By Bryce Kelly, Staff Writer
University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari is known for many things. He’s a great recruiter, a maverick who kick-started the one-and-done era and an NCAA champion.
He’s also had his share of scandals.
The NCAA sanctioned the University of Massachusetts after star player Marcus Camby received impermissible benefits while Calipari was head coach. Calipari left the school after that. While Calipari was at the University of Memphis, the Tigers’ basketball team had its Final Four appearance stripped because star player Derrick Rose was deemed ineligible due to his invalid SAT score.
Calipari is known for producing NBA talent, what he isn’t known for is producing NBA champions among his programs’ former players. In fact, not one of his Kentucky players has gone on to win an NBA championship.
This is a shocking statistic because according to Calipari’s website, coachcal.com, he has produced 29 first-round NBA Draft picks in his 10 years at Kentucky. Although many of Calipari’s first-round picks started their careers on bad teams, it is still surprising not one could lead a team to the NBA Finals or win a title.
The narrative could change during the 2020 NBA Finals for Calipari. UK players coached by Calipari are on three of the four teams remaining in the NBA Playoffs: Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat; Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers; and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets. Calipari would have players on all four teams but Enes Kanter, who is on the Boston Celtics, signed with Kentucky but was not allowed to play or practice with the team as he received benefits while playing overseas.
Calipari has a 75% chance of having his first NBA champion these playoffs. Why is this so important to him? A Calipari-coached NBA champion would not only add to his legacy but solidify his recruiting pitch and his methods of coaching.
“Coach Cal” is the godfather of one-and-done basketball (When a college player declares for the NBA Draft after just one season of college basketball). Although the practice is common now, it’s only taken off in the last 10 to 15 years. Calipari was the first to recruit players saying they will be one-and-done and pushing them out of the program because of incoming one-and-done players. Calipari seems to value draft selection over championships.
Unfortunately, Calipari only has one national championship, in 2012. The reason for that championship? Older players. Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones were sophomores. Darius Miller was a senior. All were crucial players that season. The 2012 Kentucky National Championship team was led by Anthony Davis, a freshman. The 2015 Duke National Championship team was led by freshman Jahlil Okafor. But that team had older players in Quinn Cook, Matt Jones and Amile Jefferson.The one-and-done model doesn’t win championships without veteran help. So, the more Calipari commits to it, the less likely it will be to see his teams win national championships.
Since national championships aren’t likely at Kentucky, NBA championship aspirations are even more critical. If the Lakers and former Kentucky player Davis win the NBA title, it adds another layer to Calipari’s pitch. Calipari could say to players, “I’ll get you to the league, and you’ll be a winner and a champion — just look at Anthony Davis.”
Although Calipari isn’t playing or coaching pro basketball, this year’s NBA champion could affect his legacy and his pride for years to come.
