home vandalized around time of McGrady trade

BY JOHN DENTON
FLORIDA TODAY

ORLANDO -- John Weisbrod knew turning around the Orlando Magic would be a difficult task, but never did he count on having to deal with the external issues that have arisen of late.

Weisbrod, the Magic's general manager since March, has twice received written death threats at his home in suburban Orlando and was forced to retreat to a hotel last week and check in under an alias.

The first incident happened on June 17 -- one week before the NBA Draft -- when a written note threatening Weisbrod's life was taped to the front door of his house.

The latest incident happened June 30, the day the Magic officially traded superstar Tracy McGrady and three others to the Houston Rockets for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato. Vandals wrote threatening messages on the glass front door of Weisbrod's house with some sort of marker.

"I get harassing correspondence all the time, but when it starts happening at your house, that raises the bar to a different level," Weisbrod said. "Getting e-mails is one thing, but when they start writing on your house with paint, that's totally different.

"I guess this is kind of par for the course. The trade was an emotional issue and a public issue, but really you wouldn't think it would have gone this far. But I guess there are always going to be wackos out there."