Former Michigan Wolverine Terry Mills knows what it takes to win championships.
Mills was a key part of Michigan’s 1989 National Championship team and went on to have an 11-year NBA career.
He was in attendance for new Michigan head coach Juwan Howard’s introductory press conference Thursday and Mills said he is completely on board with the hire.
While Mills think Howard will have success at Michigan, Mills knows there will be challenges for Howard.
“The transition is that you’re in charge of 13 young men and that’s a full-time job where in the NBA, you can practice, go home, spend time with your family and come back game time,” Mills said. “It’s going to be a lot of game management type situations. Like I said, I think he’s up for the task.”
Although Howard has not coached at the collegiate level, he learned from some of the best minds in the NBA.
“Under two teachers, Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley, who I had an opportunity to play for, he’s ready to go,” Mills said. “Trust me on that aspect. Just to see how Spoelstra came up through the system when I was in Miami, he was a video guy. All of the sudden someone had to give him a chance to be a head coach and that was Pat Riley … At some point in time, you have to give somebody an opportunity and a chance. Juwan has his chance here.”
Mills played for the Heat from 1997 to 1999 and saw firsthand the culture that Riley built. Howard learned from Riley and Spoelstra the value of a strong work ethic. Because of this, Mills thinks Howard will see results.
At the beginning of Howard’s press conference, he could barely begin to speak because of the emotions he was feeling. He had to wipe away tears before he spoke.
Howard crying showed Mills the type of passion that he has for Michigan. Mills loved this from Howard.
“That’s what it’s all about, having that emotion,” Mills said. “I can remember myself coming back doing radio about how emotional I was calling the games. When they lost, it was heartfelt to me, it wasn’t just we lost a game and that’s it. When you’re deep embedded in this system the way Juwan is, I can understand that emotion and I think he’s going to have a lot of success here.”
In addition to Howard’s passion, Mills believes Howard’s long NBA career will be a selling point for high schoolers.
“That’s a big deal for a recruit because every kid wants to play in the NBA that comes here,” Mills said. “When you look at his pedigree and his resume, if he can just show you how to get in the NBA period, that has to say a lot. People say he hasn’t had the experience, but I’m saying 19 years has to account for something.”
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