Fresh off their — or lack thereof — Dime magazine turns its attention to a decidedly lighter matter: …only not how you’d expect.
Instead of a straight-up analysis of their resumes and coaching styles, we get a mano-a-mano comparison in areas such as sideline interviews — shockingly, the Zen Master gets the nod — restaurant choices, who would be a better travel companion and pregame preparation skills.
An excerpt:
Popovich is a product of the Air Force Academy and the school of Larry Brown (he coached under him at San Antonio), which isn’t exactly the same as a meditative treatise on the spirituality of basketball.
He loves the game, but in the gruff, no-nonsense way of a military man.
He’s probably super rigid about the instructions from the flight crew, and heaven help you if you want to have a couple scotches while also stationed in the emergency exit aisle.
That being said, we already mentioned his knowledge of wine, so he can absolutely recommend something to drink with that slab of veal during your trans-Pacific sojourn.
Not to spoil the surprise, but Jackson ends up winning by the slightest of margins, 4-3. Hey, at least that’s closer than 2001, right? At any rate, it’s a humorous read worth checking out.