Novedades:
sep 04 2025
Andre Turner - The Little General. In 1992, I served as the Head Coach for the ACB team in Ourense, Spain. That August, alongside my esteemed President of COREN Ourense, Mr. Adolfo ""Fito"" López Arribas, we made our way to the Vigo airport to greet our new American player, who at the time was relatively unknown, named Andre Devalle Turner
I had been tasked with traveling to the USA that summer to scout for new foreign players, and by August, most other ACB teams had already secured their picks, primarily signing BIG men who were two meters tall or more.
It's worth noting that our president, ""Fito,"" was a quiet and calm man of shorter stature. On that hot August morning, we stood together, patiently waiting for Turner in the spacious, well-lit Vigo ARRIVALS Lounge. When he finally arrived and approached us, a distressed ""Fito"" turned to me, looked up, and exclaimed, ""Tim, HE IS SMALLER THAN ME!!"" This was indeed true; Andre stood at only 1.80m and weighed 80 kilos!
I am proud to say that the player who was deemed ""Smaller than Fito"" went on to make a significant mark in Spanish basketball history. From 1992 to 2008, he played professionally in Ourense, twice in Zaragoza, twice in Joventut, and also in Sevilla, Cáceres, Universidad Complutense, Valladolid, Murcia, Melilla, Menorca, and La Palma.
Among North American players, only three—Granger Hall, Darryl Middleton, and Brian Jackson—played more ACB games than he did: 378. Additionally, we should include the 91 games he played in LEB. That is almost 500 contests here in Spain.
Throughout those games, he averaged 16.9 points and 4.6 assists over 33 minutes.
Among his many accomplishments, he became an ACB All-Star and won the MVP award for a King's Cup. For good reason, he earned the nickname, ""The Little General."" He was a wise leader and is currently the Director of Player Development at Memphis University under Head Coach Penny Hardaway.
And I was lucky enough to know him and coach him.
The Young Teammate-Chandler Thompson. There's a brief tale to share about how Chandler Thompson, a teammate of Andre Turner on the Ourense team, was discovered in the USA.
It was the summer of 1992. I found myself at the Los Angeles Summer league, seated next to ACB Coaches like Manel ""El Sheriff"" Comas-(RIP), Mario Pesquera, Pedro Martinez, and others. We were packed in closely, and I occupied the last spot on the right, nearly above the half-court line of the long wooden bench, about ten rows up. They were all enjoying themselves, chatting animatedly and sharing jokes. I was neither excluded nor included. The Milwaukee Bucks were up against the Los Angeles Lakers, which felt like a tryout.
I observed the games quietly, focused on my mission. It was my first opportunity to scout and sign players on my own. I recall that Theodore ""Blue"" Edwards was the starting shooting guard for Milwaukee. Toward the end of the second quarter, while my colleagues were caught up in two or three conversations, Blue was benched, and in his place came a recent college graduate from Ball State, Chandler Thompson. He played for about six minutes until the first half concluded. I kept a close eye on him while also watching the coaches to my left, who were preoccupied and likely unaware of his presence. As the half-time buzzer sounded, I realized I needed to find a discreet, invisible way to reach out to Thompson. Why? Because we needed him and because the Ourense club had a tight budget and wasn't interested in bidding wars.
I needed to contact Chandler directly and quietly. To achieve this, I offered a nearby young fan ten dollars to go and wait outside Milwaukee's locker room and deliver a handwritten note to the player wearing #7 as he entered after the game.
The note said, ""Hello Chandler, I am a Head Coach in Spain and would like to speak with you privately. Please meet me at the last row of seats in section F. I'll be wearing a white NY Yankees baseball cap. My name is Tim. Thank you.""
Not one coach noticed me slip away, and the rest is history.
Chandler was a standout in ACB Spain and proved to be just as charming as he was versatile and skilled in various positions. Similar to Turner, he was an All-Star and also a consistent winner of the ACB Dunk Contest. And like Andre, I was very lucky to find, sign and coach him.
What??
It appears that the NCAA, instead of the NBA, has had a major influence on FIBA due to the NIL situation.
During my time in Europe, I always thought that the competition between the NBA and FIBA would result in either a merger or a definitive victor. Yet, at this moment, it seems that the NCAA is the entity compelling FIBA to give in.
This just goes to show...about anything you can never be certain!
Michael Jordan - The GOAT
I see myself as someone who is hard to surprise, but in the summer of 2006, I was utterly taken aback by our new owner, the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan, of the Charlotte Bobcats after years of admiring him as an incredibly talented player.
MJ had just acquired the team and immediately got involved in Basketball Operations. He was set to lead us, the entire scouting staff, the coaches, and the General Manager, in selecting a player in the upcoming NBA Draft. It's worth noting that the #3 pick has often been significant, especially considering that legends like M. Jordan, James Harden, Luka Doncic, Dominique Wilkins, and Kevin McHale had all been chosen at that number.
At that time it was my opinion that the 2006 draft class was weak and lacked promising talent. The only one I liked was Rudy Gay. I believed and declared that we would be wise to trade the high pick for a proven player already in the league. No one shared my view.
During the first scouting meeting, it became clear that, despite MJ's lack of experience in Basketball Operations, he was firmly convinced that his insights were the best. Everyone listened quietly and respectfully to his evaluations. I did not.
He was absolutely, 100% sure that Adam Morrison, a player from Gonzaga, was destined to become a big star in the NBA. I (strongly) disagreed.
My reasoning was straightforward. The NBA is a league dominated by exceptionally talented individuals, while college basketball is more about teamwork, and the Gonzaga team was specifically designed to help Adam shine. It was evident.
Moreover, the NBA is a highly athletic league, and Morrison was far from athletic. To add to that, he was diabetic. Did I mention he was also quite skinny?
I have a reputation for being quite stubborn, and having previously worked with strong-willed presidents like Juan Fernandez from OAR and Jesus Gil from Athletic of Madrid, I learned to stand firm in my beliefs, which has served me well. After numerous draft meetings, it became clear that Jordan was not going to change his mind and he made little effort to hide his contempt for our professional opinions, concerning Morrison.
After yet another unproductive discussion where we went over various statistics that supported and proved our differing views, Jordan raised his voice, stating that in his opinion, Adam Morrison was comparable to Reggie Miller!
I had reached my limit, so I posed a direct question in front of everyone. I asked, somewhat jokingly and a bit loudly, ""Michael, are you sure you're not confusing Adam Morrison with Reggie Miller's sister Cheryl Miller ?""
Needless to say that he did not find my joke at all amusing. Others did.
When the night of the draft arrived, we (about 20 professionals) who agreed to choose Morrison had to raise their hands. Do you recall? Just like we did back in grade school? Most people did. I sat on mine.
And the final detail of the story?
My contract wasn't renewed.
As it turned out, our dear Adam was historically one of the biggest failures in the NBA...
According to CBS Sports:
Charlotte Hornets
Biggest bust: Adam Morrison -- No. 3 in 2006
Career stats: 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Why: ""Morrison was a prolific scorer in college, averaging over 28 points per game as a junior at Gonzaga. As a 6-8 forward.... expected to be a 3-point specialist who could have a long career in the league.
Instead, he struggled to even become a reliable role player during his three seasons in the NBA.....""
*He lasted those three years because it was obligatory in the NBA that rookie contracts were three years long.
With all that said thanks for reading, I wish you all a good morning, good afternoon, good night, and good luck.
I had been tasked with traveling to the USA that summer to scout for new foreign players, and by August, most other ACB teams had already secured their picks, primarily signing BIG men who were two meters tall or more.
It's worth noting that our president, ""Fito,"" was a quiet and calm man of shorter stature. On that hot August morning, we stood together, patiently waiting for Turner in the spacious, well-lit Vigo ARRIVALS Lounge. When he finally arrived and approached us, a distressed ""Fito"" turned to me, looked up, and exclaimed, ""Tim, HE IS SMALLER THAN ME!!"" This was indeed true; Andre stood at only 1.80m and weighed 80 kilos!
I am proud to say that the player who was deemed ""Smaller than Fito"" went on to make a significant mark in Spanish basketball history. From 1992 to 2008, he played professionally in Ourense, twice in Zaragoza, twice in Joventut, and also in Sevilla, Cáceres, Universidad Complutense, Valladolid, Murcia, Melilla, Menorca, and La Palma.
Among North American players, only three—Granger Hall, Darryl Middleton, and Brian Jackson—played more ACB games than he did: 378. Additionally, we should include the 91 games he played in LEB. That is almost 500 contests here in Spain.
Throughout those games, he averaged 16.9 points and 4.6 assists over 33 minutes.
Among his many accomplishments, he became an ACB All-Star and won the MVP award for a King's Cup. For good reason, he earned the nickname, ""The Little General."" He was a wise leader and is currently the Director of Player Development at Memphis University under Head Coach Penny Hardaway.
And I was lucky enough to know him and coach him.
The Young Teammate-Chandler Thompson. There's a brief tale to share about how Chandler Thompson, a teammate of Andre Turner on the Ourense team, was discovered in the USA.
It was the summer of 1992. I found myself at the Los Angeles Summer league, seated next to ACB Coaches like Manel ""El Sheriff"" Comas-(RIP), Mario Pesquera, Pedro Martinez, and others. We were packed in closely, and I occupied the last spot on the right, nearly above the half-court line of the long wooden bench, about ten rows up. They were all enjoying themselves, chatting animatedly and sharing jokes. I was neither excluded nor included. The Milwaukee Bucks were up against the Los Angeles Lakers, which felt like a tryout.
I observed the games quietly, focused on my mission. It was my first opportunity to scout and sign players on my own. I recall that Theodore ""Blue"" Edwards was the starting shooting guard for Milwaukee. Toward the end of the second quarter, while my colleagues were caught up in two or three conversations, Blue was benched, and in his place came a recent college graduate from Ball State, Chandler Thompson. He played for about six minutes until the first half concluded. I kept a close eye on him while also watching the coaches to my left, who were preoccupied and likely unaware of his presence. As the half-time buzzer sounded, I realized I needed to find a discreet, invisible way to reach out to Thompson. Why? Because we needed him and because the Ourense club had a tight budget and wasn't interested in bidding wars.
I needed to contact Chandler directly and quietly. To achieve this, I offered a nearby young fan ten dollars to go and wait outside Milwaukee's locker room and deliver a handwritten note to the player wearing #7 as he entered after the game.
The note said, ""Hello Chandler, I am a Head Coach in Spain and would like to speak with you privately. Please meet me at the last row of seats in section F. I'll be wearing a white NY Yankees baseball cap. My name is Tim. Thank you.""
Not one coach noticed me slip away, and the rest is history.
Chandler was a standout in ACB Spain and proved to be just as charming as he was versatile and skilled in various positions. Similar to Turner, he was an All-Star and also a consistent winner of the ACB Dunk Contest. And like Andre, I was very lucky to find, sign and coach him.
What??
It appears that the NCAA, instead of the NBA, has had a major influence on FIBA due to the NIL situation.
During my time in Europe, I always thought that the competition between the NBA and FIBA would result in either a merger or a definitive victor. Yet, at this moment, it seems that the NCAA is the entity compelling FIBA to give in.
This just goes to show...about anything you can never be certain!
Michael Jordan - The GOAT
I see myself as someone who is hard to surprise, but in the summer of 2006, I was utterly taken aback by our new owner, the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan, of the Charlotte Bobcats after years of admiring him as an incredibly talented player.
MJ had just acquired the team and immediately got involved in Basketball Operations. He was set to lead us, the entire scouting staff, the coaches, and the General Manager, in selecting a player in the upcoming NBA Draft. It's worth noting that the #3 pick has often been significant, especially considering that legends like M. Jordan, James Harden, Luka Doncic, Dominique Wilkins, and Kevin McHale had all been chosen at that number.
At that time it was my opinion that the 2006 draft class was weak and lacked promising talent. The only one I liked was Rudy Gay. I believed and declared that we would be wise to trade the high pick for a proven player already in the league. No one shared my view.
During the first scouting meeting, it became clear that, despite MJ's lack of experience in Basketball Operations, he was firmly convinced that his insights were the best. Everyone listened quietly and respectfully to his evaluations. I did not.
He was absolutely, 100% sure that Adam Morrison, a player from Gonzaga, was destined to become a big star in the NBA. I (strongly) disagreed.
My reasoning was straightforward. The NBA is a league dominated by exceptionally talented individuals, while college basketball is more about teamwork, and the Gonzaga team was specifically designed to help Adam shine. It was evident.
Moreover, the NBA is a highly athletic league, and Morrison was far from athletic. To add to that, he was diabetic. Did I mention he was also quite skinny?
I have a reputation for being quite stubborn, and having previously worked with strong-willed presidents like Juan Fernandez from OAR and Jesus Gil from Athletic of Madrid, I learned to stand firm in my beliefs, which has served me well. After numerous draft meetings, it became clear that Jordan was not going to change his mind and he made little effort to hide his contempt for our professional opinions, concerning Morrison.
After yet another unproductive discussion where we went over various statistics that supported and proved our differing views, Jordan raised his voice, stating that in his opinion, Adam Morrison was comparable to Reggie Miller!
I had reached my limit, so I posed a direct question in front of everyone. I asked, somewhat jokingly and a bit loudly, ""Michael, are you sure you're not confusing Adam Morrison with Reggie Miller's sister Cheryl Miller ?""
Needless to say that he did not find my joke at all amusing. Others did.
When the night of the draft arrived, we (about 20 professionals) who agreed to choose Morrison had to raise their hands. Do you recall? Just like we did back in grade school? Most people did. I sat on mine.
And the final detail of the story?
My contract wasn't renewed.
As it turned out, our dear Adam was historically one of the biggest failures in the NBA...
According to CBS Sports:
Charlotte Hornets
Biggest bust: Adam Morrison -- No. 3 in 2006
Career stats: 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists
Why: ""Morrison was a prolific scorer in college, averaging over 28 points per game as a junior at Gonzaga. As a 6-8 forward.... expected to be a 3-point specialist who could have a long career in the league.
Instead, he struggled to even become a reliable role player during his three seasons in the NBA.....""
*He lasted those three years because it was obligatory in the NBA that rookie contracts were three years long.
With all that said thanks for reading, I wish you all a good morning, good afternoon, good night, and good luck.
