Talking to T.R.
http://www.nba.com/kings/news/Talking_to_TR-119399-58.html
more on T.R. Dunn
Talking to T.R.
T.R. Dunn enters his first year as an assistant coach on Head Coach Rick Adelman’s staff. However, Dunn, who enjoyed a 14-year NBA career as a player, is no stranger to the coaching ranks. He spent the past two seasons (2002-04) as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets in what was his second coaching tour with the club, and has worked with the New Orleans Hornets and the Charlotte Sting of the WNBA.
During his NBA playing days, Dunn spent 10 seasons as a member of the Denver Nuggets (1980-88 and 1989-91) and remains a mainstay in the franchise’s record books. Regarded as one of the premiere defensive players of his time, the 6-4 Dunn was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team three times (1983-85) and was considered one of the top rebounding guards in the NBA throughout his career.
T.R. sat down with Kings.com on Saturday to answer your questions. Here's what he had to say:
Welcome to Sacramento TR, What do you look forward to the most about coaching the Kings?
-Thanks, Lynne
Dunn: “I’ve always admired this team from afar. They’re one of the elite teams in the league and so it’s a great opportunity to get with a team of this caliber and work with this staff. Coach Adelman is well-renown as one of the top coaches in the league. I’ve had an opportunity to play in the league with Coach Turner, we were teammates, and from afar I’ve admired Coach Carril—like everyone does. I’ve gotten an opportunity to know those guys on a more personal basis, as well as Bubba (Burrage). The staff is a great one and it’s a chance to branch out and keep learning with a good team.”
Have you been able to mesh well with the coaching staff?
-Ryan Henry
Dunn: “I’d like to think I have, it’s just the start right now, but I’m going to do my best and as always, just work as hard as I can. Things tend to take care of themselves—if you do your job to the best of your ability then everything else seems to fall in place."
TR, as a former NBA assistant coach and WNBA head coach, what do you think you will be bringing to the table to enhance the Kings this season?
-Stephanie Williams
Dunn:“It’s always going to be a learning process for your players, and the coaches too. If nothing else, you learn what the players can or cannot do or what they need to work more on. So from that standpoint, I’m just going to try and help players to continue to develop. Through the process of being with other coaches, you hopefully learn from them too. It’s going to be a gradual learning process for me.”
Will you bring your defensive attitude to this team and preach defense first?
-AeroFuel14
Dunn: “That’s kind of my style and I know Coach Turner’s as well—I know from being teammates because he was a pretty good defender himself. I know that’s something that he stresses and something that the team is stressing more.”
Do you think it’s a good idea for a parent to play the role as the coach when their kid is involved in a sport?
-Computerchik87
Dunn: “I think all situations can be good, it just depends on how you handle and approach it. There can be a situation where a parent can not approach it the best way. And it could end up not being the right experience for the kid. I think that if it’s done in the right manner, it can be a great experience. In my opinion, it all depends on the parent, how well they go about it—because the kids are just trying to enjoy themselves by playing and having fun.”
Hi. TR, I’m from Israel and wanted to ask you perspective about David Bluthenthal, who was a big star last season in our own Euroleague Champion, Maccabi Tel-Aviv?
-Ilan
Dunn: “David has been doing a good job. He missed a few practices because of some type of illness or something he had this past week. Whatever it was, he was only out for 48 hours. But the past couple of practices, he’s been doing a good job on the floor.”
I’ve been a Kings fan since I moved to Sacramento. Do you think this is our year to go all the way?
-Mike Hill
Dunn: “There are a lot of things that are going to happen between now and the end, but we’re working extremely hard with our guys to become the best possible team. Hopefully things fall into place, and we’re confident that it’s a real possibility. We have some talented players and a chance to get there, but we have a lot of work to do. I know one thing, if you look around the league, all 30 teams don’t have a realistic chance of winning the whole thing—we do have a realistic chance to be there, and that’s a good barometer to start from.”
T.R., How have you adjusted to living in Sacramento?
-John Little
Dunn: “The adjustment to living here has been a real smooth transition. I mean, how can you not love the California weather? It’s a beautiful city and I do have a place—I haven’t moved in yet, but I do have a place and I’m looking forward to living here.”
Dear Mr. Dunn,
How did you get the nickname “The Hammer”?
-Your biggest fan, Terry *
Dunn: “Well Terry, for the person to even ask that, he must know the inside joke to that question already, which dates back to when I played. We’re going to keep that an inside joke, but it was just a nickname that I got from a couple of guys when I was in the league. It was unwarranted, but it stuck.”
*(Terry Kofler is the athletic trainer for the New Orleans Hornets and a good friend of T.R.'s)