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
coaching forward game great looking plays sticks terrific turn
What a great young player. You turn over No. 6, and there's Tony's No. 9. But he's better, he's quicker, and just a terrific player. He and Timmy (Duncan) just make a great one-two punch. He plays the game the right way. He sticks to what he does very well, and I'm looking forward to coaching him on All-Star weekend.
achievement conference few great means teams western wins
Very few teams go there. I think that's a great accomplishment. In our league, and in the Western Conference particularly, 50 wins means a lot.
guys main playing start
We want our main guys to start playing now. You'll see some different looks.
half
What they have done the first half of the year, I wouldn't have disagreed with five.
adding best chance giving team win
We feel adding Doug Christie to our team is giving us the best chance to win a championship.
brings coaching experience five help maverick nba player promote shares thrilled vision wants
We are also thrilled to promote Rolando Blackman, one of the all-time Maverick and NBA greats, who brings five years of coaching experience on the player development side, ... Ro also shares in our vision but more than anything he is very loyal. He wants to help bring a championship to Dallas.
mom growing-up dad
Growing up in New Orleans, my mom and dad were churchgoers. I would go to church with them. Also, I was going to a Catholic school so I had a fascination with the Catholic Church mainly because, in my mind, (their services) didn't take as long. I was bouncing in between my mom's Baptist church, which was called Second Zion Baptist, and going to a Catholic Church.
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.
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.
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.
basketball perseverance attitude
I was really fortunate. I don't believe in luck so I was really fortunate. God really blessed me in terms of my health. I was really healthy. But I tried to do my part in terms of preparation, in terms of perseverance, to make sure that I was always ready to play and try to stay ahead of the game, to beat people with my mind. I wasn't the biggest or the one that jumped the highest, but I had a real high basketball IQ and I knew it. I was a student of game and tried to prepare and be professional and have a good attitude. All of those things helped me have a long career.
opportunity college men
I'm passionate about coaching and being able to mentor young men in a lot of different ways. I think it's good to be able to do what you love to do. It's been in me since the beginning. I was telling my college coach what to do and he trusted me. When I got into the NBA, I started having conversations with coaches. (Coach Gregg) Popp(avich) brought a lot out in me. Coach (Don) Nelson gave me an incredible opportunity to spend some time with him and he molded me but at the same time allowed me to be myself.
strong character player
There are a lot of things that make players really good coaches. Whether you've played in the NBA or not, there are certain things you have to master and be really good at. They just have to be gifted in these areas. You've got to be competent. Secondly, you've got to be able to communicate. You can have a picture in your mind on how to score but if you can't communicate it, if you can't teach it, what good is it? You've got to be brutally honest and be a man of strong character and then you've got to have class. They've got to respect you.
past player thinking
Every era of coaches has their own set of problems and challenges. Today's player is different, but some things (about them) are better than they were in the past. I don't think (coaching today's players) is any tougher. I think we're a little too hard on the current day player because he's different.