utorak, 24.04.2007.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Sam Mitchell, T-Raptors...
COACH OF THE YEAR: Mitchell je dobio 389 bodova od 128 sportskih novinara koji dodjeljuju trofej "Red Auerbach", drugo mjesto je sa 301 bodom osvojio trener prvaka skupine Northwest Jerry Sloan, a treće trener momčadi s najboljim omjerom u osnovnom dijelu sezone Dallas Mavericksa Avery Johnson sa 268. Raptorsi su pod Mitchellovim vodstvom ostvarili čak 20 pobjeda više nego prošle sezone. (HINA)
Sam Mitchell’s Road to Success
The question brought a smile to the mug of Sam Mitchell, the Minnesota Timberwolves' 26-year-old rookie.
"Interest in cycling?" Mitchell said, with an air of surprise. He referred to an entry in his media guide profile that apparently had caught more than one reporter's eye. "I don't know where they got that," said Mitchell. "I like to ride, but I'm not a fanatic about it."
Perhaps the cycling reference was an analogy for Mitchell's journey to the National Basketball Association. A few NBA players seem to arrive on the scene in stretch limousines, and others figuratively cruise into basketball's big show in flashy sports cars.
But the league isn't restricted to big wheelers. There are several cyclists, like Mitchell: fluid, efficient, determined players whose trip takes longer but offers a better view of where one's been and where one's headed. For Mitchell, his ride included a Tour de France and a trek over the winding hills of the Continental Basketball Association, the quiet backroads of pro hoops and hopes.
You know how Michael Jordan always flaps his tongue like a Labrador? Mitchell's tongue was probably dragging, but in fatigue instead of finesse, after his four years of pedaling from Oshkosh to Rapid City to France. Then last summer the opportunity arrived, and so did Mitchell. When Minnesota and his former CBA coach Bill Musselman invited the 6-foot-7 forward to free agent camp, Mitchell finally had his wheels to the NBA.
"I'm pleased all my efforts finally paid off, and I was glad when it was over and I made the team," Mitchell said. "But I felt like I should have been in the league a long time ago. Things don't always work out, and it took me four years. A lot of times I could have quit, but any time the odds are against you, it makes you feel good when you reach your goal."
Odds? You want some long odds? How about being cut from his high school basketball team before eventually making it as a senior and blossoming? How about getting only NCAA I-AA experience at Mercer University, a scholarly place that's more a ticket to an M.B.A., not the NBA?
Mitchell was a talented prep athlete in Columbus, Ga. — it's just that his talent originally was funneled into football and track. "Really, my first love was football," the former tight end and safety explained. "I started as a sophomore on the varsity at a school in the top high school division, and if you know anything about Georgia, you know it's a football state."
Mitchell the sprinter/hurdler also showed promise. He even ran in the Georgia state track meet as a freshman in a 220-yard dash against that Herschel Walker kid from Wrightsville.
By the time he was a college senior, Mitchell had emerged as a prominent scorer. His 25 ppg average ranked him ninth nationally in the NCAA and helped him become the school's all-time leading scorer (1,986 points). He was tabbed conference Player of the Year after he led Mercer to the TAAC postseason tournament title and a berth in the 1985 NCAA Tournament. He enhanced his NBA chances by earning MVP honors in the postseason Portsmouth Invitational, a national showcase of senior talent.
Mitchell was drafted in round three (54th overall) by the Houston Rockets. In his old sport, a third-round NFL pick would have been a near guarantee of survival, but in the NBA, where only a couple dozen rookies gain a spot, his challenge was clear. Mitchell lasted to the final cut on a strong Houston team but was released. Yet his passion for basketball and his dream of the NBA remained alive, and he made the decision to try, try again.
"You always have times when you think about doing something else," Mitchell said of his post-college pursuit. "But it always came back to me wanting to play basketball."
NAJBOLJE AKCIJE 3. DANA DOIGRAVANJA (2006/07)..
Next stop, Oshkosh and the Wisconsin Flyers of the CBA. "There's good and bad in everything in life, and most cases it's just what you make of it," Mitchell said of the CBA. "I just tried to make the best of it. I made some good friends there, but the CBA is not the kind of place you want to stay very long. You're just there trying to get to the NBA."
For 13 games at the tail end of 1985-86 and 1986-87, Mitchell played pro basketball at Oshkosh, the home of overalls and underdogs. Mitchell said his trade from the lowly Flyers to Musselman's Rapid City Club in 1987 "at the time saved my career. I was averaging 20 ppg on a real poor team and NBA scouts aren't really interested in looking at guys on losing teams. So going from one of the worst to one of the best definitely helped."
Mitchell's 20 ppg average in the playoffs helped Musselman and Rapid City claim the 1987 championship. But there was no strong NBA interest in Mitchell in that pre-expansion season, so when an offer came to play professionally in France, with a much higher salary than the CBA, Mitchell traded Mount Rushmore for the Eiffel Tower.
"At the time I wanted to do something different," Mitchell said. "I'm married, and I felt I had a responsibility to my family to make more money. It was a big adjustment because I didn't speak the language at first, but I got a tutor and also went to school. It was a really good experience."
Mitchell finished third in scoring in France's top league last winter at 28.5 ppg, and when a Timberwolves scout expressed interest, he accepted a tryout invitation to bid for a spot with his former coach. "I knew what (Musselman) expects, so I felt like it was an advantage," Mitchell said.
In a Musselman system that stresses defense, hustle and intensity, Mitchell fit in. He won a roster spot and quickly gained the respect of his teammates for his drive. He spent much of the first half of the season as starting center despite his obvious height disadvantage.
"If I ever went to war, I'd want him on my team," said Tod Murphy, another free agent who made the team and battled the rugged turf of the NBA front line. "He's a 6-7 guy in there playing power forward and at times this year played center for us. That type of player and that type of attitude, a guy who goes out and does whatever he's asked, is the kind of guy you want to be surrounded by. Sam's kind of on a mission to prove to the NBA he deserves to be here. He felt he should have been here a long time ago — now he's finally getting the chance and taking advantage of it."
Mitchell is averaging 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds while logging about 33.6 minutes per game. His season highs in the first half of 1989-90 are 31 points against Seattle, 12 rebounds against Indiana and 53 minutes in the overtime game against Indiana.
"I'm enjoying myself," Mitchell said of his first year in the NBA. "You have your ups and downs, and you'd like to play well every night, but that's part of being a professional. I'm just thankful for a chance to be able to play."
Mitchell has another motivation that adds perspective to his high-profile profession. He joined a college teammate in volunteering to work at the Special Olympics, and his experience prompted him to pursue a special education major at Mercer. "I started working a lot with the athletes and gained a lot of respect for them," he said. "You think you've got problems, and you see these people who really have problems, but they never complain. So now I think of all the kids I used to work with — just trying to walk or brushing their teeth was a major thing. You don't forget about people like that. That helps keep things in perspective."
THE SUCCESOR: YAO MING & HAKEEM OLAJUWON (link by Tomislav Pakrac/Superkošarka). Keep in mind this video is NOT meant to say that Yao = Hakeem. That's retarded. It's just meant to represent SOME similarities in their games, despite the fact that they're very different physically. Hakeem was recently quoted as saying he wants to work with Yao next summer if their schedules allow it and that was basically my inspiration for the video. I hope you like it..
Mitchell said he'd like to pursue a teaching and coaching career after his playing days. "I don't think I need a job that pays a lot of money," he said. "I'll just be happy doing something I enjoy. You may not make a big difference, but maybe you can make a small difference."
Since teaching, like NBA basketball, relies on both ability and credibility, look for Sam Mitchell the teacher to make a big difference if he sets his mind to it.
Gene McGivern
Timberwolves Tonight
(Feb. 18, 1990)
