Timberwolves veteran Robert Covington and new Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce spent four years together in Philadelphia, where Pierce, the 76ers assistant coach at the time, named a defensive-transition drill after Covington’s pet snake Max.
The Sixers then — and the Hawks now — held breakfast meetings in which players and coaches often revealed something about themselves so they’d get to know each other better. One morning, Covington talked about his love for snakes ever since he watched “Animal Planet” as a kid and near the end of his address, he reached into his backpack and introduced everyone to Max, a ball python.