Q: You’ve been on the job about a month? Has it been anything like you expected?
A: Yeah, about six weeks.
It’s been a whirlwind, you know. But all jobs, when you take the job at this time, it’s always going to be like that. You expect it, it was the same thing when I got the Denver job, too.
There’s a lot going on, there’s turnover, there’s a lot of changes but you have to keep going and stay positive and lead the team.
Q: Has there been one thing that’s been harder than you expected?
A: I think you take it as you come. I don’t take anything in basketball hard; for me it’s enjoyable, for me it’s something I love. I never look at anything and say it’s hard, you look at it and you want to solve the problem, whatever it is.
You have to be patient and with that, I really don’t take anything hard.
Q: If you had to describe your management style, how would you describe it?
A: That’s a tough question. I think patience, big picture. I try to look at it from every angle and every way I can but I don’t know what way I would describe it.
Q: You don’t know yet what you want to do with this roster, that’s the indication we’re getting. Blow it up, let it ride for a year, do you know yet?
A: It’s getting there but we might have to let this thing sit, let it ride and see what you have. I think whichever direction we go, it will come to us. As it comes, we will realize which way to go. When you start doing things desperately now and you start doing things like just to make sure you go a certain way, I think it’s too soon.
I’m not saying I’m opposed to doing that, but I think in this situation it’s too soon.
I understand big picture, I understand what everyone’s concept is with starting all over.
Q: Who have been the biggest influences in your life in basketball?
A: I had a coach in Nigeria, an American coach, Oliver Johnson, who came to Nigeria in I think the late ’60s. He brought Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), Oscar Robertson, all those guys, to Africa for the first time and he was really influential in teaching me how to play basketball. And also looking at the big picture of using basketball as a tool.
