I think Steve Clifford is the best coach the Hornets/Bobcats/Hornets have had since Allan Bristow. Who was my fave by far.
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Reminds me of the time Bristow and a few others stopped here in 1988 at the local Y for a meet and greet before the Hornets first season.
We were in a classroom, maybe 30 people and Bristow stands there and starts trash talking about what big pu***ies we all were. Tongue-in-cheek of course and hilarious.
I was sold forever. Great guy.
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I was doing some reading up on the Hornets and Bristow lately. He was definitely not a fan of the media it seems, lol. He would have been fun to see in this social media era.
Dave Cowens didnāt mince words either, for that matter.
But when Bob Bass became the GM, it became obvious he wanted to bring in his own guy. That and I think trading LJ rubbed Bristow the wrong way.
There were also articles about how the fans didnāt like his laid back coaching style, which I thought was hilarious because I distinctly remember being at a home game where Bristow got thrown out and threw his coat on the game floor. Lol
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I remember the coat game! I liked Bristow and Cowens. Maybe not the best strategists, but they could get their teams going. Hornets Hardball was a great label on the Cowensā teams.
Whatās interesting, it seems about every coachās career ended with Charlotte. Dick Harter never got another head coaching gig again, just assistant. Gene Littles I donāt think coached again. Bristow for some reason never did either, his record was fine, was he just tired of the grind? Cowens I donāt think coached anywhere else.
Silas did go to Cleveland after his first stint. But after the unfortunate end here (which wasnāt his fault), donāt think he had any other opportunities. Bickerstaff, done. Vincent - completely tanked any residual value his playing career gave him. LB, couldnāt get another pro gig no matter how much he begged. Dunlap - done. Borrego, to be determined. Uncle Cliff is the most employable, and did get the Magic gig. But after this Hornets go round, would any other team give him a chance?
Maybe the question un-asked is, would Clifford have taken the retread job here if he had any other viable options on the other 28? 29 if you include a reprise in ORL.
Borrego is with the Pels currently as an Associate Head Coach.
I do think Borrego will get another shot someday. He interviews well, is obviously really sharp. I think heāll have to settle for the middling or rebuilding teams, he needs to prove playoff success before getting one of those top spots.
I did see Jeff Van Gundy was looking into coaching gigs after being let go. Cliff should bring him on as an assistant.
His personality would be a hit in the locker room, very fun and relatable, but with a seriousness and straightforward approach to the game that players respect. Weād be bringing in a serious veteran mind, but also with all the games heās been involved in with the telecasts, heās seen what works and doesnāt in the modern NBA.
I definitely remember Bristow throwing his coat. Forgot what got him so mad, but can for sure remember the threads flying.
I agree 100% about Cowens. Fun story - this was back in my late teens/early 20s days when me and my buddies would go down to the loading dock area after games to try to see the players as they left. (Also, to let the parking lot thin out before we headed out)
One night after a tough loss, Cowens was heading to his car with this group of people. Someone in the crowd yelled āCowens, you suck!ā
In universe-record time, Cowens spun around, starting taking his suit jacket off, and proceeded to let loose with a barrage of curse words I had not heard before and have not heard since. All while his entourage was doing all it could to hold him back.
His entourage prevailed in holding him back and eventually calming down, while the person who yelled at Cowens had scurried away pretty soon after Cowens made it unbelievably clear he was unhappy.
So yeah - Cowens was not to be crossed, which I thought was pretty apparent, but I found out at least one person didnāt feel that way (but probably did about 3 seconds after they said it).
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Bristow cited health issues - he was briefly GM of the New Orleans Hornets I think in 2003 or 2004. Of course Shinn brought him back for that. He is still around, they talked to him for the 30 year anniversary Hornets stuff, he looked good.
Cowens coached Golden State I think late 90s early 2000s but didnāt last long. Havenāt really heard from him since it appears.
Harter and Littles (RIP) didnāt do much to endear themselves. Harter hated Muggsy Bogues, old school defensive coach. And Littles just was another guy really.
Most of the players liked Bristow - there were a couple who said some things after they left the team - Sidney Green and Johnny Newman, but they didnāt matter really. The stars liked him and supported him. Those teams just needed more bench help.
Didnāt Littles and Bristow trade roles in the summer of 1991?
I vaguely remember a tale that Coach Littles wasnāt enthusiastic about the LJ pick, and then told Bristow, āFine. YOU coach him then!ā
Did you just teach me a self-righteous lesson by being extra hypocritical? You canāt see what I see in your post? Did you really hand me a pot of HP GOLD:
Esteemed members of the moderation board did you not see this extensive violation of your policy? If you happened to miss this PROUD effort to demolish basic civility (and worse - effort to crap all over my love letter) then I respectfully bring the following to your attention:
To make sure this is a space welcoming to all, posters are expected to accept and follow the following:
- Treat everyone with respect.
Quote from Mr. Quality Control: āJust that itsā¦ douchyā¦ā This is self explanatory policy violation.
- Not use language that is prejudicial including but not limited to language around race, sex, gender, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, religion, class, social status, etc.
Quote from Mr. Quality Control: āI just think itās kinda douchy to always frame thingā¦ā My goodness this guy is using a feminine hygiene technique as a vehicle to denigrate posters who say things he does not agree with. Forget the authoritarianism tone, lets focus on gender and climate implications of such language. That kind of talk is reprehensible, misogynistic and has hostile overtones towards the female anatomy. It also creates an unwelcoming environment for female posters.
- Language toward others here (past or present) that directly insults, attacks, or has no perceived intent other than hurt has no place here.
Quote from Mr. Quality Control: Please see the above references.
- Disagreements are expected, doing so with civility, and constructively is equally expected.
Quote from Mr. Quality Control: āEven in another thread, someone made a great point, and you stated how it was so much more profound and better than hundreds of other posts the last few days. Sure, he made a great point, but your comment was douchy. Annoying. Unnecessary.ā
When I read something that BREAKS AWAY FROM GROUP THOUGH I congratulate the poster and I THANK the poster for forcing me to think differently. I let the poster know that s/he gave me something to ponder that I got out of no other source (youtube, basketball websites, social media, etc). Here I am criticized for complementing posters who presented a different perspective. YES - I acknowledge break away original though as a GOOD thing - and I will SAY that to the poster. Mr. QC seems to reject the idea that there are disagreements on this board in favor of pushing group thought. I disagree.
- Respect moderation.
Oh indeedā¦I do respect moderation. So much so that I am asking what are the consequences of such an extensive policy violation.
I offer to you the essence of this dribble: Do the misfits get the same leeway?
To reiterate the Welcome
Thanks! It is great how the board goes about welcoming new people. I went back through some of the threads posted during the season and saw a couple of welcomes. Great. With that said, I humbly asked you to please make sure that everyone is held to the same standards.
Good day my benevolent moderators. Good day!
That made me laugh.
This too but it also illustrates my point. Cliff needs more love.
Man what the hell lol
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Yes, I humbly apologize most dearest of sirs, you were 100% not being douchy at all. You in fact are the complete opposite of douchy.
Of course, for someone that states they have to fight and scrap to survive every day, you seem to get so bothered by anyone challenging your posts. You actually had been doing better the past few days, I even said you had some good posts and links sometimes.
You donāt have to suddenly pretend to be offended by anything I said. If this was considered shit talking, elementary school kids would laugh at how lame any of those words are. None of this grandstanding has any effect here. So anyway, all this back and forth is unnecessary, nobody wants to read any of this. You good now?
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I donāt think you are doing much to respect moderation at all. In fact, I donāt think you have understood much of what you have read, not just in the acceptable use policy but most posts and direct lines of communication to you. Let me post the whole policy so itās not misunderstood.
Use Policy
HornetsPlanet.com is forum for fans of basketball generally to come together to discuss the team, sport, and organization by which we all are tied. All posters are welcome. To make sure this is a space welcoming to all, posters are expected to accept and follow the following:
- Treat everyone with respect.
- Not use language that is prejudicial including but not limited to language around race, sex, gender, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, religion, class, social status, etc.
- Language toward others here (past or present) that directly insults, attacks, or has no perceived intent other than hurt has no place here.
- Disagreements are expected, doing so with civility, and constructively is equally expected.
- Respect moderation. A warning is an indication that a line is being/has been crossed, please regard it as such. Additionally, a temporary ban or time-out is just that. Validated attempts to create a secondary/burner account to avoid punishment may result in a permanent ban.
To reiterate the Welcome:
This site is ultimately for the Hornets community of fans
We are not an official Charlotte Hornets NBA property, just a fan community
My hope is that we can continue the spirit and feel that John put into the original Planet and keep that spinning
If you are going to quote a āpolicyā - you typically donāt cut it up to suit your argument. Iāll point out the piece you ironically cut out - speaks to a warning. Your official warning was an indication that a line was crossed. You havenāt regarded it as such. As such, you get a few days to soak on that. Iāll welcome you back when that time is served but do shape the heck up. This is tiring and I donāt want an evening job of parenting a fan forum.
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Thanks for this! Itās always nice to start the day with a little EPMD!
Well there is nothing like an @ss kicking to bring clarity and a new sense of direction! Plus its just embarrassing.
I think that I will message the moderators privately when I have dudes following me around trying to control my thoughts and opinions.
What is worse if that this thread is waaaayyy off track.
I am waiting for the official announcement that Coach will be back from the new leadership after the deal closes. The certainty associated with keeping Steve (and his staff) is invaluable.
I honestly think theyāll keep him around to see how the season goes. If things start bad, I could see him not making it through the season. But like Iāve always saidā¦ I hope we can find a way to keep him around one way or another.
Cliff is a perfect scapegoat. Hope we can retain him in the franchise wither way
Scapegoat how? He has proven over 6+ years to have vanilla pudding offenses and defenses that canāt guard the three point line.
He also is a terrible developmental coach who sacrifices young players in their cheap years of salary for mediocre journeyman vets.
I really donāt get the Clifford love and absolute defense from a lot of folks.
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