Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson
Avery Johnsonis an American basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team. Johnson spent 16 years in the National Basketball Association as a player, and subsequently served as the head coach of two NBA teams: the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets. He led the Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance and to three consecutive 50+ win seasons. During his playing days, Johnson was known as the "Little General" for his...
ProfessionBasketball Player
Date of Birth25 March 1969
CityNew Orleans, LA
player thinking nba
I thought I would make it (to the NBA). I believed that I would make it. But I had a Plan B. I was going to get my Master's degree at Tulane University had it not worked out. I think the pressure of making it wasn't on me as great as some other players that had no other options. I was going to do something special in life and I wanted to play in the NBA. I had a backup plan but I went full speed ahead with my Plan A.
commitment talking stronger
I've always been a man of commitment whether it was academically or professionally. But spiritually I wasn't committed. I was talking the talk and I just wanted to make that commitment. It also made the commitment in other areas of my life stronger.
commitment past years
In 1989 at Greater Saint Steven Full Gospel Church, I gave my life to Christ. That's pretty much where it all started for me. I was 23 years old at the time, right after my first year in the NBA. The pastor preached a message about being fully committed. That pretty much was me. I wasn't fully committed. I was kind of in and out all of the time. So I just wanted to make a commitment.
basketball jobs son
People really don't care, in some ways, that you have a family. With a high profile job like I have, they just want you to win basketball games. You can do that and still keep your family together. I try the best I can to be at the basketball practices or tennis practices or recitals. In my first year at Dallas my (then 11-year old) son Avery Jr., said, "You know daddy, you're still the best coach in the NBA." I was like, "But I haven't won a playoff game yet." And he said, "That's okay. You're still my daddy." That makes you feel good.
bother care court defenders grab great guard hold league offensive players point skin stare stuff supposedly
You have great offensive players in this league who don't let anything bother them. Even when I played, you had supposedly great point guard defenders and they were supposed to get under your skin with their growl or their stare or how they would grab or hold you. There are things you can do on the court to try to take care of that. I've participated in that kind of stuff before. Just be physical.
fortunate several win
We were fortunate to win for several reasons.
battling gear uphill
We were just battling uphill all night. We couldn't get it in gear tonight.
cuban earn mark
We didn't earn our paycheck. We need to give Mark Cuban a rebate, all of us.
deserve foul intensity match playoff strong wish
We fought. This was a playoff atmosphere. We wish we'd have been able to match their intensity down the stretch. But we didn't. We just did not execute. We were hesitant. We didn't get to the foul line. We didn't deserve to get there. We didn't make strong enough moves.
contest defense good quarter shots start tone tried
We got off to a good start in the first quarter and set the tone for the whole game. I thought our defense was pretty steady...we tried to contest as many shots as we could.
gets guys looked rocky train whether
We looked like we were a little tired. But our guys have been battling. I'm on the train with them, whether it gets rocky or not. Right now we are just sputtering.
address came deserved free line situations throw tonight
We came up short. They got to the free throw line more and they were the aggressors and they deserved the win. We had too many lethargic situations tonight and I need to address that.
lost moral
We didn't come here for any moral victories. We're very, very disappointed that we lost this game.
moral
We didn't come here to get any moral victories. I'm disappointed with his loss.