Detroit Pistons Coach Mo Cheeks Yells at Player for Shooting in Flip Flops
By Bryan Rose
Maurice “Mo” Cheeks, a four time NBA All-Star and former head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers had a bit of unexpected duty during his first few hours on the job.
Cheeks was recently hired by the Detroit Pistons as their next head coach and the former NBA point guard recently made his way to the Pistons practice facility to take part in his introductory news conference. Once the press conference concluded, Cheeks, who was touring the facility, came across Piston players Jonas Jerebko, Khris Middleton and Kim English who were shooting in the gym. Unfortunately for Jerebko, he wasn’t in the correct attire.
Per the Detroit Free Press:
"Detroit Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko was treating the summer like he usually does.Hanging out at the practice facility Thursday morning, he was shooting around with teammates Khris Middleton and Kim English, informally.Then he realized it was time to get formal when new coach Maurice Cheeks walked in.“I had a couple flip-flops on, messing around and he told us, ‘When you’re in there, you’ve got to put in work,’ ” Jerebko said Thursday at the Palace following Cheeks’ introductory news conference. “He told us on Day 1 what he wanted, so I definitely respect that. … I was encouraged. That’s what you want as a player, you want somebody to tell you what to do. I won’t be wearing my flip-flops out there no more.”"
Cheeks also informed them that if they’re on Detroit Pistons property, they need to be wearing Detroit Pistons gear as it’s a sense of pride:
"“Whenever we’re in the facility, we’re to be wearing Detroit Pistons stuff,” English said. “There should be a sense of pride putting on those Detroit letters every time you take the court. That was the extent of (the conversation), every time you’re on the court, come to work and be in Detroit stuff.”"