Every now and then, those of us who work at Eric-Snow.com, have a chance to do a special Q & A with Eric. While he may seem to be conservative or mild mannered from a distance, Eric is always ready to share his strong opinions and information about the world of sports including who he believes are some of the best players of all-time. For this interview, we asked him to discuss his views on NBA leadership, clutch performers and the challenge playing the point guard position for a coach that himself used to be a point guard.
Q: Today’s NBA has many players who are considered “go-to-performers” when the game is on the line. In looking at some of the current players, who would you want to take that game winning shot?
A: I would choose Kobe Bryant. Kobe not only takes big shots but he is perhaps the best at making them. He actually relishes these types of the moments unlike anybody in the game today. One of the biggest reasons why I would have to choose Kobe is because he will generally find a way to get himself into a real scoring position or the free throw line. This makes him much harder to defend since majority of the time, his teams are in the bonus. When Kobe gets to the free throw line, he is almost “automatic”. My top 5 list of current NBA players would be Kobe, Dirk Nowitzki, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, and Paul Pierce.
Q: Who were some of the clutch performers you recall during your 14 year career?
A: My top clutch opponents were Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Steve Kerr, Robert Horry, and John Stockton. They were not only reliable but they were very determined competitors. Each of them always believed that if they got that game winning opportunity, they were going to personally do something that would win the game.
Q: Why was Magic Johnson such a great leader for the Lakers?
A: Magic displayed a great ability to influence others. He was always able to place guys in the right position where they could always maximize their talents. Magic is the type of player that could demand his team’s attention on the single goal at hand. He led by example and did so with great charisma as well as a smile. Magic also held himself accountable as a professional. He trained, practiced, and studied the game with a great ferocity. He expected his teammates to do the same. Self accountability is always a sign of a great team leader. When it came to basketball, Magic was the ultimate example of leadership.
Q: Discuss the importance of NBA point guards, the maturity of Rajon Rondo, and provide some special insight about with his relationship with former point guard turned Celtic’s coach, Doc Rivers? Do point guards flourish any better under head coaches that were former point guards?
A: Point guards are critical to the success of any NBA team because they are your coach on the floor. Their main job is to make sure the game plans and principles are executed at the right pace. The right point guard makes the game easier for everyone.
From a purely basketball talent perspective, Rondo has flourished and expanded his game due to his uncanny ability to attack the basket and defend. However he also does well under the particular tutelage of Doc Rivers because former point guards know the right buttons to push when it comes developing a team leader. Doc knows the challenges and demands that come with being a successful point guard in the NBA.
While there are some big advantages of playing under a former point guard who is now a head coach, the road to development can also be very challenging. Point guards gain a lot in exchanging stories of experiences and relatable events on the court. But there is also a tremendous amount of extra criticism since expectations are generally higher than it will be for others players.
Q: Who is your NCAA Men’s Basketball College Player of the Year?
A: Evan Turner of Ohio State has really impressed me. He not only has incredible talent but he makes the game so much easier for his teammates. I like the fact that when he is on the floor, he is the most dominant player in every important aspect of the game. Evan has tremendous poise in clutch situations and a remarkable feel for the game. He gets my vote as college basketball’s Player of the Year in a very talented pool of players especially at the guard position.
Blog
Over the past few weeks, I have been inundated with emails, phone calls, and interview requests to discuss my thoughts on my former teammate and good friend Allen Iverson. Most of the media and millions of Iverson fans were all wondering if this would be it for the future Hall of Fame guard. While it is true that Allen had made a preliminary announcement about walking away from the game, I was confident that he wasn’t quite done crossing over opponents in the NBA. Allen hadn’t played a lot of basketball this year due to injuries and the transition to Memphis, but I knew my running mate still had a lot of basketball left in those super-fast legs. He just needed a chance to find a team that would allow him to contribute in the maximum way his skills will allow. Believe it or not, there are many NBA teams that would rather lose and build for the future with younger talent than win with (and pay for) aging stars. That’s just the nature of our league which has been positioned more towards the future than perhaps the here-and-now.
I recently accepted some radio interview requests to share my thoughts on Allen and his future. My relationship with him has always been different than most people who have had to view him from the position as an outsider. I don’t have to watch the news or read an online blog about Allen. I know many of his thoughts about the game and his abilities as a current player in this league. I know firsthand what Allen has done as player in this league and I know what Allen will do now that he has decided to remain in the NBA.