Press Conference Transcript: Jerry West 2004-05 NBA Executive of the Year
Read the full transcript from the May 18, 2004 press conference and award presentation.
Hubie Brown on Jerry West | Jerry West Acceptance Speech | Q & A Session
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Hubie Brown on Jerry West:
“First of all, I’m humbled and I’m honored to be here to represent the NBA to make the presentation. People ask me all of the time what makes a great executive, and my definition is that the person must have incredible vision, vision meaning the future. You’re not dealing with someone who is concerned just about this day. A person must have vision in the future, and then the person must be a communicator. By that, I mean not just with the coaching staff. The person must have communications with the coaching staff and the team, so that they all look at this individual with respect. Then, the key – when he makes the phone calls to the other 28 other teams, that executive who is making the decisions answers the phone calls. Not only the vision, but you’ve got to be able to communicate, and not in just one area. Then, there has to be courage. By that, I mean, that the individual who is going to be making trades, free agency, etc. has the courage to take on the fan base, the media and the doubting Thomases even within your own organization. That is what separates the outstanding executives from just the run of the mill. Now, for me as a coach, I’ve been around this business a long time. For me, it’s an honor to be associated with Jerry West because he is the epitome of vision, also of communication and then the courage to do the controversial because he understands the big picture. So, for me to make this presentation it’s an honor and it could not have gone to an individual who had a better year than Jerry West. So, on behalf of the NBA I would like to present the Executive of the Year Award to Jerry West, Memphis Grizzlies.”
Jerry West’s Acceptance Speech:
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When I first got here, I think the thing that I found was that a lot of our players had gotten to the point where they played very hard, but some way they would find a way to lose the game late in the ball game. As hard as they would play, they would find a way to lose. And, when that happens, it always becomes the culture of the team. I really thought it was important to change that culture. By doing that, we brought in a number of different players here, who have provided a different look for our team. We don’t have a great star on our team. I think that’s more of a tribute to our coaching staff who takes these people and molds them into a unit that has that commitment to practice, repetition and playing hard every night that’s going to get us to where we want to go.
I’m really thrilled to accept this for our organization because I’m not so sure that this organization was perceived as one that was doing the right thing all of the time. But, I do feel now, that Hubie winning the Coach of the Year award, and our organization winning this award, again it’s not an individual award, it’s really an organizational award, I think we’ve gained a major respect throughout the NBA and more importantly here in Memphis.
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But, in looking at the end of the season, I’ve had two great thrills since I’ve been here. Number one, I was so touched when Hubie received the Coach of the Year award and the crowd reception that these fans gave. I was so touched I can’t even tell you, one of the proudest moments of my life. It was just unbelievable. Once our crowd reacted for the five or six home games here, that was really special. I mean, really special to me because it’s special when that happens.
For me, when I first came here I didn’t know what to expect. I knew I would have no problem living in this city. My main concern was whether or not my wife and my son could live here. I can tell you that they are as happy as can be living here. My wife has made new friends, that’s really important because you need some support away from the people you work with.
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And, now today, I get phone calls from a number of teams that are looking for coaching material - is there another Hubie Brown out there that you would recommend? I think that’s the thing that has brought us all together. Age is not relative to some people. I can’t tell you how much this guy has meant to our franchise. I can’t tell you. I mean it’s just amazing what he’s done. People look at us now, and say ‘you guys have got a damn good team. You’ve got some great pieces.’ Well, that obviously makes me feel good. But, I’m not sure if that would have existed if we didn’t have the coach of the year.
The other thing that I am proud of is the people I work with, they really contribute. They don’t really receive the notoriety for something like this. But, our coaching staff and the people I work with, (General Manager) Dick (Versace), (Assistant General Manager) Tom (Penn), (Assistant to the President) Gary Colson, they’ve been so welcoming in many different ways to make my transition better. I am really proud of this award, I’m proud for our franchise and not for me. The one award I would like to see us win has a gold ball on top of it and I’m hopeful that some day we will get to the point where every game is crucial and important. We’ve got to wait until we get there. If can go from 23 wins the first year I was here to 50 my second year here it’s just amazing. I certainly didn’t do it; maybe I helped in a few of those situations. Again, it’s an organizational award and I accept it on behalf of the Grizzlies organization.”
Question and Answer Session
Q: How is getting the award this time different from the first time you won it?
West: “In Los Angeles, we got some really, really nice pieces out there. You know, we missed the playoffs one year with the last game of the season. I think that we won 41, we might have been .500 and we didn’t make the playoffs. My God, it was like the Lakers are finished. I think probably, my best accomplishment is the one summer we got Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. As fortunate as that franchise is, you can see what it has done for that franchise. They are still there, I still like to think of them as my friends. Obviously, I am happy for any success they have. Those are two highlights of my career as an executive. I always like to fly under the radar screen. I don’t like publicity, I don’t covet publicity. I don’t like awards, I just like rings.”
Q: What personnel moves are you most proud of in Memphis?
West: “I think James Posey. I’m sure his team in Houston is kicking their behinds for not re-signing him. The intangibles that he brings to the table and what he gives our coaching staff and the kind of person he is will allow him to get better and we need more players like that. I call them dirty work players. He is a dirty work player with some unique skills. I love watching him play. He’s done a great job for us.”
Q: Coach Brown, are you happy you picked up that phone call from Jerry a couple of years ago when he asked you to join his staff?
Hubie Brown: “What am I supposed to say? No? Do you think I just wanted to hang out with my dog and my two cats? No, the phone call came at the right time, I’ve said it one hundred times – with the re-emphasis and the reorganization at Turner. Right now, you’re a young man, and you think you’re at the top of your game. Well, I thought I was still at the top of my game at 69, in this business I was in. All of sudden, you find out that you are no different than any of the other guys that are 55 or 60 or 65, depending on the business and they tell you that they’re going to put you in a reduced role. Now, it comes down to how you are going to react to that. So, fortunately for me, I received this phone call and I had been privy to everything because of my son being an advance scout. I watched every game that he was responsible for, for the year before and part of that season on DirecTV because I wanted to see how he was doing in his recommendations to the coaching staff.
So, everything worked perfectly. But, I’ve said this and I say it all of the time, I’ve been with some great general managers and some great executives and I’ve never been with one of the quality of this man here. Because of his honesty, he is never a chameleon; he is perfectly straight to your heart. At this time in my life, it’s a joy because there’s no waltzing and dancing and there’s no chameleon work behind your back. He and I have been on the same page since that phone call. It’s a joy for me because I get up every single day and I know this guy is in our corner 100% because he and I are on the same page about winning. We’re very fortunate that we have an owner that Jerry reports to and I report to Jerry and we could not have a better situation if I went any place else. This is the perfect place and it’s the right time.”
Q: Coach Brown, have you made up your mind about next season?
Hubie Brown: “I still have to take care of the things we expressed at the end of the season. As soon as all of these things come in, then I’ll make the decision, my wife and I. Then we’ll discuss things.”
Q: Do you think coming to Memphis was the right decision?
Jerry West: “This is the best decision I’ve made in my life, I want you to know that. I think, when you win all of the time, when the expectation level is there like the Lakers, as long as Shaq and Kobe Bryant are there, they’re going to be there at the end of every year. That’s how good these two players are, they’re the two best players in the league period. You can talk about all of these other guys, but they’re the two best players. Again, the pressure and the stress involved and the enormous amount of press, one of the things I like about this town is that we don’t have as much press as Los Angeles. If the newspaper writes something negative, I’m fine with it as long as it’s the truth. In Los Angeles, people just start stuff. That got me to the point in my life where I was a physical and mental wreck. I just didn’t like it. I think the other was that I didn’t even negotiate with Mike Heisley. For some reason, I seem to have a connection
with him. I told him who I was; I told him the things I didn’t like. I like an office where people are friendly; I like an office where people can enjoy each other. I don’t like an office divided because people don’t have the same belief. I believe in sharing information and somebody has to make the decision.
I’ve always felt in my life that there is a few people that I would seek out to try to make personal decisions. One of those people was Jerry Buss, the owner of the Lakers. He was probably happy not to pay me anymore as a consultant, but I value his input. The other is a good friend in Los Angeles whose name will go anonymous, a very successful businessman. He and his wife, we’re friends. I went to see him because this was a life changing move. To say I have any regrets, absolutely not. It’s brought me a new enthusiasm. I’m really a competitive person and I try not to show it, probably a hell of a lot more competitive than anyone in this room except for our coach. We’ve got some other competitive people I know. But, I don’t need to run around people that are and this is a competitive job. That and winning, those are the only two things I care about. I don’t care about awards. I don’t mean to demean this award; I really don’t care about awards.”
Q: How does it feel to be honored by your peers for this award?
Jerry West: “We have kind of tough jobs. The coaches always get fired, but in my mind we’re the ones that should get fired. We’re not providing the right caliber people. I think today, owners are looking at things a little differently. When your peers vote for you, they don’t vote because it’s a popularity contest…It really is an honor when your peers do that. I have so many friends and so many people I admire in this business with so much courage and the fact that they are honest. Obviously, always when you’re dealing with some people you better make sure you have that deal written down pretty quickly. But, I think people in our jobs are getting better, I really do, because there is so much more at stake today, the high stakes financial part of it. I think we all want to do what’s best for our franchise. Now we have 30 teams to worry about. We wouldn’t be anywhere unless we could all communicate. I appreciate this award, I really really do.”
Q: Have the expectations for the team and the city changed after the last season?
Jerry West: “Absolutely not, we need to get better. There are areas we need to address. We had a big meeting yesterday, about a two hour and fifteen minute meeting about our needs, how we go about getting them and what we are going to do in our expansion draft. So, there has been a lot of communication. The coaches have spent their time away from us and we’ve spent our time away from them so we’ve exchanged ideas. I would say we’re pretty close together in terms of what we need to do to get better.”
Q: Do the Grizzlies need a superstar?
Jerry West: “Oh boy, it’s always nice to have one of those guys, but that’s a word that is loosely thrown around, very loosely. How many superstars do you think are in the league? I don’t think there’s very many myself. I probably think maybe five or six. Some of them are big stars, but they are not superstars. So, my criteria for a superstar would be a heck of a lot different than maybe some of you people. A superstar makes you win.”
Q: What is your relationship like with Mike Heisley?
Jerry West: “I would be one to tell you that I will discuss anything with anyone, which might be inflammatory in terms of people having two opposite approaches of how they want to do things. But, the one thing I won’t do, and I tell you I won’t do, if I am dealing with Hubie, I don’t want to come into his office and scream at him. I don’t want him coming and screaming at me. With the type of communication level we have, that will never happen. With Mike, one of the things I indicated to him is that in our office there is going to be no one that is going to be picked upon. Everyone is going to be created equal in our office. I want him to understand that I will defend everyone who works with us from our assistants to our coaching staff. I just feel the people are going to get us where we are going to get, and people collectively are a hell of a lot stronger than people divided.”
Q: Does it surprise you that your opinion on deals and players is so valued in the NBA?
Jerry West: “It’s surprising, that has happened a lot in my life that we are still able to do deals. I’m honest. I don’t lie to anyone and tell them exactly what I’m doing. To me, it’s a buyers beware market. But, to say that when I make a phone call that I’m going to get a phone call back, and that to me is a sign of respect from the people you work with.”
Q: After the season you’ve had, is it now harder to make the next step to being real title contender?
Jerry West: “One of the things I’ve said is that one year does not make success. It’s what we do over a period of time. During my experience here the one thing I’d like to see us do is grow as an organization, more importantly, grow in respect around the league. One year does not define you. That’s why we need to get better. We had a magical year this year, ok? Does that qualify as success in my eyes? No. We need to get better. We need to keep pushing and keep working. We have a lot of players that will be better players next year because of their experience of playing with Hubie and his discipline and his attention to detail. They’ll get better. But, is that good enough? Because, other teams are as competitive as we are. We’d like to think that we’re going to do better. It may not be reflected in wins and losses by the way.”