HOIBERG’S ‘ HOOSIERS’
Bulls coach plays role of Norman Dale, draws up his own final play in movie that is close to his heart
In Fred Hoiberg’s game plan, Jimmy Chitwood was still getting the last shot. But running the “picket fence’’ to Merle was never even a thought. Sorry, Norman Dale. With apologies to the fictional coach from the classic basketball movie “Hoosiers,’’ Hoiberg was going to make sure that there’d be more action on the sideline inbound play than simply a dribble handoff, then a clear- out isolation play as the clock ticks down.
After all, the days of keeping iso players such as Jimmy Butler, DwyaneWade and Derrick Rose happy are long gone.
“So here’s what I did,’’ Hoiberg said in an excited voice as he began to discuss the set.
This wasn’t your normal conversation with Hoiberg. The Monday after All- StarWeekend is one of the few dead days in the NBA season, so what better time to talk “Hoosiers,’’ a movie very near and dear to Hoiberg.
It actually started earlier this month when my 9- year- old wanted to watch it for the first time. For me, it was viewing No. 68 or so, and at that point, you actually start to think more about X’s and O’s than hugs and tears.
The last play that beat the South Bend Central Bears was basic, to say the least. Come on, Norman Dale, you were better than that.
If you haven’t seen the movie by now . . . spoiler alert. Stop the rock drawings you’ve been doing in your cave since it was released in 1986.
In the classic David vs. Goliath genre, the small school of Hickory starts the season with only seven players, goes through all manner of adversity and eventually makes it to the 1952 Indiana state championship game.
The film was loosely based on the 1954 Milan High School championship run. Indiana was one of the last states to have an open state basketball tournament in which there was no separation of classes based on enrollment size.
In the movie, Hickory— led by