August 28, 2018 • 43 mins
Adam Stanco’s in-depth interview with ESPN's legendary broadcaster Dick Vitale. They discuss his childhood, including the adversity Vitale faced when as a kindergartner he lost the vision in his left eye. He reveals how he started his coaching career, first at an elementary school and then as a successful high school coach. Dickie V recounts his remarkable rise up the coaching ranks, going from high school to NBA head coach in just seven years. He reveals how getting fired sent him into a terrible depression, but how it also led him to ESPN, where he changed the sport of college basketball forever. Vitale also explains how he would change the game and his answer will surprise you.
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Adam Stanco: @naismithlives
40 Year Coach Podcast: @40YearCoach
Dick Vitale: @DickieV
The V Foundation: @TheVFoundation
Sydney Smith: @SydGSmitty
Find out more at 40YearCoach.com and follow us on Twitter...
Adam Stanco: @naismithlives
40 Year Coach Podcast: @40YearCoach
Dick Vitale: @DickieV
The V Foundation: @TheVFoundation
Sydney Smith: @SydGSmitty
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:15):
This is the forty Year Coach Podcast, and I am so excited about today's
guests because when I think back aboutthe people who have impacted college basketball in
my lifetime, John Wooden, Coachk Kareem, Bob Knight, John Thompson,
Tar, the Fab Five, manymore, I don't think there's any
(00:38):
others who have impacted the games asmuch as as Dick Vital, one of
the great broadcasters of all time,terrific coach in his own right. And
I am so excited to finally talkon the forty Year Coach Podcast to mister
Dick Vital. Dick, how areyou? I'm doing great joy in life
for the summer. I really can'twait for a college to start. Can't
(01:00):
wait for November six when Kentucky docook it up. And then we got
Michigan State in my preseason number oneKansas. I think that Jay Watson is
going to be dynamite this year.Awesome, awesome, Dick. I want
to start out with the early lifefor you, and you had a quote
that I thought it was really fascinating. He said, I learned from my
(01:22):
mom and dad, who didn't havea formal education but had doctorates of love
They told me, if you gaveone hundred and ten percent all the time,
a lot of beautiful things will happen. What do you recall about,
you know, just growing up ata very very young age with parents who
cared so much. Well, youknow, I think every child out there
should have a mom and dad likeI did. My parents. They weren't
(01:45):
educated and didn't have a formal education, but they had a doctoral love.
And I told my brothers, sister, and I his great country if you
chase your dreams and chase your goals. And I try to share. I
do a lot of motivational speaking ofthe noons form for thirty years to Washington
Speakers Bureau, and I try toshare with people. Two things I learned
in my life at my dinner tablemore to me valued than any class I
(02:07):
ever took in pursuing my education,and certainly I recommend getting an education,
which they did to me. ButI'm telling you I learned about at my
dinner table, about love, aboutadversity, about family, about loyalty,
about being good to people. Therewere two things I would hear regularly.
My mom and dad would constantly say. It was never diff was Richie.
(02:29):
Richie don't ever, ever, everbelieve in can you can be what you
want to be. I lost myeye as a youngster, and I thought
it was the end of the world. And I can remember lecture after lecture
for my mom and my dad.That's nothing what people face in this world.
That's nothing. You could be whatyou want to be. I would
give anything for my parents to beliving, to seeing the home I live,
(02:52):
the places I go to, peopleI meet, and to stand near
when you know that some of theawards I've had, I'm gonna be now.
I just got a call just rely. It's going to be really a
great honor. I can't really shareuntill they let the pr out. But
it's an amazing award. And inaddition to that, I'm in thirteen Hall
of Fames, the John Wooden Pyramidof Success Award. And these things happen
(03:13):
because I like the thing I live. What my parents said, they would
always say, never believe in catand number two, be good to people
and people who'd be good to you. I would hear that ten fifteen times
a day, and how good peoplehave been to me. Hey, not
bad for a guy to can't runjump shoot, I mean, you got
a body with a lot of spaghettiin my body, and yet and yet
(03:35):
I have these things happen. It'sit's amazing what passion and enthusiasm could do.
It really, it really is.You talk about that adversity, and
you mentioned the losing vision in yourleft eye in kindergarten. I know you've
spoken at length about the impact thenabout bullying. Um, what happened to
you in terms of the bullying andhow much did that, you know,
(04:00):
impact your life as you were motivatedand moving on through your life. It
was never the word bullying. Itwas always a scenario where he thought you
were being teased. But I canremember vividly and as so many things happening
now in the world were bullying,that I felt it was important for me
to come out and try to sharemy story. And my story was,
you know, my left eye wasblind and literally used to drift on me
(04:24):
until I had surgery when I gota lot older, and my eye used
to drift on me. And Inever could look you straight in the eye
because you turn your head wondering whereI'm looking, and I'm picturing in a
little league man. And I usedto throw the ball hard. I really
did. I was pretty good littleleague pitcher, and I'll tell you,
I would hear the fans yelling,hey, where's that kid? Looking man?
(04:46):
Looking kid? And he said,look at his eye. You don't
know where he's throwing the ball.And they don't know the paint it inserted
in me. I would go homemy little league uniform and sit in my
room and stare at the mirror andcry like a baby. And then my
mom would come in and I getchoked up even thinking about him. My
mother would come in and she'd say, Richie, don't let them get the
best to you. Don't And Isaid, why can? I hid me
(05:09):
straight? And I get so chokedup talking about those days. But the
bottom line is, fortunately for me, things change, and I try to
tell kids, but I do alot of speaking, and you know,
put a hand out to those thathave a problem, Put a hand and
love. Our nation needs more love. There's too much hate in our country
(05:30):
right now. I mean I readsome of the tweets of some of these
baseball players that had six seven yearsago, and you know, I say,
well, I'm sorry, I wasa young kid. I don't you
know, I don't excuse that whenyou're using such venom and such hate for
racial taunts and things out there,anti gaze, and I mean, you
gotta look at the mirror. Yougotta prove to me. Are you saying
you're sorry because you got caught oryou're saying you're sorry that you're genuine Well
(05:56):
we'll find out. You find outby the way you live and the way
you do things. And I justtry to tell people, if you're good
with people, give people a hugman. Whether you're rich, a poor,
black, White, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, it doesn't matter people
of people, but you gotta loveone another. And that is missing big
time right now in our nation.Absolutely absolutely couldn't agree more. And get
(06:18):
what kind of basketball player were youback then? You're talking about yourself as
a baseball player, but how abouthow about in basketball? You know,
I was able to shoot the ball. I could shoot the ball, but
I had no quickness. I couldn'tguard anybody. And reality set in and
went to TeV. You know,as a kid, my dream was as
a kid, I'll never forget mymother made a Yankee uniform for me when
(06:40):
one of the holidays. I wasreal, real young and man, that
uniform and I don't know where theygot the money to get me a Wilson
glove. I think he's to callhim an eight two Wilson, a big,
big baseball glove. He's gon takethat to better me like a young
nine ten year old kid play alittle little little league and you know,
playing down there with the young kidswhere I lived and used to dream about
the Yankees. Man when I wentto Yankee Stadium, it was like,
(07:02):
oh my god, I was goingto a cathedral. And you go to
bed thinking in reality, said inand I said, it ain't gonna happen.
I'd go to the basketball courts andemulate and try to be like Bob
Kuzy number fourteen in the Celtics betweenmy legs, around my back. But
you know, losing my eye,I made it a real real problem for
me in terms of, you know, people would overplay my right eye and
(07:25):
make it tough for me. AndI played high school. I started high
school varsity. I played a littledivision, and then I played Seaton All
Patterson the Division Seaton College for ayear or two and then I just decided
it was not going anywhere as aplayer, and I decided to get into
coach and I fell in love.Fell in love. I'm a sports junkie.
(07:45):
I love all sports, and atthat time I was coaching baseball,
basketball, football. I don't knowanything about football. I swear to God,
I couldn't tell you split teas,win teas, all that, But
I knew one thing. When Igathered my team together, and I was
a seventh eighth grade coach of well, I said, I know one thing.
They got six, we better getseven. We didn't lose a game.
And the two years I was onthat sideline, and you know,
(08:07):
you just get people to play,man. People are playing, communicate,
get them to play with pride andpassion and feeling. And those are the
things I try to speak about whenI when I go around this nation.
I just got back a Corossta Rica. Recently spoke in a big convention there
for a company, an insurance company, and had a blast with those people.
And I try to do this.I'm going out to Vegas for a
(08:28):
big event in the next couple ofweeks, and I'm going out to Scottsdale
as well. And I love that. I'm you know, I'm a hot
dog in my heart. Man,give me the mustard throwing at me.
I love people, and the onething I'm proud of, I'll tell you
Andy. In today's world of television, we have so many guys you turn
on the TV. They all wantto develop stick and they all want this
pizzas and they do things that it'sso not real, that it's not genuine.
(08:54):
I mean, I know one thing. I go look in the mirror
and anybody has known me from thetime I was a kid to the time
I coached to the time I goton TV. What they see is what
they get is what's real. That'sme. That's what I'm about. I'm
about, you know, being aloud talking a lot, having a lot
of fun at what I do.It's not stick. It's not stick when
(09:15):
you're a writer. Right now he'sgot stick. That stick's getting old.
Really, it's not stick because ifyou knew me, you know I was
this way before I was ever anyany guy on television you asked the writers
in Detroit, they always tease mejust to see me. He's passed away
recently, Joe Falls and people likeJerry Green and Michael o'hirey. They would
say to me all the time,Man, what we see on TV is
(09:37):
half of what we used to seehere in Detroit when you're coach. So
that's me and I think we needmore, you know. I look at
Terry Bradshaw, and I look atJohn Madden, and I look at people
like Chris Berman. They're real,man, That's who they are. They're
like kids, kids talking about agame they love. But you can watch
TV now and you see all thesepeople trying to put these sticks together and
it's just so just you know,well saying to try to develop, and
(10:01):
it's not real, it's not genuine. I think in life, you know,
bottom line is that's that's basically whoI've been and I've tried to be
that way all my life. SoI think that people, you gotta be
real, you gotta be genuine,you gotta be about yourself. And and
that's why I still love. LikeI said, watch Tom Madden, it
was so real. Is unbelievable,Dick, When early on you coached elementary
(10:22):
school Mark Twain Elementary nineteen fifty eight. If we went back and watched a
practice, a Dick Vital practice fromback then sixty years ago, what kind
of coach would we see? Well, I'll tell you this, it's amazing
that you said, I just gota text message a couple of a couple
of days ago from a couple ofkids that played in those teams, and
(10:46):
that kids anymore obviously, and theysaid, Coach, we learned so much
from you and all our life thatwe used it on our values and it
makes me feel so good. Youknow. I'd start to practice. So
I've always been a little talk aboutsomething going on in the world, and
talk about being a good person,talking about making good decisions, talking about
what life's about, you know,and then I would get my drills and
(11:07):
to be organized and make sure thateverything that we've done on a regular basis
and you form good habits, youknow, whether it be layup drills,
whether it be running a transition game, whether half court defense, half court
offense, I mean, all theparts of the game, but every day
making maximum use in the two hoursto making sure it's just not no running
around guys jocking walls up all overthe place. I'd like to believe I
(11:31):
was always been very organized. Ibelieve in that. I think, you
know, I do a motivational tipevery day on Twitter and Facebook, and
if people follow me on Twitter slashDickey v where they go to my Instagram
and Dicky v underscore ESPN. Everymorning I put up a little motivational tip.
Today was all about hope. Neverever given up hope. They're like
(11:52):
forty five seconds shots, and Itry to talk about these things on a
regular basis, And I did thosethings on years years ago with my teams.
I love it. I love it. And those teams weren't just elementary
school. Obviously, you had incrediblesuccess as you go Garfield High School and
then he's Rutherford High School. Onehundred and thirty one and forty seven record,
(12:15):
four state sectional titles, two consecutivestate titles, thirty five straight wins,
and coach you're making twelve thousand dollarsa year from from what I understand.
But one player in particular I wantedto ask you about because we always
hear about about guys who you knoware coming up through the playgrounds or playing
high school, and guys always sayyou think I was great. You know
(12:37):
you talked to an NBA player,you think I was great. There was
a guy in my high school thatwas even better, or in my neighborhood.
What can you tell me about lessCason? Well, you know,
biggest disappointment in my life, thebiggest failure in my life for me personally,
and hurts every time I talk aboutless because what he could have been,
should have been, and would havebeen. And he listened to number
(13:00):
right things. Leslie was on theright track. We had him on the
right track of life, and hewas going and we thought in the right
places. I mean, I usedto hear a call from the police department
about the fact that, hey,coach, he's on a playground making a
noise playing basketball eleven o'clock, elevenand thirty when the light side and neighbors
would complain. And I thought thatwas a great, great habit, and
(13:20):
then all of a sudden that disappeared. He couldn't get him near a basketball
court, and I started to wonderwhat was happening. I was hearing rumors
and rumors and rumors, and Iremember once calling him in and talking to
him and I said, Leslie,I said, I don't like what I
see, I don't like what Ihear, and I'm telling you you're not
the player that you were as ajunior. Just this senior year and this
(13:41):
all happened, and I said,let me tell you, I think you
messed him with drugs. Man,I only say done in my mind.
You know, he couldn't look atthe eye. And they lie when a
person's heavy into drugs or alcohol,they're gonna sit there and lie. And
he did the same, and hedidn't did it over and over again,
and I could see that, youknow, he was losing it. And
then one day we called. Wehad a really very intense meeting in our
(14:05):
office, a little cubbyhole of anoffice. We had one state championships back
to back. Because he was thatgood that he could even be on a
down cycle and dominate the kids weplayed against in high school. And I
called them in and I told aboutdisappointed I was about his academic teachers are
complaining all the time, put pressureon me, like you couldn't believe the
principles everybody about going to class,about doing things, and I sometimes you
(14:28):
regret some of the decisions I made. But bottom line is, I told
him I sit son. I said, I don't know who you're listening to.
And if finally he said to me, my buddies tell me you're using
me to go to college, andI just made me blow up. I
said, let me tell you somethingLeslie, I'm gonna tell you this right
now. I want you to listento me. There are a few profanities
in there as well. And Isaid, look at me, and I'm
(14:50):
gonna tell you this to your face. There's no way in the world that
you and I are going to coachwhere I'm going to coach in college with
you. Okay, So how areyour friends that? And let me ask
you a question. Where were allthese characters and these guys off the streets
that if all of a sudden gotaround you your junior year and now your
senior year. Where were they whenyou were in the eighth grade, ninth
(15:13):
grade, and hours and hours ofworking with you and drilling you and having
you with me all the time,trying to hope that you could become the
player that I thought you could become. And you know, they could give
me a good answer. But thesecharacters are all around him filling his head
up. It was during the timewas very strong racial things going on in
North Jersey there in North New Jersey, etc. And they would be in
(15:35):
his head telling them what your coachis using you, man, the white
dude is using you. And Isaid, let me tell you something I'm
not using anybody. But someday,Leslie, I'm gonna let you notice.
Someday I'm gonna be coaching in college, and I guarantee it. I'm gonna
get a chance. I'm gonna getan opportunity, and I'm going to succeed.
There was nobody wants to see youmake it more than me, other
(15:58):
than you and your family, becauseI want to feel good about you.
Right now, I don't feel goodabout what I'm seeing and what i'm hearing.
Well, you know, the longstory short is, obviously he got
messed big time with drugs. Therewas a big article. It really crushed
me. I was at I rememberthe year in nineteen ninety six. I'm
at the final four in New Jersey. It's in East Strutter for where I
(16:19):
coached in high school, where Icoached Leslie. And I'm at the final
four and my phone rings about sixin the morning. Someone calls me up,
a friend from that area and says, way, do you see the
back page of the tabloids the DelhiNews, big story on Leslie and about
you, how both of you camefrom Eastruttter from Because the story was going
(16:41):
to be here's Nick vital ESPN.He's back in East Rutter for television work
in Domino. Kinds of reports onthe Final four and here's a picture and
they show Leslie in the picture onthe streets of the Bowery and it was
so sad to see, and thewhole stories about how he's been arrested a
number of times and I was coaching, I really believe. And the writer
(17:03):
was Ian O'Connor, who's now astanding writer on ESPN and he's been an
outstanding columnists. He wrote the story, and the story I think initially was
the show, here's the coach,here, his players here, they forgot
all about him and didn't help himinto it. And then that's so far
from the truth. But Ian didn'tshow that. He went out and did
(17:25):
a very thorough, intensive interview withLeslie and was on the streets talking to
some of the cops there that I'vearrested him over the years, and to
one of the priests that was tryingto help him in a bowery and in
the story, well made me feelreally good that Leslie was so honest.
The first thing he said to IanO'Connor basically, you know, I'm paraphrasing,
(17:48):
but basically it was something to theeffect that they don't blame my coach
man. My coach really cared aboutme, and one I shouldn't listened to
him. And then we commuted.We communicated a little bit and a lot
of people don't know that is Isent mom was so fresh, but the
story in a way he was living. I sent a couple of thousand dollars,
which was verified by the priest tothe priest, and I said,
(18:10):
I won't you put this money away, and anytime Leslie needs any clothes,
he needs any utensils, he needsanything in terms of cosmetics, you get
it for him, but don't givehim the money. Well, Leslie got
really upset with that, and Lesliecontacted me through correspondence and he said,
(18:30):
see, Coach, you don't trustme. You give the money to the
priest, and you know what,They're not giving me anything. They're not
doing anything for me. And itwas so no, wasn't true. I
mean, if we gave him themoney, you know where it's going to
go. And then shortly after that, Leslie passed and they couldn't even get
his body out of the Morgan NewYork and I ended up paying for that
(18:51):
and end up paying for funeral services, the whole bit. But the bottom
line is, the bottom line isit's the biggest disappointment in my life because
that kid was just a good kidwho finally could not make good decisions by
himself. He got led easily,and once he got into that drug scene
his basketball career. I even helpedhim a lot of people don't realize this.
(19:12):
When I became the coach at Detroit, obviously called me up and wanted
to come and I said, no, man, I can do it.
And I said, let me tellyou, but I'll help you. And
I tried to help to get himin Rutgers and I did. He got
there with Tom Young, and heplayed a little bit on their great teams,
but never really became the player thatwe all thought he'd be. And
(19:33):
he just finally drifted from that aswell. But just a sad, sad
story and a story that you know, just breaks my heart to even talk
about it because as to call himpeewee, and I love the guy and
I just hated to see I feltlike a feelia. That's somewhere along the
line I feel, And as muchas I speak, so much to people
(19:55):
about drums and out or decision makingand taking you to the val if you
played that game. And yet somehowSomeway I couldn't get into his head to
stay away from that scene. Incredible, incredible story. I appreciate you sharing
that that it's really a movie,to be honest, Witch's it really it's
it's an incredible if people really lookedat that story at all, but inspires
(20:18):
other kids do it all. Butevery time, you know, we had
a big gathering a lot of myformer players from the high school team.
In fact, I brought a bunchof them to my house in Florida last
year and took him as my guestto a football weekend and not the name.
And we sit and we talked dwiteHole, Joe Salamini, Charlie Vasconi,
and Bobby Stolars was a standing assistantcoach for me for years. And
(20:40):
we sit and we talked about Leslie, and we say, God, Dwight
tried so hard, he was soclosely begging and pleaded him not to go
to route he was going, andjust couldn't reach him. Couldn't reach him.
They all think they can beat thatscene. He can't. Yeah,
absolutely absolutely to you. You talkabout the people that you mentioned, the
people you couldn't reach, but thereare many, many, many that you
(21:03):
have. And you know Howard Garfinkelmakes a call to Dick Lloyd. You
get a job as Rutgers assistant asyou as you alluded, Tom, you're
an assistant Rutgers. You recruit PhilSellers, Mike Dabney who ended up being
foundational pieces of that seventy six Finalfour team. And Phil Sellers had said
he just had that gift to convincepeople, to get them to believe him.
(21:30):
Is that How much was that sameauthenticity that you've always preached in as
part of your recruiting pitch. Inother words, if if I went back
and listened to a recruiting pitch toa Phil Sellers or Mike Dabney, now
if I heard the recording, howmuch does it sound like current day?
Dick vital I think every situation youtry to take the positives and sell most
(21:51):
positives. When I was at Rutgers, I was trying to sell the theory
of you're playing in the metro NewYork area, You're playing right. Madison
Square gored in a couple of gameson a better place to play. You're
gonna get name recognition in this areabecause you got to think and prepare for
option B, option A. Allthese guys option A is their dream to
be an NBA player, but realitysets in. You better be prepared and
(22:12):
have optioned me in case it doesn'thappen. And we told him what name
recognition can do for them in thearea, job opportunities, etc. And
I didn't find it difficult to sellat all, you know, as to
tell him, you know, Ifirmly believe this. You know Rutgers.
A lot of times I hear sohe can't get this because we can't get
DECA. Oh really, I don'tbuy that. If you think you're mediocre
(22:33):
in life, you're gonna be mediocreif you think you're special. And I
just felt that Rutgers was special andthat we could go out and recruit the
best of the best and I wouldhave to fill sellers. Let me tell
you, I chased and chased andchased. My heart was broken. My
heart was broken when he said initiallyhe's going to go to another name.
And I never felt in my heartthat he really wanted to go there.
(22:56):
It was peer pressure. All thepeople in this school was saying, you
know, he considered Rutgers, andyou got Notre Dame and Mark keed Al
McGuire and all these schools chasing you. It was an ego thing. I
could tell the way when he calledme up, he says, this really
crushes me, Coach. I'll neverforget his words. You can talk to
Philip, he says, this crushesme to tell you, because there's nobody
(23:17):
that has recruited me like you haveand have made so many great points about
me staying home. But I gotto go to Notre Dame and I said,
look, Notre Dame is a greatschool. I said, Philip,
I wish you all the luck inthe world. I said, it's been
an honor. I'm really so thrilledthat you gave me the opportunity of my
coaching careers, my first Jess.To be able to be involved with you
(23:37):
has been an honor. I thankyou. And then I went to an
All Story game with Howard Garfinkla outin New York. I'm a new All
Story game and I was there actuallyfor a kid my name of Jeff Kleinbaum
when we end up signing. ButI'm there and Phillips in the game and
he comes running over to the sideline. He says, don't leave, I
got to talk to you after thegame. So all of a sudden he
(24:00):
comes over. I have no idea, you know, he's going to Notre
Dame. It comes over to meand he says, coach, coach,
I gotta tell you this. Ireally, down deep don't want to go
to Notre Dame. I want togo to Rutgers. I want to go
with you. I really got todo it. Oh my god, I
just dropped. I grabbed a phonethere those cell phones that I called up
my head coach Nick Dick. Isaid, we gotta get a press conference
(24:23):
tomorrow. I said, he's gottacome. What are we gonna do,
man, it's unbelievable. Phil sellersnumber one in the country, MVP DIP
DAP, and there it would bebecause I said it'll be a we'll go
from there. We'll get Mike Dabney. Because everybody else kept saying to me,
oh, you're not gonna get sellers. You know, I kept saying
that Dabney. We get sellers becauseDabney was the best player in New Jersey.
(24:44):
And so immediately, man immediately.I mean, we got it rolling.
But uh, it was just agreat, great moment. And it
was a scenario where see Rutgers,we weren't on the national letter of intent,
so therefore we it didn't matter tous whether he's signed somewhere and then
sign because we weren't on the letterFronte, so it didn't affect us,
and we're able to get him andthe rest of his history. I mean,
(25:07):
he goes down there and look whathe did. He'd led him to
the final four. They were undefeated. I mean he's thinking that final four.
You're thinking about Indiana, the GeneralRobert Montgomery Knight with the best team
that I ever If somebody asked mewhich the best team of my life I've
ever seen, it was that Indianateam. Now I'm not saying they would
beat the Kareem Abdul Jabbar teams,lu Al Sunder's teams, because he was
(25:27):
so so good, so good theychanged the rules, But as a team,
the way they played or offensively anddefensively with Buckner and May and Wilkerson
and Benson and that whole gang Abanatiand Leskowski and those guys, the way
they played was unreal. Sharing theball, great spacing, great cutting,
(25:48):
defensively, always communicating, given help, blocking out everything. Coaches drumped the
Bobby Knight, the General had withthat team. And that's the last team
we have seen in our era that'sbeen undefeated. It was nineteen seventy six.
But there, Ucla was there,Michigan was there, Indiana was there,
and little Rutgers was there. Rutgersled by Phil Sellers, who I
(26:14):
kept hearing from people, he's wacky. Trying to recruit him. He's got
no chance to get Phil Sellers.Oh really? And I kept thinking of
my mom's words, never ever,Richie, ever believe in ten and man,
you know, I just believe thatif you sell something and you believe
it. I went to Detroit.My salesmanship there was to Tyler's and lawns
(26:37):
and great kids. There's great people. I had made the biggest mistake of
my life go to the NBA.I belonged as a college coach with my
energy and enthusiasm and probably as JimmyV used to say, you never messed
with happy. And he told me, he said he'll be like me,
Dick, You're gonna be like me. I went from my own at the
NC state, You're gonna go fromDetroit to a big job Michigan on the
(27:00):
day in Michigan State somewhere. Well, you know, I was only thirties
and here comes the owner of thebusiness in my office and he's telling me.
I'm sitting there and making a likeI don't know what I was making.
Seventeen thousand, maybe twenty thousand.I'm sitting in my office and he's
sitting here saying, well, youknow, I'm not gonna waste time,
Dick. I'm here because I wantto hire He is the coach of the
(27:21):
Pistons. Oh my god, I'msitting there saying to myself nineteen seventy,
I'm in a sixth grade as ateacher, coaching in high school. And
this is seven eight years later,and I got the Pistons coach into my
office and telling me, well,I don't know what you're making him,
but we'll give you six figures andwe'll give you a new cars every six
thousand miles. You'll run a Campebob Lanier. You could keep all the
(27:41):
money from the camp. I mean, I'm being blown away and I'm gonna
quote up with that, but Ireally belonging to college and I look back,
but you know, you can't lookback and say, well, it
didn't work out. You know,I know one thing when I look at
the NBA, there's the halves anda half knots. There's certain guys they
could coach their hearts out. Theycould coach their hearts out, and the
(28:03):
kids went and I could I coachedthem on blue in the face. There's
no way you're beating Kareem and you'regonna beat people like playing the seventy sixers
and Doctor J. Moses and companyand beat them. Would aren't cast that
we had. You just can't doit. And especially when our star goes
down with knee surgery, Lanier andpeople. That's why we're so quick to
(28:26):
rush the judgment about this guy's agreat coach. That guy, I mean,
how did you compar coaches? Imean, really, Steve Kurs doing
a great job. But I thinkhe's got an at it. And even
be the first to tell you,I think it's pretty good. When you
go to war you got Koree allStars to Rant and Thompson and I'm not
taking anything away because he has toblend them and sing with Phil Jackson.
That's don't think they did a greatjob blending them to play and set their
(28:48):
egos aside and to win. Buthow do you say they are better coaches
than the guys coaching and Charlotte andthe guys coaching Orlando Magic and those guys
who don't have anyone We are nearthe person l and talent. In the
NBA, it's about talent. Youin college, you could go out and
recruit and change your lineup quickly ina year. You can't do that in
the NBA with all the salary structuresand the things that go on. So
(29:11):
again, I think many times we'reon fear about that. Absolutely, And
speaking of unfair I think that whenyou look historically of basketball, one of
the most remarkable deals that ever tookplace, I think changed the trajectory not
just of the NBA, but ofcollege basketball, and that is mL car
going to the Celtics. Bill Davidsonsays that, wait, we're gonna make
(29:34):
I'm gonna make a deal with Redauterback because we're gonna lose mL So I'll
give two first round picks from thePistons and they're gonna give us Bob McAdoo
you at the time say hey,mister Davidson, don't don't do that.
I love McAdoo. We need thosepicks. Well, the deal was made
anyway, those picks eventually turn outto be Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale,
(29:55):
which obviously changes the history of NBAbasketball forever. Consequently, as you,
as you point out, within ashort period of time, because your talents
all gone, you lose a jobas distance coach, which actually turns out
to be a wonderful thing for therest of us, even though you went
through some depression, because you getinto broadcasting and become part of the first
(30:17):
broadcast ever on on ESPN, Andit's really remarkable to me just how much
history changed in that one in thatone move and coach, I know you
have Oh, go ahead, You'rewell prepared. You really are. Mister
Davis's the greatest older I mean,you can be around as you A beautiful
man. Was a beautiful man.He's up with heaven now. Loved helping
people. And he's to say tome all the time he didn't want to
(30:38):
fire. I mean he's to sayto me all the time, you're your
biggest enemy. Because I'd come inand complain and we can't win. I
coached all blooming a face just wantto tell you earlier can't We did get
players. I can't stand this losing. I hate it. And he said
to me, be patient, natient, it's gonna take five years. I
have five years. Well, finally, you can say it too often.
And my wife said, you're gonnaget fired one day doing that. And
(31:00):
he was right, and I gotfired in and you know I looked back.
I was certainly I cried like ababy because I was a buddy of
mine. How to say in aboy a bowl of dream, And that's
what I felt my life was.I mean, I was a young guy
with no pedigree. I had nobody pushing for me like John Wooden or
Coach k or Bobby KNIGHTAMS worked mybutt off to try and get to where
(31:21):
I've gotten in and to get tothe top like that to coach in the
NBA. So he hit such ayoung age and then bam zam, you
get fired. And you know,it taught me a lot about life too,
though you learn a lot, youknow. I told people there's two
things that could happen. You know, you lose your job, you get
fired, you're down, you're out. You could feel sorry for yourself,
or you could go up and pickup the pieces and try to go to
(31:42):
the next challenge. And I'm luckyin life than I did that. And
initially I was very depressed. Iwas I was so depressed. I was
listening to Luca Laura in general,hospitals like people. I mean, it
was pathetic. But ultimately, ultimatelythings change. With that call from Well,
Scottie Kahn given me my first opportunity, of which I didn't want to.
(32:02):
I wanted to go back coach atthe college at home. I don't
know about TV. My producers willstill tell you today he was annoying about
TV. We had production meetings togo. At the end of the meeting,
I don't know. We had ameeting focus when the light comes out,
you're gonna do what you want todo. So but you know,
I think that's being real. Andbut I've worked with so many great producers,
play by play guys. I'm beenunbelievable. I've lived a life that
(32:24):
succeeded in any dream. As sittingtalking to you, I'm looking at my
office and I looked hanging on thewalls here the Hall of Fame jersey of
what I got inducted with Patrick Ewingand oh so Chima lajah On, pat
Riley and just Cathy Rush and AdrianDantley. I look here and I see
(32:44):
all these memorabilia and all these differentawards, and I just pinched myself.
I pinched myself. How blessed Imade me seventy nine, but I act
about twelve. I was tennis thismorning before I came here. I tried
to play tennis regularly. I workout early, go watch my grand kids
practice. They're getting really played thenational tournaments or young kids chasing dreams,
(33:07):
and that's what life's about. I'mstill changing the dream. I want to
be the first guy in a hundredyears old walk in and say he's awesome.
Maybe, Coach, I greatly appreciateyour time, and I know you
have to go, and there's somuch other things. I'd love to talk
to you about it at some point, but you know the b Foundation and
how much you've contributed to that andjust all that you've done for for college
(33:29):
basketball, in the game, basketballin the whole. But I just one
last question for you, and thatis you know that a lot of different
people have opinions on the current stateof the game today and where it stands.
And you know, we've discussed thehistory and your part in that,
and I know how much it meansto you, and it means the world,
and you love it and I lovethis game so much. Is there
(33:52):
what would you change about the stateof college basketball today? What would you
change about the game? The onething is, I mean, I'm not
a fan of one and done.I think that that should makes a absolute
mochreud of the term student athlete whereplayers are rented for four months five months,
and I think it's ridiculous. Iif a kid is good enough and
he wants to go to the NBA, he should be allowed that freedom to
(34:14):
go to the NBA right out ofhigh school. I mean they do it
in baseball and the hockey, etc. And he should be able to do
it in basketball. He should havethat freedom rather than have to go for
one year to school where he's raisedbasically doesn't want to be there. College
is the kids that want to bein college. And I think also if
you stop on a college campus,I'll love baseball rule. He should be
(34:35):
there for at least three years,well at least two, but three is
what they do in baseball, andit works beautifully with everybody getting together.
The second part that I would change, we're living in the archaic age today.
I mean, he got Mark Emmetthere from the NCA. He's bringing
in millions. He got guys likeme and television, we make a lot
of money. You got people outthere in terms of coaches making millions and
(34:57):
millions of dollars, and the playersin getting zipped. And I'm telling you,
I don't want to hear about whenthey get room board and books and
deuition, I get an education orreally, you know what they do they
have any idea. My daughters playedtennis. They didn't play basketball, but
even the world of tennis as juniortennis players scholarship athletes at Notre Dame.
The minute they worked on that walkedon that campus. They report for practice
(35:22):
and hours and hours and wait roomsand everything else evolved. So when they
think these kids that they're not earningwhat they're getting, they're out of their
mind. Go talk to a football, basketball, baseball player, or a
swimmer or anybody and ask them whatthey're doing. And the time has come
where these kids should be allowed tomake some money. Now, if the
inn shade doesn't have the dollars andthey claim, well, we can't give
(35:43):
it to them because we've got togive it to every athlete don't have the
necessary revenues, well, I firmlybelieve they make it. Do it very
simply. Number One, Let's getthe sleaziness out. We got an FBI
report out there now that just damagedthe whole game, makes people look at
the games sleazy. There's a fewpeople make bad decisions. I mean,
are coaches out there. Assistants thatwere arrested been documented. It's not me
(36:07):
saying it, but documented the factthat took thousands of dollars to be able
to give money to families and wheeland deal with agents, etc. Let's
eliminate all that sleeps in this.You can eliminate it very easily. Number
One. Let agents. If anagent who's an abiding certified agent wants to
(36:27):
give money to a player and wantsto advance into his family and to him,
why not If that kid's good enoughand he could get those dollars from
him, why not? Why not? If a kid can make an appearance
not get cash, he should beable to if he the Heisman Trophy went
away. He's a name recognition.Why not let him? So? Now,
what you do is if you letan agent allowed to advance to dollars
(36:50):
to a young player, if hereally likes that player, you eliminate the
runner. You eliminate the sleezy guygoing behind the scenes wheel in dealing with
the family. You know, we'regonna get you his dollars and you but
you gotta go with this agent whatit's done. You gotta go with the
shoe company. And then you gotthe shoe companies supplying money to runners,
and the shoe company give them moneyto runners, and they're out there with
(37:12):
the runners trying to get certain kidsto play on certain teams in the AU
competition, flying them in all overthe place. I mean, it's just
a suspool and it's got to bestopped, and it's got to be stopped,
and you could stop in several ways. I think the one thing they're
doing now which I liked them allgotten together. They're gonna have camps together
for kids, juniors and seniors,the outstanding players, supervised by the NCAA
(37:36):
and the NBA and all evaluation.I think it's it's not. You know,
I have no problem like them thePeach Jam where the shoe companies throwous
tournaments and all the coaches can getin there and eventuay I have no problem
with that because a lot of kidssometimes who don't have the great recognition and
great name recognition get discovered and getan opportunity to go to school. So
(37:57):
I think from that standpoint that's positive. But I just think there's got to
be changed. Kids. They deservesome cash. They absolutely do. I
mean, like I said, everybodyelse is making millions except the guys that
are making it happen, the athletes, And I think that's a word.
I'm gonna close with this though.Something you mentioned earlier means more to meet
than anything we've talked about now anything. Is the v Foundation, my gala
(38:21):
raising money for kids battling cancer.I could give you a story after story
about kids because I just don't showup for the gala. It's twenty four
to seven. Man, I liveit, I feel it, I dream
it. You did. That's partof my life. I get to know
the kids. Every year. Wehave kids at my gala who are my
all courageous team kids. The namesdon't mean much to people out there,
(38:42):
but meaning a lot to me.Tony Colton. Tony Colin came for a
few years to my gala. TonyColin's not coming anymore. Tony Colin passed.
I went to his funeral last year, Tony Colin. When I visited
him at the hospital, I toldTony as a Tony to my last breath,
I'm going to beg and plead fordollars. I promise you I'm gonna
do that. It crushed me cryinglike a baby over him, and I
(39:05):
think about kids like Joshua Fisher,who I just took to a baseball game.
He and a youngster about anymore WestonHerman, two beautiful kids. I
took him as my guests with theirfamilies to a raised game, had the
owner's box and then an owner's box. They brought up bats for the kids,
balls for the kids, jerseys,raised jersey and we got an extra
frill. Derek Jetah was in thehouse that day watching his marlins and happened
(39:28):
to know Derek a little, andDerek allowed the kids to come and meet
with him and talk to him.Joshua did twelve hundred, ten years old,
talk about courage. Courage, twelvehundred doses of chemo therapy to beat
his cancer. Hey, Luke Keimanand he had And then there's Weston Herman,
two brain cancer surgeries. And Igot him to where he loves hockey
(39:52):
and he's a heck of a hockeyplayer. And John Cooper loves that,
loves helping kids. He's the coachof the Lightning. It's like, callte
John, I'm a job. Wegot to get him a jersey, the
Lightning jersey's ten years old. He'sa deck. Are you serious do more
than that? He said, thekid can skate. Us said yeah,
I said him a video of thekid. He's a man. He could
really skate. He's ten years old. He'said, wonder about if I let
(40:14):
him skate with our team before weplay a game. Our skate of time
during the afternoon. Oh my god. It was the thrill of a lifetime.
But my wife always says, youget a bigger thrill than the kids
do. I think it's like alittle boy. I love bringing a smile
to their faces. If anybody wantsto help me, my goal this year
is to raise four million. Wehave raised so far at my gala twenty
(40:36):
five point three million dollars not enough. We need more. I want four
million. This year, we're gonnabe honoring Avery Johnson this year Alabama form
an NBA point guard, Chris Fowlerof ESPN and Dabo Sweeney, and we're
also playing tribute to honor the HollyRow of ESPN. So inspirational she's been
and a lead horso and he'll sellout as usual, and we'll have the
(41:00):
donation sponsorships. But people could joinmy team by simply going to dickfyteel online
dot com and making a donation.Go to divitel online dot com, make
a donation and you can be partof our team. And the four million
dollars that we're trying to raise money'sneeded. Only four cents out of every
(41:22):
dollar raise for cancer goes for pediatricsfor kids, and that's criminal. I
could go on and on with thekids. We've had about fourteen kids and
either been with us or their familieshave been with us at my gala who
are no longer here, who maybeif there was research, they'd be living.
And as I tell people, itstrikes so quickly. It could be
(41:44):
as someone's listening out their grandparent ofa parent, somebody out there, brothers,
sister, he could be someone theylove, so please please donate.
Go to Diftel online dot com andit all goes through the V Foundation for
Jimmy v I love it. Myvery close personal friend Kevin de Gandhi speaks
(42:05):
so highly of the person you are, and I think, yes, I
know, I know. So hewas my wedding for John sons Man.
We hated to see John pass soyoung, and just I think of Stuart
Scott and John and great guys man, great guys. Lives have taken,
but they'll never be forgotten. Hey, I want to thank you guys for
(42:25):
me having me on, and reallyI really appreciate It's almost to Mark,
I sent my best as well andgreat being on with you. Greatly appreciate
the time with Dick Vitel, sucha wonderful man who's contributed so much,
not just to the game of basketball, but also to the V Foundation to
the Sarasota Boys and Girls Club.Obviously, donating to those organizations would would
(42:47):
melt its heart. You can checkout Deck vi Tell of course on Instagram,
on Twitter, He's all over socialmedia. You can check us out
on Twitter. Uh I am AdamStango at Naysmith is you can check out
the forty year Coach at forty yearCoach, check out our Facebook page and
more important to go to forty yearcoach dot com where you get a lot
(43:07):
of resources for up and coming coaches, coaches who've been in the business for
a while, and also you knowpeople who are interested in getting into the
coaching community. And lastly, Ijust want to thank Sydney Smith and our
editor ari Ka. Appreciate you guys, Mark Eisenberg as well. Well again
Brilli, thank Dick Bytel. That'lldo it for this week. Next
This is the forty Year Coach Podcast, and I am so excited about today's
guests because when I think back aboutthe people who have impacted college basketball in
my lifetime, John Wooden, Coachk Kareem, Bob Knight, John Thompson,
Tar, the Fab Five, manymore, I don't think there's any
(00:38):
others who have impacted the games asmuch as as Dick Vital, one of
the great broadcasters of all time,terrific coach in his own right. And
I am so excited to finally talkon the forty Year Coach Podcast to mister
Dick Vital. Dick, how areyou? I'm doing great joy in life
for the summer. I really can'twait for a college to start. Can't
(01:00):
wait for November six when Kentucky docook it up. And then we got
Michigan State in my preseason number oneKansas. I think that Jay Watson is
going to be dynamite this year.Awesome, awesome, Dick. I want
to start out with the early lifefor you, and you had a quote
that I thought it was really fascinating. He said, I learned from my
(01:22):
mom and dad, who didn't havea formal education but had doctorates of love
They told me, if you gaveone hundred and ten percent all the time,
a lot of beautiful things will happen. What do you recall about,
you know, just growing up ata very very young age with parents who
cared so much. Well, youknow, I think every child out there
should have a mom and dad likeI did. My parents. They weren't
(01:45):
educated and didn't have a formal education, but they had a doctoral love.
And I told my brothers, sister, and I his great country if you
chase your dreams and chase your goals. And I try to share. I
do a lot of motivational speaking ofthe noons form for thirty years to Washington
Speakers Bureau, and I try toshare with people. Two things I learned
in my life at my dinner tablemore to me valued than any class I
(02:07):
ever took in pursuing my education,and certainly I recommend getting an education,
which they did to me. ButI'm telling you I learned about at my
dinner table, about love, aboutadversity, about family, about loyalty,
about being good to people. Therewere two things I would hear regularly.
My mom and dad would constantly say. It was never diff was Richie.
(02:29):
Richie don't ever, ever, everbelieve in can you can be what you
want to be. I lost myeye as a youngster, and I thought
it was the end of the world. And I can remember lecture after lecture
for my mom and my dad.That's nothing what people face in this world.
That's nothing. You could be whatyou want to be. I would
give anything for my parents to beliving, to seeing the home I live,
(02:52):
the places I go to, peopleI meet, and to stand near
when you know that some of theawards I've had, I'm gonna be now.
I just got a call just rely. It's going to be really a
great honor. I can't really shareuntill they let the pr out. But
it's an amazing award. And inaddition to that, I'm in thirteen Hall
of Fames, the John Wooden Pyramidof Success Award. And these things happen
(03:13):
because I like the thing I live. What my parents said, they would
always say, never believe in catand number two, be good to people
and people who'd be good to you. I would hear that ten fifteen times
a day, and how good peoplehave been to me. Hey, not
bad for a guy to can't runjump shoot, I mean, you got
a body with a lot of spaghettiin my body, and yet and yet
(03:35):
I have these things happen. It'sit's amazing what passion and enthusiasm could do.
It really, it really is.You talk about that adversity, and
you mentioned the losing vision in yourleft eye in kindergarten. I know you've
spoken at length about the impact thenabout bullying. Um, what happened to
you in terms of the bullying andhow much did that, you know,
(04:00):
impact your life as you were motivatedand moving on through your life. It
was never the word bullying. Itwas always a scenario where he thought you
were being teased. But I canremember vividly and as so many things happening
now in the world were bullying,that I felt it was important for me
to come out and try to sharemy story. And my story was,
you know, my left eye wasblind and literally used to drift on me
(04:24):
until I had surgery when I gota lot older, and my eye used
to drift on me. And Inever could look you straight in the eye
because you turn your head wondering whereI'm looking, and I'm picturing in a
little league man. And I usedto throw the ball hard. I really
did. I was pretty good littleleague pitcher, and I'll tell you,
I would hear the fans yelling,hey, where's that kid? Looking man?
(04:46):
Looking kid? And he said,look at his eye. You don't
know where he's throwing the ball.And they don't know the paint it inserted
in me. I would go homemy little league uniform and sit in my
room and stare at the mirror andcry like a baby. And then my
mom would come in and I getchoked up even thinking about him. My
mother would come in and she'd say, Richie, don't let them get the
best to you. Don't And Isaid, why can? I hid me
(05:09):
straight? And I get so chokedup talking about those days. But the
bottom line is, fortunately for me, things change, and I try to
tell kids, but I do alot of speaking, and you know,
put a hand out to those thathave a problem, Put a hand and
love. Our nation needs more love. There's too much hate in our country
(05:30):
right now. I mean I readsome of the tweets of some of these
baseball players that had six seven yearsago, and you know, I say,
well, I'm sorry, I wasa young kid. I don't you
know, I don't excuse that whenyou're using such venom and such hate for
racial taunts and things out there,anti gaze, and I mean, you
gotta look at the mirror. Yougotta prove to me. Are you saying
you're sorry because you got caught oryou're saying you're sorry that you're genuine Well
(05:56):
we'll find out. You find outby the way you live and the way
you do things. And I justtry to tell people, if you're good
with people, give people a hugman. Whether you're rich, a poor,
black, White, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, it doesn't matter people
of people, but you gotta loveone another. And that is missing big
time right now in our nation.Absolutely absolutely couldn't agree more. And get
(06:18):
what kind of basketball player were youback then? You're talking about yourself as
a baseball player, but how abouthow about in basketball? You know,
I was able to shoot the ball. I could shoot the ball, but
I had no quickness. I couldn'tguard anybody. And reality set in and
went to TeV. You know,as a kid, my dream was as
a kid, I'll never forget mymother made a Yankee uniform for me when
(06:40):
one of the holidays. I wasreal, real young and man, that
uniform and I don't know where theygot the money to get me a Wilson
glove. I think he's to callhim an eight two Wilson, a big,
big baseball glove. He's gon takethat to better me like a young
nine ten year old kid play alittle little little league and you know,
playing down there with the young kidswhere I lived and used to dream about
the Yankees. Man when I wentto Yankee Stadium, it was like,
(07:02):
oh my god, I was goingto a cathedral. And you go to
bed thinking in reality, said inand I said, it ain't gonna happen.
I'd go to the basketball courts andemulate and try to be like Bob
Kuzy number fourteen in the Celtics betweenmy legs, around my back. But
you know, losing my eye,I made it a real real problem for
me in terms of, you know, people would overplay my right eye and
(07:25):
make it tough for me. AndI played high school. I started high
school varsity. I played a littledivision, and then I played Seaton All
Patterson the Division Seaton College for ayear or two and then I just decided
it was not going anywhere as aplayer, and I decided to get into
coach and I fell in love.Fell in love. I'm a sports junkie.
(07:45):
I love all sports, and atthat time I was coaching baseball,
basketball, football. I don't knowanything about football. I swear to God,
I couldn't tell you split teas,win teas, all that, But
I knew one thing. When Igathered my team together, and I was
a seventh eighth grade coach of well, I said, I know one thing.
They got six, we better getseven. We didn't lose a game.
And the two years I was onthat sideline, and you know,
(08:07):
you just get people to play,man. People are playing, communicate,
get them to play with pride andpassion and feeling. And those are the
things I try to speak about whenI when I go around this nation.
I just got back a Corossta Rica. Recently spoke in a big convention there
for a company, an insurance company, and had a blast with those people.
And I try to do this.I'm going out to Vegas for a
(08:28):
big event in the next couple ofweeks, and I'm going out to Scottsdale
as well. And I love that. I'm you know, I'm a hot
dog in my heart. Man,give me the mustard throwing at me.
I love people, and the onething I'm proud of, I'll tell you
Andy. In today's world of television, we have so many guys you turn
on the TV. They all wantto develop stick and they all want this
pizzas and they do things that it'sso not real, that it's not genuine.
(08:54):
I mean, I know one thing. I go look in the mirror
and anybody has known me from thetime I was a kid to the time
I coached to the time I goton TV. What they see is what
they get is what's real. That'sme. That's what I'm about. I'm
about, you know, being aloud talking a lot, having a lot
of fun at what I do.It's not stick. It's not stick when
(09:15):
you're a writer. Right now he'sgot stick. That stick's getting old.
Really, it's not stick because ifyou knew me, you know I was
this way before I was ever anyany guy on television you asked the writers
in Detroit, they always tease mejust to see me. He's passed away
recently, Joe Falls and people likeJerry Green and Michael o'hirey. They would
say to me all the time,Man, what we see on TV is
(09:37):
half of what we used to seehere in Detroit when you're coach. So
that's me and I think we needmore, you know. I look at
Terry Bradshaw, and I look atJohn Madden, and I look at people
like Chris Berman. They're real,man, That's who they are. They're
like kids, kids talking about agame they love. But you can watch
TV now and you see all thesepeople trying to put these sticks together and
it's just so just you know,well saying to try to develop, and
(10:01):
it's not real, it's not genuine. I think in life, you know,
bottom line is that's that's basically whoI've been and I've tried to be
that way all my life. SoI think that people, you gotta be
real, you gotta be genuine,you gotta be about yourself. And and
that's why I still love. LikeI said, watch Tom Madden, it
was so real. Is unbelievable,Dick, When early on you coached elementary
(10:22):
school Mark Twain Elementary nineteen fifty eight. If we went back and watched a
practice, a Dick Vital practice fromback then sixty years ago, what kind
of coach would we see? Well, I'll tell you this, it's amazing
that you said, I just gota text message a couple of a couple
of days ago from a couple ofkids that played in those teams, and
(10:46):
that kids anymore obviously, and theysaid, Coach, we learned so much
from you and all our life thatwe used it on our values and it
makes me feel so good. Youknow. I'd start to practice. So
I've always been a little talk aboutsomething going on in the world, and
talk about being a good person,talking about making good decisions, talking about
what life's about, you know,and then I would get my drills and
(11:07):
to be organized and make sure thateverything that we've done on a regular basis
and you form good habits, youknow, whether it be layup drills,
whether it be running a transition game, whether half court defense, half court
offense, I mean, all theparts of the game, but every day
making maximum use in the two hoursto making sure it's just not no running
around guys jocking walls up all overthe place. I'd like to believe I
(11:31):
was always been very organized. Ibelieve in that. I think, you
know, I do a motivational tipevery day on Twitter and Facebook, and
if people follow me on Twitter slashDickey v where they go to my Instagram
and Dicky v underscore ESPN. Everymorning I put up a little motivational tip.
Today was all about hope. Neverever given up hope. They're like
(11:52):
forty five seconds shots, and Itry to talk about these things on a
regular basis, And I did thosethings on years years ago with my teams.
I love it. I love it. And those teams weren't just elementary
school. Obviously, you had incrediblesuccess as you go Garfield High School and
then he's Rutherford High School. Onehundred and thirty one and forty seven record,
(12:15):
four state sectional titles, two consecutivestate titles, thirty five straight wins,
and coach you're making twelve thousand dollarsa year from from what I understand.
But one player in particular I wantedto ask you about because we always
hear about about guys who you knoware coming up through the playgrounds or playing
high school, and guys always sayyou think I was great. You know
(12:37):
you talked to an NBA player,you think I was great. There was
a guy in my high school thatwas even better, or in my neighborhood.
What can you tell me about lessCason? Well, you know,
biggest disappointment in my life, thebiggest failure in my life for me personally,
and hurts every time I talk aboutless because what he could have been,
should have been, and would havebeen. And he listened to number
(13:00):
right things. Leslie was on theright track. We had him on the
right track of life, and hewas going and we thought in the right
places. I mean, I usedto hear a call from the police department
about the fact that, hey,coach, he's on a playground making a
noise playing basketball eleven o'clock, elevenand thirty when the light side and neighbors
would complain. And I thought thatwas a great, great habit, and
(13:20):
then all of a sudden that disappeared. He couldn't get him near a basketball
court, and I started to wonderwhat was happening. I was hearing rumors
and rumors and rumors, and Iremember once calling him in and talking to
him and I said, Leslie,I said, I don't like what I
see, I don't like what Ihear, and I'm telling you you're not
the player that you were as ajunior. Just this senior year and this
(13:41):
all happened, and I said,let me tell you, I think you
messed him with drugs. Man,I only say done in my mind.
You know, he couldn't look atthe eye. And they lie when a
person's heavy into drugs or alcohol,they're gonna sit there and lie. And
he did the same, and hedidn't did it over and over again,
and I could see that, youknow, he was losing it. And
then one day we called. Wehad a really very intense meeting in our
(14:05):
office, a little cubbyhole of anoffice. We had one state championships back
to back. Because he was thatgood that he could even be on a
down cycle and dominate the kids weplayed against in high school. And I
called them in and I told aboutdisappointed I was about his academic teachers are
complaining all the time, put pressureon me, like you couldn't believe the
principles everybody about going to class,about doing things, and I sometimes you
(14:28):
regret some of the decisions I made. But bottom line is, I told
him I sit son. I said, I don't know who you're listening to.
And if finally he said to me, my buddies tell me you're using
me to go to college, andI just made me blow up. I
said, let me tell you somethingLeslie, I'm gonna tell you this right
now. I want you to listento me. There are a few profanities
in there as well. And Isaid, look at me, and I'm
(14:50):
gonna tell you this to your face. There's no way in the world that
you and I are going to coachwhere I'm going to coach in college with
you. Okay, So how areyour friends that? And let me ask
you a question. Where were allthese characters and these guys off the streets
that if all of a sudden gotaround you your junior year and now your
senior year. Where were they whenyou were in the eighth grade, ninth
(15:13):
grade, and hours and hours ofworking with you and drilling you and having
you with me all the time,trying to hope that you could become the
player that I thought you could become. And you know, they could give
me a good answer. But thesecharacters are all around him filling his head
up. It was during the timewas very strong racial things going on in
North Jersey there in North New Jersey, etc. And they would be in
(15:35):
his head telling them what your coachis using you, man, the white
dude is using you. And Isaid, let me tell you something I'm
not using anybody. But someday,Leslie, I'm gonna let you notice.
Someday I'm gonna be coaching in college, and I guarantee it. I'm gonna
get a chance. I'm gonna getan opportunity, and I'm going to succeed.
There was nobody wants to see youmake it more than me, other
(15:58):
than you and your family, becauseI want to feel good about you.
Right now, I don't feel goodabout what I'm seeing and what i'm hearing.
Well, you know, the longstory short is, obviously he got
messed big time with drugs. Therewas a big article. It really crushed
me. I was at I rememberthe year in nineteen ninety six. I'm
at the final four in New Jersey. It's in East Strutter for where I
(16:19):
coached in high school, where Icoached Leslie. And I'm at the final
four and my phone rings about sixin the morning. Someone calls me up,
a friend from that area and says, way, do you see the
back page of the tabloids the DelhiNews, big story on Leslie and about
you, how both of you camefrom Eastruttter from Because the story was going
(16:41):
to be here's Nick vital ESPN.He's back in East Rutter for television work
in Domino. Kinds of reports onthe Final four and here's a picture and
they show Leslie in the picture onthe streets of the Bowery and it was
so sad to see, and thewhole stories about how he's been arrested a
number of times and I was coaching, I really believe. And the writer
(17:03):
was Ian O'Connor, who's now astanding writer on ESPN and he's been an
outstanding columnists. He wrote the story, and the story I think initially was
the show, here's the coach,here, his players here, they forgot
all about him and didn't help himinto it. And then that's so far
from the truth. But Ian didn'tshow that. He went out and did
(17:25):
a very thorough, intensive interview withLeslie and was on the streets talking to
some of the cops there that I'vearrested him over the years, and to
one of the priests that was tryingto help him in a bowery and in
the story, well made me feelreally good that Leslie was so honest.
The first thing he said to IanO'Connor basically, you know, I'm paraphrasing,
(17:48):
but basically it was something to theeffect that they don't blame my coach
man. My coach really cared aboutme, and one I shouldn't listened to
him. And then we commuted.We communicated a little bit and a lot
of people don't know that is Isent mom was so fresh, but the
story in a way he was living. I sent a couple of thousand dollars,
which was verified by the priest tothe priest, and I said,
(18:10):
I won't you put this money away, and anytime Leslie needs any clothes,
he needs any utensils, he needsanything in terms of cosmetics, you get
it for him, but don't givehim the money. Well, Leslie got
really upset with that, and Lesliecontacted me through correspondence and he said,
(18:30):
see, Coach, you don't trustme. You give the money to the
priest, and you know what,They're not giving me anything. They're not
doing anything for me. And itwas so no, wasn't true. I
mean, if we gave him themoney, you know where it's going to
go. And then shortly after that, Leslie passed and they couldn't even get
his body out of the Morgan NewYork and I ended up paying for that
(18:51):
and end up paying for funeral services, the whole bit. But the bottom
line is, the bottom line isit's the biggest disappointment in my life because
that kid was just a good kidwho finally could not make good decisions by
himself. He got led easily,and once he got into that drug scene
his basketball career. I even helpedhim a lot of people don't realize this.
(19:12):
When I became the coach at Detroit, obviously called me up and wanted
to come and I said, no, man, I can do it.
And I said, let me tellyou, but I'll help you. And
I tried to help to get himin Rutgers and I did. He got
there with Tom Young, and heplayed a little bit on their great teams,
but never really became the player thatwe all thought he'd be. And
(19:33):
he just finally drifted from that aswell. But just a sad, sad
story and a story that you know, just breaks my heart to even talk
about it because as to call himpeewee, and I love the guy and
I just hated to see I feltlike a feelia. That's somewhere along the
line I feel, And as muchas I speak, so much to people
(19:55):
about drums and out or decision makingand taking you to the val if you
played that game. And yet somehowSomeway I couldn't get into his head to
stay away from that scene. Incredible, incredible story. I appreciate you sharing
that that it's really a movie,to be honest, Witch's it really it's
it's an incredible if people really lookedat that story at all, but inspires
(20:18):
other kids do it all. Butevery time, you know, we had
a big gathering a lot of myformer players from the high school team.
In fact, I brought a bunchof them to my house in Florida last
year and took him as my guestto a football weekend and not the name.
And we sit and we talked dwiteHole, Joe Salamini, Charlie Vasconi,
and Bobby Stolars was a standing assistantcoach for me for years. And
(20:40):
we sit and we talked about Leslie, and we say, God, Dwight
tried so hard, he was soclosely begging and pleaded him not to go
to route he was going, andjust couldn't reach him. Couldn't reach him.
They all think they can beat thatscene. He can't. Yeah,
absolutely absolutely to you. You talkabout the people that you mentioned, the
people you couldn't reach, but thereare many, many, many that you
(21:03):
have. And you know Howard Garfinkelmakes a call to Dick Lloyd. You
get a job as Rutgers assistant asyou as you alluded, Tom, you're
an assistant Rutgers. You recruit PhilSellers, Mike Dabney who ended up being
foundational pieces of that seventy six Finalfour team. And Phil Sellers had said
he just had that gift to convincepeople, to get them to believe him.
(21:30):
Is that How much was that sameauthenticity that you've always preached in as
part of your recruiting pitch. Inother words, if if I went back
and listened to a recruiting pitch toa Phil Sellers or Mike Dabney, now
if I heard the recording, howmuch does it sound like current day?
Dick vital I think every situation youtry to take the positives and sell most
(21:51):
positives. When I was at Rutgers, I was trying to sell the theory
of you're playing in the metro NewYork area, You're playing right. Madison
Square gored in a couple of gameson a better place to play. You're
gonna get name recognition in this areabecause you got to think and prepare for
option B, option A. Allthese guys option A is their dream to
be an NBA player, but realitysets in. You better be prepared and
(22:12):
have optioned me in case it doesn'thappen. And we told him what name
recognition can do for them in thearea, job opportunities, etc. And
I didn't find it difficult to sellat all, you know, as to
tell him, you know, Ifirmly believe this. You know Rutgers.
A lot of times I hear sohe can't get this because we can't get
DECA. Oh really, I don'tbuy that. If you think you're mediocre
(22:33):
in life, you're gonna be mediocreif you think you're special. And I
just felt that Rutgers was special andthat we could go out and recruit the
best of the best and I wouldhave to fill sellers. Let me tell
you, I chased and chased andchased. My heart was broken. My
heart was broken when he said initiallyhe's going to go to another name.
And I never felt in my heartthat he really wanted to go there.
(22:56):
It was peer pressure. All thepeople in this school was saying, you
know, he considered Rutgers, andyou got Notre Dame and Mark keed Al
McGuire and all these schools chasing you. It was an ego thing. I
could tell the way when he calledme up, he says, this really
crushes me, Coach. I'll neverforget his words. You can talk to
Philip, he says, this crushesme to tell you, because there's nobody
(23:17):
that has recruited me like you haveand have made so many great points about
me staying home. But I gotto go to Notre Dame and I said,
look, Notre Dame is a greatschool. I said, Philip,
I wish you all the luck inthe world. I said, it's been
an honor. I'm really so thrilledthat you gave me the opportunity of my
coaching careers, my first Jess.To be able to be involved with you
(23:37):
has been an honor. I thankyou. And then I went to an
All Story game with Howard Garfinkla outin New York. I'm a new All
Story game and I was there actuallyfor a kid my name of Jeff Kleinbaum
when we end up signing. ButI'm there and Phillips in the game and
he comes running over to the sideline. He says, don't leave, I
got to talk to you after thegame. So all of a sudden he
(24:00):
comes over. I have no idea, you know, he's going to Notre
Dame. It comes over to meand he says, coach, coach,
I gotta tell you this. Ireally, down deep don't want to go
to Notre Dame. I want togo to Rutgers. I want to go
with you. I really got todo it. Oh my god, I
just dropped. I grabbed a phonethere those cell phones that I called up
my head coach Nick Dick. Isaid, we gotta get a press conference
(24:23):
tomorrow. I said, he's gottacome. What are we gonna do,
man, it's unbelievable. Phil sellersnumber one in the country, MVP DIP
DAP, and there it would bebecause I said it'll be a we'll go
from there. We'll get Mike Dabney. Because everybody else kept saying to me,
oh, you're not gonna get sellers. You know, I kept saying
that Dabney. We get sellers becauseDabney was the best player in New Jersey.
(24:44):
And so immediately, man immediately.I mean, we got it rolling.
But uh, it was just agreat, great moment. And it
was a scenario where see Rutgers,we weren't on the national letter of intent,
so therefore we it didn't matter tous whether he's signed somewhere and then
sign because we weren't on the letterFronte, so it didn't affect us,
and we're able to get him andthe rest of his history. I mean,
(25:07):
he goes down there and look whathe did. He'd led him to
the final four. They were undefeated. I mean he's thinking that final four.
You're thinking about Indiana, the GeneralRobert Montgomery Knight with the best team
that I ever If somebody asked mewhich the best team of my life I've
ever seen, it was that Indianateam. Now I'm not saying they would
beat the Kareem Abdul Jabbar teams,lu Al Sunder's teams, because he was
(25:27):
so so good, so good theychanged the rules, But as a team,
the way they played or offensively anddefensively with Buckner and May and Wilkerson
and Benson and that whole gang Abanatiand Leskowski and those guys, the way
they played was unreal. Sharing theball, great spacing, great cutting,
(25:48):
defensively, always communicating, given help, blocking out everything. Coaches drumped the
Bobby Knight, the General had withthat team. And that's the last team
we have seen in our era that'sbeen undefeated. It was nineteen seventy six.
But there, Ucla was there,Michigan was there, Indiana was there,
and little Rutgers was there. Rutgersled by Phil Sellers, who I
(26:14):
kept hearing from people, he's wacky. Trying to recruit him. He's got
no chance to get Phil Sellers.Oh really? And I kept thinking of
my mom's words, never ever,Richie, ever believe in ten and man,
you know, I just believe thatif you sell something and you believe
it. I went to Detroit.My salesmanship there was to Tyler's and lawns
(26:37):
and great kids. There's great people. I had made the biggest mistake of
my life go to the NBA.I belonged as a college coach with my
energy and enthusiasm and probably as JimmyV used to say, you never messed
with happy. And he told me, he said he'll be like me,
Dick, You're gonna be like me. I went from my own at the
NC state, You're gonna go fromDetroit to a big job Michigan on the
(27:00):
day in Michigan State somewhere. Well, you know, I was only thirties
and here comes the owner of thebusiness in my office and he's telling me.
I'm sitting there and making a likeI don't know what I was making.
Seventeen thousand, maybe twenty thousand.I'm sitting in my office and he's
sitting here saying, well, youknow, I'm not gonna waste time,
Dick. I'm here because I wantto hire He is the coach of the
(27:21):
Pistons. Oh my god, I'msitting there saying to myself nineteen seventy,
I'm in a sixth grade as ateacher, coaching in high school. And
this is seven eight years later,and I got the Pistons coach into my
office and telling me, well,I don't know what you're making him,
but we'll give you six figures andwe'll give you a new cars every six
thousand miles. You'll run a Campebob Lanier. You could keep all the
(27:41):
money from the camp. I mean, I'm being blown away and I'm gonna
quote up with that, but Ireally belonging to college and I look back,
but you know, you can't lookback and say, well, it
didn't work out. You know,I know one thing when I look at
the NBA, there's the halves anda half knots. There's certain guys they
could coach their hearts out. Theycould coach their hearts out, and the
(28:03):
kids went and I could I coachedthem on blue in the face. There's
no way you're beating Kareem and you'regonna beat people like playing the seventy sixers
and Doctor J. Moses and companyand beat them. Would aren't cast that
we had. You just can't doit. And especially when our star goes
down with knee surgery, Lanier andpeople. That's why we're so quick to
(28:26):
rush the judgment about this guy's agreat coach. That guy, I mean,
how did you compar coaches? Imean, really, Steve Kurs doing
a great job. But I thinkhe's got an at it. And even
be the first to tell you,I think it's pretty good. When you
go to war you got Koree allStars to Rant and Thompson and I'm not
taking anything away because he has toblend them and sing with Phil Jackson.
That's don't think they did a greatjob blending them to play and set their
(28:48):
egos aside and to win. Buthow do you say they are better coaches
than the guys coaching and Charlotte andthe guys coaching Orlando Magic and those guys
who don't have anyone We are nearthe person l and talent. In the
NBA, it's about talent. Youin college, you could go out and
recruit and change your lineup quickly ina year. You can't do that in
the NBA with all the salary structuresand the things that go on. So
(29:11):
again, I think many times we'reon fear about that. Absolutely, And
speaking of unfair I think that whenyou look historically of basketball, one of
the most remarkable deals that ever tookplace, I think changed the trajectory not
just of the NBA, but ofcollege basketball, and that is mL car
going to the Celtics. Bill Davidsonsays that, wait, we're gonna make
(29:34):
I'm gonna make a deal with Redauterback because we're gonna lose mL So I'll
give two first round picks from thePistons and they're gonna give us Bob McAdoo
you at the time say hey,mister Davidson, don't don't do that.
I love McAdoo. We need thosepicks. Well, the deal was made
anyway, those picks eventually turn outto be Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale,
(29:55):
which obviously changes the history of NBAbasketball forever. Consequently, as you,
as you point out, within ashort period of time, because your talents
all gone, you lose a jobas distance coach, which actually turns out
to be a wonderful thing for therest of us, even though you went
through some depression, because you getinto broadcasting and become part of the first
(30:17):
broadcast ever on on ESPN, Andit's really remarkable to me just how much
history changed in that one in thatone move and coach, I know you
have Oh, go ahead, You'rewell prepared. You really are. Mister
Davis's the greatest older I mean,you can be around as you A beautiful
man. Was a beautiful man.He's up with heaven now. Loved helping
people. And he's to say tome all the time he didn't want to
(30:38):
fire. I mean he's to sayto me all the time, you're your
biggest enemy. Because I'd come inand complain and we can't win. I
coached all blooming a face just wantto tell you earlier can't We did get
players. I can't stand this losing. I hate it. And he said
to me, be patient, natient, it's gonna take five years. I
have five years. Well, finally, you can say it too often.
And my wife said, you're gonnaget fired one day doing that. And
(31:00):
he was right, and I gotfired in and you know I looked back.
I was certainly I cried like ababy because I was a buddy of
mine. How to say in aboy a bowl of dream, And that's
what I felt my life was.I mean, I was a young guy
with no pedigree. I had nobody pushing for me like John Wooden or
Coach k or Bobby KNIGHTAMS worked mybutt off to try and get to where
(31:21):
I've gotten in and to get tothe top like that to coach in the
NBA. So he hit such ayoung age and then bam zam, you
get fired. And you know,it taught me a lot about life too,
though you learn a lot, youknow. I told people there's two
things that could happen. You know, you lose your job, you get
fired, you're down, you're out. You could feel sorry for yourself,
or you could go up and pickup the pieces and try to go to
(31:42):
the next challenge. And I'm luckyin life than I did that. And
initially I was very depressed. Iwas I was so depressed. I was
listening to Luca Laura in general,hospitals like people. I mean, it
was pathetic. But ultimately, ultimatelythings change. With that call from Well,
Scottie Kahn given me my first opportunity, of which I didn't want to.
(32:02):
I wanted to go back coach atthe college at home. I don't
know about TV. My producers willstill tell you today he was annoying about
TV. We had production meetings togo. At the end of the meeting,
I don't know. We had ameeting focus when the light comes out,
you're gonna do what you want todo. So but you know,
I think that's being real. Andbut I've worked with so many great producers,
play by play guys. I'm beenunbelievable. I've lived a life that
(32:24):
succeeded in any dream. As sittingtalking to you, I'm looking at my
office and I looked hanging on thewalls here the Hall of Fame jersey of
what I got inducted with Patrick Ewingand oh so Chima lajah On, pat
Riley and just Cathy Rush and AdrianDantley. I look here and I see
(32:44):
all these memorabilia and all these differentawards, and I just pinched myself.
I pinched myself. How blessed Imade me seventy nine, but I act
about twelve. I was tennis thismorning before I came here. I tried
to play tennis regularly. I workout early, go watch my grand kids
practice. They're getting really played thenational tournaments or young kids chasing dreams,
(33:07):
and that's what life's about. I'mstill changing the dream. I want to
be the first guy in a hundredyears old walk in and say he's awesome.
Maybe, Coach, I greatly appreciateyour time, and I know you
have to go, and there's somuch other things. I'd love to talk
to you about it at some point, but you know the b Foundation and
how much you've contributed to that andjust all that you've done for for college
(33:29):
basketball, in the game, basketballin the whole. But I just one
last question for you, and thatis you know that a lot of different
people have opinions on the current stateof the game today and where it stands.
And you know, we've discussed thehistory and your part in that,
and I know how much it meansto you, and it means the world,
and you love it and I lovethis game so much. Is there
(33:52):
what would you change about the stateof college basketball today? What would you
change about the game? The onething is, I mean, I'm not
a fan of one and done.I think that that should makes a absolute
mochreud of the term student athlete whereplayers are rented for four months five months,
and I think it's ridiculous. Iif a kid is good enough and
he wants to go to the NBA, he should be allowed that freedom to
(34:14):
go to the NBA right out ofhigh school. I mean they do it
in baseball and the hockey, etc. And he should be able to do
it in basketball. He should havethat freedom rather than have to go for
one year to school where he's raisedbasically doesn't want to be there. College
is the kids that want to bein college. And I think also if
you stop on a college campus,I'll love baseball rule. He should be
(34:35):
there for at least three years,well at least two, but three is
what they do in baseball, andit works beautifully with everybody getting together.
The second part that I would change, we're living in the archaic age today.
I mean, he got Mark Emmetthere from the NCA. He's bringing
in millions. He got guys likeme and television, we make a lot
of money. You got people outthere in terms of coaches making millions and
(34:57):
millions of dollars, and the playersin getting zipped. And I'm telling you,
I don't want to hear about whenthey get room board and books and
deuition, I get an education orreally, you know what they do they
have any idea. My daughters playedtennis. They didn't play basketball, but
even the world of tennis as juniortennis players scholarship athletes at Notre Dame.
The minute they worked on that walkedon that campus. They report for practice
(35:22):
and hours and hours and wait roomsand everything else evolved. So when they
think these kids that they're not earningwhat they're getting, they're out of their
mind. Go talk to a football, basketball, baseball player, or a
swimmer or anybody and ask them whatthey're doing. And the time has come
where these kids should be allowed tomake some money. Now, if the
inn shade doesn't have the dollars andthey claim, well, we can't give
(35:43):
it to them because we've got togive it to every athlete don't have the
necessary revenues, well, I firmlybelieve they make it. Do it very
simply. Number One, Let's getthe sleaziness out. We got an FBI
report out there now that just damagedthe whole game, makes people look at
the games sleazy. There's a fewpeople make bad decisions. I mean,
are coaches out there. Assistants thatwere arrested been documented. It's not me
(36:07):
saying it, but documented the factthat took thousands of dollars to be able
to give money to families and wheeland deal with agents, etc. Let's
eliminate all that sleeps in this.You can eliminate it very easily. Number
One. Let agents. If anagent who's an abiding certified agent wants to
(36:27):
give money to a player and wantsto advance into his family and to him,
why not If that kid's good enoughand he could get those dollars from
him, why not? Why not? If a kid can make an appearance
not get cash, he should beable to if he the Heisman Trophy went
away. He's a name recognition.Why not let him? So? Now,
what you do is if you letan agent allowed to advance to dollars
(36:50):
to a young player, if hereally likes that player, you eliminate the
runner. You eliminate the sleezy guygoing behind the scenes wheel in dealing with
the family. You know, we'regonna get you his dollars and you but
you gotta go with this agent whatit's done. You gotta go with the
shoe company. And then you gotthe shoe companies supplying money to runners,
and the shoe company give them moneyto runners, and they're out there with
(37:12):
the runners trying to get certain kidsto play on certain teams in the AU
competition, flying them in all overthe place. I mean, it's just
a suspool and it's got to bestopped, and it's got to be stopped,
and you could stop in several ways. I think the one thing they're
doing now which I liked them allgotten together. They're gonna have camps together
for kids, juniors and seniors,the outstanding players, supervised by the NCAA
(37:36):
and the NBA and all evaluation.I think it's it's not. You know,
I have no problem like them thePeach Jam where the shoe companies throwous
tournaments and all the coaches can getin there and eventuay I have no problem
with that because a lot of kidssometimes who don't have the great recognition and
great name recognition get discovered and getan opportunity to go to school. So
(37:57):
I think from that standpoint that's positive. But I just think there's got to
be changed. Kids. They deservesome cash. They absolutely do. I
mean, like I said, everybodyelse is making millions except the guys that
are making it happen, the athletes, And I think that's a word.
I'm gonna close with this though.Something you mentioned earlier means more to meet
than anything we've talked about now anything. Is the v Foundation, my gala
(38:21):
raising money for kids battling cancer.I could give you a story after story
about kids because I just don't showup for the gala. It's twenty four
to seven. Man, I liveit, I feel it, I dream
it. You did. That's partof my life. I get to know
the kids. Every year. Wehave kids at my gala who are my
all courageous team kids. The namesdon't mean much to people out there,
(38:42):
but meaning a lot to me.Tony Colton. Tony Colin came for a
few years to my gala. TonyColin's not coming anymore. Tony Colin passed.
I went to his funeral last year, Tony Colin. When I visited
him at the hospital, I toldTony as a Tony to my last breath,
I'm going to beg and plead fordollars. I promise you I'm gonna
do that. It crushed me cryinglike a baby over him, and I
(39:05):
think about kids like Joshua Fisher,who I just took to a baseball game.
He and a youngster about anymore WestonHerman, two beautiful kids. I
took him as my guests with theirfamilies to a raised game, had the
owner's box and then an owner's box. They brought up bats for the kids,
balls for the kids, jerseys,raised jersey and we got an extra
frill. Derek Jetah was in thehouse that day watching his marlins and happened
(39:28):
to know Derek a little, andDerek allowed the kids to come and meet
with him and talk to him.Joshua did twelve hundred, ten years old,
talk about courage. Courage, twelvehundred doses of chemo therapy to beat
his cancer. Hey, Luke Keimanand he had And then there's Weston Herman,
two brain cancer surgeries. And Igot him to where he loves hockey
(39:52):
and he's a heck of a hockeyplayer. And John Cooper loves that,
loves helping kids. He's the coachof the Lightning. It's like, callte
John, I'm a job. Wegot to get him a jersey, the
Lightning jersey's ten years old. He'sa deck. Are you serious do more
than that? He said, thekid can skate. Us said yeah,
I said him a video of thekid. He's a man. He could
really skate. He's ten years old. He'said, wonder about if I let
(40:14):
him skate with our team before weplay a game. Our skate of time
during the afternoon. Oh my god. It was the thrill of a lifetime.
But my wife always says, youget a bigger thrill than the kids
do. I think it's like alittle boy. I love bringing a smile
to their faces. If anybody wantsto help me, my goal this year
is to raise four million. Wehave raised so far at my gala twenty
(40:36):
five point three million dollars not enough. We need more. I want four
million. This year, we're gonnabe honoring Avery Johnson this year Alabama form
an NBA point guard, Chris Fowlerof ESPN and Dabo Sweeney, and we're
also playing tribute to honor the HollyRow of ESPN. So inspirational she's been
and a lead horso and he'll sellout as usual, and we'll have the
(41:00):
donation sponsorships. But people could joinmy team by simply going to dickfyteel online
dot com and making a donation.Go to divitel online dot com, make
a donation and you can be partof our team. And the four million
dollars that we're trying to raise money'sneeded. Only four cents out of every
(41:22):
dollar raise for cancer goes for pediatricsfor kids, and that's criminal. I
could go on and on with thekids. We've had about fourteen kids and
either been with us or their familieshave been with us at my gala who
are no longer here, who maybeif there was research, they'd be living.
And as I tell people, itstrikes so quickly. It could be
(41:44):
as someone's listening out their grandparent ofa parent, somebody out there, brothers,
sister, he could be someone theylove, so please please donate.
Go to Diftel online dot com andit all goes through the V Foundation for
Jimmy v I love it. Myvery close personal friend Kevin de Gandhi speaks
(42:05):
so highly of the person you are, and I think, yes, I
know, I know. So hewas my wedding for John sons Man.
We hated to see John pass soyoung, and just I think of Stuart
Scott and John and great guys man, great guys. Lives have taken,
but they'll never be forgotten. Hey, I want to thank you guys for
(42:25):
me having me on, and reallyI really appreciate It's almost to Mark,
I sent my best as well andgreat being on with you. Greatly appreciate
the time with Dick Vitel, sucha wonderful man who's contributed so much,
not just to the game of basketball, but also to the V Foundation to
the Sarasota Boys and Girls Club.Obviously, donating to those organizations would would
(42:47):
melt its heart. You can checkout Deck vi Tell of course on Instagram,
on Twitter, He's all over socialmedia. You can check us out
on Twitter. Uh I am AdamStango at Naysmith is you can check out
the forty year Coach at forty yearCoach, check out our Facebook page and
more important to go to forty yearcoach dot com where you get a lot
(43:07):
of resources for up and coming coaches, coaches who've been in the business for
a while, and also you knowpeople who are interested in getting into the
coaching community. And lastly, Ijust want to thank Sydney Smith and our
editor ari Ka. Appreciate you guys, Mark Eisenberg as well. Well again
Brilli, thank Dick Bytel. That'lldo it for this week. Next
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