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
I still think this can be a special season, but right now we are sputtering.
John really took a liking to me. He talked to me about the off-court stuff, about the pitfalls that trap some guys. He talked to me about why some guys stay in the league one year and that's it. We talked about how I can outlast people if I take care of my body and be a student of the game.
I'm so happy we went through that little period that we went through, because it seems to have brought our team closer together.
I'm so happy we went through that little period, because it seems to have brought our team closer together. Nobody pointed fingers. At the same time, we played against some really good basketball teams that were really hot.
Stack was solid, man. Stack was energized. He was ready to play. He was right in his comfort zone tonight. That's what we need from him on both ends. Obviously, he scored a little bit, but nobody will talk about how he battled those guys on defense.
Some of our players have made fun of our charge drill. But when you see them taking more charges in the game, it doesn't seem so silly.
My point is, what's the argument? There's no argument. It's a no-brainer.
My point is, what's the argument? It's a no-brainer.
My relationship with the players is very important. We think that's had a positive effect, so that when I do scream every now and then, they take it the right way.
That was pretty much a complete game. I'm really proud of the way we battled. We played a tough, hard-nosed game.
That was one of the reasons why we won that first quarter, ... Doug was running the offense a lot of the time, and his on-the-ball defense is always good.
That's the key, play at our tempo. We don't play as fast as we used to, but we're at our best when we get out in transition. That's what we want to do when we get a chance. That's when we feel pretty comfortable.
I wasn't trying to rally the team by getting ejected. I think it was more just a difference of opinion. We were dealing with things the whole game, and we thought that we had a legitimate beef with the way they were playing Dirk. I guess we were wrong.
I thought we were a little more physical with them. We seemed like we were apologizing for being on the court in the first half.