When Barkley and Olajuwon were undergoing special training in Los Angeles, the Nets management also arrived in Los Angeles to visit Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
The Nets saw the possibility of emulating success from Bird and the Trail Blazers. Since the white big Bird of the black-and-white duo of the ’80s could become the best coach, then the black Magic must be able to as well.
However, Barkley and Olajuwon were skeptical. Barkley said, "Magic hasn’t never been a coach; he coached a few games for the Lakers, and what happened? 5 wins and 10 losses! A complete mess, I don’t think he’s cut out for coaching."
"However." Barkley added, "I would respect him if he became a coach, until he messes things up."
Obviously, Barkley and Olajuwon didn’t trust Magic Johnson’s coaching abilities, and this lack of trust somewhat affected the Nets management’s decision.
They met with these two big shots in Los Angeles to discuss the choice of head coach. If it really didn’t work out, they’d have to let John Calipari continue coaching for another year to see how things went.
But Olajuwon and Barkley couldn’t wait; they were getting older, their condition deteriorating, not knowing when they might have to leave the League.
It could happen in some offensive or defensive moment next season, suddenly a sprain, a bump, or a ligament tear, and it would all be over.
At this time, news also came from Magic Johnson’s side; he called back the Nets management, stating he had no intention of taking the coaching position.
"I’m sorry, this job is really attractive to me, but I think I can’t do it. Not only because of my self-awareness but also due to my health, family, and many other factors."
Magic Johnson had been a coach for a while; he was smart and self-aware, knowing he wasn’t made for it.
Bird is Bird, and Johnson is Johnson; at Bird’s retirement ceremony, Magic Johnson once said there would never be another Larry Bird.
"However, I can recommend a suitable candidate for you. I believe he can do this job well."
"Who?"
"Rivers, Doug Rivers. I bet he’ll be a good coach."
[In many ways, the careers of professional athletes have a lot in common.
Compared to ordinary professions, professional athletes live more like birds.
Birds possess astonishing physical abilities, enhancing their experience of the surrounding world: their senses, especially vision, are exceptionally sharp.
Of course, they can fly.
The survival of birds completely depends on their high-performance bodies, strong muscles, full feathers, and lightweight hollow bones.
As a result, even the slightest injury can completely destroy them.
Moreover, the life of birds is short.
The athletic careers of professional athletes are just like birds in the sky, dazzling and brief.
After the 1998 season, Michael Jordan retired with his legendary achievements.
Although he could still produce a hero-like season, leading the Bulls into the finals, he was already very tired.
He was already 35 years old.
That’s right, 35! At this age, most ordinary professionals have just gained a foothold in their industry.
And professional athletes, even the top-tier ones, have to start considering when they’ll be phased out.
The peers of athletes could likely be teachers, accountants, masons, lawyers, or doctors.
They are in their prime, using seven or eight years of work experience as a foundation for stable long-term development, but athletes must face a situation: they are on a decline.
The decline of professional players is not gradual. When they sense they’re going downhill, everything slides rapidly, from 100 to 5, even 0.
The life of professional players burns too early; they have the chance to receive high praise at a very young age.
When most people in their twenties are still bewildered, some professional athletes have already reached the peak of their field.
The problem is, athletes at this age often don’t care much about self-worth and dignity, indulging in money, applause, and a rich life.
By the time they reach 35, when most ordinary people start finding their niche and self-identity in work and life, many athletes have to face this situation: they are becoming worthless in their field of work. In their thirties, they have a wife in her prime and two children under 7, but they are already facing being phased out.
The vast majority of athletes at this age have made many futile attempts, hoping to fight against the god of time, stubbornly honing themselves based on their youthful experiences, resulting only in worsening situations.
This also explains why Ah Gan chose to come back in the summer of 1996; he almost had everything, nothing was lacking, and he still wanted to play basketball.
They need competition, need cheers, need applause and excitement, and even need failure.
Without even failure in life, you wouldn’t know how to get back up again.
Doug Rivers was one of them. After announcing his retirement in the 1996 season, he straightforwardly said, "When I stopped playing, I felt enormous pain and hurt."
In the summer of 1998, an opportunity found him. The New Jersey Nets, who had just assembled a super team, extended an invitation to him, asking him to coach this team that was on the verge of retirement, ready for one last struggle.
Rivers accepted this highly challenging task and position without hesitation; he evaluated his mindset, saying:
"I have always said that I am very, very competitive and have a competitive mindset, but my goal is not to defeat others. I just want to move forward, realize my potential, my talent. Others are obstacles and challenges on my path forward, both resistance and motivation. After leaving the court for more than two years, a coaching position was presented to me, and I knew my motivation to continue moving forward was back, so I took it without hesitation." ]
———— Excerpt from the second issue of the January 1999 edition of "Sports Illustrated," written by Bruce Brooks, "Keep Moving Forward."