Might be a reach to make this Gophers related, but Grantland did an article on Austin Hollins' dad. Austin tweeted it and it is a very good read. Hope everyone checks it out!
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8573673/behind-scenes-memphis-grizzlies-coach-lionel-hollins
The Memphis Grind
A week inside Grizzlies HQ with coach Lionel Hollins
By Jonathan Abrams on October 31, 2012PRINT
Lionel Hollins has a message for his Memphis Grizzlies. And when he delivers it, there's no finessing — he goes right to the sledgehammer. A seemingly meaningless preseason loss to Chicago has irked Hollins, a coach who obsesses over improving the little things. His players appeared to be out of shape and failed to execute plays to his liking. And he expected a team coming off of consecutive Game 7 playoff losses and returning much of its core rotation to be a little more motivated. The truth is, the Memphis Grizzlies haven't earned the right to coast yet.
And so today at practice, his players are running. Their goal? Dart to the far baseline of Memphis's practice court and back within 10 seconds. That's bad news for the 7-foot-2 Hamed Haddadi. He's the first Iranian to play in the NBA, someone who grew so quickly as a teenager that he had trouble finding shoes that fit. If he were just four inches shorter, Haddadi probably wouldn't have a roster spot in the NBA. Still, he's an oddly popular figure with Memphis fans — a hustler who usually finds a way to contribute whenever Hollins feeds him a couple of minutes. He's easygoing and quick with a smile. His teammates like him. But when they're racing down the court, that's when he seems overmatched. Haddadi doesn't run … he lumbers.
And now he's late. During Hollins's drill, Haddadi finishes after all of his teammates and the allotted 10 seconds.
"I'm tired of your bullsh*t, Hamed," Hollins says. "I'm tired of your laziness. Come on. You can be mad at me all you want, but I don't give a f*ck. Be mad at me, but do what you're supposed to do."
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8573673/behind-scenes-memphis-grizzlies-coach-lionel-hollins
The Memphis Grind
A week inside Grizzlies HQ with coach Lionel Hollins
By Jonathan Abrams on October 31, 2012PRINT
Lionel Hollins has a message for his Memphis Grizzlies. And when he delivers it, there's no finessing — he goes right to the sledgehammer. A seemingly meaningless preseason loss to Chicago has irked Hollins, a coach who obsesses over improving the little things. His players appeared to be out of shape and failed to execute plays to his liking. And he expected a team coming off of consecutive Game 7 playoff losses and returning much of its core rotation to be a little more motivated. The truth is, the Memphis Grizzlies haven't earned the right to coast yet.
And so today at practice, his players are running. Their goal? Dart to the far baseline of Memphis's practice court and back within 10 seconds. That's bad news for the 7-foot-2 Hamed Haddadi. He's the first Iranian to play in the NBA, someone who grew so quickly as a teenager that he had trouble finding shoes that fit. If he were just four inches shorter, Haddadi probably wouldn't have a roster spot in the NBA. Still, he's an oddly popular figure with Memphis fans — a hustler who usually finds a way to contribute whenever Hollins feeds him a couple of minutes. He's easygoing and quick with a smile. His teammates like him. But when they're racing down the court, that's when he seems overmatched. Haddadi doesn't run … he lumbers.
And now he's late. During Hollins's drill, Haddadi finishes after all of his teammates and the allotted 10 seconds.
"I'm tired of your bullsh*t, Hamed," Hollins says. "I'm tired of your laziness. Come on. You can be mad at me all you want, but I don't give a f*ck. Be mad at me, but do what you're supposed to do."