Is Jazz point guard Mike Conley the most even-keeled player in the NBA? Statistically, you could make that argument. The 33-year-old has appeared in 853 games since debuting for the Grizzlies in 2007. In that span, he’s never received a technical foul, save for one in 2014 that was quickly rescinded. To put that remarkable stat in perspective, hot-headed Sixers center Dwight Howard has already been whistled for seven technicals THIS SEASON.
Conley has had countless chances to mouth off—he’s logged 27,602 career minutes, 18th among active players—but miraculously has never lost his cool. To play that long without flying off the handle is an incredible feat in self-discipline and arguably a greater accomplishment than Conley’s 1,234 career three-pointers (66th in NBA history) and 4,823 assists (71st).
When Conley appeared as a guest on Adrian Wojnarowski’s ESPN podcast earlier this week, the conversation predictably turned to his unusual politeness streak. The veteran admitted to Woj that his nice-guy reputation has probably afforded him more leeway than most.
“I actually had this conversation with [Pelicans guard] JJ Redick the other day. I was like, ‘Man, if it was you, JJ, that said what I said, you’d probably get a tech,’” said Conley, who despite career averages of 16.8 points and 6.6 assists per game, has never been named to an All-Star team. “But for me they’re like, ‘Alright, Mike, calm down a little bit. I’ll take a look at it.’”
Wojnarowski later asked Conley if he had any desire to pick up a technical before he retires. Conley still has plenty of items left to check off his NBA bucket list, but apparently, getting T’d up isn’t one of them. “I’ve been going for so long now it’s like, why get one? But I don’t think about it in games, trust me,” said Conley, a three-time recipient of the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award. “Hopefully I don’t get one, but we’ll see.”
Look for Conley to be on his best behavior when the Jazz, winners of 10 straight, host Dallas Friday night in Salt Lake.
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