With the way the Michigan Wolverines look right now, Juwan Howard looks like he was born to be coach. And perhaps he was, but it wasn't his first calling on a basketball court.
Howard was a standout center at Michigan for three seasons and made a successful transition into the NBA, going fifth overall and immediately becoming a dominant interior and mid-range force (17.0 points, 8.4 rebounds per game as a rookie). 19 years, 1,208 games and two NBA championships later, Howard had built out a strong career for himself with plenty of varied experiences. After all, when you've played in the 40th most games in the NBA of any player in history, you're bound to have gained a wealth of knowledge and instincts along the way.
Those instincts were on full display when his Wolverines took on the Rutgers Scarlet Nights in Big 10 action. After Michigan guard Mike Smith attempted a three and was fouled by Geo Baker, he took a tumble. In an un-coach-like gesture, Howard sprinted out to help him up.
Yea... that is leadership. And so is bringing a 15-1 start to the Wolverines in just his second year as a head coach ever, using his invaluable time as a player and as an assistant coach in the NBA to make him ready for the role quicker than many expected.
“My wife says I have this Type A personality,” Howard said (via Andrew Kahn of MLive.com). “That’s how I’m wired. I wouldn’t have been able to last 19 years in the NBA if I didn’t have a certain edge about me.
“I worked at this. I’m going to continue to keep working. I love it. People are going to always doubt or have their opinions."
After this start — and the display of sideline leadership and his unique relationship with his players — the doubters are probably pretty faded away at this point.
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