Wenyen Gabriel-John Calipari tiff shows you can’t please all the players all the time
Like most programs, the Kentucky basketball image is that of one big, happy family, where former players keep a close connection with John Calipari, calling, texting, returning to campus for this, that and the other. Rarely is heard a discouraging word.
Then came this quote last week from former UK forward Wenyen Gabriel: “I didn’t like playing for him in college.”
So what’s that all about?
The Gabriel-Calipari mini-rift actually began last year when Kentucky was recruiting Jaden McDaniels, 6-foot-9 forward out of Federal Way, Washington, who ended up staying home to play for the University of Washington. A reason why may have had something to do with Gabriel.
After McDaniels’ commitment, leaked was an Instagram direct message Gabriel had sent the prospect. A ringing Kentucky endorsement it was not. Gabriel said he loved his teammates — “In all honesty, the best part of Kentucky was the brothers that I have for life now” — and he did not regret having chosen UK, but . . .
“Don’t fall in love with (Calipari’s) words let me tell you the real!” Gabriel wrote. “If you not ready to do it like right NOW. Like if you not ready to be one of the (STARS) and make all the plays … then (you’re going to) end up being just a skinny big man there. And trust me, that (stuff) is HARD. First thing’s first, if your handle is shaky, he’s (going to) stop you from dribbling. (That stuff is going to mess you) up because (you’re going) to feel handicapped. Then he (is going to) tell you to just catch and shoot, or go set a slip screen and try to get open from there. But if there are no bigs, (you’re going to) be guarding all bigs …”
Gabriel said he reached out to Calipari to apologize even before the DM became public, but never heard back. He said he was just providing McDaniels information, but he could understand how his words were perceived as a slap against his former school.
The dust-up faded until Calipari sent a “Happy Birthday” message to Bam Adebayo on social media last week, Gabriel couldn’t help himself. “Damn where was my (birthday) wish in March,” he responded in the comments.
Big Blue Nation answered, and not kindly. That prompted Gabriel’s “I didn’t like playing for him in college,” retort along with, “Before I came to Kentucky, I was a top-15 recruit. When I left I went undrafted.”
Both are true. Gabriel played two seasons at UK, where he averaged 5.7 points and 5.1 rebounds. He made the 2018 SEC All-Tournament Team. He caught on with the Sacramento Kings and is now with the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA bubble in Orlando.
In our media dealings here, I saw Gabriel as a good kid, but sometimes sensitive and defensive. And proud. Gabriel’s college career didn’t turn out the way he hoped. It happens. You buy a ticket, you get the whole tour. And as Calipari likes to say, Kentucky basketball is not for everyone. Neither is the coach.
And if you think stuff like this doesn’t go on behind the curtain, check out a couple of ex-UK football player tweets after it was announced Monday that former tight end C.J. Conrad was returning to the program as an off-the-field graduate assistant coach.
“@UKFootball BETTER GET it together with their former players!! Y’all starting to show yourselves not speaking for me either,” tweeted former UK cornerback Lonnie Johnson, now of the NFL’s Houston Texans.
“I guess the ‘hiring freeze’ doesn’t relate to certain people,” replied former safety Jordan Griffin.
All this reminds me of a Bob Knight anecdote I once heard. The former Indiana basketball coach was speaking to a group of high school campers. He asked how many hated their coach. Not a single hand was raised.
“You’re liars,” Knight said. “Every player hates his coach at one time or another.”
Now such emotions spill over to social media, for better or worse. Hopefully Gabriel and Calipari hug it out one day. Until then, remember that no one pleases everyone. No one.
