Joe is smiling, too, learning of Raheem The Dream's community dedication and Rick Pitino's lies.

Working the room down at a benefit dinner in Sarasota, Raheem The Dream told the St. Pete Times he enjoys drinking a cold brew and watching a ball game. Joe appreciates that.

Raheem The Dream also talked about his desire to devote himself to the community in his free time, wrote Times scribe Stephen Holder, 

“You want to be out there in the community,” he said. “You kind of have a role now where you can influence some people. This year, I want to go out and dedicate myself to the education of the youth in the Tampa Bay area. … I went over to Middleton (High) to talk to those kids about the importance of the FCAT (exam). That stuff is what it’s all about.”

There seems to be a hell of a guy behind The Dream’s big smile.

Now many basketball greats were on hand at this charity event hosted by Dick Vitale. Holder caught up with Rick Pitino who said he could relate to Raheem The Dream being a young head coach in the spotlight.

Told of Morris’ predicament and sudden ascent, Pitino could relate, recalling his experience of being hired to coach the New York Knicks in 1987 at age 35.

“In New York, I tried to blend in, but of course, that’s the media capital,” Pitino said. “But up there, you had the Rangers, the Giants, the Jets, the Mets, the theatre, all that. He’s probably going to stick out a little more in Tampa.”

Joe mentions Pitino only because somebody has to call him out for dropping such a massive line of crap with a straight face. Pitino tried to blend in??  Really, coach. So the Armani suits and all the on-court, rah-rah antics you did before each game in New York was all part of the blending in process?

Plus your feud with your general manager who robbed the Bulls of Charles Oakley for you was all part of blending in. Interesting opinion of yourself there, Coach.

Yes, this is a Bucs site, but Joe, being a bit of an amateur NBA historian, just couldn’t let this go. The fact is Pitino did everything to grab the spotlight in New York. Joe suspects he even needed Valium to calm his excitement over the NFL trotting out replacement players in 1987.