Full speed ahead

Adam Candee

Wednesday, May 7, 2003 | 9:39 a.m.

Scoring 19,015 points in the NBA and then going on to become an actor are enormous personal challenges.

Reggie Theus used a silky jump shot and his movie star looks to accomplish both of those feats, yet the work ethic that acquired those things has not enabled Theus to achieve what he wants most: a college or pro basketball head coaching job.

"The biggest challenge so far in my life is breaking into the coaching arena," he said Tuesday after the Tee Up For Kids charity golf tournament at Rhodes Ranch.

Theus is a celebrity chair of the event that benefits the Clark County Public Education Foundation, a non-profit group that raises money for public schools in Southern Nevada. That is just one of many hats for Theus, 45, who keeps a Formula One pace in his professional life even after 13 years in the NBA.

That includes his current gig as sideline reporter for TNT's coverage of the NBA, a recurring panelist on Fox Sports' "The Best Damn Sports Show Period," a consultant's role with the Denver Nuggets during the summer and his newest job, a volunteer assistant coach at Cal State L.A.

That's not to mention all the old jobs, such as voice of the video game "NBA Live," the acting spot as Coach Fuller on the short-lived NBC teen show "Hang Time" and movie roles in "Forget Paris" and "Baby Bedlam."

"While I can do it, let's just burn 'em on all four burners," Theus said. "I haven't earned the right to slow down. There's too much to do."

Yet the coaching fire burns brightest for Theus, a two-time NBA all-star and standout on the Rebels' 1977 NCAA Final Four team. Theus caught a break last year when the Las Vegas Slam of the reincarnated ABA picked him up as head coach. The league folded after the season, but Theus appreciates that he must take coaching opportunities wherever they come.

"For me, it worked out fine," Theus said. "I got a chance to do what I want to do -- run a team and get more experience on the sideline. That's what that was all about. I can't control what happens to the league."

Theus said the frustrating part of his quest to coach is that he cannot improve his chances through hard work. The networking and chance timing of the business control his fate, Theus said, but he refuses to give up.

"I happen to be one of those guys, whether it be an analyst or a coach or anything else I've ever done, I've never been given anything," Theus said. "It seems like I'm one of those guys that has to work twice as hard as everybody else. And I don't mind that because I understand it."

Becoming an actor, however, is something Theus did not understand at first. Theus said he spent years building the emotional walls that professional athletes need in order to survive their "fish bowl" existence. His first acting coach demanded that Theus put himself outside of those walls and reveal his emotions.

Just like in sports, Theus had to learn to fail -- repeatedly -- before he could begin to succeed.

"Acting is probably the most humbling thing I've ever done," Theus said. "Don't even let me start on that. I'm talking real humbling in terms of complete failure and complete egg on the face and falling on your face.

"The moments come when you're in an interview or an audition, and you're awful. And you know you're awful, but you can't quit even though you want to, even though you know that you have no idea where you are and you've lost the character.

"Then you're sitting across from someone who doesn't give a damn who you are or how many points you scored in your career -- may not even know who you are. It's a different world. And you get done, and they don't even look at you. All you can do is pick up and walk out."

Walk out, yes, but not walk away. Theus welcomes his opportunities, as well as the inherent challenges that accompany them.

"The one thing that I am a walking example of is Plan B," Theus said. "Having great respect for life, you have to have Plan C also. Everything doesn't work in your time frame or the way that you actually think that it's supposed to work."

Theus then flips around his golf cap to change into NBA analyst mode. He said the playoffs are still wide open.

"I don't think anybody can say (who will win)," Theus said. "I don't care what Bill (Walton) says, I don't care what Charles (Barkley) says."

Theus said someone must prove Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant can be had in a seven-game series, and that the Eastern Conference bracket "doesn't really matter" because of the West's strength. That said, he likes New Jersey to emerge.

Theus finds that dealing with NBA players is a good experience on the whole, although there are some who could use a splash of cold water.

"I think a lot of them are very spoiled and ungrateful for the opportunities that they have, in terms of dealing with the media and embracing some of the coverage that we do for them," Theus said.

Theus feels that having a stage where people will listen is his biggest legacy.

"Years ago, I started to think about where your blessings are in life," Theus said. "As a professional athlete in any sport, your real blessing is your platform to speak from. It's not that you make so much money or that you've been able to do certain things in your life.

"Your real blessing is to be able to give back. That's what you have to do."