Last Friday, February 28, students of Bill Rhoden’s Sports and Culture Commentary class at Arizona State were grateful for the unique opportunity to pick the brains of NBA All-Star Allan Houston. A wide variety of topics were covered in our 45-minute conversation, including the game’s recent evolution and focus on player load management, the current status of the NBA All-Star Game, Houston’s role in the 2005 collective bargaining negotiations, and the perceived bias of New York media. But one topic stood out to me most: the transition from the hardwood to the front office.
Still ranking as the University of Tennessee’s all-time leading scorer, Houston was drafted by the Detroit Pistons 11th overall in the 1993 Draft, where he played for three seasons before spending the last decade of his career with the New York Knicks. In those 13 seasons, he was a two-time All Star and won a Gold medal ring with Team USA at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
After choosing to retire after recurring injuries, Houston soon found a new adventure in the Knicks’ front office. He currently serves as the Vice President of Player Leadership and Development after previous stints as assistant general manager and general manager of the G-League affiliate. When speaking to the class about the transition to an executive role, he attributed his success to his time on the hardwood, noting that a lot of executives haven’t played the game.
Hearing his story and thought process behind the transition stuck with me as I’ve reflected on my journey in sports. Sports media and officiating have been the perfect avenues for me to continue pursuing my love of sports without having to be the star athlete. Houston isn’t the first, or last, former athlete to find a second career in a leadership type role.
Billy Beane’s Moneyball A’s, former major leaguer Jerry Dipoto’s general manager tenure with the Seattle Mariners, and most recently, three-time World Series Champion Buster Posey’s promotion with his former club as the President of Baseball Operations, to name a few.
As I’ve written in previous columns, I often think about my family’s role in the man I am today, which serves as almost a direct parallel to Houston’s connection with his dad.
My biggest coach and mentor in life, my dad stepped into a more flexible role at work and took a break from regular officiating and instead, coached me on every team I played on when I was a kid. His involvement on the Board at our Little League brought him back to umpiring, a craft he’s still passionate about to this day and now in his third season umpiring junior college and a full decade in high school baseball. My dad’s passion and enjoyment introduced me to umpiring as well, much like Houston’s desire to be a coach like his dad.
“[The Knicks] trusted me as a person,” he said. “They trusted my perspective, my approach [as a scout].”
Houston said at heart, he wanted to be a coach because of his love for teaching and learning from his dad as a coach at Tennessee. “It’s in my spirit and heart.”
Inspired by his dad’s impact, Allan continues to give back to the community by creating his own social brand FISLL. Based off the values on John Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success,” the brand focuses on teaching leadership skills through five core values: Faith, Integrity, Sacrifice, Leadership, and Legacy.
Allan Houston Press Conference Column
Last Friday, February 28, students of Bill Rhoden’s Sports and Culture Commentary class at Arizona State were grateful for the unique opportunity to pick the brains of NBA All-Star Allan Houston. A wide variety of topics were covered in our 45-minute conversation, including the game’s recent evolution and focus on player load management, the current status of the NBA All-Star Game, Houston’s role in the 2005 collective bargaining negotiations, and the perceived bias of New York media. But one topic stood out to me most: the transition from the hardwood to the front office.
Still ranking as the University of Tennessee’s all-time leading scorer, Houston was drafted by the Detroit Pistons 11th overall in the 1993 Draft, where he played for three seasons before spending the last decade of his career with the New York Knicks. In those 13 seasons, he was a two-time All Star and won a Gold medal ring with Team USA at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
After choosing to retire after recurring injuries, Houston soon found a new adventure in the Knicks’ front office. He currently serves as the Vice President of Player Leadership and Development after previous stints as assistant general manager and general manager of the G-League affiliate. When speaking to the class about the transition to an executive role, he attributed his success to his time on the hardwood, noting that a lot of executives haven’t played the game.
Hearing his story and thought process behind the transition stuck with me as I’ve reflected on my journey in sports. Sports media and officiating have been the perfect avenues for me to continue pursuing my love of sports without having to be the star athlete. Houston isn’t the first, or last, former athlete to find a second career in a leadership type role.
Billy Beane’s Moneyball A’s, former major leaguer Jerry Dipoto’s general manager tenure with the Seattle Mariners, and most recently, three-time World Series Champion Buster Posey’s promotion with his former club as the President of Baseball Operations, to name a few.
As I’ve written in previous columns, I often think about my family’s role in the man I am today, which serves as almost a direct parallel to Houston’s connection with his dad.
My biggest coach and mentor in life, my dad stepped into a more flexible role at work and took a break from regular officiating and instead, coached me on every team I played on when I was a kid. His involvement on the Board at our Little League brought him back to umpiring, a craft he’s still passionate about to this day and now in his third season umpiring junior college and a full decade in high school baseball. My dad’s passion and enjoyment introduced me to umpiring as well, much like Houston’s desire to be a coach like his dad.
“[The Knicks] trusted me as a person,” he said. “They trusted my perspective, my approach [as a scout].”
Houston said at heart, he wanted to be a coach because of his love for teaching and learning from his dad as a coach at Tennessee. “It’s in my spirit and heart.”
Inspired by his dad’s impact, Allan continues to give back to the community by creating his own social brand FISLL. Based off the values on John Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success,” the brand focuses on teaching leadership skills through five core values: Faith, Integrity, Sacrifice, Leadership, and Legacy.
Anthony Remedios