When I think of former Georgia Tech star and NBA point Kenny Anderson, my memory takes me back to that moment when Anderson as a freshman, shook Bobby Hurley up something nice.
Anderson went on to help lead Tech to a final four as a freshman, and back to the tournament as a sophomore before declaring early for the draft.
His NBA career didn’t equate to what we all thought it should have, and Anderson now is remembered for underachieving and blowing through most of his money.
These days Anderson surprisingly can be found manning the bench as a head coach. It’s not the scenario you would imagine though.
Kenny Anderson is not back in New York City or anywhere else for that matter coaching some powerhouse program. As the New York Daily News is reporting, Kenny Anderson is the head coach at a small 149 student, Jewish private school in Davie, Florida.
The David Posnack Hebrew Day School enrolls grades 9-12, has a tuition of $18,300 a year, has a rigorous academic program, and team lacking much talent, still Anderson says he’s happy with his life.
Says Anderson, “You want to be wanted somewhere, you know? I want to get up and go to work and be happy. You can have all the money in the world and be miserable. I was miserable for a lot of the time I was in the NBA.
“I still have a love for the game. I’m playing through my team now. It’s a challenge, but we’re trying to build it. It’s just going to take some time.”
“I’ve never run from any of my problems, and never blamed anyone for them,” Anderson says. “Did I do it? Yes. Am I proud of it? No. I take full responsibility for everything. I’ve failed. I’ve failed in marriage. I’ve failed as a father. But you know, failure is good in some ways. It lets you see what you have to build, what you have to do.
“I’m going in the right direction. I’m a better father now. I’m trying to help the youth and just live a good life.”
Anderson’s team loves playing for him, and seem to be in awe at times of learning from an all time great.
“He cares a lot about us. We’re his players,” Josh Fayne says. He pauses and talks about how committed the coach was every day at practice, without even an assistant, and how much he revels in watching highlights of his coach’s playing career.
“It’s the experience of a lifetime,” Fayne says. “I’m learning from one of the all-time greats. I would never guess this would happen, that somebody like that would come to a small private Jewish school in South Florida.”