Total Breakdown: Rick Carlisle broke down in tears when he broke the awful news about this important player and provided a heartbreaking update
Total Breakdown: Rick Carlisle broke down in tears when he broke the awful news about this important player and provided a heartbreaking update
Carlisle was emotionally tired when the Dallas Mavericks played the Pacers after showing a video homage to him on the Jumbotron. The film served as the Mavs’ method of expressing gratitude to Carlisle for his 13 years as their coach and for winning the 2011 NBA championship.
“That caught me off guard,” Carlisle remarked. “The only other occasion I’ve experienced something so intense was when we hoisted the banner before the opening game of the 2011–12 season, which was cut short due to the lockout.
“I wasn’t anticipating anything like that, but it was the same kind of emotion. It was a very kind and appreciated gesture.
2008 saw Carlisle take Avery Johnson’s place as the Mavs’ coach, a position he held until the previous summer, when he resigned to take over as the RickPacers’ coach. I just want to say that Avery Johnson set the table for me to be able to come in here and have a 13-year amazing experience here, Carlisle said, thanking everyone from owner Mark Cuban to then-general manager Donnie Nelson to former Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki and many, many others.
“My years have been varied in terms of the team’s evolution.”
The nearly three-minute-long film tribute followed the Mavs as they visited the White House to meet with then-President Barack Obama, who congratulated them on winning the 2011 championship.
While he viewed the video tribute, Carlisle noted that “a lot of things” affected him.
“It’s actually the culmination of more than ten incredible experiences,” he remarked. “A few of them were really difficult and demanding.
Some were quite joyous, such as the times when the rebuilding was challenging for protracted stretches of time, and so on. Although it was difficult to reconcile everything in one sitting, it was nonetheless quite pleasant. I had not expected anything nearly that intense.
In leading the Mavs to a 29-21 record and to within one game of the Utah Jazz for the fourth seed in the Western Conference, Carlisle commended the work that his replacement, Jason Kidd, has done.
“He’s performed incredibly well,” Carlisle remarked. “I considered him to be a highly influential coach in Milwaukee and Brooklyn.” After Milwaukee’s success in that one year, expectations grew, creating a situation in which it will be difficult to manage expectations moving forward.
“However, given his past as a player selected here, he is a Hall of Fame member of a winning squad here. I am aware of the kind of warrior Rick is when it comes to victory. I am aware of his intelligence. He’s performed incredibly well. They have improved greatly during the course of the season.
Naturally, Kidd started as point guard for Carlisle during the Mavs’
