Good Jim Calhoun post ESPY interview on Kemba, coaching, UConn to the NBE etc.

[CL82]

I've heard this story before, but I still like it:

ESPN: The Celtics reportedly had some locker room issues last year with Kyrie Irving. From your experience, you've been saying Kemba is the opposite of that, right?

Calhoun: He's as great a kid as I've ever coached. I've coached some great people like [Emeka] Okafor, etc., etc. But he's special. A special kid. I've always told the story: When he was in Hawaii one year, his junior year, we won the Maui [Invitational]. He averaged 30 points a game. ... I remember waiting for a half an hour with the team. He was the MVP. We all went to the regular press conference, and he was the MVP. He was sensational, so all the media wanted to talk to him. So he didn't show up again for another half an hour while we're all sitting on the bus happy as heck after winning a championship. I still remember him walking onto the bus, with the trophy, and the entire bus got up and started clapping. That doesn't happen. It was spontaneous. No one said a word. That's who Kemba Walker is. Great player, great person, great leadership qualities. I know for sure, I talked to Jeremy [Lamb] about this, just what a great teammate he is.

Link

 

[Hugo]

I believe of all the PG's out there who were available, Kemba is without a doubt the best fit for the Celtics. He has the BB skills that blend in with the other players and the leadership qualities that were missing this season. Great get for the Celts.

 

[Chief00]

One of the things that really upsets Chief is that KO is so self absorbed - that he doesn't have a sense of Life perspective - the guy who did so much for him - who recently had stage 4 stomach cancer - he is railing against trying to score a few bucks. Quite frankly, it doesn’t exhibit either good character or wisdom.
Usually, given this circumstance, a high character person would try to patch up whatever the differences were and enjoy the friendship in the moment for the time that they can.

 

[Madmannsucks]

Wrong thread.

One of the things that really upsets Chief is that KO is so self absorbed - that he doesn't have a sense of Life perspective - the guy who did so much for him - who recently had stage 4 stomach cancer - he is railing against trying to score a few bucks. Quite frankly, it doesn’t exhibit either good character or wisdom.
Usually, given this circumstance, a high character person would try to patch up whatever the differences were and enjoy the friendship in the moment for the time that they can.

 

[CashewCrew]

Chief has lost his marbles

 

[Madmannsucks]

I've heard this story before, but I still like it:

ESPN: The Celtics reportedly had some locker room issues last year with Kyrie Irving. From your experience, you've been saying Kemba is the opposite of that, right?

Calhoun: He's as great a kid as I've ever coached. I've coached some great people like [Emeka] Okafor, etc., etc. But he's special. A special kid. I've always told the story: When he was in Hawaii one year, his junior year, we won the Maui [Invitational]. He averaged 30 points a game. ... I remember waiting for a half an hour with the team. He was the MVP. We all went to the regular press conference, and he was the MVP. He was sensational, so all the media wanted to talk to him. So he didn't show up again for another half an hour while we're all sitting on the bus happy as heck after winning a championship. I still remember him walking onto the bus, with the trophy, and the entire bus got up and started clapping. That doesn't happen. It was spontaneous. No one said a word. That's who Kemba Walker is. Great player, great person, great leadership qualities. I know for sure, I talked to Jeremy [Lamb] about this, just what a great teammate he is.

Link

If that was a Calhoun quote, it should have read Emaker...as in I'm going to "osk Emaker. "

 

[JB75]

I've heard this story before, but I still like it:

ESPN: The Celtics reportedly had some locker room issues last year with Kyrie Irving. From your experience, you've been saying Kemba is the opposite of that, right?

Calhoun: He's as great a kid as I've ever coached. I've coached some great people like [Emeka] Okafor, etc., etc. But he's special. A special kid. I've always told the story: When he was in Hawaii one year, his junior year, we won the Maui [Invitational]. He averaged 30 points a game. ... I remember waiting for a half an hour with the team. He was the MVP. We all went to the regular press conference, and he was the MVP. He was sensational, so all the media wanted to talk to him. So he didn't show up again for another half an hour while we're all sitting on the bus happy as heck after winning a championship. I still remember him walking onto the bus, with the trophy, and the entire bus got up and started clapping. That doesn't happen. It was spontaneous. No one said a word. That's who Kemba Walker is. Great player, great person, great leadership qualities. I know for sure, I talked to Jeremy [Lamb] about this, just what a great teammate he is.

Link

Love kemba. Prolly my single all time fave. How cud he not be? Little guy from the Bronx. Love it

 

[ctchamps]

One of the things that really upsets Chief is that KO is so self absorbed - that he doesn't have a sense of Life perspective - the guy who did so much for him - who recently had stage 4 stomach cancer - he is railing against trying to score a few bucks. Quite frankly, it doesn’t exhibit either good character or wisdom.
Usually, given this circumstance, a high character person would try to patch up whatever the differences were and enjoy the friendship in the moment for the time that they can.

When he starts referring to himself in the third person I’ll know he went off the deep end.

 

[UconnU]

Kids like Kemba walker aren’t once in a generation, they are once in a lifetime for a program. I’ve never seen such a natural leader at the college level, the only one who comes close is Mateen Cleeves in 2000 but even he had better talent around him. Without Kemba not only don’t we win in 2011 we don’t win in 2014 either. He was a Michael Jordan in his prime type leader in 2011. Would not be surprised if he leads Boston to a title.

 

[Pudge]

College?

Isiah Thomas At IU. Ernie DiGregorio at Providence. Austin Carr at Notre Dame. I’m ok with Cleaves.

I’d say Danny Manning - but the positional difference makes me hesitate.

That’s it. Imho

 

[Hoophound]

I can’t blow too much smoke up Kemba’s butt without doing it for Shabazz too. Yes, Kemba has an electric smile, but Bazz did pretty much what Kemba did, and he did it from the AAC.

 

[BlueDogs]

I can’t blow too much smoke up Kemba’s butt without doing it for Shabazz too. Yes, Kemba has an electric smile, but Bazz did pretty much what Kemba did, and he did it from the AAC.

Bazz doesn’t do it without Kemba. Kemba doesn’t to it without Ben Gordon, Ben Gordon doesn’t do it without El Amin, etc. That is the legacy of a great program, greats stand on the shoulders of the greats before them.