Coby Karl continues to work toward goal of joining dad in NBA

Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News

Monday, November 20, 2006

At least George Karl retired on top.

It was six years ago, and Karl was coaching Milwaukee and son Coby was a junior at Homestead High School in Mequon, Wis. The two squared off for yet another game of one-on-one.

"I ripped up my knee," Karl said. "But I beat him. Then I had surgery two days later."

That ended the father's playing days. But he says with pride that Coby "never beat me one-on-one."

That hasn't deterred Coby's quest to be better than his father, who played five so-so ABA and NBA seasons with San Antonio and now is coach of the Nuggets.

"Sometimes I think it's a lifetime goal for people to say he's better than I was," Karl said. "They're probably a few people who already think that. But I haven't given him that yet."

Coby still has time. He's a senior guard at Boise State who could get bragging rights if selected in June's NBA's draft. There are only 60 players drafted and two rounds now, and Karl was picked No. 66 in the fourth round by New York in 1973.

The Broncos play tonight at Colorado State. Karl on Sunday took Boise State's players out for a spaghetti dinner and will be on hand at Moby Arena to root for Coby.

Or he might just sit with his stomach churning. George Karl said it's an "awful feeling" watching games and having little control.

"He looks pretty nervous most of the time," Coby said.

At Boise State home games, Karl, who attends about 10 a year, sits five rows behind the bench. Coby knows where to look for extra coaching, which is fine with him.

There was a time, though, when Coby wasn't thrilled having every move critiqued. But he eventually started to listen to Karl's advice to put down video games and head for the gym.

"It was around my sophomore year in high school, when I started to get pretty serious about basketball," Coby said. "I would start taking his advice rather than taking offense to it. At first I thought he was being a little hard on me, but it turns out he wanted the best for me. . . . He's fully responsible for most of what I am as a player."

Coby already had shown something to his father as a high school freshman in 1998, when he sought to move from Seattle to Milwaukee after Karl had gone from coaching the SuperSonics to the Bucks. Karl was being divorced at the time from Coby's mother, Cathy.

Coby's mother also moved to Milwaukee. Coby spent the rest of his high school years shuttling between parents.

"Those were the toughest years of my life," said Coby, 23. "But I think at that time my father became more focused on spending more time with his family."

Karl made it priority to attend Coby's games. He watched with pride as his son improved, although not enough to beat him by his junior year.

"Coby would always try to put rules into the games that (Karl) had to shoot from the outside," said Karl's daughter, Kelci Karl-Robinson, 27. "But he'd just back him in and overpower him."

Coby then was 5-foot-10. He since has grown to 6-4, 2 inches taller than Karl, but, at 204, still is about 60 pounds lighter.

A late bloomer, Coby received no Division I scholarship offers, only offers to walk on at Western Carolina, St. Mary's, Ohio University and Boise State. He redshirted as a freshman and since has developed into a solid college player.

Coby averaged 17.2 points last season and was named second-team All-Western Athletic Conference. Not bad, considering Coby was diagnosed late in the season with thyroid cancer, a condition he said is under control.

"He's probably a second-rounder," NBA draft analyst Chris Monter said of Coby, averaging 11.5 points through two games. "He's got a good basketball IQ, he's a good passer and he shoots well."

Coby calls it a "dream" to play in the NBA. He said it would be "very interesting" and "great" one day to be coached by his father.

The Nuggets don't have a second-round pick next year. But they have two first-round selections, one that belongs to Dallas and should be late in the first.

"I think we need a third point guard, don't you?" said Karl, saying he believes Coby could play that role in the NBA.

If Coby makes the NBA, it might be off the charts how proud Karl would be.

"It's the greatest gift I've been given in basketball, is to watch my son be a good player," Karl said.

One figures Coby is good enough to beat his father now. But Karl is in no mood to find out.

ETC.: The NBA is expected to get Denver's application for a $5.2 million disabled player exception in the next day or two. The Nuggets anticipate being granted the exception due to Kenyon Martin being out for the season, although there is no guarantee they would use it. It would be valid until late December, and the Nuggets could use it to sign or claim a player off waivers, but not for a trade . . . Forward Carmelo Anthony has taken over the NBA scoring lead with a 31.0 average. "It's cool," he said. Karl said it's "fine" if he ends up leading but it shouldn't "be a goal of his or ours." Nuggets assistant Adrian Dantley, who won two scoring titles, said Anthony must get used to regular reminders about the race . . . Guard Andre Miller, who sprained his right ankle Saturday against Toronto, practiced, and Karl expects he will play Tuesday against Chicago, although "he's hurting a little bit." Miller has played in 294 straight games. "I don't like to miss nothing," he said . . . Forward Nene, who has missed the past four games with a bruised right knee, didn't practice and is unsure if he'll play Tuesday. "My knee is getting better," he said. "The swelling is going down."

tomassonc@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5125