Former AU star-turned-coach helps wins NBA title

Contributed Auburn Villager Chuck Person (center) sits behind Lamar Odom (left) and Kobe Bryant (right)

Last month, NBA fans all over the world watched intently as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied for a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback and edged the Boston Celtics 83-79 in Game 7 of the finals. The Staples Center in downtown LA erupted in celebration as the Lakers earned their second consecutive championship. Superstars like Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Ron Artest hugged each other and other teammates as they rejoiced the exhilarating victory. A closer look at all of the faces enjoying the post-game festivities revealed an Auburn connection.

Chuck Person, an Auburn small forward in the mid-1980s and later the 1987 NBA Rookie of the Year, was part of the celebration. With the win, he had closed out his first year with the Lakers serving as a special assistant.

Person explained that a special assistant is similar to a regular assistant, but has a few differences. Because each NBA team is allotted just four slots for assistants who sit on the bench, a

Lakers special assistant is permitted to be present at games, but not sit alongside head coach Phil Jackson.

"Its details are pretty much the same as the other assistants," Person said. "You prepare game plans, you work the players out, prepare them for practice and games. Teach things like shooting, rebounding and other technical parts of the game."

Before the 2009-10 season began, Los Angles assistant Kurt Rambis was hired away to head the Minnesota Timberwolves, leaving a vacant spot. Jackson decided to not fill the position, but gave Person somewhat of a trial run on the staff with the special assistant title.

After the team's success this past season and Person's contributions, Jackson asked Person to come back next year, but this time with the assistant coach title.

"I'm very excited," Person said. "It's a tough job, but we love it. This is what we do, it's what we love, so it doesn't even feel like a job."

In early December, Bryant, the 12-time NBA All-Star, suffered a broken index finger. The injury sent a scare through Lakers fans and had them thinking their star wouldn't have another MVP-caliber season. But with Person, who is all too familiar with broken index fingers, now on staff, Bryant willingly took advice from someone who had experience playing with a busted digit.

"One thing I saw with Kobe is that he put a lot of pressure on his index finger, which caused a slight turn in his shot," Person said. "Any good shooter will tell you that's not technically sound. But obviously, I couldn't just tell the greatest player in the NBA, ‘Hey, your shot is flawed.' But when he broke his finger, it gave me the opportunity to share what I thought. And he was very receptive to it, like all great players are. I helped him tweak his shot a little bit, put more pressure on his middle finger, which took some of the turn off the ball and gave it the correct spin."

Although Bryant went on to have a 42-point game less than a week after the injury and later received MVP honors for his performance in the NBA finals, Person is quick to dispel credit for his role in Bryant's success.

"He didn't become the legendary shooter that he is with my help," Person said. "I was just doing my job, like all assistants do, and that's to help the players."

When the news of Auburn head basketball coach Jeff Lebo being fired after another dismal season broke, a number of names were thrown into conversations about who would replace him. One of them was Person.

Person had been serving as an assistant since his NBA playing days ended in 2000, but said the only college-level job he would consider would be one at his Alma mater.

"After 25 years in the NBA, I'm so ingrained in that system, but Auburn is my livelihood and is where I got my start," Person said. "I'm probably biased, but to me, Auburn University is the greatest school anyone could attend. When I met (then head coach) Sonny Smith and eventually Pat Dye, the family-oriented attitude they showed me made me feel that this was the place for me. And that's what continues to impress me 25 years later, that when you come to Auburn, it's about family. It's impressive that (coaches) continue to show that in their recruitment of players today, letting families know that if your son or daughter comes to Auburn, they are going to be my child."

Person met with Athletic Director Jay Jacobs and interviewed for the head coaching position in March, but Jacobs eventually selected Tony Barbee of UTEP for the job. Person said he believes Jacobs made the right choice.

"I respect and support the decision," Person said. "I think Jay Jacobs made a good decision in terms of where Auburn basketball was and where it needs to be. Tony Barbee is a great coach and I believe he is capable of getting this university's basketball program back to that level. It's understood that football is king here, but it is possible to have a successful basketball program as well. We did it back in the 80s, and the university and Jay are committed to making that happen again."

After the NBA season ended, Person served as the head coach of the Lakers Summer League team in Las Vegas. He worked with a number of draft picks who had the opportunity to preview what a career in the NBA is like.

"It's a great learning process that affords young players and wannabe head coaches, so to speak, valuable experience," Person said. Person added that this was his fourth time with the league as he had worked it during his other assistant jobs with Sacramento and the Pacers.

Throughout the year, Person has about two weeks off for vacation.

"The thing about this career is that you have to make a lot of sacrifices," Person said. "You have to know if you're mentally prepared to handle being on the road and sacrificing family time year after year. If you're not, this game will eat you up."

During that brief time off, Person returns to his hometown in Brantley, Ala. He said he is hoping to make it out to at least one football game in September and is in the market to purchase a home in Auburn.

"I love coming out and seeing the 90,000-plus fans all excited for the game," Person said. "And like any Auburn fan, enjoy watching the eagle swoop down. It's always a great experience coming to Auburn, I'll take any chance I can get to come out here."