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Powerful parents Moms, dads join today's stars in the spotlight
This postseason has seen the stars of the NBA come out to shine, and several of them have brought their parents along. Vince Carter's mom, Allen Iverson's mom and Shaq's dad have all been part of the proceedings. Carter's mother even called out the Raptors' Charles Oakley when he criticized the Toronto All-Star for not stepping up his game in the first round series against New York. That never would have happened in the old days, mainly because the media wouldn't have approached the parents for remarks. The media played a different role then, and the parents have much more exposure today. While it's obviously different from those days, there are some benefits to this kind of involvement. It shows that the parents care and that the players care, which sets a good example for the younger fans. The kids see that the players are close to their parents, and moms and dads see other involved parents. It's a trend that isn't likely to go away any time soon. If members of the media feel they can get someone to say something unusual, they'll go after them.
An old dog learns a few new tricksA lot has been made of the positive changes Iverson has gone through this season, but Sixers head coach Larry Brown made some big adjustments as well. Iverson has been truly remarkable, showing a great competitive spirit and a tremendous work ethic, but Brown certainly earned that Coach of the Year award.
Because of his training at North Carolina under Dean Smth, Brown has never been comfortable with one guy being the focus of the offense. Remember, Smith was "the only man who could hold Michael Jordan under 20 points." A lot of people -- myself included -- never thought they'd see the day Brown would put so much of his offense in one player's hands. Brown also had to adjust to Iverson's unwillingness to come out of games. This was a major problem between the two in the past, and it's another case where the coach adjusted to the player. Brown coaches around it now; he knows he's going to leave Iverson in the entire game unless he gets in foul trouble. But Iverson is smart enough to stay out of foul trouble, as the great ones do.
Head coach clock is ticking in Portland, ClevelandThe Blazers and Cavs are on the clock, and the ticking is getting louder. Most organizations like to have their head coaches in place before the Chicago pre-draft camp, which starts June 5. The camp gives the new coach and the general manager a week together, looking at the players and getting a feel for each other. In fact, almost everybody involved in a team's basketball operations will be in Chicago, so it's a good idea to have a head coach there, too. Of course, there have been times when teams have waited until after the draft. And it looks as if that's what may happen with Portland and Cleveland, particularly since Del Harris took his name off the Cavs' short list, deciding to remain an assistant in Dallas, where he's probably well paid and under very little pressure. Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN/SI's This Week in the NBA.
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