View from San Antonio--win it for the Gipper--AJ...

[Big Shot Rob]

It has been an incredible few months for the much beloved coach, Avery Johnson. No other former player or associate is closer to Pop, and I can assure you that as Aj prepares the Mavs for the upcoming series against the Suns and for also the opponent in the NBA Finals, Pop and his coaches will open up his books, films, and coaching resources for the little general to pick the Spur braintrust for that last possible advantage.

This should come as no surprise to anyone. It may sound peculiar. But Pop is AJ's closest friend outside of the Maverick household. Pop desperately wanted to take his team to the next level. Now that AJ is in a poition to win a championship, I can assure you Greg Popovich will move mountains to help him do so. During the off-season, they talk on a nearly daily basis anyway. Now that AJ has that trophy staring him in front of him so closely, Pop would love to see AJ win it.

I have a friend who is a local minister who shed some light of their relationship. Last year, when the Denver Nuggets were coming to town to play the Spurs in the playoffs, AJ called this minister friend of mine and asked if he could help Carmelo Anthoney get around town. AJ and Carmelo are also friends because of AJ's spirituality. You don't read about this aspect of AJ's life very much in the media. But he and David Robinson are actually lay ministers. Now that David Robinson is retired from basketball, he is a minister fulltime. In the event AJ ever retires from coaching, it is a good prospect that he may minister on a fulltime basis as well.

One other episode showing the man and the life of AJ is during Hurrican Katrina. My minister friend told me that he had been in contact both with AJ and the Spurs organization because several members of AJ's family were unaccounted for during the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. AJ called Pop and told him of his plight and broke down on the phone. The Spurs put out a full court press to assist in trying to locate any of AJ's relatives both in New Orleans as well as in the shelters, one of the major ones being here in San Antonio as well as Houston and I believe in Dallas. The majority were being housed in Houston and San Antonio, however.

To say that these two men were and remain extremely close is the understatement of the year. It is total irony that becauise of their profession, they will have to try to defeat each other.

But when that is no longer the quotent, the Spurs as an organization and Greg Popovich try to help out their dear friend, Avery Johnson.

Life and basketball never came easy for AJ. He played for several teams. He was constantly being put down and one idiot, Damon Stoudemire, once said the Spurs would never win a championship as long as they had AJ as their point guard.

Dalls--we're pulling for you, for many reasons. Because we're Texas against the world.

But quite frankly, because we still love Avery Johnson. After all that he has endured over the past few years, he deserves to hold that trophy atop his shoulders. From here on out, I always will be supporting my Spurs feverently. But if the Mavs should happen to beat them during the playoffs, I'm putting on a Mav hat and implore you--win it for yourselves, for the city of Dallas...

...but also win it for the guy with the biggest heart in the NBA--our own Gipper--

AVERY JOHNSON

[aexchange]

wow, great post. fantastic insight.

thanks!

[V2M]

Thanks BSR. You're all class!

[twelli]

thanks for sharing

aren't we all just a big family...

however, I am wondering, "Pop opening his books to Avery" sounds like a nice gesture, but is this legal? I mean, considering what is at stake for Phoenix and Dallas, aren't their any rules against this kind of "alliance" of people from different teams?

[mavsfanforever]

Thats 3-4 posts I have seen from spurs fans that were awesome.

[DNNF]

Unless Cuban secretly put POP on his playoff payroll, then I don't see any legal issue here.