Former Kentucky assistant Barry “Slice” Rohrssen says NBA teams will always court John Calipari, who loves to embrace challenges. Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
NEW YORK — The way former Kentucky and current St. John’s assistant Barry “Slice” Rohrssen sees it, John Calipari will always be courted by NBA teams and the challenge of coaching at the game’s highest level will always appeal to him.
“My feelings are that he will always be in demand for an NBA job because he’s a players’ coach and he’s coached as many NBA players as there are out there now except he got them before they hit the NBA,” Rohrssen told SNY.tv on Wednesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium where Red Storm coach Chris Mullin threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Calipari was most recently linked to the New Orleans Pelicans, where his former players Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans play. After it was first reported, Calipari Tweeted: “Even though Anthony and Tyreke are in New Orleans, I have no interest in coaching the Pelicans or any other coaching position. I have a great job and I’m happy at Kentucky.”
A newly minted Naismith Hall of Famer, Calipari has also been linked to various other NBA jobs in recent years, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. He remains friendly with LeBron James and there will seemingly always be speculating about the two of them linking up in the NBA.
Calipari also just inked an extension at Kentucky through the 2021-22 season, but Rohrssen didn’t rule out a return to the NBA.
“He lives for challenges,” he said. “He creates his own and he sets his bar high. There’s a confidence in him that allows him to strive for the goals and the bar that he sets.”
After his failed stint with the New Jersey Nets in the late 1990s, some believe that Calipari will eventually return to the NBA where the situation is right, meaning a proper mix of money and control.
“He’d be the best one to answer that,” Rorhssen said. “I’ve known him forever and I’ve been fortunate to work for him and be on his staff. He has never said that [the NBA] is a goal. His goals have always been for his players and for his present team.
“I’ve never heard him speak about goals either for himself or for somebody else’s team. They’ve been for his players and for the team that he’s coaching.”
Seven players from this season’s Kentucky team turned pro after a 38-1 season, and six are projected to be drafted, with New Jersey native Karl-Anthony Towns projected as the No. 1 overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves by DraftExpress.com.
