Nissalke event leaves 'em laughing

A handful of humorous tidbits came out of Thursday’s YMCA Sports Night, to honor former Jazz coach Tom Nissalke.

A video tribute from NBA commissioner David Stern praised Nissalke, but also noted that over the years Nissalke made sure he “told me what I was doing wrong” with the league. Both Ron Boone and Calvin Murphy, also via video message, noted Nissalke was a smart coach “because he got me the ball.”

Clippers assistant John Lucas drew laughs at the event as the keynote speaker. Lucas, a former Spurs coach, was talking about knowing who and where you are in life, and said he had a son who wanted to be a rap star. But Lucas didn’t think rapping about street life was the perfect fit for a kid from the wealthy suburbs.

At one point he said his son wanted to be something like “the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” But, Lucas said, “We live in Belaire, Texas.”

He went on to say you take life as it comes. He looks in the mirror and “I don’t look the way I used to, and I look at my wife, and she don’t look like she used to.”

His point was that you have to accept some things for the way they are and stop trying to make things the way you want.

Nissalke drew an appreciative laugh when he mentioned how people talk about “good (character) guys” who play in the NBA.

“They say, ‘Yeah, he’s a better player, but HE’s a better guy,’” said Nissalke. “Yeah, I like good guys, but I always say, ‘Give me the good player, I’ll work on his personality later.’”