Is Thibodeau’s Mom Coaching Him Through Awkward ESPN Debut?
"Don't forget to smile!"
If you had a dollar for every time you've reminded your kid to smile before a school, church or extracurricular performance, you could probably treat yourself to a nice mom's night out. Maybe two.
If you're like my mom, the reminders don't end there; you sit as close to front and center as possible so you can offer visual prompts (*cue big smile, tracing your index fingers along your mouth in either direction*) to your child during the performance.
Apparently former Timberwolves Coach Tom Thibodeau's mom was at his ESPN debut Wednesday, doing the same.
Thibodeau made his ESPN debut Wednesday night as an NBA analyst. But it wasn't his contributions to conversation that left people talking; it was his perpetual smile that seemed frozen in place -- surprising, amusing and confusing viewers all at once.
Viewed publicly as an "unhappy, tough coach," as put by Larry Brown Sports, his demeanor was a stark contrast to the former coach most people knew him as.