The New York Knicks and David Fizdale are both happy with how this week has turned out. The Knicks got the coach they desperately wanted, and Fizdale got the job that was number one on his list.
But near the beginning of the last year none of this seemed possible. Marc Gasol and David Fizdale were not seeing eye to eye and it ultimately ended in Fizdale's time in Memphis coming to the end.
There were many things according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that made the relationship fizzle. One of the main reasons was that Fizdale really thought Marc Gasol should become a perimeter shooter.
“He had it in where Marc was going to be a certain way and he didn't care who Marc was and he didn't care how the offense was, he didn't care about the style we were playing. It was going to be about – ‘This is a new era. The Memphis stuff is over. That Grit n Grind is done,' ” a source said. “Then he turns around and says, ‘We're going to do it the Miami Way.'
One of the other big reasons was when Fizdale basically told Marc Gasol that he would rather have LeBron James, but not everyone could have what they wanted. Fizdale went around the locker room asking each player if they thought they could win a championship.
The younger players went along. Gasol, however, answered, “No.” Then when asked for an explanation, Gasol replied, “We don't have the right leader.”
Fizdale had a solid comeback, but it couldn't have helped his future with Gasol.
“I get it, you want Gregg Popovich, and I want LeBron James,” the coach told his star player, according to a source.
That's an interesting thing to say to your star player especially when you are trying to save a locker room, but in the end it worked out good for both sides.
Follow Us
Subscribe