UWM's Pat Baldwin reflects on COVID-19 changes, 'The Last Dance' documentary



MILWAUKEE -- There's a lot going on in the world of basketball at the collegiate level amid the coronavirus, with rule changes and recruiting changes. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Pat Baldwin knows both. He is the coach of the Panthers and the father of elite player, Patrick Baldwin.

"Sometimes, there are kids that I know that may contact me about that stuff," said Baldwin. "If they have the proper guidance behind them, and pushing them in the right direction, that won't be an issue, but where we find it is when there isn't that guidance. My dad used to say, 'At some point, the training wheels have to come off, and you have to fall, and you have to see if you can get right back up.'"

Pat Baldwin, himself, was a player at Northwestern in the mid-90s when Michael Jordan was a player with the Bulls. You can bet Baldwin and his family are watching "The Last Dance" documentary.

"What I can just remember is the buzz, and just how fun Chicago was during that time," said Baldwin. "It was a lot of fun watching someone like Michael Jordan. I had a chance to meet him on a couple occasions, and you could just see the competitiveness, and I remember a lot of the competitiveness that he had, in meeting him and watching him. This is a treat for me."

From "The Last Dance" to just getting back out on the dance floor, that's Pat Baldwin these days.