Kentucky head coach John Calipari will enter his first season since 2010 without a familiar face on his bench, as his former assistant coach, Kenny Payne, accepted an assistant coaching role with the Knicks and their new head coach, Tom Thibodeau.
Calipari took some time out Wednesday afternoon to give his well wishes and thoughts on the new Knicks hire.
Here are a few takeaways from Wednesday's Zoom call with Calipari:
On what kind of person and coach the Knicks are getting in Payne
Having been with Payne since 2010, Calipari has clearly gotten the chance to learn not just about his abilities as a coach, but as a man, as well.
"They're getting a great human being that cares about people, that puts himself behind the people around him, that is a servant leader in every way he can be," Calipari said. "As a basketball coach, he's got a great mind. ...His strength is the relationships he builds through player development — and it's both mental and physical — but that's his strength."
"And he can do it in a way where he can challenge and push and make them uncomfortable, yet they know he cares. They want to hang around the office, they want to talk to him aside from basketball."
On Tom Thibodeau's relationship with Payne
Calipari said that Thibodeau has been to Kentucky practices and games in the past, and wasn't only there to see players.
"He's watched Kenny," Calipari said. "And what he's been thinking is 'What do I want my staff to look like going forward?' He and I had a long conversation about Kenny.
