John Calipari, Wenyen Gabriel talk Kentucky’s loss to UCLA. Fletcher Page
NEW ORLEANS — Amid their on-going battle of progression and improvement, coach John Calipari showed his Kentucky basketball players what genuine conflict and adversity looks like during the team's trip to the Big Easy.
The Wildcats visited the National World War II Museum the day before losing to UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic.
"I did it because I wanted to go and I said, 'you're coming with me,'" Calipari said. "So I tried to explain some things to them, the Normandy D-Day landing. I tried to explain the Battle Of The Bulge. I said you probably would hear this at some point, I tried to explain Bastogne and how that was."
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The Museum features exhibits that, according to its website, "not only highlight the role of world leaders, but also the everyday men and women who found the strength and courage to accomplish the extraordinary."
Calipari discusses historical events often with his team. The Wildcats collectively talked about the Civil War in August, he told reporters earlier this year. Calipari said he hoped the images and videos of the WWII museum trip provided a lasting perspective for his players.
"It's just, you just want them to be, to acknowledge that we had a chance of losing that war and all of our lives changing and these men, what they did — and that museum has very vivid videos, where you could see," Calipari said. "... I wish I had five hours, I would have enjoyed five hours. We were there about an hour. But I think it was good for them."
Fletcher Page: fpage@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @FletcherPage. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/fletcherp