It cannot be easy to be a native New Yorker whose birthday falls on September 11th…but that is AJ Wynder’s lot in life. Born on 9/11/64 in the Bronx, he helped lead Fairfield to back-to-back NCAA tourney appearances in 1986/1987. He spent almost a decade in the CBA but got to live the NBA dream by playing 6 games with the Celtics in 1991. He won a silver medal at the 1995 Pan Am Games and later became a super-successful head coach at Nassau Community College. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with AJ about a near-death experience and being a great 3-PT shooter. Today is AJ’s 57th birthday so while we understand that it is a somber day let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!
You played at St. Agnes High School on Long Island, where 1 of your teammates was future Florida coach Billy Donovan: what was Donovan like as a teammate, and did you ever think he would have the success he has had as both a player/coach? He was a gym rat and a hard worker so I always knew that he would be a successful player. A lot had to do with the fact that he was a bit pudgy, but after getting to Providence and seeing Rick Pitino take over he became “Billy the Kid”. He was a very unselfish player: I was the 2-guard while he was the PG.
In 1982 you started your career at UMass, but you injured your knee after only 2 games and almost died after being stabbed by a woman’s jealous boyfriend, then decided to transfer to Fairfield: how close did you come to dying? I believe my blood pressure was 40 over 0 but I was never unconscious. By the grace of God I am still here so I just take it day by day and make the best of it as a coach.
In the 1986 NCAA tourney your team had a 1st-year head coach and a school-record 24 wins: how close did you come to beating Illinois? It was a tough game: we were right there for 30 minutes before their depth took over. They had a couple of pros on that team including Ken Norman. I had always dreamed of playing in the tourney as a kid and we just hoped that we could pull off a Cinderella-type upset.
In the 1987 MAAC tourney title game your team trailed by 18 PTS with 13 minutes left in regulation but you scored 16 PTS including a jumper at the end of regulation to send the game into OT en route to a 3-PT win over Iona: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? I have very fond memories of that game because it put us into the NCAA tourney. We had a few down moments during the year, including my best teammate breaking his hand and another teammate having his mother pass away. I will always remember my shot to send it to OT. We were a small school but it seemed like we had 200,000 people cheering us on that night!
What are your memories of the 1987 NCAA tourney in Indianapolis (after telling a reporter that all you had to do was stop Steve Alford and Daryl Thomas, you scored 15 PTS in a loss to eventual-champion Indiana)? They were a bulldozer that rolled right over us. They had been upset by Cleveland State in 1986 so Coach Bob Knight made sure that would not happen again in 1987. To lose to the eventual champions is nothing to be upset about. I am really close with Keith Smart today after we played together in the CBA, even though I did not know him at all back then. There was a capacity crowd at the Hoosier Dome and I remember hearing a huge cheer when Knight walked out of the tunnel because Hoosier Nation loved him. It was just part of the journey and a great experience for me.
In 1990 you played 6 games for the Celtics: were you thrilled to realize your dream of making it to the NBA, or disappointed that you only played 6 games, or something in between? During the course of my time I was excited but I was also trying to compete and work hard. It was not until after it was over that I was able to reflect on it. I did not just want to be there: I wanted to play and make a name for myself. It was a job, not just a fairy tale, but I am not bitter about it.
You played 10 seasons in the CBA before retiring with the 2nd-most steals and 3rd-most assists in CBA history: how did the CBA compare to the NBA? The 1 thing I say is that we never had a night off. You never knew which NBA scouts were in the stands and the competition was pretty grueling. It is a fine line between the CBA and NBA and we would face guys like John Starks/Mario Elie. I remember reading about Chris Childs getting a 6-year/$24 million contract: I played against him several times. The travel was the biggest difference: the Celtics were a 1st-class organization. The CBA helped prepare me for what I am doing now so I would not trade it for anything.
You spent 2 of those 10 years as a player/assistant coach with the Tri City Chinooks: why did you decide to accept the double-duty, and how were you able to make it work? My great friend Calvin Duncan and I had played together in Cedar Rapids. When he took over as head coach in Tri City he decided to make me his assistant due to my basketball IQ and leadership as a PG. I felt that if I took that position then the NBA would not be looking to call me up, but Calvin made me realize that it would ultimately improve my resume.
As a member of Team USA at the 1995 Pan American Games in Argentina, the host nation’s Diego Osella made a game-winning layup with 1 second left to beat your team in the opening game, then they beat you again in the final to win the gold medal, but you set a USA Basketball record for 3-PT accuracy that still stands (8-12 3PM): what is your secret for 3-PT shooting, and did Argentina just have your number that spring? Argentina has the most loyal fans that I have ever seen in international competition. Their fans sing “ole, ole, ole, ole” for the entire game: I could barely hear myself think! We called ourselves “Team Nightmare” because we were just a bunch of NBA wanna-bes rather than the Hall of Famers who played for the “Dream Team”. I remember some great CBA players like Alphonso Ford who turned down the chance to play for the US because they were worried that they would miss their chance to get called up to the NBA, but when they gave me an invite it took me about 1 second to say yes. I was never a great shooter but if they left me open then I would take it. I got to represent my country and win a silver medal, which is very special to me, but our goal was to win a gold medal.
In 1997 you became head coach at Nassau Community College, where you have never had a losing record: how have you been able to have so much success as a coach? All successful coaches have good players. We do not give out scholarships or have dorms, so at a D-3 JUCO school I just sell my players on the opportunity of ending up at a 4-year school. I have been fortunate to have kids who work hard and execute our style of basketball by getting up and down the court and playing tough defense. We do not take anything for granted and try to win every time that we step onto the floor. My ultimate goal is to win a regional/national title. I do not know if a 4-year school would be for me: I like the security/stability I have here after chasing the dream as a player and living out of a suitcase for a decade. I am happy for Billy…but when much is given much is required. I am happy for all the millions that he makes but I am not envious: we went in 2 different directions and people still respect me for what I have done. I just want to do everything in my power to be the best coach I can be and give my players the tools to be successful in life.