Brooklyn tries gold-medalist pep talk to get back on track
In training camp, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson had basketball Hall of Famer Chris Mullin swing by to talk to his team. On Monday, it was four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson dropping pearls of wisdom. Now Atkinson can only hope his Nets pick them up, mired in an NBA-worst seven-game losing skid.
“Just to listen to him, talking about his process and how he was just so dedi- cated and focused,’’ Rondae Hollis-Jefferson said. “It definitely gives you that sense of I’m going on the right track, but there’s also more things to it than just coming in here every day. Your personal life versus the athlete’s life. We’re athletes 24/7; our image is being watched, so the things that we do when we’re home count to when we come here. Just thinking about that and setting goals for yourself is a big thing.
“In the offseason, this is what I’m training for. … What do I have to do to get there? If you’re thinking about that every day, it’s going to motivate you. You’re going to wake up, get in that car, take that ride and you’re going to be thinking about that: How do I get myself to where I want to be for my goal for this year?”
The former world- and Olympic-record-holder at 200 and 400 meters, Johnson is the only man to win both in the same Olympics (Atlanta 1996) and his eight world championship titles are tied with Carl Lewis and behind only Usain Bolt.
Hollis-Jefferson practiced partially, and is questionable for Tuesday. Jeremy Lin and Caris LeVert are out. There was no update on Lin, but the latter practiced for the second time.
“Caris, [we’re] very happy, participated in the full practice; so that was very good news for the Nets, for him, for the competitveness of our practice. Just good to see him out there,’’ Atkinson said. “Our plan is practice and then we’ll give him days to recover.”
Isaiah Whitehead said he has continued to pick the brains of foes, asking Boston’s Isaiah Thomas about his rise from second-round pick to all-star. Atkinson noted the quiet rookie has come out of his shell lately.
“He’s not a loquacious or verbal guy,’’ said Atkinson, adding “I wish he’d talk more to me and more to the guys. I wish he were more vocal. But he’s a rookie. I will say this: Just personality-wise from the first day Isaiah was here to now, he’s opened up tremendously. To me that’s development.
“There’s on-court technical development and physical development. But leadership development, all the players are commenting, he’s changing, he’s talking to us, he’s opening up, he’s asking us questions. It’s big.”