Jack’s Blog

One day coming up soon, because of availability I’m not sure which, I’ll be headed to Stanford for some (more) tests.  Since I may be contacted and not have enough time to let you readers know, if you get to this site and you see the same blog you read the day before . . . that’s the day(s) I’m at Stanford.  Rest assured I’ll be returning shortly.

Ed Rush, former supervisor of officials for the Pac-12, lost his job because he made a statement that many people felt was obviously in jest.  Not according to CBSSports.com’s Jeff Goodman however.  Or rather, Goodman - and his secret informant.  Goodman reported one of the officials, i.e. referee, in the room told him Rush said that if an official would bang (call a technical foul on) Arizona’s coach, Sean Miller, or would run him (throw him out of the game), he (Rush) would give that ref $5000 or a free trip to Cancun.  Initially, Larry Scott, Pac-12 commissioner made the statement, “I do not find anything that rises to a fireable offense or a breach of ethics or a breach of the integrity of officiating or the program.”  But, claims Goodman, that was before Scott was privy to what the official told Goodman.

Was it?  Really?  Or, have we as a society, become so sensitive to anything said by or to anybody that a significant number of us have assumed the position of the PC (politically correct) police?  Under the guise of exposing insensitivity, they alert, a la Chicken Little, the public about some horrific crime - and in the process ruin lives of some while not benefiting society nearly to the degree they’re tearing it down.

What needs to be revealed is who leaked the information - and why?  According to Goodman, it was one of the referees.  The more the reporter spoke, it was apparent the secret informant was someone close to Goodman, possibly a good friend of his.  If this official believed so strongly that Rush is that evil a person, i.e. Rush really meant what he said, why not come out himself with the accusation?  Or was the guy upset because - although of course he didn’t referee for the money (just joking because if that was the case, he’d be the first for a guy at that level) - he didn’t get selected to officiate in the NCAA tournament and got stuck with one of the lesser post season assignments which pay less money, per diem and prestige?  Due to the fact that most, if not all, of Pac-12 referees have climbed the ladder of elementary, junior high, high school, JC, D-II and/or D-III and lesser name conferences (possibly skipping a rung here or there), when they’ve risen to the level of the Pac-12 (by far the highest in level and pay on the west coast), egos are bruised easily.  So if you believe his outrage was directed more for the love of the game being violated than his substantial paycheck (and national TV face time) being significantly reduced, you’re beyond naiive.  If this referee, Jeff Goodman’s anonymous source, didn’t have a hidden agenda of some sort, I’ll pay him five large or give him a free vacation to Cancun.  Actually, forget the $5K but my wife and I traded our time share and are headed to Cabo San Lucas next month.  I think there’s an extra bedroom.  Everybody knows that Cabo beats Cancun.  What do you say, anon?

All of this means that, in today’s world, we need to be on our best behavior all the time lest someone be offended.  If this sounds like the raging of an old man who hasn’t decided to play by the current rules, let me correct that sentiment - slightly.  There is no doubt I am from an other time, one that took place long ago.  It also got us where we are as a society.  Alright, so maybe that’s nothing to brag about but in my world, like it or not, sarcasm was used much of the time.  In 99% of the cases it was intended to be humorous.  About 95% of the time, it actually was.  Studies have shown that laughing is good for a person’s health.  If this PC nonsense continues, nobody will ever laugh again - for fear of hurting the feelings of whomever thinks that you’re laughing at him.  Or her.  Or it.

Here’s a short (believe it or not) story that illustrates my point.  Our high school football team was made up of seven or eight ethnic groups.  One day, in the locker room after practice, our center who was Polish Catholic, pulled me aside and said, “You’re the only Jew I know who I like.”  Today, national headlines.  Instead, I viewed it as I truly believe it was intended:

“I took it as a compliment!”

There hasn’t been anyone who’s seen the video of former Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice who can believe it.  Including (probably) Mike Rice.  Coaches - even some of the most highly successful ones who have been around for a long, long time - have been quoted that they felt uncomfortable just watching it.  Kobe Bryant claimed he would’ve “smacked the hell out of him” - even if he were only an 18 year old freshman.  Yet, not one of the Rutgers’ players even gave their coach a dirty look.  Keep in mind, however, the video was a “highlight film” (or “lowlight”) of Rice’s bullying antics, i.e. what people saw wasn’t from just one practice.  In fact, it might have been a compilation of weeks of practice video.

Most people have asked “Why did they take it?”  Why did none of them act in the manner Kobe said he would have.  Did the coach brainwash them?  Actually, that might exactly be why they took it.  Here’s my scenario (and keep in mind, it’s nothing more than conjecture, i.e. there is not a shred of evidence to it):

Coach Rice: “Look, guys, we’re the ugly stepchild of this league (the Big East).  Nobody has any respect for us.  Everybody bullies us.  For us to win, we’re going to have to be tough.  Tougher than the guys who want to bully us.

“So I’m going to bully you.  Now, it will just be in practice.  Before and after practice, nothing about our relationship will change.  My door’s still always open, you’re still my guys .  But, at practice I’m going to bully you.  I’m going to shove you, verbally abuse you and throw balls at you.  How are you going to react?  Are you going to cave in to the bully?  Or are you going to ignore him, play harder and beat him?”

Once again, this is complete conjecture.  After seeing the video - and noticing the players never seemed to get upset, never questioned Rice (although in other clips, players are seen pushing back assistant Jimmy Martelli after he shoves them - hey, assistants only get so much leeway) led me to believe that these were playing along.  Like it was a play and they were playing a part in it.  Why else would macho guys - as a good deal of today’s ballers see themselves - allow themselves to be subjected to such bullying.  Especially by somebody who recruited them - who was in their homes, spoke with their parents and their coaches.  You know he never told them to expect any such tomfoolery at practices.

Naturally, even if this were true, Rice could never admit it as it’s as asinine a strategy as telling them to play on their knees in order to get lower in their defensive stances.  Plus, admitting to using the homophobic verbiage as a ploy - in any day and age - but especially this one would force any administrator to fire him on the spot.

All of the above is only my imagination’s explanation of what occurred at Rutgers, so we should all keep in mind that:

“Just because you can justify something in your own mind doesn’t make it right.”

This past weekend I was listening to sports talk radio when I heard a familiar voice.  It was Bobby Cremins.  Although Bobby and I are both east coast guys, I didn’t get to know him until we were working in the Southern Conference, Bobby as the head coach at Appalachian State and me as an assistant at Western Carolina.  We became pretty good friends.  Aside from enjoying a career as a highly successful coach, Bobby is one of the most genuine guys in the business and loved by everybody in - and out -of it.  The following story is from my book, Life’s A Joke.  It is pure Bobby.

With all the stops I’ve made, I’ve witnessed some pretty great rivalries: Washington State vs. Washington, Oregon vs. Oregon State, Tennessee vs. Kentucky, Toledo vs. Bowling Green and USC vs. UCLA.  While those are certainly intense, possibly the most heated rivalry is the one between Western Carolina and Appalachian State.  Each is in the Southern Conference - Western Carolina located in the valley of the Smoky Mountains, Appy State at the very top, about a 2 1/2 hour drive from one to the other.  Each (at that time) played in cracker box gymnasiums and every game was hotly contested.

While I was there in the late ’70s, the coach at Appalachian State was Bobby Cremins who later went on to have a highly successful coaching career at Georgia Tech.  Bobby is a native New Yorker and, as had his college coach, Frank McGuire, established a New York pipeline down to Boone, NC where Appalachian State is located.  There’s a major difference between people from the east and those from the south - and this certainly holds true for the student-athletes as well.

One night in Cullowhee, where Western is located, the game was very close until ASU started to pull away at the end.  The crowning blow was a dunk by one of the Appalachian players who hailed from NYC.  As he ran by the capacity crowd of 4400 in a building designed to seat about 3400, he gave the fans the one finger salute.  The chancellor at Western Carolina at that time was, as they say Down South, “a good ol’ boy” and one of the best university administrators I’ve ever been around.  His name was Dr. H.F. “Cotton” Robinson.  Dr. Robinson was an absolutely huge sports fan, not only attending every contest on campus, but really getting involved in the game.

Because Cullowhee was the type of town it was, e.g. unincorporated, no population, no mayor, no Main Street, there weren’t too many jacket-and-tie people coming to games.  This included Dr. Robinson who always sat in the first row, opposite the visiting team’s bench, usually in corduroy pants and a plaid shirt.  Once the game ended and the coaches and players had shaken hands, Dr. Robinson made a beeline for Bobby and said how embarrassed he should be that a player who acted in such a rude manner would be representing his school.  Bobby, being from New York, said what most New Yorkers like him would say.  “Get the bleep outta here!”

Dr. Robinson replied, “Young man, I’ll have you know I’m the chancellor at this university, and I don’t appreciate you talking to me like that.”

To which, Bobby, after checking the corduroy pants and plaid shirt, and realizing that he’d never seen a person of authority dress in such a manner, said, “Get outta my face.  You’re no bleeping chancellor.”

You can only imagine how shocked and embarrassed Bobby was when his media relations director asked him what he and Western Carolina’s chancellor were talking about.

“Better to reserve judgment until you’ve accumulated ALL the facts.”

It doesn’t surprise anybody when I tell them the pull I have with the NCAA and the NBA is equal to the juice I have with the White House.  That doesn’t mean I don’t have a better idea when it comes to the (admitted) problem of the NCAA’s one-and-done student-athlete.  While the following post (which, by the way, I first blogged on 5/3/2010 and altered a little here) certainly could use further tweaking, it’s exponentially superior to whatever has been proposed thus far.  Plus, it’s not illegal nor does it break any NBAPA rule.  Read and let me know what you think.  Better yet, contact the NBA office.  Especially if you have clout.

So many people are up in arms regarding the NBA rule that forces a high school player to attend college for at least a year before heading to the big league.  Of course, there are alternatives, but many are pretty radical, e.g. playing overseas ala Brandon Jennings.  While it (ultimately) worked out for Jennings (keep in mind he had a terrible experience over there), others have tried and haven’t been as successful as the Bucks’ star.

If memory serves me correctly (and at this age, that being true is a toss up), David Stern said the rule is in place due to some “legalese,” i.e. he’s not too thrilled about it either, but it’s the best of all evils.  With that in mind, it means that the “road most traveled” will be to enter college for at least (and for some, at most) one year.  My claim is that the current situation can be changed for the betterment of . . . everybody.

The why are we whining about it?  Let’s deal with it.  How?  Make college more relevant to these guys.  If they are as talented as they think they are (and as influential outsiders are telling them they are), then the school’s goal should be to help them - just like colleges are helping all other students.  As I initially blogged on 5/6/07 (and have reprinted that post at least once), the reason kids go to college is not for an education, but to improve their station in life.

The one-and-dones are going to college because they have to - and once the sand runs out of that year-long hour glass, color them gone - for the big money.  If that actually is the reality - and for the great ones, it is - why not give them a curriculum to prepare them for the life they’re about to enter, e.g. show them there is relevance for them to attend college!  Why not create a major in the field.  Put off the general education classes temporarily and offer them (and any other student at the university for that matter) courses in 1) money management (including the value of philanthropy for those who really hit the jackpot), 2) how to select advisers (mentors, agents, and, although, it could be a sensitive area, friends), 3) how to deal with the media and use it to their advantage, 4) women’s rights, including “no means no” (this should be mandatory for many students in the wake of today’s front page stories), 5) nutrition, 6) maintaining physical fitness, 7) accepting (embracing) the responsibility of being a role model and acting appropriately (whether they want to or not, athletes are role models) and 8 since NBA players don’t have normal 8-hour work days, nor do they play year-round, a course in how to productively use “down-time” (from doing crosswords and sudokus to keep the mind active, to reading up on a topic of interest, to tennis and golf, to . . . whatever)?  Many other course possibilities exist if people at the top (maybe create a mastermind group) would put their heads together.  For the kid who doesn’t get drafted or realizes he’s not yet ready, or better yet, realizes a college degree might be a necessity, and at the very least, certainly wouldn’t hurt, the sophomore year can be devoted to catching up on general ed classes.

What this does is give an extremely talented (in the sport of basketball) young man something that he can actually see will help him in his life after basketball.  Although Charles Barkley is a one-of-a-kind, e.g. an out-of-shape kid who eschewed attending classes, he became one of the 50 best players in the NBA and has been inducted into both the intercollegiate and NBA Halls of Fame.  He has managed to make a great life for himself, currently serving as a studio analyst for both the NCAA and NBA as well as a pitchman for several products.  That is, he’s making a lot of money.  However, for every Charles Barkley, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of kids who never played a second of pro ball, nor cashed an NBA paycheck.

One night a few years ago, the guys on the set of TNT’s NBA game night studio show were giving Sir Charles a hard time about the (lack of an) Auburn education he got and leaving the school without a degree.  Charles had a pretty good comeback (which may only apply to him):

“I don’t have a degree - but a lot of people who work for me do.”

One advantage of being retired is you can go where you want when you want.  I called my friend Dave Severns, the director of player development for the Los Angeles Clippers and asked him if he had an extra ticket for last Wednesday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.  He told me he did and invited me to spend a couple days with him.  I hooked up with him at noon on game day and he told me it would be easier if I’d just ride to the game with him.

About 3:45 we took off for the Staples Center.  Dave got me a pass for the Family Room, a nice (big) room where friends and family, with the proper pass (which, believe me, had better be visibly showing), can wait prior to, halftime and post game.  Of course, it’s a deliciously catered affair with comfortable quarters and TVs so you know when it’s time to head out (or return) to the arena (or not, your choice).  All in all, it’s a wonderful perk for the friends and family of the Clippers’ players and coaches.

Ten of us were enjoying our own pregame meal at the large, circular table.  I happened to be sitting next to the family of one of the players (I knew which one due to their passes lying face up next to me).  A couple of women next to them on the opposite side, one of whom was a Clippers’ employee, were having a conversation as were others at the table when one guy makes a remark to his friend that could have been construed as a negative remark about the Clippers’ recent play.

The lady from the Clippers organization said, “Watch it, we have one of the players’ wives at the table.”

The guy replies, “Which one?”

The wife, without so much as raising her head, gave the two men (and the rest of us for that matter) a lesson in proper manners.  Her three word answer was:

“It doesn’t matter.”

For the record - and because, admit it, you’re dying to know - it was Caron Butler’s wife.

Some people are uncomfortable doing the “single dating game thing.”  Where are you supposed to go that doesn’t make it look obvious, e.g. that a guy is looking to pick up a girl or that a girl is hoping to get picked up (by someone like her dad who will wind up being her lifelong partner)?  When I was in my 20s and 30s, there were folks who loved the dating scene - both men and women.  Many, however, would go only if others accompanied them.  I hated it because back then, bars were filled with smoke, and the whole schtick seemed so phony.  Most everybody worth dating would have their guards up.  It was nearly impossible to get to know anybody.

My own personal dating strategy was to get fixed up, i.e. the old “blind date.”  It was usually dinner and a movie.  I can’t ever recall being at a loss of words but all I had to do was chat it up during dinner because there’s no talking during a movie.  To many, the only thing worse than barhopping was the infamous blind date.  My philosophy, however, was “If a girl can stand me for an evening, I certainly ought to be able to get through it.”

Whether my formula is the right way to go or not, last year my wife, Jane and I celebrated 25 years of marriage.  Throw in our two sons, who are each currently thriving, and our model can stand up against anyone’s.  Then again, I was a month away from my 40th birthday before I decided it was time to make the leap.  I didn’t have a handbook or a mentor showing me the way.  Today, the “hook up” routine has been revamped.

Anytime I want to know something, I’m always told, “Google it.”  Therefore it comes as no surprise that the computer has become the source of guidance for America’s (or, the world’s, for all I know) singles.  Allegedly, there are over one thousand dating service sites.  Another example of the computer solving problems for society.  There are sites for baby boomers, Christians, Jews, Indians, Latinos, Asians and gays.  Googling “online dating service,” I noticed in Wikipedia one section entitled “Problems.”  Believe it or not, one subsection was “Lies.”  Really?  You mean people are going to lie about their online profile to somebody they don’t even know but want to date, or maybe even, marry?  Kinda starts off the relationship on a downer.

These dating services (not to be confused with escort services, although I imagine there are at least a few out there who feel the former could be like the latter - just without the monetary exchange) take care of all kinds.  I will not make any ethnic remarks - however funny readers might find them - but there are a couple observations I’ve made.  When I heard the ad for ChristianMingle.com say, “Sometime we wait for God to make the next move when God is saying it’s your time to act.  The next move is yours.”  Wow!  Do they know really know God said that?  I didn’t put quotation marks inside the last sentence and a half of the above quote because I don’t think they were actually quoting God.  Although it is something they’d like you to think.

The ad I saw and heard today while riding the stationary bike at the gym is the one that propelled me into blogging on the topic.  It was for FarmersOnly.com.  Apparently, this site is for someone looking for a “farmer, rancher, cowboy, cowgirl or animal lover,” i.e. a dating site “meant for down to earth folks.”  So, any y’all down to earth folks interested in, uh, well, you know, check us on out, ya hear?  What did down to earth folks do before FarmersOnly.com?

All of this is, I guess, exactly what I was looking for 35 years ago.  Have friends introduce me to someone they thought would be a good match for me.  As J.B. Priestly said:

“Many a man is praised for his reserve and so-called shyness when he is simply too proud to risk making a fool of himself.”

Robert Parish was selected as one of the 50 greatest players of all-time.  Does that make him qualified to be an NBA coach?  To my knowledge there’s never been a definitive study done comparing skill as a player to that of a coach.  However, history tells us that while being a great player doesn’t preclude someone from having a similar career on the bench, it’s a rare superstar who becomes a successful coach.

Parish is upset at his former teammates, claiming they didn’t reach out to him the past few years.  Independent of former players shunning him or teams turning their backs on him (mainly his club, the Celtics), his story boils down to the fact that a) he’s broke, b) he’s not broke but doesn’t have as much money as he needs or c) he simply just doesn’t have as much money as he wants.

The story of his plight always returns to his money woes.  He’s auctioned off his championship rings, his Hall-of-Fame ring and his 50 greatest player ring, items most people would never part with.  Although he was employed by the team he played for, Parish claimed the $80,000 a year job the Celtics were paying him wasn’t enough.  He said he was in the market for an NBA assistant or head coaching position - one that paid six or seven figures.  Right there, he lost sympathy from most of us common folk.  Personally, prior to my retirement, I had seven figure jobs from as far back as 1977.  Of course, two of those figures were after the decimal point.

The reason Parish says he ought to be hired is because he was such a highly skilled player himself; that he could really help a team.  Parish is experiencing the same cold shoulder as a couple other former superstars - Kareem Adbul Jabbar and Rick Barry.  Each of these guys shared a characteristic other than being one of, if not the best, at their position.  All were standoffish.  And that’s being extremely kind.

What Robert Parish, as well as others like him, needs to learn is summed up in a line I heard many years ago from Hubie Brown:

“You’ve got to learn how to say hello before it’s time to say goodbye.”

In what has to be classified as a huge understatement, 49ers CB Chris Culliver recently made some shocking anti-gay statements.  Here’s what he said: “I don’t do the gay guys, man.  I don’t do that.  Ain’t got no gay people on the team.  They gotta get up outta here if they do.  Can’t be with that sweet stuff.”  Surprising that in 2013 someone who is in the public eye as much as an NFL player is would actually say that to the media.  Especially when he’s a member of one of only two NFL teams left playing and every person with a live microphone is looking for something controversial.

Not so surprising was his apology the following day.  Here was that gem: “The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head but they are not how I feel.  It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly.  Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart.”  I guess that means his brain doesn’t work but his eyes do and the words weren’t in his heart even though they came out of his mouth.  It seems this guy only opens his mouth to change feet.

Every college with alums on either of the two Super Bowl teams are making sure prospective recruits know all about their guys who will be in uniform on Sunday.  It’s what coaches hope for - the last game of the year and all the in-depth, personal stories that go with it.  This year, however, it’s fairly certain South Carolina is laying low on Culliver having been a Gamecock.

As is the case with many young people who go into high profile jobs, they fail to understand the world doesn’t revolve around them; that they’re just a part of it.  Good advice for them or, for that matter, anyone else comes from the late Stanford professor John Gardner:

“Focus on being interested, rather than being interesting.”

What is amazing

Amir Johnson was selected 56th in the 2005 draft - fifth from the last pick - by the Detroit Pistons.  He played at Westchester HS in Los Angeles, arguably the best high school basketball program in California (unarguably, one of the top five), both in wins and production of NBA players.  He was originally signed by Louisville.  Based on his recent actions, it’s questionable if he would have qualified academically.

Prior to the 2006 draft, the NBA instituted a rule that requires American players to be at least one year removed from the graduation of their high school class to be eligible so barring still another rule change (who knows, maybe Adam Silver wants to put his footprint on the league once he takes over for David Stern), Johnson will be the last-ever high school player drafted.  Then-Pistons head coach Larry Brown thought that, eventually, Johnson could be an impact player.  After Monday night, he’s got a way to go - just to prove he’s mentally fit to play at all.

Johnson’s been traded twice, both coming in 2009.  Detroit traded him to Milwaukee who, two months later (before ever issuing him a uniform), traded him to Toronto.  He played in all 82 games (starting 5), shooting 62.3% from the floor and 63.8% from the line, averaging 6.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and .8 blocks in less than 18 minutes a game.  As (too) often occurs in the NBA, he then signed a 5 year, $34 million contract with the Raptors on the first day of free agency (an oxymoron if there ever was one).

While he makes big boy money, he displayed the temperament of a child Monday night in Portland where the Raptors were beaten 94-72.  After a made Portland free throw, referee David Jones retrieved the ball.  While he was holding it, Johnson reached over and grabbed the ball.  While it was a classic “jump ball,” anytime it’s between a referee and a player, the unwritten rule is “ref ball.”  Unwritten because it’s never happened!  An altercation between ref and player ensued.  Jones didn’t appreciate Johnson’s effort and let go to “T” him up.  Amir must have reached into his vocab book for a choice one because Jones turned and gave him the heave-ho sign.

Johnson absolutely freaked!  Teammates had to restrain him from Jones who was wisely heading in the opposite direction.  Johnson then did exactly what a spoiled child would have done in this situation.  He threw his mouthpiece at the authority official.  To prove he’s got game, the mouthpiece hit Jones squarely in the back.  The NBA suspended him one game without pay.  I wonder if anyone has put into perspective to him how much that tirade cost him - in terms of what that money actually means - especially when his career ends.  Even if it’s 15 years from now (when he’s 40). And people who act like he did last night never last until they’re forty.

Amir Johnson has made in excess of $45 million since he’s been in the league.  Early in his career, he spent a couple stints in the D-league.  Although he played well there, that’s not exactly the blueprint for a superstar’s career.  His actions in Portland can only be explained by the quote:

“The difference between genius and stupidity is genius has its limits.”

Sorry, readers, but no new blogs until Tuesday.  Watching younger son, Alex, play a couple games in the Bay area.  

Kobe Bryant has such passion for the game of basketball in the way he plays (30,000 points is only one aspect of his greatness), speaks (to his teammates) and acts (he’s absolutely obsessed), it’s transparent that he wants to be known as the greatest of all-time (G.O.A.T.) but that moniker belongs to one Michael Jeffery Jordan.  He’d probably be thrilled to be referred to as the best of all-time but, alas, Pat Riley, the master of copyright (remember “Three-peat”?) has taken B.O.A.T. off the market, donning his superstar, LeBron James with that acronym.

So what’s left for Kobe?  First, getting Steve Nash on the floor has got to be his Christmas wishes #1 through 10.  Short of that, he needs to change his motivational speech to Pao Gasol.  Pau has been a part of a championship team so it’s not like he doesn’t know, or can’t handle, the feeling of winning it all.  Kobe’s verbal assaults, “You’ve got to put on your big boy pants,” being the latest, might have a reverse effect on the apparently ultra-sensitive Gasol.  How to reach Gasol in time to turn the season around is something beyond anyone not close to the Lakers and if anyone were to think otherwise, they would be foolish.  It’s just that Kobe wants desperately to win, Pau’s not getting it done and Kobe blitzing Pau with sharp words hasn’t been a solution.  Suggestion?  Try something else.

Next, downplay Dwight Howard’s poor foul shooting.  BUT, get him to make up for it at the defensive end.  Dwight was right when he said their loss to Orlando wasn’t due to his poor foul shooting.  It was the fact they continued to allow the Magic to score following his misses.

Finally, Kobe and Mike D’Antoni need to stay together during the tough times, e.g. until Nash comes back.  The coach can handle hostile fans and media considering where he’s been (and I’m not talking about Phoenix).

If Kobe can do all that, keep on scoring and doing whatever else it takes to win, someone will come up with an anagram for him.

What might work for Kobe is Goethe’s line:

“Treat people as they are and they’ll remain as they are.  Treat them as they can, and should, be and they’ll become that.”