Why is mike fratello called czar

He announced on Monday he would retire at the conclusion of the Eastern Conference finals. Fratello, whom Albert long ago dubbed "the Czar of the Telestrator," still works as a TV analyst, notably doing many Clippers games locally this season. But he has not partnered on a game with Albert since Nov. The circumstances this time will be different, including the fact Albert and Fratello will not be on site but rather will call the game off monitors in an Atlanta studio.

It was the fact that Marv understands basketball. Share this: Twitter Facebook. Like this: Like Loading My Tweets. Return to top of page. Blog at WordPress. It was the spring of Fratello had been a three-sport starter at Hackensack High, and he tried to do the same his first year in college.

But the demands were just too much. He had to give something up. His first love was basketball, but at 5-foot-7, he knew his upside was limited.

Fratello, the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, looks on from the bench in So he gave up his favorite sport, a difficult decision — and one, it turned out, that would set him on his way to becoming a prominent figure in the sport for decades.

It was the first step of a long and prosperous journey — one that started at Montclair State and took him to the top of the profession as both a coach and a broadcaster.

All of the experiences and everything that took place over the four years was perfect for me. So how did the scrawny son of an Army boxer, whose diminutive stature left him a full foot and a half below some of the men he would lead, become so successful in basketball?

Find a way! Each step along the way, he took on more responsibility. Each step, he fell in love with the profession a little bit more. Fratello always knew that this life, even when it involved the long hours watching grainy game tape or conducting practices in tiny gymnasiums, was the life he wanted.

His big break came in His friend and mentor Hubie Brown, who had coached against him when Fratello was in high school and once hired him as a lifeguard at a pool club, called with an offer to become one of his assistant coaches with the Atlanta Hawks. Brown saw something in Fratello at a young age, and he knew it would translate into a successful coach — at any level. He had it at Montclair State.