Some of the things that Geno was saying twenty six years ago caught my interest and were just as timeless as the “Our best defense is standing around in a zone and yelling ‘miss!" quote.
He never ceases to come out with what turn out to be extremely motivating quotes like "she can't guard a chair" or "she might end up being pretty good if she ever decides to play defense" or "we never know which one of her is actually going to show up for the game" or "she always looks kind of lost and not sure" or "she is the worst post player in America" - ad infinitum.
Over the years, I have come to understand that his seemingly off the cuff and apparently intentionally derogatory comments about the team in general, and certain players specifically, are neither off the cuff nor at all meant to be derogatory. He has often been described by his former players as being the "master puppeteer".
All of the barbs above were said in press conferences about specific players who ended up being All Americans, National Players of the Year, Olympic Gold Medal winners, and WNBA all stars.
His plethora of quotable barbs are simply one of the many small pieces that make up the puzzle of how he and his staff create and maintain the atmosphere and the processes that have helped so many of their players become what they are capable of becoming and so many of their teams succeed well beyond the sum or their parts.
My wife and I look forward to many more of Geno's quotable barbs to come. Especially over the next few years.
Merry Christmas and a great holiday season to all and have a healthy and happy new year !!!!