[外電] 助理教練Griffin想先以家庭為重

看板ChicagoBulls (芝加哥公牛)作者eertllams (Tree666)時間14年前 (2011/07/11 07:43)推噓1(1推 0噓 0→)

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http://tinyurl.com/6hmbs2r By K.C. Johnson Bulls assistant walks away for more family time Ex-Bulls player Griffin says coaching can wait until his four children are out of the house Scott Skiles has called him head coaching material. Tom Thibodeau has praised him as well. Yet Bulls assistant coach Adrian Griffin walked away from it all Thursday —- the paycheck and potential, the details and demands, the airplane rides and absences. Griffin, who turned 37 on Monday, put a stop to his 12-year NBA run — nine as a player and three as an assistant coach — to devote more time to his family and faith. After years chasing his goals — which included two playing stints with the Bulls, starting in the 2006 NBA Finals for the Mavericks and serving on Skiles' staff in Milwaukee and Thibodeau's here — Griffin might follow in his father's and brother's footsteps and become a minister. He certainly will be at home with his wife, Audrey, who holds a master's degree in education and is an aspiring R&B singer, and their four children. "Coaching is a great aspiration," Griffin said in a phone interview. "But it came down to what is the best thing for me to do as the head of my house and as a husband and a father. I wasn't there. The NBA is a great industry to be a part of, but it's demanding. It's hard to be a full-time husband and father and full-time coach. Something has to give. "My family has made so many sacrifices over the years when I was in the minor leagues and overseas. My kids are getting older. I feel like coaching might be in the cards one day when the kids are out of the house. But for the time being, I want to give myself to them like my father gave himself to me. My father was there every night. I know the impact he had on my life. And I felt like I wasn't giving that to my kids. And that bothered me a lot." Griffin's oldest daughter, Vanessa, 14, is a student at Glenbrook South. Alan, 11, Aubrey, 9, and Adrian Jr., 7, are busy with numerous activities as well. "I've moved them every year," Griffin said. "My oldest daughter has never gone to the same school twice in a row. It's tough on your family. And my wife and I know the pressures and burden she has had to carry all these years of raising these four kids and uprooting every year. It took a toll on her and our marriage. At the end of the day, it didn't seem worth it. I wanted her to get the opportunity to pursue her goals and dreams. "I had to ask myself: If I do become a head coach, is it worth losing my family or not being there for them? Knowing the impact my father had on my life, it was an easy decision." Griffin's father, David Alan Griffin Sr., served as head pastor at Shekinah Christian Fellowship in Wichita, Kan., for 25 years. He encouraged Griffin to keep chasing his dreams even after going undrafted out of Seton Hall and playing in the CBA, USBL and Italian League. He helped give his son the strength to overcome a serious knee injury and make the NBA. David died in 2000 after Adrian's first NBA season. "I always felt like I had a calling in my life in ministry," Griffin said. "I grew up in the church. My father taught me so much." Griffin informed the Bulls on Thursday. Management respected his decision and praised the job he did. "I definitely want to thank Tom, Gar (Forman) and (John) Paxson and all those guys," Griffin said. "I learned a lot. It was a great experience. It's not easy walking way. But it's the right thing to do for my family." -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 131.193.22.195