AROUND the NBA:

[KillerLeft]

Oh really?  I haven't seen him in any recently - bad as in just a jerk or bad as in not knowing basketball (or both)?

Bad as in "doesn't get how the world works." 

I'm noticing this more and more among these pro-level athletes who don't make it. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, not sure. On the same day a few weeks ago, I saw two interviews, back-to-back. Same podcast (whatever Theo Pinson's is called). The first was with Spencer Dinwiddie, who offered a nice mix of things he felt were out of his control over the years, things he didn't understand at the time but has since learned about and things that caused him to work harder than expected to overcome. It was interesting and enlightening, and I came away from it with a deeper understanding and empathy for him as a person and a professional. 

The second was with Willie Cauley-Stein, and all he had was like an hour's worth of "here's how I was mistreated at every step of the way," "here's how the deck was stacked against me from day one" and "here's how they cost me millions over the years." I came away from that feeling like I knew EXACTLY why so many teams have washed their hands of him, despite his obvious physical gifts. Almost every time I've seen DSJ talk I've had a similar experience. I just don't think he understands how to make himself an indispensable employee.