3 NBA players vs Coaches: Spanking, sonning and stance

Litmus test of an NBA coach. Does he get spanked, sonned or does he stand up for himself?

We spend a lot of time trying to pin down a person. Put together instances from their lives and careers and figure out how they are the sum of their actions and the events which have occurred to them. We make connections with their mentors and their students, their triumphs and failures and we draw conclusions and paint a picture which we think represents them the best.

Another, quicker way to get the measure of a man is to throw him in fire and watch him react. When there’s a split second decision to make, what does a man do?

Watch these three videos of NBA coaches in proximity with their opponents and forget all you know about these coaches. Just judge their reactions and you can tell in an instant which coach is the best of the three.

Spanking
Kobe Bryant spanking Alvin Gentry

Sonning
Metta World Peace (former Ron Artest) sonning Avery Johnson

Stance
In contrast, when Tom Thibodeau sees a freight train coming:

He gets into the defensive stance vs LeBron James to stop the fast break.

Which NBA coach would you choose?