For the occasionally … We go around just once in this life and if we're lucky we meet up with one special person who leaves a mark that can't be forgotten. For me, that special person was Chuck Daly. He passed away Saturday morning from pancreatic cancer, an enemy he faced for the past couple of months and fought it to the bitter end.
I first came to know Chuck in the early-‘70s when he was coaching at Penn and I was beginning my career in broadcasting at Princeton University. You just knew that Daly was special on many levels. His success on the court, his attire, his demeanor were the visible parts of this man, and yet I sensed that this was more than a basketball coach.
His career is legendary from the two NBA championships with the “Bad Boy” Pistons of the late-‘80s to the Olympic Dream Team of 1992 to his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He coached the New Jersey Nets in the early-‘90s, a franchise mired in mediocrity until Daly arrived. He took them to two playoff berths in his two years there, and I was the radio broadcaster that described the games and had the good fortune to interview Chuck before every game for the pregame show. I learned a great deal from Chuck during those two years, in particular the definition of what being a professional is all about. I maintained a friendship with him in the years since then and called him from time to time just to say hello, and occasionally we played a round of golf.
I saw Chuck a couple of months ago in Florida and during that round of golf, I marveled at this 78-year-old man looked 10 years younger, although he confided, "Everything inside is breaking up." I last spoke with Chuck Daly two weeks ago knowing about this fight of his life and he surprisingly answered his cell phone and sounded strong. I asked, "How are you doing, Coach?" He said, "Today is a good day." That will be my everlasting memory of a guy who dressed like a pro, acted like a pro and will be a pro in my eyes forever. I will miss Chuck Daly very much.
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