Once upon a time, seemingly eons ago, if you made it into “Sports Illustrated” in some form or fashion, you certainly were somebody. This happened to Elston Turner when he was a player at Mississippi in the late 1970s.
The magazine said, “Mississippi’s Elston Turner is trying to ‘deny the ball,’ which is one of the most difficult of defensive assignments… Turner must not only move right with him, but he must also keep an eye on the ball and extend a hand to discourage or deflect the pass” in defending Alabama’s Reggie King.
Turner, now a Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach, remembered the play action which “SI” captured in a photo: “It was a really very popular magazine back then, and even just to be in it, man, it made me feel a little special,” he recalled proudly.
Guarding King was a load assignment. “He was a big bully, man,” said Turner with a smile.
The then-6’5” Turner was a star at Ole Miss (1977-81) and led the Rebels to the NCAAs for the first time his senior season. But that “SI” feature in December 1979 as part of the magazine’s annual college basketball preview issue got him somehow tagged as a defensive specialist.
Oh, that “SI” issue is framed and hangs in his home office, Turner points out.
That issue in many ways eventually helped Turner become a second-round pick by Dallas in 1981 (43rd overall), the same draft the then expansion Mavericks also picked Mark Aguirre and Rolando Blackman. As a result, Turner knew that if he was to make it in the league, defense would have to be his calling card.
“They drafted a bunch of scorers, so they said, ‘Hey we probably need you just to play some defense,” remembers Turner. “I’m trying to make the team, so I basically did what the coach asked. I mean, who would not?
“They boxed me into this defense role, and it stuck. That’s how it all got started, which I accepted.”
Turner forged out an eight-season NBA career, then also played in the old CBA and professionally in Europe.
But late in his playing career, Turner was directed toward coaching, first in the CBA as a player-coach. “The coach would always ask me to get out there and demonstrate stuff,” explained Turner.
“I was still playing, but they would put me out there to show some of the younger players how to do different things. That’s how it all started.”
Turner’s coaching journey first started with Sacramento (six years), then Portland (four years), Houston, Phoenix, Memphis, back to Sacramento and Houston, before joining the Minnesota staff in 2021.
He also interviewed several times for NBA head coaching vacancies, including with the Timberwolves in 2009, but to no avail. But Turner has earned the reputation of being a valuable coach on anyone’s staff.
He also worked for many legendary coaches and sponged off each one in terms of knowledge. “I grabbed stuff when I was young,” stressed Turner.
“So many different coaches taught me different stuff. I had some great ones. I’ve been with some Hall of Fame coaches.
“If I had to prep to be a coach all over again, I would have mastered in psychology. It’s about making players, as you know. It’s about getting players to read and move and do things that you need them to do,” explained the Wolves assistant coach, who is given credit for the team’s defensive improvement last season.
“No, I can’t take full credit for anything. We as a staff, we dig into each other’s minds and throw ideas out there.
“I am the guy that implemented a lot of stuff on the defensive end. I’ve grown definitely — I’ve been at it a long time. You have to meet players where they are, because these guys come from all different backgrounds, and I’ve learned how to deal with them.”
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.