Back in late November, the Brooklyn Nets suffered a brutal loss to an undermanned Charlotte Hornets team.
Jacque Vaughn who’d known Kevin Ollie since their high school days in Los Angeles had the man who was now his top assistant speak to the team.
“I’ve known this dude for a long time,” Vaughn said of Ollie. “He’s a couple of years older than me, but his high school was nine blocks from my high school. I played against him as a ninth grader.”
And while Ollie, a 13-year NBA veteran, had a well-honed reputation for development, winning an NCAA title at UConn in 2014, Vaughn knew he had another talent, motivating players.