Game 45: Dave Wohl - Shrimp Bisque
Game 45’s Shrimp Bisque recipe was contributed to the Family Cookbook by assistant coach Dave Wohl. A basketball lifer, Wohl played in the NBA for seven years before embarking on 40+ year career as an assistant coach, head coach, and general manager. In 1985, the coaching staff was far smaller than it is in the modern NBA. Joining head coach Pat Riley on the bench were his two assistants Wohl and Bill Bertka and head trainer Gary Vitti. Today, coach Frank Vogel has SIX assistant coaches with him. One’s a respected former head coach waiting for his next turn, while another is an NBA Hall of Famer doing the same thing. Some specialize in player development, others in shooting or film analysis. But the one thing they all have in common? If the Lakers win this year’s title, it’s entirely possible that half of them are hired to head up a team by next offseason.
Jason Kidd
Many people, including yours truly, believed that the Lakers would get off to a slow start. That LeBron and AD, even if they gelled right away, would be held back by the likes of KCP, Dwight, Rondo, and the rest of the supporting cast. The Lakers’ drama would unfold in the national media, per usual. The blame would inevitably be laid at the feet of head coach Frank Vogel, who was supposedly the 3rd choice after Tyron Lue and Jason Kidd, the latter of whom signed up to be one of Vogel’s assistant coaches.
Prior to coaching, Kidd was best known as a hard-nosed point guard who led the New Jersey Nets to back-to-back Finals appearances and who -- along with Dirk Nowitski-- finally earned that legacy-securing championship ring as a member of the 2010-2011 Mavericks. After his 10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA, 9x All-Defensive team career ended with him ranked #2 in career assists, Kidd was named the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 just nine days after he announced his retirement.
His only year in Brooklyn was mired in controversy, some reasons hilarious, some not so, but always with drinks involved. Before the season began, he was suspended for the first two games after his July arrest for drunk driving into a telephone pole. Then in November, during the closing seconds of a loss against the Lakers, Kidd needed a timeout he didn’t have to draw up an offensive play. But he did have a cup of soda. So he instructed a player to bump into him, causing a delay while the drink was mopped up. Kidd was fined $50,000 for the stunt. Even by NBA arena standards, that was one expensive drink.
By the following summer, Kidd started (illegally) communicating with the Milwaukee Bucks, who still had a coach Larry Drew under contract. The Nets were more than happy to let him go, trading him to the Bucks for two draft picks. In 3 ½ years with the Bucks, Kidd had some highs and lows, but is most remembered for helping Giannis Antetokounmpo develop into the ball-handling 7 footer he is today.
That’s the context for every NBA fan thinking that Kidd would inevitably usurp Vogel’s power sometime this season. And while it won’t happen in 2020, there’s no guarantee that that won’t be the major news cycle two years from now if the Lakers fail to win a title… and when Giannis becomes a free agent.
Lionel Hollins
In baseball, it’s usually catchers who go from playing to managing. In basketball, it’s point guards like Kidd and Lionel Hollins who most naturally transition into coaching due to their duties as floor generals. After a 10 year playing career that saw the former #6 overall pick win a championship and make All-Star and All-NBA teams, Hollins immediately returned to his alma mater Arizona State to begin a long grind of assistant coaching. It took 25 years, but Hollins was finally won a head coaching spot with the hapless Memphis Grizzlies, a team he briefly coached as interim head coach on two separate occasions.
In 4 ½ seasons, Hollins led the team through its “Grit and Grind” years, an era defined by the defensive-minded ethic of its players like Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, and Tony Allen. Hollins was greatly respected by his players and will likely land another head coaching spot soon, but I gotta talk about his fingers for a second. Look at them! He’s got the fingers of an NFL defensive tackle. Breaking your ring and pinky finger and continuing to play before they can heal properly? That’s one way to earn the respect of your players 25 years down the line.
Phil Handy
Silver fox Phil Handy is one of the new faces in the Lakers organization this year, but it isn’t his first time assisting on the bench for the purple and gold. After a long playing career for the Continental Basketball Association and several international teams, Handy was hired by Lakers coach Mike Brown in 2010 as a player development specialist working with Kobe, Gasol, and the rest of the team. When Brown was canned, Handy followed him Cleveland where he began his close relationship with LeBron James.
After four years in Cleveland, Handy won a championship on the bench of Nick Nurse’s Toronto Raptors team in 2018-2019, meaning he was the only non-Golden State Warrior coach to have a hand in the last five NBA Finals. Over the decade, Handy has become one of the most respected assistant coaches in the league, winning the praise of guys like Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Lebron, who tweeted “YESSIR PH!! My guy #LakeShow” in a now-deleted tweet about his hiring. I don’t know if he’s an Xs and Os guy who ever wants to lead a team as head coach, but this Instagram of him leading a 2018 offseason workout for Lebron, Kawhi, and Kevin Durant ensures that he’ll be a highly paid assistant or consultant for the rest of his life.
Miles Simon
After former head coaches Lionel Hollins and Jason Kidd, Miles Simon is arguably the the next person on Vogel’s team to head up his own NBA team one day. Simon was hired by former coach Luke Walton in 2017 and is so well respected in the organization that he was the only person held over after Walton was canned. Simon had an incredible NCAA career where he teamed up with Mike Bibby to lead the University of Arizona to the national championship in 1997, winning the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.
After a middling NBA and international playing career, Simon has served in a wide variety of roles throughout the basketball hemisphere. He served as an assistant coach for both the University of Arizona and USA Basketball, worked as Director of the Nike Basketball Academy, and done color commentary for ESPN's college basketball broadcasts. But head coaching is clearly the goal for the 44 year old Simon. He’s coached the Lakers’ Summer League team two years in a row, leading them to two straight title game appearances in Las Vegas. He’s so dedicated to the Lakers that he risked his life by coaching with pneumonia… during a preseason game!
Mike Penberthy
Old Friend Alert! A California native who got his Bachelor’s in biblical studies from The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, the undrafted Penberthy started his playing career in the Continental Basketball Association. After serving in the sports ministry Athletes in Action during the NBA Lockout of 1998, Penberthy finally got his shot during the 2000-2001 season when the defending champion Lakers signed him. The sharp shooting white boy hit 39% of his three pointers in the limited minutes he played for that repeat champion team. After playing 3 games for the Lakers the following season, Penberthy was cut and finished out his career in Europe.
After stints as shooting coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans, Vogel brought Penberthy on board this year to shore up the 3-point shooting on a team that desperately needs people like Kuzma to become more consistent with their 3-point shooting form. If anyone can do it, it’s Penberthy: prior to being hired by Vogel, he spent two years a private shooting coach to Luka Doncic, Paul George, Andre Iguadala, Kyle Korver, and Ricky Rubio.
Quinton Crawford
The youngest member of Vogel’s staff, Quinton Crawford is only 29 years old. A walk on point guard at the University of Arizona, Crawford interned for the NBA’s Summer League while getting his master’s degree at Pepperdine. Since then, he’s worked as a video coordinator for the Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets, and the Orlando Magic, the latter of which was coached by Vogel at the time. Crawford clearly made an impact on Coach Vogel, who with one simple gesture -- giving him the title of Assistant Coach instead of hiring him to work under longtime video coordinator Dru Anthrop -- has opened the path for him to one day become a head coach. Crawford probably reminds Vogel of another hungry former college player working his ass off as an NBA video coordinator: Himself. Vogel was the Boston Celtics’ 28 year old head video coordinator when coach Rick Pitino promoted him to work on the bench.
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Shrimp Bisque
1 pound unshelled raw shrimp
¼ teaspoon seafood seasoning
Cold water
1 10 ½ ounce can cream of tomato soup
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon minced fresh clams
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Rinse shrimp and combine with seasoning in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water, bring water to a boil, and turn off heat. Let shrimp sit in hot water until they turn pink. Drain and reserve liquid.
Shell shrimp and chop coarsely. Boil reserve liquid over high heat, uncovered, until reduced to 3 cups. Set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat slowly over low heat. Stir in reserved liquid and the shrimp. Bring almost to a boil. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve hot.
I love shrimp, but I was a little wary to make this after my clam chowder. I know they’re nowhere near the same, but fish soup is something I haven’t become accustomed to in 30 years living in SoCal. I like my fish raw or on a grill. Don’t give me that bammer weed, er, I mean fish soup.
To my surprise, I made a pretty damn good shrimp curry. The only problem was I think it caused an allergic reaction? I had a bowl and rushed out the door to pick up my girlfriend from Burbank airport. About 30 minutes later as we drove back home, I started to cough uncontrollably. By the time I got home, my throat was closing and my coughs had a wheeze to it. Even by the next morning, I had trouble swallowing food. I have no idea what could’ve caused it. I just had minced clams a week ago for the chowder, so I doubt the teaspoon I dropped in my bisque caused it.
My conclusion? The secret ingredient in the Old Bay seafood seasoning I bought. Corporate secrets will kill you.
