'He don't really respect me as a person' - Mike James on why he doesn't like Alvin Gentry

Mike James had an unspectacular NBA tenure, a far cry compared to what he has done and still doing in Europe. A big reason why Mike's basketball career in the United States did not turn out as well as he would've liked was the lack of meaningful communication and feedback from the higher-ups. "The Natural" specifically called out former New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry as someone who left a lasting negative impression.

"After a game, I said like, 'Yo, can I meet with you?'" recalls the 2024 Euroleague MVP. "I'm just like, let me see what's going on, and you just tell me what's up. I grew up around a lot of older people, grown men. So when you gonna have talk with somebody face to face, you look them in the eye, you say how you feel, they say how they feel, and figure it out."

"When I sat down, he got his TV on. He's looking at me, looking at the TV, so I'm thinking in my head, 'He don't respect me.' He don't take me serious as a human… So you don't really respect me as a person," added Mike.

As James noted, it wasn't like Gentry was doing film scouting or any of that sort. Alvin sat on his chair watching some bass fishing show, darting his eyes back and forth between Mike and the TV monitor.

Gentry was the Pelicans coach when James came over after Phoenix waived him in the middle of the 2017-18 season. "Mr. Natural" played four games for New Orleans before the squad let him go for good.

James wanted no-nonsense feedback

The former Lamar University standout made it clear he wasn't seeking special treatment. By the time he joined Phoenix and New Orleans, Mike was already a two-time Greek League champion and Finals MVP. What James wanted was the honest truth and a fair shake to understand his role and prove himself.

"Even if you don't respect me as a person, you could at least look at me in my face, like, 'Mike, the GM brought you here; I didn't really want you here. I don't think you should play', and I would have been like, 'Bet!' I would have got my as* up, walked out, and got ready for the game," continued James.

Unfortunately for Mike, that wasn't the first time he was treated that way. When he played for the Suns, "Mr. Natural" claimed he never received constructive criticism. James was in the process of playing games, making mistakes, and playing through everything until one day when the top brass asked if he wanted to be traded or cut.

"You know how it is in the NBA. If it's something they don't like, they are not really gonna tell you. They're just gonna say it behind your back and weed you out instead of just saying, 'Hey Mike, don't do that. Do this.' In the NBA, people get scared of what people are gonna say back to them or be nervous about it instead of having real conversations," stated the four-time All-Euroleague selection.

Alvin was the worst

Interestingly, James is not alone in his assessment of the long-time NBA head coach. Tony Allen, the six-time All-Defensive team member, had some crazy things to say about Gentry, including not running plays and forgetting his players' names.

"The Grindfather" attributed it to Gentry's age, but Alvin was just 64 years old at the time. That's senior citizen old, but not old enough to forget names and plays, especially if your job is being the head coach of an NBA franchise. No one can say for sure, but if he doesn't take his coaching gig worth millions seriously, a 10-day pickup like James stands no chance.