Lionel Hollins’s full quote, expounding on his latest comments about the importance of leadership Monday night:
“Somebody commented about my comment about veteran leadership, about leadership, period, that it’s overrated. What’s overrated about leadership is just having veterans in the locker room. You have to have guys that are solid citizens, that are very professional, that come and work hard every day. That’s what leadership is. That’s what you bring. And they’re able to teach professionalism to the younger guys and teach them how to work. If you just have vets that just don’t like to work, and just in the league trying to get another contract, or get another year in, that doesn’t help your young guys at all. It’s always important to have people that have done it and that are still doing it.
I go to KG. KG was at the practice facility every morning at 8:30 in the morning. Practice didn’t start until 11:30. But he’s there going through this workout, and so if young guys are coming late, he can get on them and tell them, ‘hey, this is how you do it, and then be here when I’m here.’ That always helps when you have your veteran players or your best players, it works better when your best players are doing it. But if you have some veteran players that have already done it, they can contribute as well.
It’s funny how this league works. If a guy’s sitting on the end of the bench and doesn’t play, his leadership means nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nobody’s listening. But when you’re playing in the game, and you’re contributing, and you play and work as hard as you do, and you do it in practice, then you can lead other guys.”
