The conversation was casual, but Ryan Odom struggled to relax, his focus shifting from Rick Carlisle exchanging pleasantries to the countdown clock on a wall inside the visiting locker room at Madison Square Garden.
“I was a bit nervous,” Odom said, reliving a scene from late May, “because I kept looking at the clock as it was ticking down, and it was like, ‘He’s got a pretty big game getting ready to happen, and he’s just sitting here being very kind to me.’”
Eventually, Carlisle, a University of Virginia alumnus and head coach of the Indiana Pacers, got up and, with Odom beside him, walked the tunnel that empties to the court at New York’s famed arena. Carlisle went to the bench to lead the Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks, while Odom, the UVA men’s basketball coach, went to his seat to watch his former babysitter continue his path toward a Hall of Fame career.
Carlisle stands alongside Indiana Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton during a game this season. The former UVA guard has won more than 990 games in his 23 seasons as an NBA head coach. (Photo by Matt Kryger, Indiana Pacers)
The Pacers won that series and advanced to the NBA Finals, where they’re now tied, 1-1, with the Oklahoma City Thunder entering Wednesday’s Game 3 of the best-of-seven competition. Carlisle’s on the brink of history, needing three more wins to become the fourth coach to guide two different franchises to an NBA title. He earned his first championship ring with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
The 1984 graduate – a psychology major who, as a player, co-captained the Wahoos to the Final Four – has been a rousing success in the coaching profession. Carlisle ranks in the NBA’s top 11 all-time in regular season coaching wins (993) and playoff victories (84).
“He’s one of the best to ever do it,” Odom said.
Odom, the son of former UVA assistant coach Dave Odom, first connected with Carlisle in 1982. Like many Hoos of that era, Carlisle was fond of the bright-eyed ballboy who spent most of his free time around the team in University Hall.
“I may have babysat him when I was at Virginia,” Carlisle told Indianapolis-based reporters on March 24, the day Odom was introduced in Charlottesville as Tony Bennett’s successor. “It’s a great hire. You look at what he’s done. Everywhere he’s been, success has followed. And I don’t see this being any different.”
Odom’s memories of Carlisle go beyond his skills as a caregiver. He recalls the 6-foot-5 guard’s “IQ and toughness” in a Cavalier uniform.
Carlisle skies for a layup against a Wake Forest defender during a game at University Hall. As a senior in 1983-84, Carlisle, a team co-captain, averaged more than 11 points per game and led the Cavaliers to the Final Four. (UVA Athletics photo)
“He was really competitive and a great leader,” Odom said. “And I think that’s certainly continued into his coaching career.”
As Odom ascended through his own coaching journey – with UVA, the 50-year-old will try to take a fourth different program to the NCAA Tournament – Carlisle’s path has remained an example to follow.
“I’ve been really impressed by his ability to do it at different places with different styles,” Odom said. “I’ve learned from that. I’ve obviously coached at a lot of different places, too. When you have new groups and different skill sets, you have to really put it together. Sometimes they’re not exactly the same each time.”
Odom said Carlisle has evolved as the game has evolved.
“He played in an era in the NBA (from 1984 to 1990 with the Boston Celtics, Knicks and New Jersey Nets) with power forwards and centers. The 3-point shot was there, but it wasn’t the most important thing, and he was able to be successful in that environment,” Odom said. “Now the 3-point shot is a premium, and he’s been successful in this style. That’s the mark of a great coach. He’s been able to grow with the game and continue to stay ahead of things.”
Carlisle has been no stranger to his alma mater since he left Grounds, appearing at various reunions and celebrations for his former coach, Terry Holland. His Pacers staff includes former UVA women’s basketball star Jenny Boucek, and Carlisle’s daughter, Abby, is a rising third-year student.
His invitation to Odom to hang out in the locker room for 30 minutes before a big playoff game is another extension of his Wahoo pride.
“It was just a normal conversation. ‘How’s your family? How’s everybody doing?’ He asked about my brother, my dad and just Charlottesville and the team,” said Odom, who attended the game with a mutual friend of his and Carlisle’s.
