TOM's Talks | George Lynch

been a treat. On this episode of Tom's Talks, my new weekly podcast, I talked with George Lynch. When former seventy Sixers head coach Larry Brown came to Philadelphia, he began to reshape the team's roster to players with a defensive mindset to build a team around the offensive talents of Allen Iverson. One of those players was George Lynch. Lynch spent three seasons with the Sixers. I spoke with

him about his career. We hope you enjoy the conversation. George, Thank you so much for doing this and it's great to see you once again. One of our favorite Sixes of all time. You've been in coaching since you left the profession. You really put in a lot of different effort in terms of your most recent stint there at Clark University in Atlanta, the g League, and two stints at Southern Methodists. But before we talk about coaching a little bit, let's go back into your background and the

pedigree of an NBA player. Sometimes I don't think fans realize, you know, the winning caliber and what some of you guys went through. By way of example, in Virginia, you were voted Mister Basketball in nineteen eighty nine. Your team at Henry High School won the state championship. That must have been something of proud accomplishment for you. Yes, you know, growing up in a small town like Rono, you know, playing AU we had like a small town to see.

You know. Nowadays, you know, the teams are built over cities, you know, connecting cities. You have private kids from twel diferent cities. We had a team of fifteen guys from one area. We were very successful in that kind of bread, that competitiveness. You know, there was a lot of pride being from Virginia and being able to compete at a high level then playing high school whenever winning the state

Championship and then going on to North Carolina. You know, each level had its own set of you know, challenges and and it made me who I am today. It gave me a lot of opportunities to see a lot

of good players. You know, in high school, I played against the Lons of Morning, College, played against a lot of great players in the ACC, and then being at North Carolina when guys came back like Michael Sam Perkins, guys who were you know, had great years in the NBA, and being able to play some of all with them, it just gave you the confidence to continue put putting the work in and honing my skills as a basketball player.

So I just watched the documentary on Coach Smith who passed away in twenty fifteen, and you were a big part of that and obviously the ninety three championship team. But before we get into that, just playing at North Carolina for Dean Smith, I mean, that's something that I would imagine you cherish then and now. It must have been incredible to play for a legend and somebody that

helped mold your life a little bit. Yeah, at the time, you you you hear about him being a legend in the Hall of Fame in his presence, you know, in practice, his preparation, the things that he was teaching us as players. It you didn't quite understand the opportunity that you had. And then after you leave and you go on and play professionally, and then now stop and then to to really think about the things that how he changed the game,

what he's taught me. You know, that's why I got into coaching, because I felt that, you know, I was one of the few players I had opportunity to play for a Hall of Fame coach, like like Dean Smith. It would be selfish not to share that with younger players today. What the things that I learned on the

basketball court from him. You guys, win the national championship, but you won the ACC championship, and that I mean, especially back in the day, that in itself was a tremendous achievement and you were obviously one of the most valuable players. You still leave Carolina, if I'm not mistaken, and steals you win the ninety three NC double a championship in that famous game against Michigan. Walked me through a little bit of those experiences. It's funny, you know,

the first of April. Every year those games come on. They showed a five five time out in and I tell people when I talked to him that we played Michigan and Christmas. It was Christmas or Thanksgiving in Hawaii, and they were having the same challenges getting the ball and downs and down the balls. Coach Smith allowed me to go run and jump whenever I felt comfortable doing it, and Derek felt to who was the point guard at

the time. We talked, and I said, look, anytime Jayalen takes it out, we're just gonna do a two man press. Chris Rubbert was not even my man. That's the that's the other thing that people don't realize. So I told Montross, I said, look, you just go back and protective rim and I'll get back to Juwan Howard once the ball comes across half court and you know, a couple of plays before and then, uh, Jayalen took the ball out. So I chose felps. I said, look, next time Jayleen

takes it out, we're just gonna track. They burned a few time outs. When we go to the bench, I'll Coach Smith tells us, you know, they don't have time outs, and there's another story behind that. Uh, we go back in the game and they didn't set up a press press offense or you know normally most teams are how the big and the primary ball him, you know, and uh bring the ball up. You know, Chris Webber always wanted to be a guard. He even in the pros he wanted to be a guard. But uh, it played

in our favor. He traveled and then he had an opportunity. He thought I was going to jump the passing lane, and then he did in the ball up the sideline and anytime in the Carolina system, we're trying to use to defeat the sidelines as an extra dependent. So where in the championship? What did I feel like? Oh? It felt great, Uh, you know now more than ever back then when when it happened, it was you know, you go to Carolina and everyone's there expects you to go

to the final four and win the national championship. It had been in years since Carolina had won the whole thing. And I was just I'm just glad I'm a part of one of those many teams now since they have six to say, I was on a team that won one of those six championships. So with that, then you move on. You're drafted in the first round, the twelfth overall, picked by the Los Angeles Lakers, and you moved from Virginia and Carolina to Los Angeles, California. What was that one?

That was? That was a lot to take there for a young kid like myself from a small town, you know, planning, you know, planning in the farm and in the Smith cent it was similar, you know, planning you know, Carolina and going to the Lakers and planning for a big franchise that wasn't a big shot. But spending four years in Chapterhill, living in a small town like Rodo, Virginia, and then going out to LA and you know, La,

there's a lot of temptations. There's a lot of things going on in LA that you can get side tracked on. But uh, it was, you know, it was a lot to see and a lot to take in. Uh, you know, the franchise was just rebuilding, and I got caught in the part where they were rebuilding and we had some tough years those three years that I was there. And then you went to Vancouver when they were just starting. They don't even been in an existence for a couple

three years. What was that like. Well, at the time, I was looking forward to it because you know, my minutes was spotty in la you know, I think my first year didn't play at all in the regular season, and then started in the playoffs, and then when I had the opportunity to be traded. You know, anytime a professional athlete was traded for the first time, you're you're

kind of upset about it. But in the back of my mind, I was kind of happy because it was gonna give me an opportunity to play, you know, at in Vancouver. I don't know if you remember, but the games we had with the Grizzlies at GM Place Blue Edwards, Big Country, they were always like a one point game. We had some real exciting games out there. You have any action, you know. We we had a good team. It was just that we had some young players and

then it came down to just finishing games. A lot of our we were competitive, you know, we were prosed just like everyone else. We just didn't have the you know, our superstars or our so called franchise players were young players coming in and they were just learning how to play the game. I think when I got there, Big Country probably had only played two years and then my

last year that Sharif was in his first year. I do what he and they were trying to build a franchise around younger players, and you know, you in order to win, you have to have some veteran players and superstars on the floor. So then Larry Brown at the Philadelphia and you were certainly like the epitome of what he liked to build around. Defensively, What was like that your third team at early in your career to come

to Philadelphia, Well, it was, it was. It was. It's funny because Coach Brown's daughter Ali and our good friends, like my freshman year at Carolina, we we would always talk and she was like, well, if you make it pro,

you need to play for my dad one day. I think he might have been coaching in Denver or the Indiana Pacers at the time, and and now he might have been with the Clippers, so I can't remember, but we used to talk about it all the time in class, and that year doing the lockout, Coach Brown was in chapter here and we just happened to sit beside of

each other. I don't know if he planned it or we just was sitting inside each other watching pick up and watching the college guys play, and I said, coach saved us, save me us spot on your roster, and it all worked out. I got a chance to come to Philly, as you know, doing the lockout year, and uh, everything was great since people always ask me like, what's

your favorite time? And obviously with your group making it to the finals, but those years leading up to it might be the real answer, and that is when you're on the rise, when and you were a real integral part of that a team that you started to knock off teams and take care of business. What was that rise like in ninety nine two thousand and then obviously my first year there, the Phillies fans were tough. Uh you know, I was actually afraid to play my first game,

you know I was. I was sitting on the bench and you could hear well. First of all, before I got there, Philly had had three Carolina players that didn't work out. So when I got there, I was like, look, you know, and the Philly fans are a lot of people don't know in the streets, man, when you walking around, they know you went to Carolina. They had some choice words for you. And uh, but when I got in my first game, All I wanted to do was just

play solid basketball and not make a mistake. Uh. You know, they were running Scott Williams out of town, Stackhouse and Montrust had been there. All I wanted to do was just fitted and and not make a mistake. You know. Then about two or three games in, you know, I'm in the starting line up. Coach Brown makes the adjustment and and then it was great from there. I think,

I you know, the way I played. The Philly fans loved the way my work ethic and you know, I'll played the game the right way, and the team was on the rise. We were winning games. Uh you know, I think the Pacers gave us a fit a couple of years in the road, but once we got over them,

we were on our way. You were one of those designated defenders, and boy, that position to three four certainly doing during those years, really at any time in the NBA, those are some hard assignments, and even at six to nine you might have been undersized in a lot of those matchups. What was that like guarding some of the best players in the NBA? You know, it was, it was. It was a great challenge, but when you see your teammates like Eric Snow and McKee, uh, Theo, Mutumbo, Tyrone Hill.

No one was really you know, griping about the assignments we had. It was just a team effort. We all played within our strengths and weaknesses and then which allowed Alan to be Album. We knew Album was going to take, you know, majority of the shots, and so we didn't really have to. It's been needed too much energy on that end, so we had a lot to give on

the defensive end. Now you're saying that Coach Brown knowing that yourself and Eric Snow could take sometimes the brunt of the criticism, and knowing that he was using that to kind of get a message to the whole group that yeah, some you know, some thick skin and that literally is the definition of kind of taking one for the team. What was that like and knowing that you were getting yelled at sometimes maybe for mistakes or whatever from others, but for the team, Yeah, it was it

wasn't bad. Um. You know, at the end of the day, if it came, if it came with a win, it was easy to take. And uh, you know, so being yelled at, uh and Coach Brown calling your name out. You know, he rewarded us with minutes. Uh. So as long as I was playing, you know, I was called

and yelled at worse. You know, growing up as a kid on the basketball court playing with other guys, So you gotta have some thick skin, uh, growing up in the neighborhood I grew up in when that magical run of the two thousand and two thousand and one season. And the other thing that people forget is your guys. You were forty six and fourteen at the All Star break, but as it wound down and it got to the playoffs, you got hurt and you were Eric had an injury

with a foot. There were a number of injuries and that precluded you until the until the series shifted to Philadelphia. I think it was Game four where you finally got in. So that must have been bitter sweet to see your team reach the NBA Finals but not be able to compete because of a broken foot, right, yeah, I had.

I was battling the stretch fractor throughout the year and it was it was one of those things when you trying to decide if you should sit down and and let it heal or should you you know, play through the pain. I was able to play through the pain until that one play, you know, in to run when I stepped through air Win's foot and the bone snap. So but you know, I think if the surgery, if we would have put a bigger screw in when I had the surgery, I think I would have been able

to play in the finals. It was enough time to recover. But a small screw was put in, I wasn't able to play through it through the pain without hurting the team. So that was just one of those decisions I had to make, you know, where I didn't want to. You know, we had a healthy, healthier player sitting on the bench to see if we get if we had a team. You were talking about the team kind of being built around Iverson and his athletic talent and his ability to

score the ball. So you saw these incredible scoring performances. You saw him play through injuries athletically and as a basketball player. What was it like to watch and be a teammate of Irs. I was more measurement rise on the things that he was able to do off the court. One that we were you know, we played the Spurs at the Dome and had the turf down, I don't have to field, and we were walking off and uh, I don't know who had a football, but we found

the football and we were out throwing passes. And they always talked about him as a football player. Uh. He really did have a lot of talent as far as on the football field. And he probably could have played in the NFL if he wanted to, uh, if not some big time college football. But and then he was he was He was gifted at drawing, He could rap as an artist. Uh, you know, just and he had

a big heart. Uh. You know, him as a teammate off the off the field, off the court was more impressive than you know, some of the other franchise so called franchise players that I've been a part of teams on. Because he did not want to miss a game. He played in every game possible. Uh, any played one hundred percent. And I've been on teams with other guys who were nominated as a franchise players, and they didn't carry that

torch as well. More with George Lynch in a moment, but as we continued to adjust and adapt to unprecedent and change in our everyday lives, Wendy's has got you for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. Whether it's starting your day with their new delicious breakfast menu or ending it with a cool frosty. Their restaurants are open to serve you. Swing by the drive through and pick up your go to meal today. Now back to my

chat with George Lynch. Your career ends with stops in New Orleans and Charlotte, the end of a twelve year career. As I mention, what do you remember about those last two or three years, you know, it was it was kind of it was kind of fun, you know, well, it was kind of looking forward to being It was its exciting time when I got traded to Charlotte, thinking that I was gonna be able to go back where I played college basketball and played finished my NBA career.

But unfortunately they you know, they were just there for one year, so playing in an empty arena. That was kind of disappointing. But uh, you know, it was a good group of guys. Um you know, wasn't as tight knit as the fielding team. But we went to New Orleans. New franchise he was planning in New Orleans was great. The food was great there. The people welcomed us with

open arms. So it was it was, you know, it was you know, I'd never been to Louis New Orleans before and then except for the Final Court, and so being able to spend time there and and and see all the sites, I think it was a good experience. But in the weather was great. So other than that, man, it was, you know, it was a great twelve year run. I enjoyed, enjoyed the experience, and I enjoyed it so well. Want to get out of us, so I got into college coaching. You did, and you really paid your views

to work with bat Doherty, another Carolina alum. First at SMU the G League, You're at Caloraby and then let's move forward to your rejoined forces with coach Larry Brown and Southern Methodists there in Dallas. And what was that like to be an assistant coach with your former head coach, the legendary Larry Brown. It was great. Uh. You know, Coach Brown, although he's very demanding as a player, I mean as a coach, he's he's very caring his players. He cared a lot about his players. He was the

closest thing to Coach Smith. That that as a coach that you know as far as kim about his players and how he coached the games, his mindset, his preparation. Uh, he was the closest thing to Dean Smith. And I

had a lot of respect for Coach Smith. So claniform Coach Brown and working with him was a was a was was great, um and it meant so much that I said, you know what, I deserve to share what I've learned from Coach Brown and what I've learned from Coach Smith with these younger guys here on the college level.

Were you like kind of that the good assistant as we hear about like where you were the liaison explaining to the young players what coach meant and not to take it personally, that he breaks it down and he wants it done his way and he's going to really pay attention to the details. Where you kind of did that for their players, Well, I did that and they listened to me because I think they listened to me because I played in the NBA. You know, has some

great kids. Sterling Brown, then more Sterling is with the Milwaukee Bucks, Jimmy is with you know, the Boston Celtics, and Shake Milton is actually playing with you guys in the Philly and doing well. So those are my young guys and uh we just I just tried to teach him. They wanted to be pros. Uh they were gym rats. They stayed in the gym, and uh, I was that guy that would that would make the extra time to be in the gym with him. What'd you see in shake then? And what do you see now? Uh? Shay

could definitely score. And the more he played, you know, he had that that smooth I'm not gonna rush, You're not gonna speed me up. He had long arms, he had a he had a vision that none of the other guys. He would make passes. He were like, how did you see that? And how did you get that passed through there? So he showed the skill set in the basketball IQ for high level NBA player and he could score. I mean teams would just leave him open

because he didn't look like a basketball player. But he would finish the game with twenty fifteen you know, his first two years and played exceptionally well. Well, George, we appreciate your time. We know you're kind of in the midst here of looking for a new position. The coaching realm. Is that something you would like to continue to pursue. Oh yeah, definitely, Uh, definitely continue coaching whatever level it comes it comes about. So we'll see, we'll see what

the future has in store for me. Tom, I got mentioned one thing I started, the organization organization HBCU Heroes dot Org is to help HBCU student athletes. Since this distance learning, a lot of college students have been sent home without the proper equipment to finish their education. And we're trying to raise funds and come up with laptops

and learning devices for these student athletes. So anyone who's listening, who has a great heart, this pandemic has put these student athletes in the bond and go on and show your support and how could we help? Like, what can we do? How do you reach out in that regard? Is on the website hp SeeU Heroes dot org. You can go on, you can you can make a donation,

you can send in computers. You know, these students have been you know a lot of these student athletes at the D two level at HBCUs and h Division one HBCUs our first generational student athletes, so without them getting their education being able to get a decent job and provide for their families. It wouldn't be possible if they don't get their education. So we're hoping that they can get the computers they need so they can finish their

eligibility and be eligible play next semester. So that's the other thing that if they don't finish their own line courses, then you know, I'm not for sure what the NCAA as far as allowing them, we're giving them a pass. Failed course. Well, we so much appreciate the time. Great to see. I know we ran into you when we were down in Atlanta earlier this season, and like I said again, one of my great favorites of all times.

Good work, Thank you ORG. Great you see here all right, Thanks Tom, Thanks for listening to Tom's talks with me Tom McGinnis on the seventy six ers podcast Network. Check for new episodes every weekend.