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MT: I have a lot of love for Rick. It’s actually insane. When Rick first got here, I didn’t know what to think because I grew up watching a Mavericks championship run. I was familiar with who he was basketball-wise, but from things I heard from the outside, it was like he loves basketball, but he’s kind of a weird guy. When I finally met Rick one-on-one, he was just like me. Weird isn’t the word to describe Rick. He has a very straight-to-the-point type of personality. He doesn’t really bullsh*t around. We’re going to get right to the point of what we’re talking about.
He’s someone who has a phenomenal basketball mind, but as a person, he’s so well-versed. He flies planes. He’s a heck of a pianist. He’s someone who’s in the gym literally every single day in the weight room with us working out. I’ve got a lot of respect for who he is as a person. He’s had me over to his house, and I’ve met his family. His wife cooked me a meal one day. It’s stuff like that where a lot of head coaches, I don’t think, take the time to invest in the players. He’s someone who was able to do that with me as soon as he got here. I could tell that it was genuine. I think he wanted to get to know me as a person and wanted to figure out how we could take Indiana basketball to new heights. I’ve got a lot of love for Rick.
Scotto: You said Rick flies planes. Are we talking like Top Gun the movie? What kind of planes are we talking about here?
MT: I’ve never been in a plane with him or seen him do it, but I do know that he’s capable of piloting planes. It’s something that he took classes on or whatnot. He’s shown me some pictures. I’m not sure if I’d jump in a plane with him yet, but I do know it’s something I think he practices in his spare time.
Scotto: I don’t know if you’d jump in a plane with him, but I know he’d jump in a foxhole with you. I always remember the times when your name would be mentioned in trade talks. I’m pretty sure he emphatically said during a postgame presser close to the deadline with both hands on the table and said, “Myles Turner is not going anywhere. I’m going to tell you that right now. We’re not trading Myles.” He’s always been a guy that’s in your corner.
You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) on X, formerly known as Twitter.
