Last week I was at the Mavs vs. Spurs game. I don’t want to talk about the game itself, because it was a real heartbreaker. But, at the game, a couple Spurs fans a few rows behind me were (rather loudly) expressing their opinion that the Mavericks made a very poor decision by ending Avery Johnson’s employment with the organization.
They didn’t exactly use those words. (They said something more along the lines of, "ya’ll Mavs get what ya’ll deserve wit-out Coach Avery…"). But that was the jist of it. Dallas fans didn’t seem to lose any sleep over Johnson’s termination. But I really miss his animated courtside manner. After all, he was totally our hero right up to the whole Mavs meltdown under the Miami Heat in 2006. But that’s not what this is about (I’m so easily distracted). Those like me (or those hecklers sitting behind me the other night) who still find Johnson to be a pretty likable, inspiring, forward-looking dude, won’t be surprised by what he’s doing upon his return to Dallas this Thursday:
The former Mavericks coach will visit two DISD schools — W.W. Samuell in the Pleasant Grove area and Thomas Jefferson in the Preston Hollow area — to talk to kids and coaches in "an effort to inspire high school students to follow the principles he outlines in his recently released book, ‘Aspire Higher’.” He’ll also donate 2,000 copies of the book to students.
