Why Rick Carlisle Was Exactly Right About ESPN & LaVar Ball

Rick Carlisle called out ESPN and LaVar Ball while being completely honest and accurate as the President of the Coaches Association.

I should be writing something else right now.

Quite frankly, I should be in bed right now as my wife just asked me if I was coming to bed and I responded with “Not right now, I have some writing to do tonight.”

That writing really isn’t on the topics that I should be working on either. I should be dedicating time to two other stories I have been working on. But tonight, well after midnight, I feel like I SHOULD be writing a particular story.

Many times as writers, we write because we want to or have to.

Tonight, I’m writing because I feel like I should. I feel like I should write a story taking up for the Head Coach that I cover on a daily basis. A Head Coach that greeted me with a firm handshake a couple of years ago when I first met him and someone who has answered a plethora of my questions after practices, before games, and after the worst losses.

A Head Coach that has allowed me to attend practices, have one-on-one interviews with his best players and more.

Also, a Head Coach that I have disagreed with. A Head Coach that I disagree with how he plays his new, rookie point guard and even how he handles the media sometimes.

But tonight, I should write a story and back up his comments about ESPN, journalism and LaVar Ball.

Before the Dallas Mavericks took on the New York Knicks at home on Sunday evening, Rick Carlisle set up for his normal pre-game media routine where he sits in a chair in front of the media and takes any questions from anyone and everyone.

After taking questions about the game and the retirement of Derek Harper’s number, Carlisle was asked about the recent ESPN story about LaVar Ball calling out the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Luke Walton.

(The ESPN story in reference is a recent interview with LaVar Ball sharing his opinion on Luke Walton and how Walton has “lost the team”. You can read that story here.)

When Carlisle was asked his opinion about it, he took the liberty to share his opinion as the President of the Coaches Association. Below are his full quotes from his comments on the story and my commentary underneath it.

"“As President of the Coaches Association, I view the recent ESPN article as a disgrace, quite honestly. Luke Walton is a terrific, young coach who is bringing along a young team, and it’s a difficult task. If you don’t believe it, just ask me. We’re going through that now and went through that last year,” Carlisle said.“ESPN is a partner, an NBA partner and they’ve been a great one,” Carlisle said. “But part of that partnership is that…the coaches do a lot of things to help them with access, interviews, all those kinds of things.”"

“As President of the Coaches Association, I view the recent ESPN article as a disgrace” -Carlisle

First off, you have to remember that Carlisle is the President of the Coaches Association. All of the coaches in the league are a part of one big family and Carlisle is basically the father role in it all. So if you come after one of his boys, expect a response.

Second, this is a you-scratch-my-back, I-scratch-your-back type of business between the coaches and the media and quite honest, they never get their backs scratched that often. Most of the time, they are the ones scratching our backs and helping us with the stories.

Coaches are required to speak to the media at certain times, but I would say 80% (probably more) of what they do for the media is all them. They don’t have to give lengthy answers to our questions. They don’t have to grant one-on-one interviews with reporters. They don’t have to give information out to reporters they trust. They don’t have to do any of this, yet they do.

"“In exchange for that, they should back up the coaches,” Carlisle continued."

This is not a “freedom of the press” issue like some people are trying to make it out to be. This isn’t a “control the media” type of thing or even a scare tactic. It is pretty simple. If they are going to help us tremendously do the jobs that help put food on the table for our families, why go after and publish an article trying to bring about the distractions and chemistry problems that will ensue?

Reporters giving their own opinion by disagreeing with the coach is ok. Writing about how the fanbase as a whole disagrees with the coach is ok. Even writing a story about a player disagreeing with a coach is ok.

Seeking out and writing a story on someone with no merit, responsibility or validity to the situation for a piece that will bring clicks, distractions, and problems; that is not ok.

“To have to deal with these kinds of ignorant distractions is deplorable” -Carlisle

Imagine being Luke Walton and granting ESPN reporters interviews or giving them quotes for their stories to run on ESPN.com that will gain them clicks and money. Then they turn right around and produce a story like that?

Why should Walton help ESPN out anymore?

"“Printing an article where the father of an NBA player has an opinion that is printed as anything like legitimate erodes trust. It erodes the trust that we’ve built with ESPN, and our coaches are upset because Luke Walton does not deserve that,” Carlisle proclaimed.“Two years ago, he took a veteran team and led them to 24 wins in a row, which is an amazing accomplishment. Off of that, he earned the Laker job. To have to deal with these kinds of ignorant distractions is deplorable,” Carlisle said.“I’m saying that they should look at their sources and do a better job of determining whether they have any merit or any validity. Or are they just blowhard loudmouths?” Carlisle said. “That’s what I’m saying. You got that?”"

LaVar Ball was fishing on the bank of a lake. He cast his line into the water and the media, in particular ESPN, swallowed the hook, line, and sinker. LaVar Ball shouldn’t have the stage that he does, but because of his outlandish, abrasive and click-worthy comments, he has a stage now. He often times makes observations that he has no business commenting on, statements that are simply false, and is using this obsessive media coverage to market and promote his own personal brand.

Building a business is one thing, but at some point, people draw lines in the sand of lines they won’t cross no matter the cost in order to build their business. For LaVar Ball, there are no lines and that is the problem.

For ESPN and other media outlets, the lines have been slowly vanishing.

And for that, Rick Carlisle decided to call them out on the vanishing lines.

I am from a small town in Kentucky. Every business owner knows every business owner for the most part. There is a lot of “back scratching” that goes on between businesses so they can help each other be successful at what they do.

More from The Smoking Cuban

Imagine you own a local landscaping company and have been in business for over 20 years. You have relationships with people and businesses all across town. Maybe you share discounts with other businesses and they do the same with you. Heck you might even do some stuff for free on the side out of goodwill for other businesses in town because they have helped you be successful in your landscaping business.

Suddenly, a new kid moves in from out-of-town with zero landscaping experience, zero education and a lot of money. The kid puts up fancy signs across the town, advertises like he knows what he is doing and even starts to take shots at your business and the work you do.

Then, the same businesses, people and friends in your town start to give the kid attention. Before you know it, people across the town are going to this kid (who has no clue what he is doing) for their landscaping while he still bashes you and your business.

At the same time, those businesses, people and friends are expecting that free work on the side from you.

The coaches are the local landscaping company, the media is the other businesses and people while the uneducated kid is undoubtedly LaVar Ball.

Rick Carlisle and coaches across the league help a lot of us (some in full-time roles) do our jobs on a consistent basis. It is time we show them the appreciation by thoroughly examining the figures we give a platform to and if those figures have any merit to the game that we cover.

Next: Appreciating the Legacy of Derek Harper

Rick Carlisle was exactly right on everything he said on Sunday evening, it just brought some conviction to some media outlets that is tough for some to admit.

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