Monty Williams and Willie Green are the type to call each other regularly. Even at night. And not just to talk about basketball. ” Mont, you need to take more time and have dinner with your family “, for example, will drop the second in the direction of the first.
« We talk a lot”confirms the Suns coach at The Athletic, which devotes an article to the relationship between the two men. ” It is a friend. He and I are still close and often we don’t talk about basketball. We talk about his children and mine. And when it comes to basketball, it’s rarely about tactics. I leaned on him a lot. »
« We are made of the same wood. First, we are both men of faith. That’s the first thing. We are family men, we love basketball and competition. We are honest, direct and we learn from each other “, Lists his Pelicans counterpart, who sees in his eldest a “ big brother which he admires.
The two men have been together in the NBA galaxy for almost 20 years. Their first contact dates back to 2003 when Willie Green was a 22-year-old rookie arriving at the Sixers and 32-year-old Monty Williams was playing veteran (he ultimately didn’t play a game that year and retired) to younger teammates. by Allen Iverson.
« Go to the chapel, arrive on time, work… He showed young people – Kyle Korver, John Salmons, Sammy Dalembert – how to become professionals “, Still remembers the former rear, who had had the sadness to see his teammate being transferred, in December 2003, to Orlando. “ I didn’t see or talk to him much after that. But he had already had an impact on me. »
Before Phoenix, there was Philadelphia and New Orleans
While the veteran started his career in coaching, as an assistant to Nate McMillan in Portland, Willie Green continued his life as a “role player” in the league. In 2010, Monty Williams got his first job as head coach in New Orleans where he reunited with his former teammate at the 76ers, who had just been transferred there. ” This is where our bond extended off the pitch. »
A few years later, the former fullback followed the same player/coach transition as his “big brother” by landing an assistant position with the Warriors in 2018 before finding the following year… Monty Williams, just named head Suns coach. ” If we hadn’t had Willie here the first two years, we wouldn’t be here today. It was essential for us “Judges the Arizona coach speaking of his former assistant in Phoenix.
The two men have not stopped crossing paths during their respective careers but next night, they will find themselves opposite each other. ” This series is as if we knew everything about them and they knew everything about us. We’re going to punch them and they’re going to punch us back. It’s going to be exciting. But I wouldn’t have it any other way », Displays the NOLA technician.
The time of a series, of which the Suns are the great favorites against a team out of the “play-in”, the two men will fight without putting aside their friendship. “ We try to win and he thinks the same thing. We are here to be competitive and do our best for our team. We’ll be friends long after we’re both done training », termine Monty Williams.
