A Quote by Karl-Anthony Towns
If you're versatile, there's no reason a coach can't have you in the game. That's what my dad's philosophy was, so from a young age, he taught me to be a guard first and a big second, though I don't think he had a crystal ball to be able to see what the NBA would become.
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I've been blessed that my dad taught me at a young age about versatility and how to not be specialized in one area, so it's made my transition from each step in my career very comfortable because I had the fundamentals and the foundation to do anything the coach needed me to do.
My dad has been my coach since I was seven years old - from 7 to 18 is when he coached my club team - and so it was always in the family. He introduced me to soccer at a young age and also kind of molded me into a good player at a young age, too. Which then I grew to love the game and be as passionate as he was.
I'm passionate about coaching and being able to mentor young men in a lot of different ways. I think it's good to be able to do what you love to do. It's been in me since the beginning. I was telling my college coach what to do and he trusted me. When I got into the NBA, I started having conversations with coaches. Coach Gregg Popp(avich) brought a lot out in me. Coach Don Nelson gave me an incredible opportunity to spend some time with him and he molded me but at the same time allowed me to be myself.
Instead of art I have taught philosophy. Though technique for me is a big word, I never have taught how to paint. All my doing was to make people to see.
I've seen my dad practice and, trust me, when you are 6 years old and you see that, it stays with you. My dad was a coach who taught the judo fighters and they would be throwing up because they would be so tired from working.
My dad was my first coach and drove me extremely hard from a very young age.
At a very young age, my beloved mother passed away from leukemia, forcing my father to become a single dad. Rather than coddle me, shelter me, or do things for me, he taught me to 'Make the Case' for everything in life - from my first job to a graduation trip I wanted.
Shooting the 3. Maybe drive and kick. Drive and get to the cup. Just being versatile. Being able to guard multiple positions on defense. Basically, be a mismatch problem and have coach give the confidence and say 'Yo, whatever the lineup is, whatever the game plans is, we keep John in and involved in the game.' That's my goal.
40-minute game at Duke - they got soft rims - I'd probably score 84 or 85. I wouldn't pass the ball. I wouldn't even think about passing it. It would be like a 'NBA Live' or an 'NBA 2K7' game: you just shoot with one person.
Like I've been saying the whole time I've been in the NBA: anything the coach asks me to do that I can do, I'm going to try to do. Whether it's to score the ball or guard the center, I'll do it.
Other than my parents, no one had a bigger influence on my life than Coach Smith. He was more than a coach – he was my mentor, my teacher, my second father. Coach was always there for me whenever I needed him and I loved him for it. In teaching me the game of basketball, he taught me about life. My heart goes out to Linnea and their kids. We've lost a great man who had an incredible impact on his players, his staff and the entire UNC family.
Being able to hedge on a ball screen and the guy coming off and being able to guard him for a brief second and then go back and block a shot in one possessions, that's big. There's not many dudes that can do that.
I think my versatility is a big strength. I don't think anybody can guard me, just because I'm 6'10 and can dribble and play point. If I have a little guy on me, I take him to the post. For me to be able to then pass the ball, it helps me a lot.
My dad taught me at a very young age that I should work harder than everyone else: Be the first one in and the last one out.
As a player, I could have the ball in my hands; I could kind of dictate what happens. I'm still learning, a young coach with young players. Sometimes I'm going to see things. They're not going to see what I see. So it's being able to translate that and help them see what I'm seeing.
I was fortunate to be around a couple of coaches who took me under their wing and taught me how to train, how to work and how to prepare myself for a game. They gave me so much, and I saw the passion they had for the game and for teaching it. What I learned from them led me to want to become a teacher and coach.
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