El Jefe in: The Return Of the King!

"Be Fearless, Let it all hang out there. . . "
--Bzdelik to an 8th grader looking for advice on making his school basketball team

HYTOP'S EXCLUSIVE BZDELIK INTERVIEW!! (Audio of interview at the bottom)

Jeff Bzdelik is a soft-spoken man with soft attributes and a cushiony-soft personality. If you don't believe me, just look at his picture




But don't let that fool you. On the Hardwood, the man's a *SOLDIER* SINGLEHANDEDLY coaching the single best turnaround for ANY TEAM IN NBA HISTORY. Jeff, during the 2003-04 season, accomplished something NO OTHER NBA COACH HAD EVER DONE-- making the Nuggets the first sub 20-game winning team to make the playoffs the following year!

Another thing very few NBA coaches have accomplished? Getting to the semifinals of the NIT! Not to mention that his average playoff wins/appearance as a Nuggets Coach Ties him with current Nuggets Coach George Karl.

We caught up with our old friend at a CU bookstore signing, and he, as he so aptly put it, "let it all hang out." Not too many people seemed fazed by Bzdelik's presence in the CU Bookstore; it was Parent's weekend, and CU sweatshirts, Nalgenes, and carabiners seemed to be getting all the attention. Bzdelik still savored the moment-- his NBA years, for now, are in the rear-view mirror, and even if an NBA team wanted to sign him, they would have to exceed the 800,000$ contract that CU lavished on him last April.

During the off season, multiple NBA teams learned this lesson the hard way:
To Sign a 'Bzdelik', you have to be willing to pay 'Bzdelik' Money.

To Sign a General, you need to be less a team and more an Institution. Many in the media wonder: was CU the right fit, or was it the only fit? Try to ask Jeff-- all you'll get is a soft smile. He Knows it don't matter-- he Got his and now he's gonna make sure CU gets theirs!

Jeff Bzdelik--The quintessential soft spoken man of action-- Isn't that how the best always are?


*****Audio****

The first part of the interview (~1 min), Bzdelik talks to a kid in a Cubs Jersey about being a young Cubs fan in Chicago. The boy's father asks Jeff what advice he has for his son on making the 8th grade basketball team; his reply: "Be Fearless, Let it all hang out there. . . Just Like the Cubbies!"



The second part of the interview (~30 seconds) Jeff praises the young Carmelo Anthony. Since everything this man says is thoughtful and tempered, when he does give such high praise to an athlete, it's worth taking note.




-*Sim-u-l8r*-