WEBVTT - TOM's Talks | George Lynch 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:08.600 Search seventy Sixers podcast Wherever you get your pots, Hi, 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:11.840 This is Tom mcginners. Over the course of twenty five 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:15.080 years of calling seventy Sixers games on the radio here 0:00:15.080 --> 0:00:18.720 in Philadelphia, I've met hundreds of people. It's one of 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:23.040 my favorite things about the job. From courtside conversations to 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:26.360 filling time when the visit in a hotel lobby, getting 0:00:26.360 --> 0:00:29.320 to know folks around the game of basketball has always 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:32.600 been a treat. On this episode of Tom's Talks, my 0:00:32.720 --> 0:00:36.560 new weekly podcast, I talked with George Lynch. When former 0:00:36.600 --> 0:00:40.199 seventy Sixers head coach Larry Brown came to Philadelphia, he 0:00:40.320 --> 0:00:43.400 began to reshape the team's roster to players with a 0:00:43.440 --> 0:00:47.320 defensive mindset to build a team around the offensive talents 0:00:47.360 --> 0:00:50.880 of Allen Iverson. One of those players was George Lynch. 0:00:51.440 --> 0:00:54.680 Lynch spent three seasons with the Sixers. I spoke with 0:00:54.760 --> 0:01:01.120 him about his career. We hope you enjoy the conversation. George, 0:01:01.160 --> 0:01:03.480 Thank you so much for doing this and it's great 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:06.280 to see you once again. One of our favorite Sixes 0:01:06.319 --> 0:01:09.520 of all time. You've been in coaching since you left 0:01:09.560 --> 0:01:12.040 the profession. You really put in a lot of different 0:01:12.800 --> 0:01:15.640 effort in terms of your most recent stint there at 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:19.200 Clark University in Atlanta, the g League, and two stints 0:01:19.240 --> 0:01:23.360 at Southern Methodists. But before we talk about coaching a 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:26.360 little bit, let's go back into your background and the 0:01:26.400 --> 0:01:29.959 pedigree of an NBA player. Sometimes I don't think fans realize, 0:01:30.440 --> 0:01:33.520 you know, the winning caliber and what some of you 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:36.600 guys went through. By way of example, in Virginia, you 0:01:36.640 --> 0:01:40.479 were voted Mister Basketball in nineteen eighty nine. Your team 0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:44.000 at Henry High School won the state championship. That must 0:01:44.000 --> 0:01:50.200 have been something of proud accomplishment for you. Yes, you know, 0:01:50.360 --> 0:01:53.600 growing up in a small town like Rono, you know, 0:01:53.720 --> 0:01:56.760 playing AU we had like a small town to see. 0:01:57.800 --> 0:02:01.680 You know. Nowadays, you know, the teams are built over cities, 0:02:01.840 --> 0:02:05.720 you know, connecting cities. You have private kids from twel 0:02:05.760 --> 0:02:08.560 diferent cities. We had a team of fifteen guys from 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:13.600 one area. We were very successful in that kind of bread, 0:02:13.760 --> 0:02:16.960 that competitiveness. You know, there was a lot of pride 0:02:17.000 --> 0:02:20.519 being from Virginia and being able to compete at a 0:02:20.600 --> 0:02:24.960 high level then playing high school whenever winning the state 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:29.920 Championship and then going on to North Carolina. You know, 0:02:31.400 --> 0:02:35.280 each level had its own set of you know, challenges 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:38.880 and and it made me who I am today. It 0:02:38.919 --> 0:02:42.320 gave me a lot of opportunities to see a lot 0:02:42.360 --> 0:02:45.480 of good players. You know, in high school, I played 0:02:45.520 --> 0:02:50.080 against the Lons of Morning, College, played against a lot 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:54.440 of great players in the ACC, and then being at 0:02:54.480 --> 0:02:57.680 North Carolina when guys came back like Michael Sam Perkins, 0:02:57.720 --> 0:03:00.880 guys who were you know, had great years in the NBA, 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.160 and being able to play some of all with them, 0:03:03.240 --> 0:03:07.160 it just gave you the confidence to continue put putting 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:10.880 the work in and honing my skills as a basketball player. 0:03:11.680 --> 0:03:14.600 So I just watched the documentary on Coach Smith who 0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:16.880 passed away in twenty fifteen, and you were a big 0:03:16.919 --> 0:03:20.640 part of that and obviously the ninety three championship team. 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:23.440 But before we get into that, just playing at North 0:03:23.440 --> 0:03:26.320 Carolina for Dean Smith, I mean, that's something that I 0:03:26.360 --> 0:03:29.840 would imagine you cherish then and now. It must have 0:03:29.880 --> 0:03:33.040 been incredible to play for a legend and somebody that 0:03:33.120 --> 0:03:36.760 helped mold your life a little bit. Yeah, at the time, 0:03:36.880 --> 0:03:42.000 you you you hear about him being a legend in 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:45.320 the Hall of Fame in his presence, you know, in practice, 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:48.960 his preparation, the things that he was teaching us as players. 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:55.480 It you didn't quite understand the opportunity that you had. 0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:57.840 And then after you leave and you go on and 0:03:57.880 --> 0:04:01.800 play professionally, and then now stop and then to to 0:04:01.960 --> 0:04:05.200 really think about the things that how he changed the game, 0:04:05.280 --> 0:04:10.080 what he's taught me. You know, that's why I got 0:04:10.080 --> 0:04:12.440 into coaching, because I felt that, you know, I was 0:04:12.480 --> 0:04:14.360 one of the few players I had opportunity to play 0:04:14.400 --> 0:04:16.599 for a Hall of Fame coach, like like Dean Smith. 0:04:17.440 --> 0:04:20.200 It would be selfish not to share that with younger 0:04:20.240 --> 0:04:22.920 players today. What the things that I learned on the 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:26.640 basketball court from him. You guys, win the national championship, 0:04:26.680 --> 0:04:29.640 but you won the ACC championship, and that I mean, 0:04:29.720 --> 0:04:32.479 especially back in the day, that in itself was a 0:04:32.560 --> 0:04:36.600 tremendous achievement and you were obviously one of the most 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:39.560 valuable players. You still leave Carolina, if I'm not mistaken, 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:43.160 and steals you win the ninety three NC double a 0:04:43.320 --> 0:04:46.880 championship in that famous game against Michigan. Walked me through 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:52.040 a little bit of those experiences. It's funny, you know, 0:04:53.760 --> 0:04:56.800 the first of April. Every year those games come on. 0:04:56.920 --> 0:05:00.240 They showed a five five time out in and I 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:03.200 tell people when I talked to him that we played 0:05:03.279 --> 0:05:07.560 Michigan and Christmas. It was Christmas or Thanksgiving in Hawaii, 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:12.640 and they were having the same challenges getting the ball 0:05:12.720 --> 0:05:16.560 and downs and down the balls. Coach Smith allowed me 0:05:16.680 --> 0:05:21.760 to go run and jump whenever I felt comfortable doing it, 0:05:22.880 --> 0:05:25.240 and Derek felt to who was the point guard at 0:05:25.240 --> 0:05:28.440 the time. We talked, and I said, look, anytime Jayalen 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:31.000 takes it out, we're just gonna do a two man press. 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:33.760 Chris Rubbert was not even my man. That's the that's 0:05:33.800 --> 0:05:38.120 the other thing that people don't realize. So I told Montross, 0:05:38.240 --> 0:05:41.080 I said, look, you just go back and protective rim 0:05:41.120 --> 0:05:44.159 and I'll get back to Juwan Howard once the ball 0:05:44.200 --> 0:05:49.120 comes across half court and you know, a couple of 0:05:49.160 --> 0:05:52.320 plays before and then, uh, Jayalen took the ball out. 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:54.599 So I chose felps. I said, look, next time Jayleen 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:57.039 takes it out, we're just gonna track. They burned a 0:05:57.040 --> 0:05:59.839 few time outs. When we go to the bench, I'll 0:06:00.320 --> 0:06:03.640 Coach Smith tells us, you know, they don't have time outs, 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:06.960 and there's another story behind that. Uh, we go back 0:06:06.960 --> 0:06:10.320 in the game and they didn't set up a press 0:06:10.400 --> 0:06:13.320 press offense or you know normally most teams are how 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:15.560 the big and the primary ball him, you know, and 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:19.200 uh bring the ball up. You know, Chris Webber always 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:21.640 wanted to be a guard. He even in the pros 0:06:21.680 --> 0:06:24.960 he wanted to be a guard. But uh, it played 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:28.120 in our favor. He traveled and then he had an opportunity. 0:06:28.200 --> 0:06:30.080 He thought I was going to jump the passing lane, 0:06:30.680 --> 0:06:32.640 and then he did in the ball up the sideline 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:36.840 and anytime in the Carolina system, we're trying to use 0:06:36.880 --> 0:06:41.479 to defeat the sidelines as an extra dependent. So where 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:45.240 in the championship? What did I feel like? Oh? It 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:48.840 felt great, Uh, you know now more than ever back 0:06:48.880 --> 0:06:51.599 then when when it happened, it was you know, you 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:56.120 go to Carolina and everyone's there expects you to go 0:06:56.200 --> 0:06:59.039 to the final four and win the national championship. It 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:03.400 had been in years since Carolina had won the whole thing. 0:07:03.720 --> 0:07:06.440 And I was just I'm just glad I'm a part 0:07:06.520 --> 0:07:09.400 of one of those many teams now since they have 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:12.240 six to say, I was on a team that won 0:07:12.440 --> 0:07:16.000 one of those six championships. So with that, then you 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:19.040 move on. You're drafted in the first round, the twelfth overall, 0:07:19.040 --> 0:07:22.200 picked by the Los Angeles Lakers, and you moved from 0:07:22.280 --> 0:07:27.000 Virginia and Carolina to Los Angeles, California. What was that one? 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:31.320 That was? That was a lot to take there for 0:07:31.360 --> 0:07:35.680 a young kid like myself from a small town, you know, planning, 0:07:35.920 --> 0:07:38.800 you know, planning in the farm and in the Smith 0:07:38.840 --> 0:07:42.240 cent it was similar, you know, planning you know, Carolina 0:07:42.280 --> 0:07:44.120 and going to the Lakers and planning for a big 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:50.440 franchise that wasn't a big shot. But spending four years 0:07:50.440 --> 0:07:53.600 in Chapterhill, living in a small town like Rodo, Virginia, 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:56.920 and then going out to LA and you know, La, 0:07:57.320 --> 0:07:59.560 there's a lot of temptations. There's a lot of things 0:07:59.600 --> 0:08:02.160 going on in LA that you can get side tracked on. 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:05.080 But uh, it was, you know, it was a lot 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:07.720 to see and a lot to take in. Uh, you know, 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:12.240 the franchise was just rebuilding, and I got caught in 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:15.160 the part where they were rebuilding and we had some 0:08:15.240 --> 0:08:18.040 tough years those three years that I was there. And 0:08:18.080 --> 0:08:20.480 then you went to Vancouver when they were just starting. 0:08:20.560 --> 0:08:23.040 They don't even been in an existence for a couple 0:08:23.160 --> 0:08:26.920 three years. What was that like. Well, at the time, 0:08:27.000 --> 0:08:31.120 I was looking forward to it because you know, my 0:08:31.160 --> 0:08:35.480 minutes was spotty in la you know, I think my 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:38.439 first year didn't play at all in the regular season, 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:42.480 and then started in the playoffs, and then when I 0:08:42.480 --> 0:08:45.760 had the opportunity to be traded. You know, anytime a 0:08:45.880 --> 0:08:48.600 professional athlete was traded for the first time, you're you're 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:51.000 kind of upset about it. But in the back of 0:08:51.000 --> 0:08:53.280 my mind, I was kind of happy because it was 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:57.080 gonna give me an opportunity to play, you know, at 0:08:57.600 --> 0:09:00.200 in Vancouver. I don't know if you remember, but the 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:04.760 games we had with the Grizzlies at GM Place Blue Edwards, 0:09:04.920 --> 0:09:08.800 Big Country, they were always like a one point game. 0:09:08.840 --> 0:09:10.760 We had some real exciting games out there. You have 0:09:10.800 --> 0:09:14.760 any action, you know. We we had a good team. 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:17.719 It was just that we had some young players and 0:09:18.040 --> 0:09:21.000 then it came down to just finishing games. A lot 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:24.600 of our we were competitive, you know, we were prosed 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:29.080 just like everyone else. We just didn't have the you know, 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:32.839 our superstars or our so called franchise players were young 0:09:32.880 --> 0:09:36.160 players coming in and they were just learning how to 0:09:36.200 --> 0:09:38.720 play the game. I think when I got there, Big 0:09:38.760 --> 0:09:42.520 Country probably had only played two years and then my 0:09:42.679 --> 0:09:45.120 last year that Sharif was in his first year. I 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:47.480 do what he and they were trying to build a 0:09:47.520 --> 0:09:51.360 franchise around younger players, and you know, you in order 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:55.200 to win, you have to have some veteran players and 0:09:55.320 --> 0:10:00.319 superstars on the floor. So then Larry Brown at the 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:03.200 Philadelphia and you were certainly like the epitome of what 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:06.720 he liked to build around. Defensively, What was like that 0:10:06.840 --> 0:10:09.360 your third team at early in your career to come 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:13.120 to Philadelphia, Well, it was, it was. It was. It's 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:19.000 funny because Coach Brown's daughter Ali and our good friends, 0:10:19.040 --> 0:10:24.640 like my freshman year at Carolina, we we would always 0:10:24.640 --> 0:10:26.640 talk and she was like, well, if you make it pro, 0:10:26.760 --> 0:10:28.400 you need to play for my dad one day. I 0:10:28.440 --> 0:10:31.120 think he might have been coaching in Denver or the 0:10:31.120 --> 0:10:36.200 Indiana Pacers at the time, and and now he might 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:39.240 have been with the Clippers, so I can't remember, but 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:42.440 we used to talk about it all the time in class, 0:10:42.559 --> 0:10:46.760 and that year doing the lockout, Coach Brown was in 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:50.199 chapter here and we just happened to sit beside of 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:51.760 each other. I don't know if he planned it or 0:10:52.880 --> 0:10:55.160 we just was sitting inside each other watching pick up 0:10:55.400 --> 0:10:58.880 and watching the college guys play, and I said, coach 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:02.360 saved us, save me us spot on your roster, and 0:11:03.040 --> 0:11:05.199 it all worked out. I got a chance to come 0:11:05.240 --> 0:11:10.200 to Philly, as you know, doing the lockout year, and uh, 0:11:10.360 --> 0:11:14.560 everything was great since people always ask me like, what's 0:11:14.600 --> 0:11:18.200 your favorite time? And obviously with your group making it 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:20.960 to the finals, but those years leading up to it 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:23.760 might be the real answer, and that is when you're 0:11:23.800 --> 0:11:26.880 on the rise, when and you were a real integral 0:11:26.880 --> 0:11:29.520 part of that a team that you started to knock 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:32.439 off teams and take care of business. What was that 0:11:32.559 --> 0:11:36.160 rise like in ninety nine two thousand and then obviously 0:11:39.920 --> 0:11:42.800 my first year there, the Phillies fans were tough. Uh 0:11:43.280 --> 0:11:46.880 you know, I was actually afraid to play my first game, 0:11:47.679 --> 0:11:50.520 you know I was. I was sitting on the bench 0:11:50.679 --> 0:11:53.720 and you could hear well. First of all, before I 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:56.960 got there, Philly had had three Carolina players that didn't 0:11:56.960 --> 0:12:00.560 work out. So when I got there, I was like, look, 0:12:00.960 --> 0:12:03.719 you know, and the Philly fans are a lot of 0:12:03.720 --> 0:12:06.360 people don't know in the streets, man, when you walking around, 0:12:06.440 --> 0:12:09.120 they know you went to Carolina. They had some choice 0:12:09.200 --> 0:12:14.000 words for you. And uh, but when I got in 0:12:14.080 --> 0:12:16.520 my first game, All I wanted to do was just 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:19.840 play solid basketball and not make a mistake. Uh. You know, 0:12:19.960 --> 0:12:22.720 they were running Scott Williams out of town, Stackhouse and 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:26.040 Montrust had been there. All I wanted to do was 0:12:26.120 --> 0:12:30.600 just fitted and and not make a mistake. You know. 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:33.719 Then about two or three games in, you know, I'm 0:12:33.760 --> 0:12:36.520 in the starting line up. Coach Brown makes the adjustment 0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:40.360 and and then it was great from there. I think, 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:43.360 I you know, the way I played. The Philly fans 0:12:43.840 --> 0:12:46.880 loved the way my work ethic and you know, I'll 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:49.920 played the game the right way, and the team was 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:52.600 on the rise. We were winning games. Uh you know, 0:12:52.640 --> 0:12:54.880 I think the Pacers gave us a fit a couple 0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:57.600 of years in the road, but once we got over them, 0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:00.480 we were on our way. You were one of those 0:13:00.520 --> 0:13:06.000 designated defenders, and boy, that position to three four certainly 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:09.000 doing during those years, really at any time in the NBA, 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:12.480 those are some hard assignments, and even at six to 0:13:12.600 --> 0:13:15.120 nine you might have been undersized in a lot of 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:17.840 those matchups. What was that like guarding some of the 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:21.280 best players in the NBA? You know, it was, it was. 0:13:21.360 --> 0:13:23.960 It was a great challenge, but when you see your 0:13:24.000 --> 0:13:29.640 teammates like Eric Snow and McKee, uh, Theo, Mutumbo, Tyrone Hill. 0:13:30.120 --> 0:13:34.839 No one was really you know, griping about the assignments 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:38.360 we had. It was just a team effort. We all 0:13:38.559 --> 0:13:44.320 played within our strengths and weaknesses and then which allowed 0:13:44.320 --> 0:13:46.640 Alan to be Album. We knew Album was going to take, 0:13:47.360 --> 0:13:50.960 you know, majority of the shots, and so we didn't 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:53.800 really have to. It's been needed too much energy on 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:55.760 that end, so we had a lot to give on 0:13:55.840 --> 0:14:00.920 the defensive end. Now you're saying that Coach Brown knowing 0:14:01.120 --> 0:14:05.600 that yourself and Eric Snow could take sometimes the brunt 0:14:05.640 --> 0:14:08.920 of the criticism, and knowing that he was using that 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:11.520 to kind of get a message to the whole group 0:14:12.400 --> 0:14:15.280 that yeah, some you know, some thick skin and that 0:14:15.400 --> 0:14:17.600 literally is the definition of kind of taking one for 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:21.360 the team. What was that like and knowing that you 0:14:21.400 --> 0:14:24.640 were getting yelled at sometimes maybe for mistakes or whatever 0:14:25.160 --> 0:14:28.440 from others, but for the team, Yeah, it was it 0:14:28.600 --> 0:14:33.000 wasn't bad. Um. You know, at the end of the day, 0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:35.680 if it came, if it came with a win, it 0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:40.120 was easy to take. And uh, you know, so being 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:44.280 yelled at, uh and Coach Brown calling your name out. 0:14:44.400 --> 0:14:47.800 You know, he rewarded us with minutes. Uh. So as 0:14:47.840 --> 0:14:50.800 long as I was playing, you know, I was called 0:14:50.880 --> 0:14:53.800 and yelled at worse. You know, growing up as a 0:14:53.880 --> 0:14:56.280 kid on the basketball court playing with other guys, So 0:14:56.840 --> 0:15:00.280 you gotta have some thick skin, uh, growing up in 0:15:00.280 --> 0:15:04.760 the neighborhood I grew up in when that magical run 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:08.200 of the two thousand and two thousand and one season. 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:10.280 And the other thing that people forget is your guys. 0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:13.400 You were forty six and fourteen at the All Star break, 0:15:13.960 --> 0:15:16.480 but as it wound down and it got to the playoffs, 0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:18.960 you got hurt and you were Eric had an injury 0:15:19.000 --> 0:15:22.320 with a foot. There were a number of injuries and 0:15:22.360 --> 0:15:26.720 that precluded you until the until the series shifted to Philadelphia. 0:15:26.720 --> 0:15:28.800 I think it was Game four where you finally got in. 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:31.560 So that must have been bitter sweet to see your 0:15:31.560 --> 0:15:34.040 team reach the NBA Finals but not be able to 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:37.920 compete because of a broken foot, right, yeah, I had. 0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:41.240 I was battling the stretch fractor throughout the year and 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:43.480 it was it was one of those things when you 0:15:44.000 --> 0:15:48.960 trying to decide if you should sit down and and 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:53.560 let it heal or should you you know, play through 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:55.920 the pain. I was able to play through the pain 0:15:56.040 --> 0:16:00.280 until that one play, you know, in to run when 0:16:00.280 --> 0:16:03.240 I stepped through air Win's foot and the bone snap. 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:07.960 So but you know, I think if the surgery, if 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:10.440 we would have put a bigger screw in when I 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:12.520 had the surgery, I think I would have been able 0:16:12.520 --> 0:16:15.320 to play in the finals. It was enough time to recover. 0:16:17.200 --> 0:16:20.160 But a small screw was put in, I wasn't able 0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:23.000 to play through it through the pain without hurting the team. 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:25.560 So that was just one of those decisions I had 0:16:25.560 --> 0:16:28.760 to make, you know, where I didn't want to. You know, 0:16:28.760 --> 0:16:31.160 we had a healthy, healthier player sitting on the bench 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:32.680 to see if we get if we had a team. 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:35.520 You were talking about the team kind of being built 0:16:35.520 --> 0:16:39.480 around Iverson and his athletic talent and his ability to 0:16:39.520 --> 0:16:43.720 score the ball. So you saw these incredible scoring performances. 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:47.320 You saw him play through injuries athletically and as a 0:16:47.320 --> 0:16:49.440 basketball player. What was it like to watch and be 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:56.360 a teammate of Irs. I was more measurement rise on 0:16:56.440 --> 0:16:58.360 the things that he was able to do off the court. 0:16:59.520 --> 0:17:01.680 One that we were you know, we played the Spurs 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:03.640 at the Dome and had the turf down, I don't 0:17:03.680 --> 0:17:07.080 have to field, and we were walking off and uh, 0:17:08.080 --> 0:17:10.119 I don't know who had a football, but we found 0:17:10.160 --> 0:17:13.600 the football and we were out throwing passes. And they 0:17:13.640 --> 0:17:17.439 always talked about him as a football player. Uh. He 0:17:17.560 --> 0:17:21.000 really did have a lot of talent as far as 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:23.160 on the football field. And he probably could have played 0:17:23.160 --> 0:17:26.760 in the NFL if he wanted to, uh, if not 0:17:26.960 --> 0:17:31.520 some big time college football. But and then he was 0:17:31.640 --> 0:17:34.359 he was He was gifted at drawing, He could rap 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:38.119 as an artist. Uh, you know, just and he had 0:17:38.119 --> 0:17:41.840 a big heart. Uh. You know, him as a teammate 0:17:42.119 --> 0:17:46.200 off the off the field, off the court was more 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:50.960 impressive than you know, some of the other franchise so 0:17:51.119 --> 0:17:53.840 called franchise players that I've been a part of teams on. 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:56.520 Because he did not want to miss a game. He 0:17:56.640 --> 0:18:00.920 played in every game possible. Uh, any played one hundred percent. 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:03.560 And I've been on teams with other guys who were 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:07.840 nominated as a franchise players, and they didn't carry that 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:11.399 torch as well. More with George Lynch in a moment, 0:18:11.840 --> 0:18:15.360 but as we continued to adjust and adapt to unprecedent 0:18:15.400 --> 0:18:18.639 and change in our everyday lives, Wendy's has got you 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:23.080 for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. Whether it's 0:18:23.080 --> 0:18:26.480 starting your day with their new delicious breakfast menu or 0:18:26.640 --> 0:18:29.600 ending it with a cool frosty. Their restaurants are open 0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:32.320 to serve you. Swing by the drive through and pick 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:35.320 up your go to meal today. Now back to my 0:18:35.480 --> 0:18:39.000 chat with George Lynch. Your career ends with stops in 0:18:39.320 --> 0:18:42.720 New Orleans and Charlotte, the end of a twelve year career. 0:18:42.720 --> 0:18:45.000 As I mention, what do you remember about those last 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:47.680 two or three years, you know, it was it was 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:51.560 kind of it was kind of fun, you know, well, 0:18:52.000 --> 0:18:54.040 it was kind of looking forward to being It was 0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:58.119 its exciting time when I got traded to Charlotte, thinking 0:18:58.119 --> 0:18:59.600 that I was gonna be able to go back where 0:18:59.600 --> 0:19:03.720 I played college basketball and played finished my NBA career. 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:07.119 But unfortunately they you know, they were just there for 0:19:07.200 --> 0:19:11.280 one year, so playing in an empty arena. That was 0:19:11.359 --> 0:19:15.040 kind of disappointing. But uh, you know, it was a 0:19:15.080 --> 0:19:19.440 good group of guys. Um you know, wasn't as tight 0:19:19.480 --> 0:19:23.719 knit as the fielding team. But we went to New Orleans. 0:19:23.960 --> 0:19:27.200 New franchise he was planning in New Orleans was great. 0:19:27.200 --> 0:19:31.119 The food was great there. The people welcomed us with 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:34.240 open arms. So it was it was, you know, it 0:19:34.320 --> 0:19:38.080 was you know, I'd never been to Louis New Orleans 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:41.600 before and then except for the Final Court, and so 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:44.880 being able to spend time there and and and see 0:19:44.880 --> 0:19:46.840 all the sites, I think it was a good experience. 0:19:46.920 --> 0:19:51.360 But in the weather was great. So other than that, man, 0:19:51.359 --> 0:19:53.960 it was, you know, it was a great twelve year run. 0:19:54.720 --> 0:19:59.640 I enjoyed, enjoyed the experience, and I enjoyed it so well. 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:02.080 Want to get out of us, so I got into 0:20:02.119 --> 0:20:05.600 college coaching. You did, and you really paid your views 0:20:05.640 --> 0:20:08.719 to work with bat Doherty, another Carolina alum. First at 0:20:08.840 --> 0:20:13.200 SMU the G League, You're at Caloraby and then let's 0:20:13.280 --> 0:20:16.920 move forward to your rejoined forces with coach Larry Brown 0:20:16.960 --> 0:20:19.919 and Southern Methodists there in Dallas. And what was that 0:20:19.960 --> 0:20:23.040 like to be an assistant coach with your former head coach, 0:20:23.160 --> 0:20:26.840 the legendary Larry Brown. It was great. Uh. You know, 0:20:26.920 --> 0:20:30.479 Coach Brown, although he's very demanding as a player, I 0:20:30.480 --> 0:20:33.679 mean as a coach, he's he's very caring his players. 0:20:33.720 --> 0:20:37.000 He cared a lot about his players. He was the 0:20:37.040 --> 0:20:42.200 closest thing to Coach Smith. That that as a coach 0:20:42.440 --> 0:20:44.960 that you know as far as kim about his players 0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:49.800 and how he coached the games, his mindset, his preparation. Uh, 0:20:49.920 --> 0:20:52.240 he was the closest thing to Dean Smith. And I 0:20:52.240 --> 0:20:55.080 had a lot of respect for Coach Smith. So claniform 0:20:55.119 --> 0:20:57.159 Coach Brown and working with him was a was a 0:20:57.520 --> 0:21:02.240 was was great, um and it meant so much that 0:21:02.720 --> 0:21:06.439 I said, you know what, I deserve to share what 0:21:06.520 --> 0:21:08.600 I've learned from Coach Brown and what I've learned from 0:21:08.600 --> 0:21:12.880 Coach Smith with these younger guys here on the college level. 0:21:13.480 --> 0:21:17.280 Were you like kind of that the good assistant as 0:21:17.280 --> 0:21:20.640 we hear about like where you were the liaison explaining 0:21:20.680 --> 0:21:23.960 to the young players what coach meant and not to 0:21:23.960 --> 0:21:26.320 take it personally, that he breaks it down and he 0:21:26.320 --> 0:21:28.720 wants it done his way and he's going to really 0:21:28.760 --> 0:21:31.520 pay attention to the details. Where you kind of did 0:21:31.560 --> 0:21:35.880 that for their players, Well, I did that and they 0:21:36.000 --> 0:21:38.639 listened to me because I think they listened to me 0:21:38.720 --> 0:21:42.080 because I played in the NBA. You know, has some 0:21:42.160 --> 0:21:44.679 great kids. Sterling Brown, then more Sterling is with the 0:21:44.720 --> 0:21:50.639 Milwaukee Bucks, Jimmy is with you know, the Boston Celtics, 0:21:51.240 --> 0:21:53.440 and Shake Milton is actually playing with you guys in 0:21:53.480 --> 0:21:57.360 the Philly and doing well. So those are my young 0:21:57.440 --> 0:22:01.239 guys and uh we just I just tried to teach him. 0:22:01.960 --> 0:22:05.000 They wanted to be pros. Uh they were gym rats. 0:22:05.000 --> 0:22:08.119 They stayed in the gym, and uh, I was that 0:22:08.240 --> 0:22:10.679 guy that would that would make the extra time to 0:22:10.720 --> 0:22:13.280 be in the gym with him. What'd you see in 0:22:13.359 --> 0:22:17.280 shake then? And what do you see now? Uh? Shay 0:22:17.359 --> 0:22:23.119 could definitely score. And the more he played, you know, 0:22:23.200 --> 0:22:26.920 he had that that smooth I'm not gonna rush, You're 0:22:26.920 --> 0:22:31.000 not gonna speed me up. He had long arms, he 0:22:31.119 --> 0:22:34.080 had a he had a vision that none of the 0:22:34.119 --> 0:22:36.160 other guys. He would make passes. He were like, how 0:22:36.160 --> 0:22:37.480 did you see that? And how did you get that 0:22:37.520 --> 0:22:43.199 passed through there? So he showed the skill set in 0:22:43.280 --> 0:22:47.679 the basketball IQ for high level NBA player and he 0:22:47.720 --> 0:22:50.080 could score. I mean teams would just leave him open 0:22:50.160 --> 0:22:53.040 because he didn't look like a basketball player. But he 0:22:53.080 --> 0:22:55.879 would finish the game with twenty fifteen you know, his 0:22:56.000 --> 0:23:01.320 first two years and played exceptionally well. Well, George, we 0:23:01.359 --> 0:23:03.399 appreciate your time. We know you're kind of in the 0:23:03.400 --> 0:23:07.000 midst here of looking for a new position. The coaching realm. 0:23:07.119 --> 0:23:09.280 Is that something you would like to continue to pursue. 0:23:10.160 --> 0:23:15.280 Oh yeah, definitely, Uh, definitely continue coaching whatever level it 0:23:15.600 --> 0:23:20.159