The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1996 Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Azzi

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Jennifer Azzi about winning an NCAA title in 1990 and a gold medal in 1996. Today marks the 24th anniversary of her scoring 3 PTS in her 1996 Olympic debut in a win over Cuba in round-robin pool play.

You grew up in Tennessee: what made you choose Stanford? It is obviously a great academic school but I really did not know much about Stanford at all. Back then it was not known as a basketball school by any means, and when I started getting letters from Stanford my mom (a teacher) and dad were both very excited and really encouraged me to take a leap of faith. It was Coach Tara VanDerveer’s 1st year so we were her 1st recruiting class. They really believed in her vision and kind of helped me see that as well. I was looking at Stanford like, “Well, they are terrible, but I love basketball”. I also saw it as an opportunity to play right away, be part of something special, and build a program.

In the 1989 NCAA tourney you set a record with 9-11 3PM, and your 45.2 career 3P% remains among the best in NCAA history: what is the key to making shots from behind the arc? Shooting a lot, no kidding. It is about getting up a lot of reps and practice, practice, practice.

Take me through the magical 1990 NCAA tourney title game in Knoxville: It was interesting because Tennessee was supposed to be there but they got beat by Virginia. We played Virginia in the semifinals, which was a really good thing for us. It was sold out with 20,000 fans and thank God that Tennessee was not there: not that we could not have beaten them but it set a very different vibe. For 4 years, but certainly during my senior year, our mission was to win a championship: period. Everything we did, talked about, and ate: all of it was going towards winning a championship. When you get into that final game you do not really know how you are going to feel. I remember being very nervous talking to assistant coach Julie Plank but she said, “Hey, if you are nervous then just look at your teammates because they really need you”. That kind of snapped me out of it: once we all got out on the court it was like everything that we had worked for finally started to come true. We were knocking down shots, making stops, playing together, and ended up with a fantastic game against Auburn in the finals. I do not want to say that it was meant to be, but it was almost like we knew that we were going to win…and the winning started long before that moment.

What was it like to play 20 miles from your hometown of Oak Ridge in front of 20,000+ people (which at the time was the largest crowd to ever watch a women’s basketball game)? It was surreal. I kind of became the “Tennessee player” because the Volunteers were out of the tournament. We probably had more fans in the building than Auburn did just because I was from Oak Ridge, which is just down the street. A lot of the town came to the game so it was an exciting environment.

You scored 16 PTS in a 7-PT win over Auburn to clinch the title, win tourney MOP, and finish 32-1: how close did you come to going undefeated, and what did it mean to you to win a title? We were so close. When we played Washington at home we beat them by around 40 PTS, then went up to Washington a week or 2 later and we lost by 3 PTS. However, it was the best thing that ended up happening to us. It was better to lose that game and realize, “Hey, we are not above being beaten if we are not doing things correctly”, so I think that we learned a lot from that loss. You hate it when it is actually happening but then it ends up being the best thing for you in hindsight.

You were a 2-time All-American and 1990 national POY: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? It never meant anything: not to be rude to the people that give out awards but basketball is all about the team. I think that the greatest joy in the sport is when you are a great teammate and when you make each other better and then build a team and are successful together. Even as a coach, 1 of the hardest things for me to get players to understand is that it is not about them but rather about our team’s success. We all had that during my senior year: we were all 100% about the team.

You graduated as the Cardinal’s all-time leader in both AST (751) and STL (271): what is the key to being a great PG? You have to be a giver and understand how everyone else on the court is thinking/feeling. You certainly have to know the game and have the skill set to do it, but I think to be really good at it you have to understand people. I think that was a strength of mine that I did not fully understand until I started coaching. There were some things that I did naturally that I had to sometimes teach people after becoming a coach. When I see the natural people skills in someone, I think they have a chance to become a really good PG.

After going 52-0 in the lead-up to the 1996 Olympics you went 8-0 with team USA in Atlanta: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? It is not unlike winning a national championship because you work for a long period of time to get there. The 1992 Olympic team won a bronze medal so USA Basketball paid us all to stay home and train together for 18 months leading up to the 1996 Olympics. They could cut any of us at any point so when you have an Olympic gold medal hanging over someone’s head you know that everybody is going to be doing all the right things (including workouts) while they are away! There was great accountability to work hard during that 18 months. We certainly had the best athletes and the best overall basketball players but I do not think that we had the best team chemistry at the 1992 Games (or even at the 1994 World Championship game) so it was a big deal that everybody really, really was 100% committed.

You played pro basketball for several years both in the US and abroad: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? International basketball takes place during a different season so you can play the regular basketball season there and then join the WNBA during the summer. Obviously playing over here you get a chance to play with both Americans as well as players from other countries, but when you play overseas a lot of times you are limited to just 2 Americans per team so you do not always know what you are getting. It has to be a really good organization. Both were great experiences but for different reasons: to be able to play in the US was a dream come true for all of us who did not grow up with that.

In 2000 as a member of the Utah Starzz you led the WNBA with 93 FT%: what is your secret for making FTs? I stayed after practice throughout my professional career: I shot all the time. I do not think there is any other key: if you shoot a lot then you can become a good shooter. However, I broke my hand at the beginning of that season and was out for 6 weeks, which was bad because the season is not that long. I remember the very 1st game that I played: I was just praying at the free throw line that the ball would get to the basket because I was coming back from a broken hand. I also learned the importance of the power of your mind, but only in combination with the work behind it. I had been shooting forever so I did not necessarily need all of the reps that I had taken in the past. If you have done it enough then your body will remember how to do it even if you step away from it. I know it is a cliché but it really is like riding a bike: you could go 10 years without riding a bike and then get on a bike and be able to ride it. However, if you want to always be good at it then you always have to do it. Steph Curry is always in the gym and the guy is an amazing shooter. I think that being in the gym a lot and shooting a lot keeps your mind right. The day before a game I would take around 1000 shots, which keeps it fresh. You do have to go get a lot of reps up. I tell players that they have to get bored to get better: you really have to shoot a lot if you want to become a good shooter.

In 2009 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? I am glad that we have a Women’s Hall of Fame: it puts the game in a really good place and is a great way to honor the game and all of the wonderful people who were part of it. However, it is kind of an individual award. I am appreciative of it and I think it is great, but at the same time I feel like it is also a product of all the great players/coaches/experiences that I had in the game.

You spent 6 years as head coach of the women’s basketball team at San Francisco: how did you like the job, and what do you hope to do in the future? Being able to teach all of the things that I have learned gives me great satisfaction. I think that coaches are teachers so to be able to help our team get better brought me a lot of joy. Just the same as when I was playing, I think what drives me is improvement. It is a constant: I told our team all the time that until you stop playing you never arrive. There is always something else to get better at. The better you get, the more you want to try something different and continue to push yourself and grow. I think that players have to be receptive too: I can tell them that if they want to play professionally then here is the road map…but it is still up to them to physically do it. I think sometimes that is a challenge in coaching: you know what it takes but you are not the 1 doing it. You are trying to get someone to do things that you did or try something different, but fundamentally your success comes through other people’s motivation. That can be really challenging at times, especially for someone who is highly motivated, but when you have players who want to be really good it is exciting. It has been interesting to have this career path because basketball has provided me with so many opportunities. I would love to stay involved in the game no matter what because it is such a great game. I have had great experiences working with the NBA and some other things before coming to USF so who knows what the future holds, but basketball will always be somewhere in there.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Pat Williams about 1992 Olympic gold medalist Chuck Daly

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Pat Williams, co-author of “Daly Wisdom: Life Lessons from Dream Team coach and Hall-of-Famer Chuck Daly” about his longtime friend winning a gold medal in 1992. Today would have been Daly’s 90th birthday so we are proud to celebrate his memory.

Daly made 3 Finals 4s from 1963-1966 as an assistant to Vic Bubas at Duke, won Ivy league titles during each of his 1st 4 years as head coach at Penn from 1971-1974, and even though he left the college game in 1977 he was responsible for recruiting all 5 starters on the Quakers’ 1979 Final 4 team: how good of a college coach was he, and why did he decide to eventually make the leap to the NBA? He was a longtime high school coach and did not get into college coaching until he was in his 40s. He was the key guy for Bubas, who saw something in him. He paid his dues before succeeding Bob Cousy at BC in 1969 and then taking the Penn job. Billy Cunningham replaced Gene Shue as 76ers head coach in 1977 and Billy said he wanted Chuck to be 1 of his assistants. I sat down with Chuck and he said that he was interested so we signed him for $35,000. He would always tease me about that later on but I told him that he chose to take it. He learned the ropes from Billy and became head coach of Cleveland a few years later, but it was a disaster so he returned to Philly and joined our broadcasting crew before Jack McCloskey gave him another chance in Detroit, which led to his marvelous run.

In Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals as coach of Detroit, Larry Bird stole Isiah Thomas’ inbound pass and found Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup with 1 second left in a 1-PT win by Boston: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of his career? I would think that it was very painful and has to be right at the top. The Pistons had a wonderful collection of talent and started to earn their way and grow as a team…and it eventually paid off.

In Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals Thomas scored a Finals record 25 PTS in the 3rd quarter despite a severely sprained ankle but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made the game-winning FTs with 14 seconds left in a 1-PT win by the Lakers: how close did the Pistons come to winning 3 straight titles? Extremely close! That would have put him in very rare air with the Celtics/Bulls. I think that 1988 set the stage for the next 2 years after learning from that loss.

In the 1989 NBA Finals they swept the 2-time defending champs to clinch the title: what did it mean to him to win a title? It is hard to put it into words but it means the world to any coach/player. All they talk about is wanting a ring, which he finally got.

In Game 5 of the 1990 NBA Finals Vinnie Johnson made the title-winning shot with 0.7 seconds left to cap a 9-0 run in the final 2 minutes of a 2-PT win at Portland: did that win elevate him into another level of coaches (as he became the 5th NBA coach to ever win back-to-back titles)? To come back and do it again was very special. It definitely put him in rare air and put him in a position to coach the Olympic team. The greatest tribute to Chuck was his ability to get along with his players. He had such a magnetism about him to work with people no matter how famous they were. All of his players liked/respected him even when he got on them.

He made the playoffs during each of 9 years in Detroit from 1984-1992: how was he able to remain so consistent despite having a team full of big personalities including Bill Laimbeer/Rick Mahorn/Dennis Rodman? The great John Wooden once said that you cannot win without talent. The key to his success at UCLA was talent, talent, talent…but not everybody can coach talent because it is not an easy task. That would also describe Chuck: talented players can have issues and be very independent thinkers and demanding. He had the ability to convince these guys to sacrifice part of their individual success for the good of the team, which is a very rare quality. Chuck once told me that he was not a coach but rather a salesman. He sold the players on sacrifice, then sold the press so that they would sell the fans.

He coached the Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics: what did it mean to him to win a gold medal, and do you agree with those who consider it “the greatest sports team ever assembled”? Yes: there was nothing quite like that team and there never will be again. When you put 11 of the best players ever on a single team it was absolutely magical. I think that Chuck was the only guy who could have coached that team: the players respected his success in Detroit and he looked the part. He was taller than people thought and had the best hair in the world: it was just spectacular! He was also a magician with his wardrobe and always looking for that next suit or the perfect tie. I went shopping with him 1 time and it was like going with the world’s expert. He was very particular about his clothing/cologne: you smelled him before you saw him and I never saw a single hair out of place. He just looked like a coach/prince and took great pride in that. He never had a bad-looking night and was just the right guy at just the right time. If that Olympic experiment had not gone well then I do not know what the future would have held for him.

Was there any friction between him and his star PG after Isiah was left off the Dream Team despite helping lead the Piston to a pair of titles just a couple of years earlier? Chuck never talked about that but I know that Isiah absolutely adored him and had great respect for him. Chuck mentioned 1 time when the Pistons were struggling and during a timeout he turned to Isiah and said, “What is it you do best?” Isiah said, “I lead” and Chuck responded, “Well then _____ _____ lead!” The point was that Isiah was the leader of the team as a talented PG and Chuck was giving him the authority to lead. Chuck always listened to his players: if someone said they could get open in a specific spot then he would try to make it happen. When Chuck was an assistant in Philly Julius Erving would tell him where he wanted the ball and Chuck listened to him. He was not so stuck in his genius: he would listen to the guys who were out on the court.

In your book you share many insights from Daly: how do you think that he compares to other visionaries like Walt Disney/John Wooden? Now you are talking about 2 of the greatest leaders of all-time. When you study every coach in the history of sports you have to rank Wooden #1, and Disney is clearly the #1 entertainment mogul of all-time. When you look at the best NBA coaches ever you are looking at Red Auerbach/Phil Jackson/Gregg Popovich/Pat Riley…and Chuck is among them.

He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1994, inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 2006, and in 2010 he was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame for the 2nd time as coach of the Dream Team: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? As a very solid NBA coach who led the Dream Team to a gold medal. He also was a developer of coaches who came under his tutelage and went on to have good careers due to his mentorship. He was a beloved husband/father and is missed by all. The entire basketball world was at his funeral: it was a veritable who’s who of basketball people, which is the ultimate tribute.

If you would like to read Pat’s book about Daly then you can find it at: www.amazon.com/Daly-Wisdom-lessons-hall-famer/dp/1599321637

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews Andy Landers about 5-time Olympic medalist Teresa Edwards

Posted on July 19, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Hall of Famer Andy Landers (her college coach) about Teresa Edwards, who remains the only American basketball player to have competed in 5 Olympics (from 1984-2000). Today is Teresa’s birthday so allow us to be the 1st to wish her a happy 1!

Teresa was born/raised in Cairo, GA, where she was named 1982 high school state POY: how did you recruit her to Georgia? That was a totally different time with a different set of rules: alumni could have contact with players so we employed the entire Bulldog nation to reach out to her. There were no limitations on how often we could see her play so we were in Cairo a lot during her junior/senior year. It boiled down to us/Auburn and we were able to keep her at home.

In the 1985 NCAA title game she fouled out with 13 minutes left in a 5-PT loss to Old Dominion (who tied a Final 4 record with 57 REB): where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career, and do you think that the game would have turned out differently if she had not fouled out? That was a really unusual game. ODU was excellent but so were we. We built a double-digit lead in the 1st half but in a matter of seconds it seemed like there were 3 straight plays where my frontcourt players each drew their 3rd foul with 6 minutes left in the 1st half. We played them even throughout the 2nd half. Teresa drew her 3rd/4th fouls early in the 2nd half and when I pulled her for 1-2 minutes ODU started to come back. I do not think Teresa had fouled out of a game since she was a freshman because she was a very smart player so I decided to put her back in early rather than let ODU take the lead. ODU had a fast break that became part of our end-of-the-year highlight reel. If you look at the camera angle from under the basket Teresa did not even touch the other girl so I was right. It was a gut-wrenching loss and looking back I just scratch my head at all of the fouls that were called. If Teresa had not fouled out then I think that we would have won. I just watched the “Last Dance” and Teresa is so much like Michael Jordan because they are both all about winning. Most kids come into college and have never had a chance to talk to the media and get some attention: Teresa just came to compete and was the greatest competitor to ever lace up a pair of basketball sneakers. Some nights she scored and other nights she would rebound/pass: she did whatever it took to win.

She was a 2-time All-American: what did it mean to her to receive such outstanding honors? I think it pleased her later in her career but she was driven to be the best version of herself that she could be. That is just the way she is wired. The accolades constantly reinforced that she was on the right track: there was never a celebration when it happened but she simply took it in stride. She was the same age as Cheryl Miller: 1 was from a small town in Georgia that was known for making pickles and another was being chauffeured around in a limo to appear on Johnny Carson’s talk show! I love Cheryl, who was the best player in the nation as a freshman/sophomore…but Teresa was the best as a junior/senior. She had a crazy love for competition. I remember a bus trip to play South Carolina State on a Thursday night. On the ride home I asked her why she would rather take a beating then win an easy game by 60 PTS: she said that she wanted to play against the best. She hated games that got out of hand…unless we were beating a very good team. She was the same way during practice: she made every drill a challenge for everyone else as if her life depended on it. She was a coach’s dream! I remember a drill where 1 of our freshmen kept letting people go past her in line…because she did not want to go against Teresa. That is the atmosphere she helped create.

After college she spent almost a decade overseas before playing a few years in the ABL/WNBA: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball in other countries? When she went overseas she was regarded as the best player in the world. She rode that for 4-5 years and then her college teammate Katrina McClain became the best player in the world. There was big money overseas back then, even more than the pros make today.

In November of 1997 she set a record for the most PTS in a women’s pro basketball game in the US by scoring 46 PTS (16-27 FG/5-10 3PM) in addition to 7 REB/7 AST for Atlanta in a 5-PT win at Seattle: what was her secret for being a great scorer? As a college freshman she was strictly a scorer but later became a much better shooter. The reason she could put big numbers on the board was that she could pick you in the backcourt, and when she did that with her blistering speed it turned into a layup. She might do that 4-5 times/game if she figured her opponent out early: picking off passes and stripping the ball away. She knew when to pull up and when to go baseline and was an excellent FT shooter: she checked all of the boxes. Her size/speed/strength made her an extremely hard matchup. In most games she probably affected 46 PTS: she might score 26 PTS…while also getting 10 AST…while also blocking shots and not turning the ball over. You do not have a single question about her defense but she was very disruptive to the other team. The beauty of Teresa is that she did not have to shoot well to play well: some of her best games involved her scoring only 14 PTS but screwing up the other team’s strategy on the defensive end.

She is a 4-time Olympic gold medalist and remains the only American basketball player to have competed in 5 Olympics (Teofilo Cruz/Andrew Gaze/Oscar Schmidt have all played in 5 Olympics for their own countries): what did it mean to her to represent her country, and do you think that anyone will ever break her record? She called me during preparation for her 2nd Olympics and asked me to attend the Olympic Trials. We were a pretty good match because I was only interested in seeing her be the best she could be. She asked me how I did after 1 practice and I told her that she was so freaking good. She laughed and hugged me and said that she had been waiting 4 years to hear that from me! I could not see it while I was coaching her but did once I got to enjoy it as a spectator. It was huge for her to play in the Olympics and the meaning changed for her every 4 years. The 1st 1 was important to the town of Cairo that nobody really knew about. The town got together to fly her mom to LA. I remember watching her during the national anthem before the 1st game: I was crying. Her nickname growing up was “1-Bone” because she was so skinny. It was important for her to show that kids from small rural towns could dream about something and make it come true. The 2nd Olympics meant a lot and she was ready to contribute. She knows what the expectations are and she was able to compete/win. The 3rd/4th Olympics were about doing it again. She gave a speech in her hometown during the 1996 Olympics: that had to be 1 of the proudest moments of her athletic career because she had earned the respect not just of the USOC but of the world due to her play in the previous 3 Olympics. She would have to tell you herself what her 5th Olympics meant to her. A lot of people took it for granted but she had to earn her way onto that team as an “old lady” and prove that she could still do it: it was not a given.

In 2000 Sports Illustrated named her the 22nd Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century: how proud are you of all that she has accomplished? I was blessed to have spent 4 years with her during college. To know where she came from and her story and the truth about her: I could not be any prouder. Everyone knows about stars like Miller/Diana Taurasi but maybe 1 of the lesser-known Olympians is Teresa. She was not there for the glory: postgame interviews were not important to her and she never self-promoted. I think she was ranked as the 60th-best PF coming out of high school or something stupid like that. She worked on her strength and developed her skills: it was not a blessing but a challenge that she accomplished.

She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010/Naismith Hall of Fame in 2011/FIBA Hall of Fame in 2013: where do those rank among the highlights of her career? I think that you know as you are coming down the stretch that you are in “landing mode” and will be finished in 3-4 years. I think she started to appreciate other people’s appreciation of what she had accomplished. I think it validated in her mind that she was able to be the best. At the very least the best version of herself, but in my view the best competitor to ever play this game.

She spent several years as a WNBA assistant coach: did you ever think that she would become a coach, and do you think that it is hard for Hall of Fame players to become coaches? It depends on the player but there are some challenges for great players depending on their story. Some players have natural gifts and become frustrated with players who do not have similar gifts or cannot read the game/compete like they did during their own playing days. The challenges become even greater when coaching players at your previous position. It also depends on the level: I never thought that she would coach in college because she was not into recruiting. She was not a good recruiter when she was here because there is no fluff in her: she would be more liable to walk into the dorm and just ask them if they wanted to come here.

When people look back on her career, how do you think that she should be remembered the most? For people who played with her/coached her/know her, she will be remembered as a person who understood/embraced the highest levels of competition: she created those levels. Taurasi/Sue Bird are getting close to playing in 5 Olympics but for the longest time I did not think anyone else would be able to do it. If you look at her international resume she played in about 20 tournaments and probably 80% of them resulted in gold medals. We might end up thinking of her as the most “golden” of anyone who has ever played.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1972 Olympic silver medalist Jim Forbes

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Jim Forbes about playing in 1 of the most controversial basketball games ever. Today is his 68th birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!

In 1970 you were an All-American at Bel Air High School in El Paso: what made you choose UTEP? UTEP had the best program/coach of any school who was recruiting me. I remember them winning it all in 1966 and they were the best fit.

You played for Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He was a strict disciplinarian, which I knew going in, so I knew that it would not be easy. I liked his no-nonsense approach to everything.

You played for team USA at the 1971 Pan American Games: which of your teammates impressed you the most (Bob McAdoo/Paul Westphal/other)? I was impressed by both of them: they were both great players and proved that during their NBA careers. They also became good coaches.

You were not originally selected to be a member of team USA at the 1972 Olympics: how did it feel to get added after John Brown came down with an injury, and did it help that Haskins was 1 of the USA assistant coaches? Brown had played for Coach Hank Iba so it was difficult to make the team. I tried to stay in good condition and see what happened. John got hurt and I got a call.

Terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes/coaches just a few days before the gold medal game: how was your team able to stay focused in light of the tragedy that took place in the Olympic Village? That is a difficult question that requires a difficult answer. It was extremely hard to stay focused and a lot of people thought that the Olympics should have just been called off. Words cannot describe the tragedy but some people thought that if we just went home then the terrorists would have won. The ultimate decision was made for the Games to go on so we just decided to stay and compete.

The US suffered its 1st-ever Olympic loss at the hands of the USSR in the gold medal game by a score of 51-50: who do you blame the most for the controversial loss (Bill Walton for not playing, Hank Iba for using a slow tempo, the Secretary General, the timekeeper, the refs, other), and why is no medal better than a silver medal? I have never heard the question asked that way. Walton was the premier player of our era and 1 of the best ever but I will not criticize him and I respect his reasons. I will also not second-guess my coach for his style of play: had the game ended the way it should have then nobody would have questioned the tempo. To accept the silver medal would also be acceptance of losing that game and we felt that simply did not happen. It was a tough decision but as a group we knew that we had legitimately won a gold medal. The Soviet players felt that way as well. If you re-watch the game we did not play very well and the Soviets had a great team so they were not just going to melt once we walked onto the floor. I give credit where it is due but we were also well-coached. Everyone has their points but that is just how I feel.

In the spring of 1974 you were drafted in the 4th round by Chicago: how bad was the knee injury that kept you out for an entire year? The day I got drafted I was sitting in my apartment with a swollen knee. The draft was not televised back then but I like watching it on TV now. When we flew back from the Olympics I hurt my knee but I had no idea of the extent of the harm, which later required 2 surgeries. I was surprised to get drafted because I knew how bad my knee was: I was glad to get drafted but was not expecting it.

You later spent 3 years as an assistant to your former coach at your former school: how did working for Haskins compare to playing for him? Playing and working for him were 2 different things. He was a tough taskmaster both to play/work for but I learned so much during my time there.

You won 650 games as a high school coach and in 2018 Riverside High School named its gym after you: what is the key to being a good coach? It takes a few years to find out who you are, which is fine, but you also need to adapt to the changing times. I had to adapt to new techniques/strategies/rules as well as new players. I remember when Michael Jordan 1st started wearing an earring: coaches used to not accept that but eventually they learned to deal with it because as long as kids still work hard it is fine. Our offensive/defensive sets have not changed that much over the past few decades. The bottom line is can you put the ball in the hole and stay behind someone. We can pat ourselves on the back as coaches but kids still have to play/execute while you give them a little free reign on the floor.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? As a guy who played as hard as I could for as long as I could. As a coach I tried to be honest with my players and did the best I could for the team.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 2-time Olympic gold medalist DeLisha Milton-Jones

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with DeLisha Milton-Jones about winning a pair of gold medals in 2000/2008. Today marks the 20th anniversary of her very 1st WNBA All-Star game appearance in 2000.

(photo credit: coastalcourier.com)

You were born on 9/11: how has that tragic day in 2001 affected your own life (if at all)? It is ingrained in everyone’s mind as a horrific moment in American history. Whenever I mention my birthday it always make people gasp/apologize but I tell people that I am not sad about it because the entire world came together to unite even though it was for a sad cause. It definitely changed my birthday for sure.

You have an 84” wingspan: how much of an advantage did your long arms give you on the court? That is true and it gave me a tremendous advantage. It allowed me to be more versatile in terms of who I could defend from point guards to centers, which allowed me to have longevity in the game. When I grew my fingernails out that would give me an extra inch or 2 to try to block an opponent who was 6’5”. It also got me in trouble sometimes because I was quirky/awkward growing up and would accidentally knock things over or poke someone in the face! If I stuck my arm out straight and someone was coming full speed then it would cause my elbow to get hyperextended a couple of times.

In the 1994 NCAA tourney as a freshman at Florida you had a 2-PT upset loss to #13-seed Texas A&M: do you think that you would have won the game had you not been forced to play on the road due to a Rod Stewart concert?! I definitely do because we were a tough team to beat at home with our fans supporting us. I immediately said to myself that I would never like any of Rod’s music: he is on my blacklist for the rest of my life!

In 1997 you were named SEC POY and won the Wade Trophy/Honda Sports Award as the best player in the nation: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I never played for awards: I just tried to play as hard as I could for my coach. She believed in me and allowed me to better my situation so I would run through a titanium wall for her. I achieved a lot that year and was proud of that: the SEC had great players like Dominique Canty at Alabama/Chamique Holdsclaw at Tennessee so it said a lot about my growth in the game.

You won a pair of Olympic gold medals with team USA in 2000 and 2008 and a pair of World Championship gold medals in 1998 and 2002: what did it mean to you to win all of those gold medals, and how frustrating was it to miss the 2004 Olympics due to injury? It means the world to me: USA Basketball will always remain near and dear to me and helped set me apart as the crème de la crème. You need the right attitude/ability to be part of that. I definitely feel that 2004 should have an asterisk by my name: it was a low moment in my life and to see Ruth Riley win my medal after I had sacrificed for 3 years hurt deeply.

You won back-to-back WNBA titles with LA in 2001/2002: what did it mean to you to win a pair of titles, and where does Nikki Teasley’s series-winning 3-PT shot with 2.1 seconds left in the 2002 WNBA Finals against New York rank among the greatest clutch shots that you have ever seen? Winning back-to-back title with the Sparks while the Lakers were also hot was great: the city was vibing on a different frequency and it was a lot of fun. We knew that New York was going to focus its attention on Lisa Leslie but we had go-to players all over the floor. Teresa Weatherspoon helped off of Nikki a little bit and she hit a shot that was heard all over women’s basketball. It was a dagger and even bigger than Spoon’s 50-footer in the 1999 WNBA Finals.

In 2005 you became 2nd woman ever to coach a men’s pro basketball team when you took over the ABA’s Los Angeles Stars: what is the biggest difference between coaching men vs. coaching women? This will sound bad but I am telling the truth. Women are tough/resilient and have instant loyalty. We naturally are pleasers and will do whatever it takes to make the coach happy. The men are gifted athletically but sometimes it hinders their game because they do not see the game in its beautiful form below the rim and will just try to jump over/through someone. Women see the execution/timing of the play, which I admire.

In 2015 you retired as the WNBA’s all-time leader with 499 career games played: what is the secret to having such a long career in pro basketball? The main thing is to take care of yourself and be someone who other people want to have around. I garnered a lot of respect from my teammates/GMs and they knew that I had a genuine love for the game/passion for people. I had my head on straight and took pride in being a pro. I invested in myself by getting a massage every day, going to a chiropractor 3 times/week, and having meals that were scientifically prepared after hearing that Kobe Bryant did that. It paid off big-time for me: 16 of my 17 years involved playing year-round and the only 1 that was not is the 1 where I tore my ACL. I could score X amount of PTS every night but took less shots so that we could win games: that was the most important thing for me.

Last April you were named head coach at Old Dominion: how has the coronavirus affected your new job either on or off the court? It has had a huge effect. I am a hands-on person and love communicating/hugging so it has really thrown a monkey wrench into the entire mechanism. I prefer face-to-face but am trying to make the most out of it: even interviewing for the job virtually was weird but I like to be myself organically.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I want people to remember me as someone who did it the right way: with humility/passion/compassion/love. I am tough but the foundation for everything I do is love. I really studied my craft and played a part in growing the game by helping those who came after me.

Are there any thoughts you would like to share about everything that has been going on in our country recently (George Floyd/protests/police/other)? I am wrapped up with so many different emotions after seeing everything taking place. The death of George is the straw that broke the camel’s back. I know that there are good police officers out there but justice has to be upheld for the incidents of cowardly people who use aggressive force. They need to be held responsible in every police department: we need to rewrite the script and go back to the days when they served/protected rather than instilled fear. I am sick and tired of it and want us all to become better human beings because underneath our skin we are all the same.

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The Olympians: HoopsHD interviews 1976 Olympic gold medalist Steve Sheppard and his college coach

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Jon Teitel

The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Steve Sheppard and his college coach Lefty Driesell about Steve winning a gold medal in 1976.

You were nicknamed “Bear”: who gave you the nickname, and how did you like it? Steve Sheppard: My friend Kenny gave it to me during the 5th grade after he moved from the Bronx to Queens. Lefty Driesell: We had a big fan with a big voice so whenever Steve came into the game or did something he would just yell out “Bear”!

You were born/raised in New York City: how did you end up in College Park? SS: 1 of their assistant coaches came up to NYC to recruit me: he talked about playing on national TV in the ACC against teams like UNC. When I came down on my visit it was great to walk into a beautiful arena like Cole Field House. Lefty talked about also playing against teams like UCLA and I was thrilled by that. As soon as I got out of high school I went to Hawaii with Tommy Henderson: we had played together as kids but after looking at their schedule/players I thought about it and decided to leave. LD: He was a great player in NYC. I think that he actually signed with Hawaii and went there in the summertime but did not like it. He called me up and asked me if he could come to Maryland and I said yes. He and Adrian Dantley were 2 of the best players in the country but played the same position. I tried to get both of them but I am unsure if they ever discussed it with each other.

In the 1975 NCAA tourney you beat Creighton/Notre Dame before losing to Louisville: how close did you come to making the Final 4? SS: It was a very close game right up until the end when they broke the game open in the final minutes thanks to Phil Bond even though he was not their main guy. LD: Louisville ended up losing by 1-PT to UCLA in OT so that could have been us. They had Junior Bridgeman, who played really well against us.

In 1976 you were named to the All-ACC Tournament 2nd-team: what kind of home-court advantage did you have while playing in Landover? SS: Not much because we had only played there a couple of times previously. It was more like a neutral court. LD: I thought that we had a great team but we did not make the NCAA tourney because back then you had to win the ACC tourney to become eligible.

You made the 1976 Olympic team: how much pressure was there on the team after losing to the Soviets in 1972? SS: To be honest we were not really thinking about the Russians: we were just going there to win. I did not care who we played: when the game was over I did not cling to it and just cared about who we played next. LD: Dean Smith was the coach and he picked Steve because he played so well for me despite coming off the bench as a substitute. He could have chosen anyone in America but I remember Dean telling me how impressed he was with Steve giving us a lift. He probably averaged more PTS off the bench (16-17 PPG) than anyone else I ever coached.

What did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? SS: It was definitely a privilege to be on that team. I used to hold camps and told the kids that marching into the stadium while they played the national anthem was a heck of a feeling. To be a kid from the Bronx among the best athletes in the world was outstanding. As a kid I would watch “Wide World of Sports” and after winning a gold medal I finally fit into the category of the best athletes in the world. LD: I am sure it was great. He was not a very good student during high school: I asked him how many hours/day he spent studying and he did not understand what I meant. I had him room with John Lucas who was a very good student and had a father who worked at a school. As a senior Steve was named Academic All-ACC. I had had some Rhodes Scholars before but not many of them have been named Academic All-ACC. When he told me that he was thinking of getting his Masters’ degree rather than going to the NBA, I almost fainted!

In the summer of 1977 you were drafted 30th overall by Chicago (8 spots behind Norm Nixon): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? SS: It was sort of disappointing to go in the 2nd round but I got hurt during my senior season and did not come back until the ACC tourney so it was a little bittersweet. I had a 2-year guaranteed contract to play with my idol Tiny Archibald in Kansas City while Chicago offered me no guarantee. I wish I could have played with Tiny: I knew him from childhood and it would have been a better deal for me. Had Jerry Sloan got the coaching job the very next year it would have been great but Larry Costello got the job instead and it was not the ideal situation for me. LD: I am sure that it meant a great deal to him even though he did not become a star in the NBA. Everybody liked/respected him, especially the people who had to guard him.

You played 2 years in the NBA and then 3 years overseas: how did pro basketball compare to college basketball? SS: The big men were bigger/better/quicker: they were more agile and could jump higher. LD: He was small for his position. He was an inside player like Dantley: he was a great rebounder and did not often shoot from outside. They both played hard and were mean/tough, which allowed them to rebound inside and then score on put-backs. I dreamed of having both of them on my team.

Since retiring from basketball you moved back to Prince George’s County to work for the school system and coach basketball: could you have imagined back in your playing days that you would get into coaching? SS: I like the kids and try to help fulfill their dreams. Most of the kids at my camp were not listening and did not work hard: they just came to play for fun or their parents made them come, unlike the kids at a specialty camp who really wanted to be good. LD: Yes: he knew the game and always played so hard. To average 9 RPG off the bench was just incredible.

When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? SS: I was a real hard-nosed player and when I stepped onto the floor I was definitely serious about what I was doing. We were enemies on the court until the game was over. I do not watch the game now because I have seen so many guys destroyed by basketball when it does not work out. I always had the attitude of doing something totally different when my time was up: I would not even go to a game if they gave me free tickets. Even at the camps I would hardly touch the ball besides doing a quick demonstration: I let it go and that was it. LD: I am proud of him for making Academic All-ACC. He rebounded hard for a 6’6” forward and we won 65 games during his 3 years here: I always judge a guy by how many games he won. He definitely should have his jersey hanging up in the XFINITY Center: he played on a pair of top-15 teams and won a gold medal. He was a great young man who earned his degree.

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