John Calipari And His Ego Are All Aboard The Knicks Train

It seems Kentucky head coach John Calipari is loving what the New York Knicks are doing. After Julius Randle, Kevin Knox and Immanuel Quickley led the charge in yesterday's 17-point comeback victory for the Knicks, Calipari raved about his former Kentucky Wildcats. Gotta love that ego.

"I like what they're doing. I like what it looks like," Calipari said over Zoom to Forbes' Adam Zagoria. "Like their competitive spirit and it seems like they've bought into what's going on and how they're trying to play in New York, so I'm happy for them. Happy for all three of those guys."

I bet he's stoked. When alumni help a dumpster fire franchise like the Knicks win games, they make Calipari look like the great sensei. Coaches like Calipari love gawking over successful alumni. It gives them a chance to celebrate the players, of course, but also to celebrate themselves and their program.

I don't even want to knock the guy for doing promoting himself or his brand either. It's a luxury to have former players make him look good when they move on to the NBA. It also can't hurt recruiting to have those three young-ins impacting a franchise like the Knicks. Their on-court success helps convince high schoolers to commit to Calipari's Kentucky powerhouse.

Calipari wasn't done

"The Kentucky Knicks are buying into head coach Tom Thibodeau's system," Calipari said.

John Calipari is killing two birds with one stone here. He's endorsing the Knicks' new hire, Tom Thibodeau, while also affirming that his Kentucky boys are prepared for NBA blue collar coaches. Kentucky is a full-blown NBA feeder team that will always impress high school standouts.

The best part about this entire Zoom call was when Calipari pumped the brakes on expectations after being asked about the Knicks' playoff chances.

"I don't want to put that on their team or their staff," Calipari said.

Yeah, I bet he doesn't. He doesn't want his Kentucky alumni to deal with the weight of carrying the Knicks, but he has no problem soaking in the glory of the preseason.

John Calipari is a fantastic coach who deserves all the credit for the culture he's built. It's just hysterical to watch college coaches reap the benefits of their former players while refusing to shoulder any blame when they fail.