Jay Wright explains why he didn’t attend Sixers-Knicks and wonders if he’d survive as an NBA coach

Jay Wright has been loving life in retirement.

Thanks to his new schedule, the former Villanova coach now has time to watch all his former players in the NBA, including the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, who brought Wright onto their podcast, the Roommates Show, on Thursday.

“You guys wore me out,” Wright, now a TV analyst for CBS, joked on the show. “I’ve got nothing left after dealing with you guys.”

Despite his happiness outside of coaching, Wright’s name still pops up from time to time in connection to NBA openings, most recently with the Lakers, who hired former Sixer JJ Redick on Thursday. Wright’s insisted he has no interest in NBA jobs at this point in his career, but in the past, Wright has fielded NBA offers, including from the Sixers. He said on the podcast that in the back of his mind, he did think about trying the NBA.

“Do you guys honestly think — could I deal with these days? Could I do it?” Wright asked Brunson and Hart.

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“No!” Brunson said, laughing. “Absolutely not. No — I won’t say absolutely not. It would be different. It would be totally different. I feel like in college, it’s coaching, you’re teaching young men how to be players, and how to be young men. At least that’s what we did at ‘Nova. I feel like in the league, it’s like playing chess. You’re putting pieces in to see which one’s going to work and what’s not going to work. I feel like you could do it, I just don’t know if you’d want to do it.”

Wright served as an assistant coach on Team USA at the 2020 Olympic Games (technically 2021) in Tokyo, winning an Olympic Gold Medal coaching some of the biggest stars in the sport. Brunson said after the Olympics, he thought Wright might take a shot at the NBA, since his experience was so positive.

“I think I got spoiled with the Olympics,” Wright said. “You’re working with guys who are such consummate professionals … I was amazed at their commitment to their craft. I don’t know if everybody’s like that, but that was enjoyable, to be with the best, and the most committed players in the world.”

So, Wright’s name might come up sometime next cycle, but don’t expect him to leave the desk at CBS for the sideline any time soon.

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The Sixers, featuring Villanova legend Kyle Lowry on the court and fellow former Wildcats Doug West and Reggie Redding on the coaching staff, faced off against the ‘Nova Knicks,’ featuring Brunson, Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Six of his former players were in the mix, but Wright was nowhere to be seen, watching every game from home with his wife instead of watching them courtside.

The retired coach said he texted Brunson, Hart, and DiVincenzo, who were all part of at least one title team under Wright, to let them know he wouldn’t be attending any of the games, and asked if they understood his reasoning.

“You were scared, man,” Brunson joked on the podcast.

Hart even did an impression of Wright: “I love Philly, guys. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

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“It wasn’t just that,” Wright said. “It was Doug West, Reggie Redding — I watched after the game to see if you guys hugged them or not, I was so happy to see you guys did — and Kyle [Lowry]. Those three were on that team. We always say, ‘Everyone’s role is different but everyone’s status is the same.’ Doug and Reggie are assistant coaches, but they’re part of our family and on that team too, so we had the three of you and the three of them. I knew everyone was going to say, ‘Oh, he’s all Knicks, all Knicks,’ but I wanted to just watch you guys do your thing. Me and Patty watched every game by ourselves. I was going crazy.”

Wright’s wife, however, was “a bit biased toward the players, we had three against one. She loves Kyle, but she’s a little biased toward the players.”

Each of Wright’s players put on a show in the series, which the Knicks ultimately won in six games. But the biggest victory for Wright? Hart and Lowry didn’t start a fight.

“I was so afraid that Josh and Kyle were going to get into it. I was so afraid. It’s like watching your kids play, about to get into a fight in the backyard. I was watching after the game, like, do those two hug? After the end of the series, please let those two hug. You guys were going at it.”