With St. Anthony flooded out of its own gym and unable to use the Nets’ practice facility in East Rutherford, N.J., Naismith Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley ripped the NBA and said he feels “bad for them.”
“When it’s all said and done, they [the NBA] turned it down,” Hurley told SNY.tv of his request to practice at the Nets’ facility because only half of the team’s court in Jersey City is usable due to water damage that requires $160,000 to repair. “And the theme I believe was even though they knew it was an emergency they didn’t want to set a precedent. And the only precedent I can see is they didn’t want to help someone who needed help.
“So if that’s the precedent in the NBA, why do they do all those “NBA Cares,” all those public service things? Is that photo ops because this was a very simple one. You have an empty gym in East Rutherford and somebody that has no place to go and all we’re looking to do is go in there while the work day is still going on, mind you, because corporate is still in the building, I believe. And so we’d be in there for an hour and a half and back out the door, affecting no one. We’d bring our own equipment, do the floor before we start and walk out and clean up behind us like we do whenever we go someplace.
“I feel bad for them. We’ll rely on the people in the world that would actually care to help us. I just know I can’t say a word. It’s the millionaire’s club and everyone that’s in that place, whether it’s [David] Stern and the money he’s making, anybody who’s involved in this decision, I feel bad for them because it was an illogical thing to do when someone needed help. And if the precedent is because you don’t want to have to help anyone else, that’s a wonderful thing in life.
“It’s like a guy needs your jumper cables, but I don’t want to give you my jumper cables because I may also have to give somebody else the jumper cables.”
Hurley made the comments Thursday morning, echoing similar ones he made Wednesday night to MSGVarsity.com following an 80-57 victory over Roselle Catholic at St. Peter’s College.
SNY.tv first reported on Friday night that St. Anthony had suffered water damage to its gym in Jersey City and was seeking another practice venue. Hurley reached out to Nets assistant GM Bobby Marks, and said Thursday that Marks was initially supportive of the idea.
The Nets said they had no comment on the situation.
In the meantime, Hurley, who suffered flooding in his own family apartment in Jersey City in a separate incident, said his team will continue to look for practice and game sites, including School No. 7 in Jersey City.
“We’ll rely on the people close to us here in Jersey City and remember who helps us and who doesn’t,” he said. “This is an example of why there’s a disconnect between the average person and the professional leagues….We’re just a small school, what do they care?”
Photo: Marc Levine/SNY
