As aired on ESPN News this morning, most of Rudy T.'s press conference. == http://homepage.mac.com/echen/iMovieTheater4.html The whole thing in streaming Quicktime. == http://homepage.mac.com/echen/FileSharing3.html RudyT_pressconf_pt1.mp3 (9.5 minutes, 8.7 MB) RudyT_pressconf_pt2.mp3 (8 minutes, 7.3 MB) MP3, split into two parts. The files are bigger than "usual" because I was doing video simultaneously. ==
RUDY TOMJANOVICH Press Conference- 3/26/03 Opening comments ”I think talking to you guys is a little bit easier than talking to those guys in there. I didn’t know what to say. After having about a week or so to process all the things that have happened, talking to the doctors, talking to Les (Alexander), we’re all in agreement that the best thing for me personally is to take a leave of absence. The way I feel about that too, I believe it’s the best thing for the team. At this critical part of the season, this team, any team, needs a coach who has got to give 100 percent of his thoughts to helping the team win. As much as I love this team and as much as I would love to give 100 percent, I know that my thoughts would be on some other things. I’m not ashamed of that, I think that’s a human thing. I think most of us would react the same way. We’re in very good hands with Larry (Smith), Jim (Boylen), Wellsy (Mike Wells), Coop (Dean Cooper) and Melvin (Hunt) - a great coaching staff. I think our team has also grown together. I really feel it’s the best thing for them. There really isn’t an alternative to that, I just think this is the right thing to do. I’ve been feeling good physically. Mentally, I’ve been good. I talk to this happy-go-lucky guy every day (Dr. James Muntz). The first couple of days, it’s like coming off a treadmill and then all of a sudden having nothing to do. I just didn’t know what to do, so I’ve already planted stuff in the yard. My dogs hate to see me because I take them for walks all of the time; they’ve lost weight. They’re like, ‘Here he comes again.’ And poor Sophie, she’s got me at home all the time. I have high hopes of getting through this thing and really look forward to being a coach again. If you guys have any questions direct them to him (Dr. Muntz).” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On his return: RT: ”I don’t know. We were at a stage of thinking last week where we were thinking, maybe this, maybe that … for today, that’s where we’re at. I also want to thank Les. I talked to him and thank him for his support and understanding in this situation.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On a potential comeback if the team makes the playoffs: RT: "Well, I’m going to do the right thing for the team. I don’t know what’s going to happen with the treatments. I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow with Dr. Goldfarb (Tomjanovich’s urologist). I can’t predict what the future’s going to be, but you would think if we went there, I’m not going to jump in and if something was flowing like that I probably wouldn’t do it. You know what I mean, but I can’t say what the future brings. I’ll try to do the right thing. You just take it day by day and whatever the right thing is you just try to do it.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On his current well being: RT: ”Great, I’ve never felt sick in this whole thing. It’s not about that.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On where this falls into rank with other adversity he has confronted: RT: ”It’s up there with all the other drama that’s been in my life and I’ve had some (laughing). It gets better every day; every day I’ve felt stronger emotionally. I haven’t had many bad days. Watching the games is tough. I had to stop. I had a couple other things change in my lifestyle—a little bit. Got rid of a couple of habits and going through all of those things at the same time, you know, takes a toll on some of your little crutches that you take for granted to get through little stressful things.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On deciding to take a leave of absence RT: ” It just doesn’t make sense. These games are so important—it’s a fun part—and there’s another thing, that I thought about and we never got to that because everybody’s been in agreement about me. Say I was a nut, I’m a little bit of nut, but I’m not that crazy, and I just say, ‘I’m just going to go out there and coach, I don’t give a heck about what I've got or whatever.’ I just think as an organization, we can’t do that and we can’t put winning games above personal health and things like that; it never got to that. To me, like I said, I don’t think there’s any other option of what we’re doing.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On his talk with the team RT: ”Usually I know what to say. I didn’t know what to say, but it came out. I wanted to be there, I didn’t want to be there. You know it’s a big game. I’m a Rocket. I was here when we came in, I’m still here. I want the team to do good and at times, I’ve done it to my detriment. This is a big game (tonight’s game). I want to get the hell out of here and let these guys concentrate on beating the Lakers. The timing is not the greatest thing for me to be here, but I just have to do it. You start learning, there are certain things you just got to do. Like I said, I want to be with the team, I know I shouldn’t be with the team.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On his involvement down the home stretch: RT: ”I just don’t think that’s fair. First of all, it will drive me nuts and doing it half-ass. It’s just never been my way. I don’t think it’s right. I don’t think that’s the way it’s done. The spirit of things, there’s a way of doing things physically, but there’s a spirit of things and the spirit’s got to flow.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On dealing with this situation and past obstacles RT: ”You’re talking about the things I learned through not drinking? It means everything in the world. Not to get too deep into that, but for me to do that, it’s a spiritual program and you learn some things about life, about yourself. It’s been monumental in how I handle everything. I’ve stayed very close to that program. I go to different churches, but it’s not a religious thing, it’s a spiritual thing. I could be outside and I can feel it. I feel it in people too. It’s just a different way of living.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On any doubt that he may not return next year: RT: ”No, not in my mind at all.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Coach Smith’s job since he’s been out: RT: ”I haven’t watched all the details, I can’t watch a whole game. I’ve taped the games and I could go back and get into all that stuff. I thought the best thing for me to do is to remove (myself) and not even make comments. I’ll talk to the guys sometime after. It’s emotional not to talk. I think the guy’s done a great job. It’s been no surprise at all, to me, what he has done and what he is going to continue to do. His qualities as a person, as a coach were the things that I really wanted on my staff. We’ve been through a lot this year. This has been one of the craziest years that I’ve been involved with, as far as responses to the team, almost surreal. We are very close, but I’ve had already some championship moments this year, as far as loyalty, as far as men expressing their feelings to men. Larry is a hard-working principled person. At the top of his thing, is his loyalty. Over the years that we’ve been together, he’s stepped up in situations where an assistant coach didn’t need to step up, where he’s gone and put himself in a situation and his support for me, I just love the guy. What he’s doing right now, how he’s handling the team is no surprise to me at all. Everybody does things differently—their own little way. That to me is what’s great about life, great about sports. Everybody has a different little twist on things and it’s not a drastic thing, it’s their own little flavor.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the team’s reaction RT: ”You have to ask them, I was into my own stuff.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR. JAMES MUNTZ On Rudy’s current condition: ”Really the only change in his condition is his calm. I think he’s dealt with all this work, worked through it and is optimistic about his treatments. The treatments are the same. One of the issues that came up is, he should start his treatments next week, which conflict with an out-of-town game. He wants to be here. It’s important that he follow through the treatments, come on time where we’re not juggling. You know, doing something at 10 at night that ought to be done at two or three in the afternoon. He’s all gung-ho and we are too to get him well. So he can do basketball, his regular life and he can put all this stuff behind him and have a good attitude when we attack.”
If Larry Smith does well, and the team does well, he will probably be leaving to be a head coach somewhere else next year. Here is to hoping Mr. Mean does a great job. DD
Wow, my god, DD, you scared me. Not Mr. Mean, please. Maybe let him finish this season as Head Coach, but next season, if Rudy don't decide to come back, find some one has more experiences. Jeff Van Gundy and Dunleavy are all out there and better than Mr. Mean!!!
Seriously, I doubt it. It's like a player leaving due to injury. You don't automatically give their job to someone just because they are out and the other guy does well in their stead. You have to re-evaluate, sure, but the assumption that he will be replaced by Smith after Smith has less than 20 games on the job is a big reach.
Jeff, i think he meant that Larry would be moving to be a head coach somewhere else like clipperland. Not that he would replace Rudy.
I meant that Larry Smith would be a good candidate for a head coaching job somewhere else in the NBA if the Rocks finish well under his tutelidge. DD
ron413, thank you so much for writing up the transcript!!! Now I just hope everything goes well for Rudy.
Steve's reaction on the Rox site was pretty good... Let's pray for RudyT's recovery and that the Rox will win one for him...
