"Oh, my dad has been getting in touch with me every day asking how Andre's doing," Collins said. "He'll either call me, e-mail or text me. That's the way he is. He is on top of everything and very attentive to detail."
That trait is one of the reasons, if not the main reason, why the Sixers decided to hire Collins as their coach in May after firing Eddie Jordan, who led the team to a 27-55 record in his only season. Though Doug Collins just turned 59, his son doesn't see that as a red flag.
"He is just loaded with energy, and even more so when it comes to basketball," Chris said. "It was the right time for him to get back into coaching. He has always loved coaching. He and I have such a close relationship and he's been so helpful to me in my career. His knowledge of the game is incredibly high. His ability to relate to players is terrific, and he can teach the game as well as anyone."
Chris might be a spy, but his mission is no secret.
"He is keeping an eye on me and reporting back to his dad about what's going on," Iguodala said. "And that's all cool, because I've been able to talk to him about his dad, and it's made me look even more forward to the upcoming season. I can't wait to get started."
Neither can Doug Collins. The last time he coached was in 2003 with the Washington Wizards. Since then, he has been one of the best NBA television analysts, working for TNT. His name always surfaced when a head-coaching position opened, but this job, in the town where he played all eight of his NBA seasons, was the right fit at the right time.
