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Mick Cronin is the latest active coach who achieves 500 victories. In his short time as UCLA’s main basketball coach, he led the team to a last four and two sweet 16 performances.
This season’s team currently has 20 wins and is in the top five in the Competitive Big 10 Conference classification.
But that is not enough for Bill Plaschke, who thinks Cronin is too heavy for his players when he calls them in public. He is cool for them because (a) this is and has always been his style, and (b) it gets results. A little over 50 years ago a UCLA coach told his star calmly, two-time All-American Center, that if he would not cut his hair and shave his beard, the team would miss him that season. The news that this happens today would send Plaschke on a tirade, I am sure. But the player ran on the words of his coach, got the hairstyle and shaving, and the coach and player – John Wooden and Bill Walton – enjoyed a great season and, more importantly, a fantastic, lifelong relationship.
Mick Cronin is not John WOODEN. Nobody expects he will be. But he is a great coach, a proven winner, teacher and leader. Shouldn’t that be enough?
Steve Kaye
Oro Valley, Ariz.
I appreciate Bill Plaschke, but his recent Cronin piece has just been missed. Coach Cronin is not here to win a popularity competition – he is here to win basketball games and to build character. And guess? He does both. Of course, he is fiery. Of course, he is cool. But finally I checked that John Wooden’s pyramid did not include: “Let everyone feel warm and blurry.”
Cronin’s TrackRecord speaks for herself-he has built winners in Murray State, Cincinnati and, now, UCLA who uses the same ruthless, defense-first style. His players not only leave as better athletes and basketball players; They leave as a harder, more disciplined young men who are ready for life outside the field.
David Manheim
Los Angeles
Are they the shoes?
The advice of LeBron James to Luka Doncic to the effect of “don’t worry about matching us” and “you are you” should just go that far. The new green shoes from Luka (which he debuted against the Mavericks) are anathema for the purple and gold and may not be worn as long as Luka is in a Lakers uniform, which will hopefully be long enough for the Lakers to catch up with the Celtics for most NBA titles.
Ken Feldman
Tarzana
Fans of Lakers who hoped that LeBron would retire James should reconsider their position. Luka Doncic brought the fountain of the youth. LeBron seems motivated to prove that although Luka might be the future, LeBron is currently still a top dog.
Richard Raffalow
Valley Glen
LeBron James and Luka Doncic are now playing together pretty well, and the Lakers will become a championship candidate. A while ago this kind of talk did not exist, but such a flowering will not come true, because the good old Bill Plaschke has predicted that it is time for the 18th title run of the Lakers.
Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos
Fantastic thinking
Now that the Rams Matthew Stafford have signed, they have to add Cooper Kupp because last season was an aberration. As a fantasy football junkie I guess that he catches 80 or more in 2025. It is hoped that it is for the rams.
Fred Wallin
Westlake Village
Illegal contact?
Just like the forbidden flying wedge from a century ago, the “Tush Push” is not a legitimate football game and must be forbidden. The runner not only moves under his own strength and the swarm of players makes it difficult, if not impossible for the officials to know where the ball is. Keep the Tush in rugby where it belongs, the player must earn that last garden!
Mike Gamboa
Buena Park
A compliment for DWYRE
My God! I did not expect to find a masterpiece on the rear ‘for’ sports page of the La Times of today. But that is what I found in Bill Dwyre’s beautifully written and investigated article about the destruction of the Tommy Hawkins house in the Palisades Fire.
Combining the life of Hawkins with the fiery tragedy of wife Layla is powerful above words – certainly mine. Letting us share these emotions is really journalism at its best. I can only imagine that Dwyre is writing, looks over his shoulder and Jim Murray sees him giving him a thumb up!
Ralph Martinez
Arcadia
Public Opinion, Private issue
Eric Sondheimer has nailed it when he pointed to the pleasures of old, public school basketball. I can’t say in strong enough terms how much I despise the final of the state and championships by private schools with their many unfair benefits. In a better world, public schools would only compete with other public schools for championships. Private schools would only compete with each other. It is clear that mine is a minority power. Congratulations to Mira Costa and Los Alamitos!
James W. Brown
Santa Ana
Thanks, Mike
To hear from the pension/buy -out of Mike Digiovanna is a huge loss for La Sports fans. Thank you Mike for always brilliant and balanced reporting. You will be missed by this reader.
Jim Fredrick
Manhattan Beach
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