Hall of Famer Doug Collins
The HOF Class of 2024 was honored this past weekend at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.1 Doug Collins was among the inductees, entering the hall as a contributor after a long career as an NBA player, coach, and broadcaster. He is the father of former Duke player and assistant coach Chris Collins, and when I think about Doug, three things immediately come to mind. Collins shot the two most difficult free throws of all-time, gave one of my favorite postgame sound bites, and spoke at the first coaching clinic I ever attended. Of course, congratulations to the entire class, but here are some thoughts in honor of Coach Collins.
Clutch Free Throws
Most basketball fans are familiar with the gold medal game at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. After a controversial ending, the USSR handed the United States its first ever loss in Olympic basketball. What gets forgotten is how the U.S. took its first lead of the game with just three seconds remaining. The Soviets had the ball and led 49-48 as the clock wound down. Then this happened.
To step up and drill those two free throws after getting undercut into the basket stanchion is incredibly clutch. In the clip, Bob Ryan calls them “…the two most pressure-filled free throws any American has ever shot at any level of competition in the history of basketball.” I haven’t done extensive research, but there is zero chance that is hyperbole from Ryan. Unfortunately, the debacle that took place in the final three seconds has all but erased the memory of Collins’ free throws. In today’s game, that’s a flagrant foul and the U.S. would have retained possession, at least preventing the current version of the final play(s). But as it stands, the Soviet Union got multiple chances at a last-second attempt, and the 1972 U.S. team has still never accepted their silver medals in protest.
Great Play Call
Doug Collins coached the Chicago Bulls2 and Michael Jordan for three seasons from 1986-1989. The Bulls would go on to two championship three-peats under Phil Jackson in the 1990’s, with MJ authoring several game-winning shots throughout his playoff career. Maybe except for his shot to win the 1998 NBA Finals in Utah, Jordan’s first round shot to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in a decisive Game 5 of the 1989 playoffs is still the most well-known. The Bulls trailed 100-99 with three seconds remaining, and I bet you can close your eyes and see the final play now - Jordan hanging in the air, double-clutching, and nailing the jumper before pumping his fist as Craig Ehlo collapsed to the floor in disappointment (and disbelief). After the game, Doug Collins was asked what play he drew up in the huddle. Here was his answer.
My favorite part is Michael’s reaction, and while I’m sure there was more to the play than Collins’ hilarious line, his answer also illustrates an excellent coaching strategy - give great players the freedom to read the defense, use their instincts, and make a play. Jordan would later hire Collins to lead the Washington Wizards, before coming out of retirement to play for his former coach again.
Coaching Clinic
In my article “Dueling Autographs” from a few weeks ago, I mentioned attending the Duke Coaches Clinic in the fall of 2003. In addition to watching Duke practice, Doug Collins gave a talk to the group. Here are a few key takeaways from my notes.
Things Coaches Can Control
1 - Conditioning
2 - Preparation
3 - Unselfish Play
4 - Competitive Mentality
A Good Shot
1 - Considers time and score
2 - Is accepted by teammates
3 - Is a higher percentage look (pass up an okay shot for a better one)
4 - Has a chance for an offensive rebound
5 - Can be defended if it is missed
Responsibilities of a Coach During Games
1 - Gameplan and Scouting Report
2 - Match-ups and Substitutions
3 - Clock Management
4 - Use timeouts wisely
5 - Know his closing team
Coach Collins also stressed the importance of having competitive practices, putting players outside of their comfort zones, and keeping score during drills to foster more competition. He used Michael Jordan as an example of “your best player should be your hardest worker” and mentioned the importance of working on the little things in practice such as inbounding the ball, pivoting, offensive spacing, screening angles, timing of cuts, and defensive floor balance. More than anything, his passion for the game and for sharing his knowledge stood out.
Final Thoughts
While certainly no substitute for 1972, Doug Collins finally got to celebrate a gold medal in 2008 when the United States defeated Spain at the Beijing Olympics. Doug was on the broadcast for NBC and, led by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, the players shared a moment with Collins after the win and took this photo with a gold medal around his neck.3
More recently, you may have seen Doug agonizing in the stands as his son Chris coaches at Northwestern. In particular, Chris helped guide the Wildcats to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017, winning a first round classic over Vanderbilt 68-66. I was unable to find footage of that one, but a month earlier and needing every win possible to secure an at-large berth in the tournament, Doug could barely handle watching his son and the Wildcats try to close out Rutgers at home.
After averaging 29 points per game in three seasons at Illinois State, Doug was the #1 overall pick in the 1973 NBA Draft. He played his entire career in Philadelphia with guys like Billy Cunningham and Julius Erving. The Sixers lost to Portland in the 1977 NBA Finals, and injuries forced Collins to retire just two years before Philly would capture the 1983 NBA Championship. But perhaps more than anything, when I think about Doug Collins, I think of the phrases “basketball lifer” and “ambassador of the game.” Now, I can also think Hall of Famer, and he may be the only guy ever to bring a ball with him up to the podium. Congrats, Doug.
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
The 2024 Hall of Fame Class: Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Seimone Augustus, Bo Ryan, Michael Cooper, Walter Davis, Charles Smith, Dick Barnett, Harley Redin, Michele Timms, Jerry West, Herb Simon, and Doug Collins
The Bulls put out a nice press release announcing Collins as a member of the 2024 HOF Class. It is worth a read.
If you haven’t already, check out “The Redeem Team” on Netflix for more on Collins and the 2008 Olympic team.
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