I don’t know of another guy in the history of the game that has succeeded on all levels. – Phil Johnson
SALT LAKE CITY — One thing that made Dick Motta a players’ coach was he knew how to practice. If Allen Iverson — he of the famous “practice” rant — had played for Motta, the controversy would have never arisen.
“Practice was never longer than two hours, ever,” says Phil Johnson, who twice played and worked for Motta.
“Almost every facet of basketball, he would devise a game. So if you were working on rebounding, he would figure out a competitive game on rebounding.”
Heaven knows what he had them do while studying film.
Motta was presented the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award last week. He was elected by the National Basketball Coaches Association selection committee, which this year included Billy Cunningham, Gregg Popovich, Donnie Walsh, Joe Dumars, Pat Riley, Lenny Wilkens and Phil Jackson.
To those who competed with and against him, Motta was a classic.
“He was just what great coaches are, they’re great communicators,” Johnson says.
If anyone should know, it’s Johnson. The former Jazz assistant first met Motta — a Jordan High and Utah State alumnus — as a seventh-grader in Grace, Idaho. Motta not only coached Johnson on the junior high team, but also taught classes. All kinds of classes: math, science, geography, English. So Johnson learned from him in both the classroom and on the court.
“That’s why I can’t spell,” Johnson deadpans.
After Johnson’s seventh-grade year, Motta entered the Air Force for two years, then returned to coach at Grace High School for three years, when Johnson was playing. Grace won the Idaho state championship in 1959. Johnson later became an assistant at Weber State under Motta (who went 120-33 in six years), then joined him for 2½ years with the Chicago Bulls. In Chicago and Washington, Motta led his teams to the playoffs 10 times in 11 years.
Clearly, Motta saw something in the lean, quiet Johnson. And many saw something in Motta, who was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1971 and won the championship with Washington in 1978.
Johnson points out Motta succeeded at every level — junior high, high school, college and NBA — and even coached in the Air Force.
“I don’t know of another guy in the history of the game that has succeeded on all levels,” Johnson says.
Johnson doesn’t recall the legendary coach reaching too far for motivational gimmicks, but apparently Motta does. He told Fran Blinebury of NBA.com he once brought a tiger into the Dallas locker room and threatened to turn it loose if they didn’t improve.
Meanwhile, he took a previously little-known phrase and made it famous during the 1978 playoffs, warning media not to project too far ahead. “The opera ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings” became synonymous with Motta.
The lady must have hit a quadruple forte, because the Bullets won the NBA title after twice falling behind in the series.
Nowadays, that would be called “fat shaming,” and Motta might be ordered to apologize. But appeasement was never his strong suit. Asked by a Dallas reporter in 1995 about his chances of being named to the Hall of Fame, Motta said, “I would never expect in my lifetime to see it. I haven’t kissed enough (bottom).”
But colorful quotes didn’t mean he was clownish. Johnson says today’s game has Motta’s fingerprints all over it, from multiple screens and backdoor cuts to grinding defense. Jerry Sloan borrowed Motta’s style to build the Jazz into a power in the ’90s.
“Dick was very innovative,” Johnson says.
Even in some questionable areas.
Motta got seven technicals in his first six NBA games and drew 398 in his career.
“He got after the refs pretty good,” Johnson chuckles.
Apparently so did his protégés. Sloan, who played for Motta in Chicago, amassed more technicals in a career than any coach. Johnson led the league once, when he was coaching in Sacramento.
Some believe Motta should be in the Hall of Fame. But his 935-1,017 NBA record is a sticking point. Considering he had new or rebuilding teams in Dallas, Sacramento and Denver, a case could be made in Motta’s favor. He is 12th in all-time wins, right behind Red Auerbach.
“He should be in,” Johnson says. “He didn’t have very good teams, so his record’s not outstanding. But he still got a whole bunch of wins.”
Maybe someday the Hall of Fame voters will take note. They’ll see Motta’s playing styles that are still in use today, and acknowledge he won at every level imaginable — and vote him in. If they do, they might even hear opera music in the background.
Email: rock@desnews.com; Twitter: @therockmonster; Blog: Rockmonster Unplugged