You're misrepresenting what i said and/or not understanding what i wrote.
• Didn't say he's not respected. I'm suggesting that the level of actual respect for his coaching ability isn't the same as the amount of lipservice respect he gets by broadcasters. He's been around a long time. He's made friends and connections. Guys like Bilas and Raftery like him.
• He doesn't give a damn about opinions? I would assert that he absolutely does. He's human. Anyone who doesn't care, even in the slightest, is so far into arrogance that they'd be insufferable. Oh, wait — maybe that's what's happening. No, actually, i completely believe he's a good fellow. I've said often that i like him, personally. For the most part. I detest his ornery attitude and inability to 'suffer fools,' but to him, everyone is a fool...
• He got into the HOF because that's what happens when you win that many games. It's a building. It's an honor. They have to have pretty simple passages to get into it — milestones and the like that are simple enough that people understand why they're in there. Has nothing to do with a panel's qualitative assessment of his abilities. Chosen by Coach K? They're friends, no? JB is supposed to bring a certain skillset to the table. And, he gets along with K. We're not talking about JB being named as the Head Coach. Heck, Hopkins is there, too. Are you saying K respects Hop more than Calhoun or Pitino or Brey or Izzo or...
• "never much cared for JB" is a reduction of the truth. I don't dislike him. My 'not caring for him' can best be expressed by a dismissal of the hype that goes along with him. I simply have never seen a reason to feel he's as good as the publicity. And, to echo Gottlieb (just threw up in my mouth a little), "great? No." We've played a few teams this year who i feel have better coaches. And, that's just our schedule, this year. So, while his milestone and accomplishments may put him into the "great" league, i don't believe his coaching is in that same league. Many people wrap all that up into the same ball of discussion. I separate things. A person can preside at the head of a great program with great accomplishments, but still not be great at what he, in particular, does. Whether people like or can acknowledge that kind of nuance is another matter.
• Back in the day, the talk about JB was decidedly different than it is now. When certain jobs became open, other coaches were mentioned. Not JB. When people talked about who were the best in-game strategists, JB was not mentioned. When people talked about preparation and player development, JB wasn't mentioned. And, none of those things have changed. What has changed is the win total and the publicity. JB himself commonly says he's the same coach he was back then. It's the perceptions of some that have changed. And, people evaluate based on different criteria. To not accept that is silly. I don't disagree with opinions that JB is a great coach. I tend to disagree with the reasons why. More nuance. Sorry.
• This, again, is just my opinion, as i've not seen an actual poll... But, i'd wager that if you asked the top 10 'basketball minds' who they'd choose as a coach, from any school, from any era — to coach one game, or one season — JB wouldn't be in the top 10 or 20 of coaches named. This is way speculative and perhaps out of bounds, but it's the kind of conceptual thinking that i find more interesting that a simple measurement of 900+ wins. And, that's the kind of respect i was referring to. Not the simple 'do you respect JB or not' kind of thing. Of course the answer is 'yes' in the latter situation.
If true, Gmac probably (deep down) knew all along that he didn't possess the borne athleticism required. But, the premise of my point is that I don't care how hard your work ethic is, it will not turn you into an NBA success if the underlying physical talent/athleticism isn't there.
