Since there's too much negative on the GARM. I'd like to throw a good THANKSGIVING thread. we give thanks to Rudy T! This is a pretty good article about coaching, inheriting pretty much the same squad as Don Cheney (strangely similar Rockets record as JVG), how he has changed the Rockets from underachievers to immortals. Let's see how Ricky changes the Rockets! ENJOY! http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1993_1169986 Paper: HOUSTON CHRONICLE Date: SUN 12/05/1993 Section: Sports Page: 1 Edition: 3 STAR Rudy T remains crazy like a fox By FRAN BLINEBURY Staff RICHFIELD, Ohio -- Back in the days when Rudy Tomjanovich was carving out a reputation as a Detroit playground legend on the hardscrabble courts of his youth, when he was slinging in long-distance jumpers as an All-American at the University of Michigan, then as a five-time NBA All-Star with the Rockets, he had a harsh view of what would eventually become his chosen line of work. "I used to think you've got to be a lunatic to be a coach," he said. "I mean, what does it get you?" Well, one month into the fastest start in the history of the franchise and what is perhaps the Rockets' best chance of winning a championship, it's gotten Tomjanovich virtually instant recognition as one of the top coaches in the business. In a league where everyone is quick to react and turn innovation into a copycat fad, Rudy T has succeeded simply by being Rudy T. Affable and affirming, comfortable and committed, demanding and delightful, straightforward and street-smart and yet so unimpressed with his role in things. But make no mistake. The Rockets' 15-1 beginning is the product of blossoming performance on the court, but the roots of what is flowering extend into the office of the head coach. This is, after all, mostly the same cast of characters who got Don Chaney fired less than two years ago. Hakeem Olajuwon is receiving belated recognition as the best player in the game, but it is Rudy T who has been able to get through with the message that "The Dream" would be more effective if he spread the ball around and tried to do less. It is Rudy T who recognized the playmaking abilities of Vernon Maxwell and turned one of the NBA's most unconscionable, individualistic shooters into an all-around, stable performer who can contribute to the success of a contending team. Rockets thrive under his coaching Rudy T has gotten the most out of the Rockets' backcourt by using a platoon system that sees the reliable Scott Brooks and Mario Elie taking care of business for Maxwell and Kenny Smith in the fourth quarter of games. It is Rudy T who has forged the Rockets' new identity with a philosophy built on tenacious, relentless defense while maintaining the image of himself as "a regular guy who is content to just stay in the background and do his job." More than anything, it has been his ability as a communicator -- open and direct -- that has enabled the Rockets to take the step from underachievers to potential champions. The X's and O's never have been a problem. "Some people seem to have that ability to be able to see situations and diagram them," Tomjanovich said. "I can watch a game and think in those terms. I think it goes all the way to playing touch football on the street as a kid and drawing up plays and telling guys to "Go down to the red Chevy and then hook.' " As a teen-ager, Rudy T and a friend organized a group of 10-year-olds in his Hamtramck, Mich., neighborhood into a baseball team. They ran them through drills, taught fundamentals, even saved money and bought T-shirts and took the kids on a cross-town outing to play on a well-manicured field. "We were just looking to find a game against another team and see what we had taught those kids," he said. "But what we hadn't realized was that the field was right across the street from a potato-chip factory and the smell just hung in the air. A few minutes in, we were missing some outfielders. Then our first baseman. I think I learned then that it's hard to keep the attention of your players." A man consumed by the game Also that sometimes it's the coach who takes the losses hardest. You watch Rudy T stalk the sidelines and see a man consumed by the game. Every play. Every call. The Rockets lost for the first time this season in Atlanta on Friday night, and now, after 15 straight wins, here's a man who frets that they could lose their last 67. "A couple of weeks after I took this job, I got a card from my oldest daughter, who's away at college," he said. "She wrote, "We're all watching you on TV, Dad, and I'm not sure you're doing the right thing.' "Hey, who is sure? Coaching will kill you. It's like a war mission. How many guys have been through the war in this league and come back? Maybe one. Maybe Red Auerbach. You put in the years, and eventually you get fired in front of your friends and your hometown. You have to pack up and leave with your family. Who wants that? I'm a Houstonian now. I don't ever want to leave." But he knows he can never go back. He's out there proving himself the perfect man for the job, lifting his team to new heights, stoking the fires of a championship engine, and after firsthand experience, Rudy T has learned so much about his chosen profession. Yet one thing stands out. "I haven't changed my mind," he said. "I still think you have to be a lunatic to be a coach."
LMAO tinman.. we finally share some love for a "legendary" rocket! I really appreciate Rudy T, and I wish he was still coaching this squad today.. as long as you don't mention Kenny Smith's name, we're cool
Where's Pryuen when you need him? Nice article and what a perfect timing for it too that after this article was written, the Rox got their first ring. At first I was like "Wtf.. no mention of the championships?" then I realized it was written 14 YEARS AGO. How in the world did you find this? Fran's been writing for a long, long time huh..
dude, it's tinman, he is the Houston Rockets history preserver/glorious scrubs over-rater (check the Kenny Smith thread) sorry tinman you're still my favorite
Thanks TinMan- helps put some things in perspective. Rudy remains a respected Icon in Rocket's nation
Rudy will be a Rocket forever in the hearts of Houstonians. Yes Rudy, We love You!! Happy Thanksgiving!! Heart of a Champion!!!
if Kenny is overrated, what are Rafer, MJ, and Steve? he could out shoot those guys blind folded with one arm tied behind his back! the article shows how great Rudy T was at managing playing time and giving the team an identity. Rudy T has gotten the most out of the Rockets' backcourt by using a platoon system that sees the reliable Scott Brooks and Mario Elie taking care of business for Maxwell and Kenny Smith in the fourth quarter of games. It is Rudy T who has forged the Rockets' new identity with a philosophy built on tenacious, relentless defense while maintaining the image of himself as "a regular guy who is content to just stay in the background and do his job."
i'm thankful for tinman's nostalgia. you're right, rudy would know how to work all these players into a fluid rotation. was he even considered this offseason? i haven't heard anything since he was named to the USA men's staff or front office or something, IIRC. tinman should know where rudy is right now..
he's probably having diner with his family . I thought he's a scout for the Lakers. I don't know if his health is good enough for being a head coach again. but if you really think about it, Rudy T got the best out of Steve Francis, post Rudy T, Francis started sucking. What I miss about Rudy is that he made the Rockets a family environment. The togetherness of all his teams. Remember Year of the Yao? Rudy and the team celebrating Thanksgiving together. Yao having turkey. All the old Rockets are good friends with each other, the togetherness. Rudy and Otis play golf together.
i would have an easier time finding alien species from another planet or a starting point guard who can shoot for the rockets. maybe all those houston post articles are in the bottom of the ocean.
