For all his genius as a strategist and a recruiter, Kentucky head coach John Calipari is pretty darn good at fostering nurturing relationships with his players and showing that he cares about them as well.
The three-time Naismith College Coach of the Year took to Twitter on Sunday to defend freshman big man Skal Labissiere against the harsh criticisms that have been thrown his way lately.
The 19-year-old Labissiere was initially projected to be a top-three pick in the 2016 NBA Draft but has largely flopped in his time at Kentucky. Averaging paltry stats of 9.2 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, and 1.9 blocks per game, the 6-foot-11 Haitian has had his toughness and his resolve questioned by many early on in the season for the 10-2 Wildcats. Labissiere even found himself getting admonished by a teammate for a lack of effort in a disappointing loss earlier this month.
An anonymous NBA scout recently added to the pile with some sharp words about Labissiere and his slow development.
“Big Skal, no strength, no toughness, no game,” the scout said to Adam Zagoria of SportsNet New York. “Comes off the bench, plays 10 minutes, had 2 points, 3 rebounds, 0-for-3 from the floor. Shot an air ball on an easy hook.
“That guy is what you call a ‘Paper Tiger,’ a mock draft myth. He’s a f***in’ fantasy, that guy.”
Apparently responding to these criticisms and more about his prized freshman, Calipari fired off a series of tweets defending Labissiere (without actually mentioning him by name).
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Every one of my players is on their own timetable.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) December 27, 2015
Kids grow at their own pace & shouldn't be judged by anyone else's timetable. We're here to serve these kids & help them reach their dreams.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) December 27, 2015
Ultimately they've got to do it, but if anyone wants to attack one of my kids personally, they won't be welcomed here.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) December 27, 2015
Evaluating guys is one thing, personal attacks are another. These are young kids and they deserve better.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) December 27, 2015
For Calipari, who has already gone out of his way to show that he has Labissiere’s back in recent days, perhaps this is why he continues to resist the seemingly endless merry-go-round of attempts to lure him back into a coaching job in the NBA. Calipari seems legitimately invested in the futures, developments, and well-beings of his players at Kentucky, despite what his general one-and-done culture might suggest. He genuinely appears to love what he does in prepping these kids for their NBA aspirations, and gestures like this certainly make it clear that Calipari won’t be leaving Lexington any time soon.
So this be a lesson: if anyone wants to go after one of his Wildcat cubs, they better prepare themselves to face the wrath of Papa Bear Cal.
Image Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
H/T theScore
