Like Larry Brown, Jerry Sloan or even Pat Riley before him, Rudy Tomjanovich therefore received the “Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award” before Game 2 of the Finals. A strong moment for the former Rockets coach, who shed a tear as soon as he heard the news.
“I was in shock because it was completely unexpected. I never thought about being considered for this trophy,” he declared, recounting the call from Rick Carlisle, the president of the coaches union. “When he told me, I must admit that it touched me and moved me. It was very moving because it was so surprising…”
The opportunity to take stock of his long career on the benches of the NBA, punctuated by 943 regular season matches, 90 playoffs and two championship titles (1994 and 1995). But that's not what comes first to Rudy Tomjanovich's mind…
“When something like this happens, I don’t think about the titles or the good memories. I think about the difficult times, the days when I doubted myself. A bit like Boston coach Joe Mazzulla, I came into this profession unexpectedly. I didn't know what was going to happen. »
He hopes Robert Horry in the Hall of Fame
He did very well in the end, especially with this double with the Rockets in the mid-1990s, between the two triples for Michael Jordan's Bulls. He had under his command, at the time, a young player who had weighed in during the 1994 Finals: Sam Cassell.
The latter is now an assistant coach in Boston and the former coach would like to see him gain ground. “I can’t wait to see Sam Cassell become coach. I want to see him insult his players like I did.”, is he having fun.
That the former leader becomes a coach is Rudy Tomjanovich's first wish. The second concerns one of his former players, a seven-time NBA champion. “I made some good transfers, and some crazy exchanges: I transferred Robert Horry twice,” he said, referring to a failed transfer in 1994, Sean Elliott having missed his medical, then the transfer made in 1996. “But I really believe he belongs in the Hall of Fame. He has proven it again and again, playing an important role on championship teams. It's not just about the statistics, it's about the results. I pray he is able to accept this honor. »
