Only one person’s opinion on the current college coach Isiah Thomas’ consulting contract with the Knicks really matters -- David Stern.
However, even if Stern and the NBA lawyers do say that the contract is legal, don’t expect Mike Krzyzewski to jump on that bandwagon, as he told the Associated Press.
“I would decline to do that just because I shouldn’t be perceived to have an advantage in whatever way over another college coach, so that’s why I wouldn’t to do it,” he said after the Americans practiced. “I don’t think there’s anything ethically wrong with it or whatever, I just think that it’s probably better to keep it separate....”
“Have we served as consultants to the pros? Yeah,” Krzyzewski said. “People call us before the draft, ‘What do think of this, what do you think of that?’' I think it’s better to have it like that.”
One of Krzyzewski’s assistants with Team USA is the man most directly impacted by the hiring -- Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni. And he’s good with it.
“Donnie is very smart to be able to tap into it when he needs it, and if it’s an advantage to the Knicks then we’ll use it,” D’Antoni said...
“The only thing is, it does get a life of its own and it’s not going to change what Donnie does, what he has done and how good he has done it,” D’Antoni said. “And again, if it can help us, which I think in certain areas it can, then we will use that and so there’s no negatives to it other than it created a story with (the media).”