In the end, Donovan just followed his heart Print E-mail
Written by Zak Keefer   
Wednesday, 06 June 2007
Stop. Just wait a second. Before you sit there and start to rail into Billy Donovan, saying he’s selfish, a traitor, a coward and more of a flip-flopper than John Kerry in 2004, step back and consider the situation.
Because when you do, and look at the chaos that’s transpired in central Florida over the past week, you’re going to realize that he’s just a guy who made a mistake. And it was a rare mistake for a coach who’s built a championship program on nothing but character and integrity. On Friday night, Donavon went to sleep for the first time as the Orlando Magic Head Coach. On Saturday morning, he woke up and realized he wanted his old job back.

I, for one (well not actually one, I’d have to assume the entire Gainesville campus agrees with me) say give it back to him with open arms.

No one deserves to run the Florida program more than him: he built it from nothing into the best college basketball program in the country. What he accomplished this spring leading the Gators to back-to-back titles (not since Duke in ’91 and ’92) was something fans never thought we’d see in an era filled with one-and-done superstars headed NBA stardom.

True, he shouldn’t have signed on the dotted line with Orlando. True, he shouldn’t have held two press conferences announcing he was excited to join the Magic and heartbroken he was leaving Gainesville. And true, he just shouldn’t have left.

But he was intrigued by the Magic and the NBA. The challenge was something that was always something that interested him, even from his brief NBA playing career in the 1980s. The money certainly played a role in his initial decision- boy, it’s hard to turn down $27.5 million dollars I don’t care if you’re Bill Gates- and the upside the Magic franchise offered him.

They have a budding superstar in Dwight Howard, a solid point guard of the future in Jameer Nelson, and $12-13 million in cap room for the upcoming free agent market. If they’re able to add a wingman or shooter this summer, they’ve got a solid nucleus to compete in the weak Eastern Conference in years to come.

All of this was presented to Donovan, and when the Magic pressed for a hasty decision, he accepted. He went through the motions Friday, smiling for the cameras with Magic management.

But, in the end, Donovan’s heart was still at Florida. It did take him a while to come to that realization, but he finally came to it. As tough as it was, he called the Magic and profusely apologized, admitting that his heart was still in Gainesville.

He realized that he loved the college game and the college players. He realized that the recruiting wasn’t all that bad, that the travel wasn’t all that bad (especially compared to the NBA) and most of all, that his family was happy in Gainesville.

That no matter how much money the Magic threw his way, in his heart he would always remain a Gator. And isn’t that exactly why the college game is so much more pure than the professional one? Because not only the players, but the coaches are there because they want to be? Because deep down, everyone of them loves the game of basketball?

You can’t sit there and tell me, as much as you may hate the Duke Blue Devils, that you didn’t gain a little bit more respect for Coach K when he turned down the Lakers trillion dollar offer in July 2004.

So technically, you can’t blame Donovan for staying at Florida. You can just be a little mad at the way he ended up back there.

He didn’t do it the best way for either side, that’s for certain, but isn’t the end result the most important thing? Donovan learned a priceless lesson, one that can only be learned through the turbulent week he went through: you’re happiest when you follow your heart.

If anything, this whole saga just proves Donovan’s in the college game for the long haul. He was given the reigns for an up-and-coming NBA team, in a perfect situation for him, and he ultimately said no. Yes at first, but ultimately no.  Recruits, for one, can see that Donovan wants to be in Gainesville more than anywhere else.

One day, we’ll all forget about this, the Florida basketball team will be playing on Billy Donovan Court, and he’ll be retired as one of college basketball’s all-time best.

 Just as it should be.

Technorati Tags: Billy Donovan, Florida, Magic, Jameer Nelson, John Kerry
 
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