http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1083840019115330.xml Great ability to judge talent Bass's legacy Thursday, May 06, 2004 By Benjamin Hochman and William Kalec Staff writers The old eyes, which made him a masterful basketball talent scout, have become encircled with wrinkles. It's time, Bob Bass said, to put them to rest. They're still working, don't get him wrong. But the keen and meticulous eyes that have analyzed basketball talent for generations -- finding gems in the rough, turning projects into promise -- have seen enough after five-plus decades. Wednesday, the Hornets' 75-year-old executive vice president of basketball operations and general manager announced he will retire in June, ending a career in which he found success at every phase of the game, from coaching high school players to professionals. But long after his last day on the job, his legacy will remain, from the Hall of Famers to the up-and-coming in Hornets teal. His scouting became legend. Like the time in the mid-1970s, when a lanky, haughty forward, recently acquired by Bass' San Antonio Spurs, was getting thrown around in the paint like a toy. Bass, then the head coach, examined this kid's game. He noticed his knack for flowing gracefully through defenders -- when, of course, he wasn't buried in the post. Cantankerous and candid, Bass walked up to George Gervin at practice one day, and as told by the future Hall of Famer, said: "Take your skinny butt and go play guard." "That's what I told him," Bass said, chuckling. "Bob Bass is the first guy who put me at the guard spot," Gervin said. "What kind of vision did he have? I kept telling Bob I don't want to play guard. He taught me to take advantage of opportunities . . . . Bob Bass said, 'Instead of letting these guys beat you up, I'm gonna make them chase you.' " And so they chased "The Iceman," who razzled and dazzled defenders for a decade, laying in innumerable finger rolls en route to a Hall of Fame career. Twenty-five years earlier, Bass -- nicknamed "Skillet" -- had accepted the boys basketball job at an Oklahoma high school where the average class-size was substantially less then those gathered in the New Orleans Arena press room to watch Bass say good-bye to his livelihood. Asked if he thought his professional career would venture beyond Cromwell High School, Bass answered, "Never, never." "I didn't even think I'd get to be a college coach." But he did become a college coach -- at Oklahoma Baptist. There, championships eluded him until Corky Ogelsbe, an Oklahoma Baptist alum, discovered Al Tucker while the 6-foot-8 forward participated in a local pick-up game. He phoned Bass, informing him of this possible ticket out of small-college obscurity. "All of the sudden, we have 2,000 people crammed in our cracker box gym, standing room only," said Allen Eaker, a guard on Bass' 1966 NAIA championship team. "There were four to five pro scouts at every game, all for Al. We never had that before." The start-up ABA afforded Bass the opportunity to finally dabble in the professional ranks. He served as coach of the Denver Rockets, Miami Floridians, Memphis Tams and San Antonio Spurs -- posts he didn't hold for more than three consecutive years. Usually sporting a red-checkered jacket and big black glasses, Bass didn't shy away from verbal confrontations with officials, convinced they slighted his squad on calls because of Bass' short stature. "He was like a little Chihuahua," said Ira Harge, a member of the Floridians during Bass' tenure. "I don't remember him swearing, but he would go 'Wrarararararara' like those dogs." Despite his miniature fuse, Bass did his best to coddle his talent, finding ways to bend for behavior that would have made him boil over in high school and college. While in Miami, Bass and player Wayne Hightower would often discuss strategy during halftime as the 6-foot-8 standout fed a couple of his bad habits. "Wayne Hightower grabs a beer, lights up a cigarette and he's talking to Bob about how they should attack the defense in the second half," said Walt Piatkowski, who played for Bass in Miami and Denver. "And I'm thinking, 'God, pinch me to see if I'm really here.' " In 1976, Nuggets coach Larry Brown accused Bass' Spurs of unfair physical play. Bass retaliated, lambasting Brown on the court and threatening to fight. This prompted Brown to rip Bass' polyester suits and proclaim the only reason to visit San Antonio was for its guacamole. During the Nuggets' subsequent trip to San Antonio, conveniently on dime-beer night, fans doused Brown with the creamy dip. "He wouldn't shy away from anyone," said Eaker, who was a graduate assistant under Bass at Texas Tech, where Bass coached from 1969 to 1971. "There was a time at Tech when he played Texas A&M, and their coach Shelby Metcalf -- the guy's a legend. The rule, I don't know if it's still in effect, was that a coach couldn't talk to the officials unless the other coach was in their presence. So at halftime, Shelby goes to the officials. Seeing this, (Bass) jumps in there and says 'What the hell are you doing?' "Shelby turned around and said, 'You little pipsqueak.' " Bass' fiery personality -- and his keen eye -- suited his move into management. Red McCombs, the former Spurs owner who made Bass general manager in 1979, is boastful of Bass' abilities. "He can judge talent better than anybody I've been around. I mean everybody," said McCombs, who owns the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. "Bob gives everyone around him a great feeling of confidence, because Bob is very, very, very -- how would I put it -- he has very strong opinions about talent. . . . Bob turned out to be a great judge of talent and a great coach." During his tenure in San Antonio, Bass was responsible for the drafting of Spurs legend David Robinson and acquisition of Sean Elliott, John Lucas, Alvin Robertson and New Orleanian Avery Johnson. Bass was chosen NBA Executive of the Year for the 1989-90 season after the Spurs posted a franchise-best 56-26 record. "He was absolutely the key putting us into a very competitive, stabilized situation," McCombs said. "Bob was the guy who told us we should acquire Gervin. I saw BB do this time and time again. We'd be in love with a guy, and he'd tell us that he'll be around the league 10 or 12 years, but he's not going to get much better. We used him as the go-to guy. I don't know anybody that we came across in basketball that had any more ability to handle all phases in that personnel area. "When I hired (former UNLV coach Jerry) Tarkanian, Bob did his best to try to persuade me not to hire Jerry. He just felt like he wouldn't fit what we were doing. But I was just infatuated with Jerry, hired him, and, of course, he was a mistake. I've seen Bob in a lot of difficult situations find the best way out of it. I just don't see how he wouldn't be in everyone's Hall of Fame." Years have passed since Bass was a vociferous ABA presence As he's gotten older, he's become more reserved. He'll sit stoically at Hornets practice, his eyes fixated on a shooting form or a defensive stance. He's often short during interviews. He values his privacy. "He stays quiet," said P.J. Brown, acquired by Bass for the Hornets in 2000. "He doesn't share a lot of information." Bass' hair went gray. The players he used to coach and evaluate now have kids whom he coaches and evaluates. But in a sport that is synonymous with change and youth, Bob Bass has been an anomaly. "I've never met a finer guy than Bob Bass," said the NBA's Director of Scouting Marty Blake, a good friend of Bass. "I think the guy should be in the Naismith Hall of Fame." Which, by the way, is a long way from the NAIA. "How the hell did this guy from this little Baptist school in Oklahoma that nobody's ever heard of handle all this talent?" McCombs asked. "But he did. I was just so grateful that I had him." . . . . . . . Benjamin Hochman can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405. William Kalec can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405. --

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