The Basketball Strong Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Basketball is in Michael Plansky’s blood. Two of his brothers won state titles in high school, his dad coached his sister’s teams to another state championship, and his brother Mark played on Villanova’s 1985 NCAA championship team. After his own successful playing career in both basketball and baseball at Fairfield University ended, Michael decided to move into coaching. After serving as an assistant at Brandeis University for four years, Michael learned from the legendary Tom Davis at University of Iowa.

He then moved on to Saint Michael’s College, where the men’s team won their postseason conference title. As they went on to the NCAA Tournament, Michael’s twins were born prematurely at 26 weeks. Soon after, he accepted the head coaching job at Salve Regina University. On the way to practice for the team’s conference tournament, Michael found out that his son Max had cerebral palsy. After leading Salve Regina to a regular season championship and program wins record, he took Endicott College to two conference tournament titles and NCAA berths. Following roles as an athletic director and a leader of a veterans’ charity, Michael founded the non-profit You’re With Us, which began after Northeastern University’s basketball team welcomed Max into their team and their hearts.

In this episode, Michael shared:

·       How his father’s cancer battle inspired him to become his best on and off the court

·       What Tom Davis taught him about coaching philosophy

·       How he coped with parenting premature twins and a player getting meningitis during his first season as a head coach

·       Why Coach Bill Coen and the Northeastern University basketball team changed his son Max’s life

·       What You’re With Us is doing to empower teens and young adults with disabilities

Learn more about You’re With Us at www.yourewith.us and follow them on Instagram @youre_with_us and on Twitter @youre_with_us

Ken Hunter still remembers the night he pulled a kitchen knife to stop his dad hitting his mom. What came next was even more extreme, although for anyone growing up in southwestern Detroit, it was normal. The court provided Ken with some solace, and he quickly grew into a top prospect, attending the same school where Jalen Rose had won a state title. When his football coach kicked his butt for skipping school, Ken also became a standout student, even while living off friends’ couches and with his grandma.

A run-in with the law landed Ken in the courtroom, and seemingly heading for jail. But a mentor went all Good Will Hunting and convinced the judge to expunge his record if he served in the military. Once he got out, Ken picked up a ball for the first time in two years and played at LA Trade Tech. Feeling at ease for the first time in his, he helped turn a losing program into a winning one, including a statement win over East LA College. But wrestling with his roommate snapped something in Ken’s spine and he was instantly paralyzed.

Falling back in with his OGs back in Detroit, Ken was so depressed he called his wife and said he wanted to die. But his college coach brought him back to the West Coast as an assistant, and taught him the coaching trade over 13 years. Then, fittingly, his time as a lead recruiter started where his playing days had dramatically ended: ELAC. Since then, he has worked closely with Coach John Mosley to lead young men to D1 scholarships and faith on the court and leadership off it – as shown on camera in Last Chance U Basketball on Netflix. He is also involved in many charitable causes throughout LA and back in Detroit, and is a devoted father of five, husband, and now grandfather.

In this episode, Ken comes in hot about:

·       How his uncle shot his father in the head and what happened next

·       Why he turned to basketball for solace

·       How he turned paralysis into a blessing

·       Why he has such a heart for young men from inner cities

·       What drives he and Coach Mosley to deliver daily servant leadership

Keep up with Ken on his Instagram feed @coach_ken_last_chance_u and follow ELAC basketball’s progress at https://www.elacathletics.com/sports/mbkb/coaches/index

Growing up with a dad (Terry) who played 10 seasons in the NBA, you might expect that Ed Davis was pushed from the time he could hold a basketball. But his father let Ed’s love of the game develop naturally before training him on the court, at the track, and in the weight room when he was a teenager. Ed also benefited from a mom who let him put basketball first, pickup games with the likes of Ben Wallace at Virginia Union, and the discipline and timekeeping he learned at a private military school.

All these things helped Ed become a top-10 high school prospect and McDonald’s High School All-American. His decision to play for Roy Williams at UNC was vindicated when the team won the national championship his freshman year. After his sophomore season, Ed declared for the 2010 NBA Draft and was picked 13th by the Toronto Raptors. In his 12-year career, he also played for the Grizzlies, Lakers, Jazz, Nets, and Cavaliers, and led the league in offensive rebounding rate one season.

In this episode, Ed dishes on:

·       Why he chose to fight for playing time at North Carolina over starting at other schools

·       How breaking his wrist against Duke changed his pre-draft process

·       Why the Transfer Portal, NIL, and mixtapes have changed high school and college basketball  

·       How guidance from Reggie Evans and DeMar DeRozan helped him navigate his rookie year

·       Who was his worst coach in the NBA and how this contrasted with the leadership of Quin Snyder and Roy Williams

Keep up with Ed on Twitter @eddavisXVII. 

Many players struggle to bounce back after one ACL tear, while two would be the end for most. So imagine suffering three ACL injuries, and being forced to sit out from the time you were a high school senior until you were a fifth-year senior in college. That’s the 1,788-day odyssey that Jelani Williams has lived through. 

Shining on his high school team as they made a perennial push to the state title game and holding his own against the likes of #1 prospect and current Denver Nugget Michael Porter, Jr., Jelani had his pick of Power 5 schools. He chose to play at Penn so that he could get an Ivy League education as well as develop his basketball skills. A savvy leader since his sophomore year, Jelani’s squad lost in the final game of the year his junior year but went on a big win streak their senior season to make it back to the state title game. But Jelani was forced to watch from the sideline after tearing his ACL. 

Just after he was cleared to play, his other knee buckled and he knew immediately what had happened and another year was lost. Then came more heartache when the same thing occurred 12 months later. Determined not to quit the game he loved, Jelani doubled down on his rehab and in November 2021 played his first college game for Penn, 1,788 after that fateful moment in high school. 

In this episode, Jelani reveals:

• Why he felt joy to see his teammates life the state championship trophy when he couldn’t play
• What impact his family and faith has had on his comeback
• How he’s been a vocal leader to his college teammates from the sidelines
• Why he kept going through three ACL surgeries
• What it means to be back on the court after so long out of the game

Follow Jelani’s comeback journey via his Instagram account. 

Many players struggle to bounce back after one ACL tear, while two would be the end for most. So imagine suffering three ACL injuries, and being forced to sit out from the time you were a high school senior until you were a fifth-year senior in college. That’s the 1,788-day odyssey that Jelani Williams has lived through. 

Shining on his high school team as they made a perennial push to the state title game and holding his own against the likes of #1 prospect and current Denver Nugget Michael Porter, Jr., Jelani had his pick of Power 5 schools. He chose to play at Penn so that he could get an Ivy League education as well as develop his basketball skills. A savvy leader since his sophomore year, Jelani’s squad lost in the final game of the year his junior year but went on a big win streak their senior season to make it back to the state title game. But Jelani was forced to watch from the sideline after tearing his ACL. 

Just after he was cleared to play, his other knee buckled and he knew immediately what had happened and another year was lost. Then came more heartache when the same thing occurred 12 months later. Determined not to quit the game he loved, Jelani doubled down on his rehab and in November 2021 played his first college game for Penn, 1,788 after that fateful moment in high school. 

In this episode, Jelani reveals:

• Why he felt joy to see his teammates life the state championship trophy when he couldn’t play
• What impact his family and faith has had on his comeback
• How he’s been a vocal leader to his college teammates from the sidelines
• Why he kept going through three ACL surgeries
• What it means to be back on the court after so long out of the game

Follow Jelani’s comeback journey via his Instagram account. 

Pro baller. Entrepreneur. Wife. Mother. Everything Briana Butler touches turns to gold. She played for three years in the WNBA, which required her to also ball out for teams in Europe and Australia due to female pros being underpaid. Once her pro career was over, Briana decided to build on the BS in human performance she earned from USC with a master’s in clinical nutrition from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 

She and her sister - former WNBA player Stef Gilbreath, founded Power Portions, and work with collegiate, professional (NFL, NBA, WNBA, NBA G-League, Ultra Marathon & Cyclist), NFL combine, NBA combine, and health and wellness clients in private practice and under world-renowned brands such as Southern Methodist University, EXOS, Gatorade Sports Science Institute, and the Dallas Cowboys. Above all, Briana finds purpose in being a wife to her husband Brice and full-time mom to her son Braiden.

In this episode, Briana shares: 

• Why she had to play overseas as well as in the WNBA to make a living
• What kept her going through multiple injuries
• Why she went back to school to become a sports dietician
• How she teamed up with her sister to create Power Portions
• What she does to help young athletes overcome struggles with body image issues, the social media comparison trap, and nutrient deficiencies

Keep up with Briana via her Instagram feed and check out her sports nutrition services on the Power Portions website. 

Pro baller. Entrepreneur. Wife. Mother. Everything Briana Butler touches turns to gold. She played for three years in the WNBA, which required her to also ball out for teams in Europe and Australia due to female pros being underpaid. Once her pro career was over, Briana decided to build on the BS in human performance she earned from USC with a master’s in clinical nutrition from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 

She and her sister - former WNBA player Stef Gilbreath, founded Power Portions, and work with collegiate, professional (NFL, NBA, WNBA, NBA G-League, Ultra Marathon & Cyclist), NFL combine, NBA combine, and health and wellness clients in private practice and under world-renowned brands such as Southern Methodist University, EXOS, Gatorade Sports Science Institute, and the Dallas Cowboys. Above all, Briana finds purpose in being a wife to her husband Brice and full-time mom to her son Braiden.

In this episode, Briana shares: 

• Why she had to play overseas as well as in the WNBA to make a living
• What kept her going through multiple injuries
• Why she went back to school to become a sports dietician
• How she teamed up with her sister to create Power Portions
• What she does to help young athletes overcome struggles with body image issues, the social media comparison trap, and nutrient deficiencies

Keep up with Briana via her Instagram feed and check out her sports nutrition services on the Power Portions website. 

Henry Barrera joined the Liberty men’s basketball program as its Director of Performance in June 2015 and was promoted to his current position as Director of Strength and Conditioning for Olympic Sports in July 2018. Barrera came to Liberty from the state of Oregon, where he was a Performance Training Specialist at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton. While at Nike he was instrumental in designing training content for multiple projects including Jordan Brand’s Terminal 23 in New York and The Hangar in Los Angeles. He continues to consult with many training companies including Nike Basketball, the Jordan Brand, Nike N7, Shoot 360, and multiple others.

As a basketball player, Barrera began his college career with Leon Rice at Yakima Valley Community College helping rebuild a dormant program and eventually becoming league co-champs in 1996-97. After two years at Yakima Valley Community College Henry moved onto Multnomah University where he had a stellar career, averaging close to 20.0 ppg and dishing out almost 8.0 APG. Barrera was rewarded for his hard work and dedication by being named a three-time All-American and was ultimately honored with the 1999-2000 NCCAA Pete Maravich National Player of the Year award. 

In this episode, you’ll hear Henry share:

·       What a painful family experience taught him about prioritizing

·       How faith helped him bounce back strong from a devastating loss

·       What he did as an undersized player to exceed other people’s expectations and win a nationwide award for best point guard

·       How performance principles from other sports can be applied to basketball

·       What’s at the core of the NCAA Tournament-level basketball program at Liberty U

Learn more about Henry’s work by following him on Twitter.

Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Phil Jackson got all the media attention during the Chicago Bulls’ second three-peat, but role players were crucial to their success. While Jordan was still on his baseball hiatus, the Bulls signed small forward Jud Buechler, who’d previously shown what we now call “3 and D” skills with the Warriors, Spurs and Nets. 

The following March, Jordan sent the basketball universe into a frenzy with just two words: “I’m back.” In this episode of Basketball Strong, Jud shares the inside story of the three championships that followed, what it was like in those intense Bulls practices after Jordan’s return, and why he appreciated the tough love and leadership of His Airness. We also rewind to discuss Jud’s college days with Lute Olsen’s expert tutelage, what he learned as a multi-sport athlete, and the unsurpassed work ethic that earned him a 12-year NBA career. 

In this episode, you’ll hear Jud share:

• Which core values he learned from Arizona Hall of Fame coach Lute Olsen
• How fellow Wildcat Steve Kerr mentored him through his NBA journey
• What happened in Michael Jordan’s first practice with the Bulls after he came out of retirement
• When he decided to choose between volleyball and basketball
• Who his favorite teammates were and what he gleaned from Tex Winter, who invented the Triangle Offense

Imagine suiting up to do battle with the likes of Shaq, Alonzo Mourning, and Dikembe Mutombo on a nightly basis. That’s what awaited Chris Kaman when he debuted in the League after the LA Clippers selected him with the 6th pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, which also featured LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Carmelo Anthony. Chris went on to become one of the best post players in the NBA, earning an All-Star nod in 2010. After leaving the Clippers, Chris continued to be a consistent scorer and defender for the New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, LA Lakers, and Portland Trailblazers. 

Before making his mark in the League, Chris worked his way up from a blue-collar background to become one of the most highly rated big men in the nation. Earning a scholarship to Central Michigan University, Chris led the Chippewas to a Mid-American Conference Championship and an NCAA tournament first-round win in 2003. Chris’s stellar performances as a beast on the low block led to Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America honors, and a clamor among NBA scouts to sign the skilled center. 

In this episode, Chris gets real about:

• What his working-class upbringing taught him that served him well on the court
• How his father became his best friend and confidant
• Why loyalty is so important
• What it took to excel in the NBA for so long
• Why Terry Stotts is his favorite coach and Damian Lillard the best teammate