“Sometimes really intelligent guys struggle with parts of the
NBA because they tend to ask questions,” he said. “And with coaching, even in the NBA, there’s a certain autocratic element. Malcolm’s the type of dude who’s exceedingly bright and inquisitive, and sometimes that rubs coaches the wrong way. You’d think we’d be beyond that, but we’re not — I should say some are not. The interesting thing is I’ve never heard teammates complain about him.
“He ain’t the first guy who has been sort of mischaracterized because he stands out. He wants to understand things, so he asks questions, and some coaches aren’t used to that or don’t appreciate where that’s coming from. A lot of coaches will take inquiries as implied criticism, so it’s not like players are the only ones who are sensitive, if you get my drift.”
The source added, “The line between inquiry and challenge is a very thin line. For me, the more questions that were asked, the better. I wanted my players to feel empowered, and it also meant that guys were actually trying to understand. But not every coach looks at it that way.
“And, you know, there’s another guy in Boston that’s like that,
Jaylen Brown — an exceedingly bright young man. When you just say s*** and it doesn’t click with him, he’s not the type to sit there and say, ‘Cool.’ There’s a lot of guys in the league who will say, ‘Cool,’ to most anything. As long as they get their paycheck and you’re not f***ing with their playing time, they’re cool with most anything. But guys who go to schools like UVA and Cal and actually went to real classes, they’re used to learning. And the way you learn is by asking questions. The process of learning is interaction.”
