Anonymous
Years ago

Hire - public criticism motivates me

But the 30-year-old said the constant criticism from members of the pubic had given him incentive to work harder than ever to return to his best. Hire said he tried to avoid the criticism by ignoring social media, but was then shocked when people started confronting him in public.

"It's been an interesting off-season," Hire said.

“I’m excited to have the chance to prove doubters wrong. The amount of people who have come up to me and told me it was maybe time to give up in a shopping centre has been interesting. It’s another challenge I’m trying to respond to.

“You have people who feel they can give you their two cents worth to your face, which I respect because normally that doesn’t happen. But it’s been laughable.”

https://thewest.com.au/sport/perth-wildcats/greg-hire-back-in-perth-wildcats-red-next-season-after-re-signing-ng-b88866846z

Topic #43500 | Report this topic


Isaac  
Years ago

Oh no, now you've just made him angry. Hulk-mode incoming...

Reply #692835 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Ok harassing the guy in public is really poor

Reply #692836 | Report this post


Zodiac  
Years ago

That's pretty rough copping that in public. At the end of the day the guy was/still is a pro basketball player unlike the knuckleheads giving him career advice in shopping centres.

Reply #692838 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Hard to believe Perth fans would be so classless.

Reply #692839 | Report this post


Proud  
Years ago

Hi Mr Hire, can I have your autograph, Thanks mate now please retire !

Reply #692840 | Report this post


ME  
Years ago

I think it's fair to denounce players online and even to their faces if there is cause for it, but going up to him and saying it like that is pretty low without provocation - especially to do with one of your own players.

Reply #692841 | Report this post


Zig  
Years ago

I can understand why players avoid social media. Although its often insightful, its also often just plain mean and spiteful.
But people fronting you in the shops? That's just weird.

At the end of the day, if he can recover some form, that will only be a good thing (obviously).

Unfortunately I suspect that there are a lot of "fans" who don't understand that it's a choice between Hire and a bargain-bin import.
My chief concern with signing Hire, is that it again leaves us very lean in the backcourt.

Reply #692842 | Report this post


Hogwash  
Years ago

I would get a laugh out of some bum coming up to me at shops and saying give it up.
Like they could do any better.

Reply #692845 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Meh, NBL players get hardly any public criticism in real life. They are pro athletes on good money but because the media in this country doesn't cover the league thoroughly enough it's easy street for these guys away from gameday. But when they actually do encounter something like this they get shook. If the players were more accountable by the public we would have less of them coasting through the season. More of this please from the public.

Reply #692846 | Report this post


twenty four  
Years ago

Don't people usually need to know who you are to be able to publicly criticise you?

Reply #692847 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Can someone track down Cadee when he is grocery shopping and tell him to start actually playing D? That would be hilarious.

Reply #692848 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

I stop to speak to 36ers at the shop....... not critical....
I got the impression of their girlfriends thinkin it's funny that there boyfriend is famous....

Reply #692851 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Camel 31 with a great example of how NBL players aren't really in the spotlight. Pressure creates diamonds, no pressure in NBL land with the public really. If you want to be on cruise control in a high intensity sport you get NBL level product from locals (imports have to produce more).

Reply #692856 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

In defense of cats fans, many of them want the best for the team and dont believe keeping Hire achieves that. Brad Robbins left when he felt he couldnt do much more, many of us think Hire should have done the same himself.

Hire has let himself fall behind in recent years where Wagstaff for example has kept his game relevant. If your off the bench your measured on ability to contribute something. Coming on making a few passes and not contributing much when the team is struggling becomes very noticeable to fans.

Sports players need to keep working and improving, if they are not then their time might be up. It is very fair to say he wouldnt get a job at any other team in the NBL today - so cats have been almost charitable in keeping him.

I wish him the best in proving poeple like me wrong, but I would also encourage him to look at that next part of his career/life as this one will be over sooner than later. He wont be like Grace or Fisher who stayed relevant as players well into their late 30s.

Reply #692860 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Lol at the person saying NBL players "coast" through seasons. Just shows how many idiots are on these things. There isn't a single player, no matter where they sit on the lineup, who doesn't feel pressure in pro sport. And yes, social media is brutal. I can definitely see why they avoid checking notifications.

Reply #692864 | Report this post


Zig  
Years ago

Let's say you work in a ... bank.
How would you feel be stopped on a Saturday whilst grocery shopping with your kids and given a serve regarding your level of customer service??
Or worse:
I work in a professional role, and like 95% of professionals I take my job seriously and feel pressure to perform. I accept constructive criticism from colleagues and bosses.
I don't need some random idiot fronting me in the shops.

Reply #692866 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Agreed with above. Not to mention majority of those stopping him wouldn't know the first thing about being a pro basketball player... Highly annoying.

Reply #692867 | Report this post


Luuuc  
Years ago

Don't people usually need to know who you are to be able to publicly criticise you?


My main takeaway from that article is basically just a different spin on what you just said. I guess the profile of basketball in Perth is pretty healthy if Greg Hire has multiple randoms recognising and approaching him down the shops to dispense their sage advice.
My second takeaway is ... that's just weird. [makes the finger orbiting the ear gesture]

Reply #692868 | Report this post


Luuuc  
Years ago

In defense of cats fans, many of them want the best for the team and dont believe keeping Hire achieves that.

But in no way does that defend some tool talking rubbish to a player. Until Greg is the GM, coach or maybe a part owner, he's not really the one to take up selection beefs with.

Reply #692870 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

LIke 95% of the posters here everyone has an opinion which is exactly 100% wrong.

Reply #692871 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Compared to most pro leagues NBL has the lowest $earned:visibility ratio. The media barely covers the league, and if they do they are fluff pieces. NBL players have no idea pressures of other pro athletes who the public are more familiar with.

Reply #692911 | Report this post


WookieE  
Years ago

lol... I'm torn between a "wtf are you saying that to him in person?!" and "well, at least they had the balls to say it to his face" opinion... Pretty sure in Perth he wouldn't be able to go many places without being recognised... He's been a fixture on that team for many seasons and is really active in the community, it's not like many other cities where fans couldn't give a toss...

Hopefully this gives him a bit of a boost, I think it's more him being out of sorts in recent seasons, not really a lack of effort, so I'm not sure about the potential for him to improve much... And if someone is using Wagstaff as as measuring stick of how to stay relevant as he's dropped off a lot as well compared so the impact he's had previously...

Reply #692923 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

It is all because Perth fans are getting scared about finally missing the playoffs. Stooping to the lowest common denominator and targeting one of the shitty local players. If Illawarra, Cairns, Sydney and Brisbane weren't so inconsistent last season, Perth would have dropped out of the top 4.


FYI - Perth won't make the playoffs next season. COME AT ME PERTH FANS!!!!

Reply #692926 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Wagstaff was just in the boomers, pretty good yard stick.

Reply #692927 | Report this post


Hogwash  
Years ago

5 teams battling for 4 playoff spots.
Perth will make it.
People are underestimating the value of having a spare import spot available for later use.

Reply #692931 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Yeah add the * already.

Reply #692936 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Hire stinks

Reply #692946 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

"If Illawarra, Cairns, Sydney and Brisbane weren't so inconsistent last season, Perth would have dropped out of the top 4."

Lol so essentially you're saying if Illawarra, Cairns, Sydney and Brisbane were better teams last year than the Wildcats last year the Cats wouldn't have made the top 4? No shit lol, they were inconsistent and not as good as the Cats which is why they didn't make it.

Pretty sure you're the dame troll in the other thread with the 'cats 4 life' comment

Reply #692947 | Report this post


Anonomous  
Years ago

"It is all because Perth fans are getting scared about finally missing the playoffs. Stooping to the lowest common denominator and targeting one of the shitty local players. If Illawarra, Cairns, Sydney and Brisbane weren't so inconsistent last season, Perth would have dropped out of the top 4."

Very deep meaningful comment. Have you considered the fact that if Melb, NZ, Adelaide etc didn't play last season, Perth might have won it all.

What a dipshit.

Reply #692949 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Who cares if the league gets less visibility than other leagues? That's not the point. Even if there was loads of visibility it would still be a shitty thing to do and no one likes hearing the opinion of some loser in the shopping centre who no doubt wouldn't know a basketball if it smacked him in the head. Also, imagine if everytime you came home from work as a retail assistant to notifications saying "you sucked today." Or, the next time you visited Coles someone came up and said, "look, it's time for a career change." It isn't enjoyable for anyone and that's why some athletes avoid sm.

I think you're missing the point in general. The point is that there is pressure regardless of how big or visible the league is. Do you really think just because Hire is a bench player that he doesn't feel it? That's ridiculous. And just because he has less fame than an AFL player or an NBA player or whatever, there's still hurdles and pressure to overcome from yourself, your coach, fans, family etc etc.
You've obviously never played sport or you're completely lacking in self awareness in general.

Reply #692981 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Err, you can't draw analogies to retail assistants etc. Their work isn't viewed on TV, whereas pro athletes are watched by many. It's normal for them to be given verbal "advice" on the street. Obviously NBLers aren't used to it as evidenced by Hire's reaction.

Reply #692997 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

It might happen a lot but it's certainly not 'normal’

Reply #693000 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Even those used to it wouldn't enjoy it. It would always be considered annoying. And why people with zero knowledge would be offering their 2cents is hilarious in the first place.

Reply #693001 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

"...whereas pro athletes are watched by many."

Cmon mate we're talking about an NBL player here.

Reply #693002 | Report this post


AD  
Years ago

"It's normal for them to be given verbal "advice" on the street."

No, no its not.

There's a reason pro athletes in America travel with entourages, and very seldom directly interact with the public in an uncontrolled environment.

I recall reading an article on Naitanui, in which he lamented that he couldn't even go to the servo for a drink, without getting mobbed for autographs, and needed to send his brother.

Difference is that if Hire goes shopping, the number of people who recognise him is lower, so as a general rule he wouldn't need an entourage, or his brother, etc.

Reply #693003 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

"Cmon mate we're talking about an NBL player here."


That is exactly my point.

Reply #693009 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

The only NBL personality that if I saw them in public who would tempt me to say "something" to them would be Gleeson.

Reply #693053 | Report this post


Camel 31  
Years ago

I stop to speak , but I have a high EQ .

Reply #693076 | Report this post


Zig  
Years ago

Thing that concerns me about Re-Signing Hire, is not Greg himself, but rather the balance of the Squad.
Especially the lack of perimeter shooters and all this subsequent talk about going for a "Wing" as SF.

The Great import SFs we have seen in this league of late, Ennis, Craig, Childress, Prather, Tokoto, Conger, to name a few, have all excelled in the "traditional" SF role. (Although some have certainly improved their outside game also.)
People criticised Tokoto because he was weak beyond the arc. That's only a valid complaint if you require that from your SF.
And then we go and sign Hire as the backup SF???
What about that makes sense?

The truly horrifying part is that the only player we currently have who vaguely fits the SF role is Clint Steindl.

So an awful lot riding on getting this import right.

Reply #693102 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

You would think Gleeson would be onto it re: SF. Oh wait, actually I'm not surprised he isn't, just like last season leaving Tokoto exposed.

Reply #693114 | Report this post


Zig  
Years ago

Gleeson would certainly be on to "it", I'm just not sure what "it" is.
He keeps saying he wants more of a "wing" player, which I interpret to mean more outside game, and he's said they need an "upgrade" on JP, presumably referring to his lack of outside game.
But then I struggle to see how any of the SF's he's brought out fit that description. Prather really worked on his outside shot, and after 3 seasons he would fit that description, but wasn't when he first arrived.
(Although supposedly Walker would have been this type of players??)

And I think most would agree, Perth need more 3-point shooters. ie someone besides Cotton.

But then, with an import spot to spare, he re-signs Hire as the backup SF?

We've been very fortunate with our imports in recent years. Ennis, Beal (at his best), Prather, Cotton, and even McKay. But we've also had DD, JJ, and DCJ.
So yes, if he lands another Prather, we're on song. Another JJ, and suddenly we're starting Hire.

Reply #693119 | Report this post




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