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 

There are plenty of sports podcasts out there. What makes Basketball Strong different? That’s exactly what this episode is about. Our goal is to put unlimited tools in the hands of basketball players, coaches, parents, performance staff, and other listeners who love the game as much as we do. We’ll always ask the extra question that makes guests say, ‘Nobody’s ever asked me that’ - whether that guest is 3-time NBA champion Jud Buechler, All-Star Chris Kaman, or NBA Coach of the Year Byron Scott. 

In this episode, you’ll get a brief intro to:

• Who your hosts are (hint: Tim DiFrancesco was the S+C coach of the Lakers and is the founder of TD Athletes Edge, and Phil White is an Emmy-nominated writer who’s written books with Jim Afremow, Kelly Starrett, and Andy Galpin). 
• How Tim and Phil will bring you the stories behind the stories, the unseen hours of practice that makes champions, and lessons for life as well as the court
• What to expect from each show, which is coming at you at least once a week with in-depth, long-form conversations
• Which guest you’ll hear from on the next episode
• Why you should subscribe and keep tuning in 

Keep up with TD on his Instagram feed, check out full episodes and transcripts at basketballstrongpodcast.com, and be sure to subscribe via iTunes or your podcast platform of choice! 

NBA, NHL, MLS, division I college sports, pro rugby. There are few sports that Jeremy Bettle hasn’t worked in at the highest level. At each stop, he has combined the firm foundation of understanding the latest sports science with communication, teamwork, leadership and other soft skills that have allowed him to apply it.

Working with Deron Williams and developing a relationship with GM Billy King led to Jeremy switching from director of sports performance at UC Santa Barbara to becoming head S+C coach at the then New Jersey Nets. He instilled a multidisciplinary approach that included sleep, nutrition, strength training and much more. Partway through his tenure, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce came over in a trade with the Boston Celtics.

In this interview, Jeremy shares:

·       Why if you’re terrified then you’re probably in the right job

·       How mentoring from Dr. Maury Hayashida helped him get athletes from injury to return to play

·       How KG would’ve viewed the kind of “load management” that’s popular in today’s NBA

·       Why teams should prepare players for load, not shield them from it

·       How to use sleep monitoring and RPE more effectively

·       Why player testing should be connected to ongoing monitoring

·       How loading connective tissues and keeping chronic workloads high can increase athlete durability and reduce injury risk

·       Why remembering that players have spouses, kids, and similar everyday lives to everyone else can help coaches better serve them

Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn or on Instagram at @jeremybettlecoaching . Also check out the multidisciplinary Test, Treat, Train model of human performance at Variant in Santa Barbara or online at https://www.varianttraininglab.com/ 

Everybody loves winners, but sometimes the most compelling stories are born out of losing. That’s one of the things Ian Thomsen learned when he was assigned to cover the losingest team in college football while in Northwestern University’s famed journalism program. He also juggled a job for the Chicago Sun-Tribune and eventually earned a spot on one of the greatest writing rosters of all time with the Boston Globe. 

This gave Ian an insider’s view of the heated Celtics-Lakers rivalry that defined NBA basketball in the 80s, and led to a candid, two-hour interview with Michael Jordan when he was coming back from a potential career-ending foot injury. Later stints with Sports Illustrated and The International Herald Tribune saw Ian covering events as diverse as the Rugby World Cup, UEFA Champion’s League, and London Olympics. Throughout all these experiences, Ian’s love of people, ability to unearth previously untold stories, and passion for sports has shone through in every single word he puts on the page. 

In this interview, Ian shares: 

• 
  What it was like to interview Michael Jordan, Pat Riley, and the best Celtics team 
• How living in London and Paris expanded his perspective on life
• Which unexpected stories he most enjoyed writing
• How the Heat vs Lakers vs Celtics vs Mavericks rivalry pivoted the NBA for the better
• What place longform storytelling has in our attention-limited society

To enjoy more of Ian’s insights, follow him on Twitter and read The Soul of Basketball.

Ramsey Nijem’s mom worked multiple jobs to put food on the table for her family and give them the opportunity to excel. So it’s no surprise that he worked so hard in college that he finished his master’s and doctorate in half the normal time and ended up working as an assistant strength coach for the Sacramento Kings just a few short years later.

It took years for the Kings to lay the foundation for their recent return to the NBA playoffs and Ramsey was on site pouring concrete and laying bricks every day, often for 15+ hours. He was one of the first strength and conditioning coaches to integrate data-driven decision making, but always pursued a person-first, athlete-second model. He could’ve stayed at the Kings or in the league for his whole career, but when Bill Self came calling, he moved on to KU. That very next season, Jayhawks like Christian Braun – now an NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets – led the team to a national title.

In this episode, Ramsey shares:

·       How his dog and a gold chain changed the course of his life

·       What he sacrificed to accelerate his education and professional development in elite performance

·       How he implemented sports science thoughtfully with the Kings

·       Why most people think about NBA load management wrong

·       What powered KU basketball to the 2021 NCAA Final Four and a national title

·       Why he embraced life in Lawrence

·       Why Bill Self is such a great coach

Keep up with Ramsey on Instagram @dr.ramsey.nijem and check out his 8-week course and certification for up and coming strength & performance professionals at https://www.appliedperformancecoach.com/

Carrie Moore came to basketball later than most of her peers, when a friend and neighbor’s love of the game rubbed off on her. She quickly made up for lost time, learning from her high school coach Frank Orlando, who’d go on to win almost 800 games. Carrie became a leader on the floor and then scored over 2,000 points at Western Michigan University, where she led the nation in points per game in her senior year.

After graduating, Carrie’s sharp shooting earned her a spot in the WNBA, where she played for the Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky. Carrie also played pro in Poland. Once she called time on her playing career, Carrie moved from the floor to the sideline. She cut her coaching teeth in assistant roles at Creighton, Princeton, Michigan, and North Carolina, also overseeing recruiting. After Kathy Delaney-Smith announced her retirement after 40 years as head coach at Harvard, the Crimson tapped Carrie to replace her after she helped Michigan reach the Elite Eight. In her first season, Carrie led Harvard to 20 wins and a run in the WNIT.

In this episode, Carrie reveals:

• How legendary high school coach Frank Orlando became like a grandfather
• Why she adopted his “believe it” motto and uses it at Harvard
• What she learned from Courtney Banghart about
• How she coaches young women to win the game of life
• Which 4 core values guide the Harvard women’s basketball program
• How she recruits effectively in the age of NIL and the Transfer Portal

Keep up with Carrie’s journey and Harvard women’s basketball by following her on Twitter at  @CoachMoore33

Growing up as the 10th of 13 siblings, George Mumford always felt sensitive to the needs of others, whether it was his brothers and sisters or the homeless people he’d pass when walking to and from school. It was the same emotional intelligence that would one day serve him well when guiding the mental game of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and Kobe Bryant’s LA Lakers. But first he had to pass through some trying times. While basketball offered an oasis from his challenging upbringing, George started drinking and using drugs at age 14. He became good enough on the blacktop to target a walk-on spot at UMass Amherst, where his roommate Julius Erving was becoming a star.

But a bad ankle injury destroyed this hoop dream and George sank deeper into addiction to try and cope. He finished his degree and put his talent for numbers to good use in financial management, but had to wear long sleeves to hide the track marks on his arm. A friend convinced him to come to an AA meeting, which led to a long process of getting clean that involved meditation. His instructor challenged him to teach and he found his passion, starting a mindfulness program for prison inmates and inner city residents. After being introduced to Phil Jackson through their mutual friend, Geoge started working with the Chicago Bulls. He stayed with them through their second three-peat, and then followed Phil to the Lakers, who won their own three championships with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. George continues to consult with pro teams, equip underprivileged kids and adults, and is the author of The Mindful Athlete and Unlocked.  

In this episode, George shares:

• What the Bulls’ mindset was like after Michael Jordan retired to play baseball and how he got Jordan to buy into the mental game when he came back for another three-peat
•  How Jordan responded to missing the potential title-winning shot in Game 5 of the 1998 NBA Finals
• Why Kobe and MJ were the best meditation students he’s had, and Kobe was a kindred soul
• How drive, passion, and curiosity are at the heart of the Mamba Mentality
• Why unlocking your masterpiece within starts with no longer hiding out and being double-minded
• How to find stillness in the eye of the hurricane on the court and in life
• Why the same principles he followed in rehab carry over into elite performance
• How he helps people find their true selves and share their gifts with the world

To tap into all of George’s mindset resources, visit his website, georgemumford.com. You can take his Mindful Athlete course there and check out his new book, Unlocked.

In the late 90s and early 2000s, the LA Lakers looked like the heir apparent to Michael Jordan’s throne, with Shaq dominating in the post and Kobe Bryant coming into his own as the league’s emerging superstar. And when Jordan’s coach Phil Jackson took over, the final piece of the championship puzzle seemed to be in place. But in game 2 of the 2000 Finals, the Laker’s title run was jeopardized when Kobe went down with a severe ankle sprain. 

Somehow, Lakers head athletic trainer Gary Vitti and his team got Bryant back on the floor for a pivotal game 4. In this episode, Gary shares: 

• How winning through pain helped Kobe replace “can’t” and “won’t” in his vocabulary with the “can” and “will” of the Mamba mentality
• Why heading to Indianapolis helped Kobe return to play sooner than if the series had stayed in LA
• When an argument over a thumb injury led to Gary bumping Kobe’s head
• How he used the example of Isaiah Thomas’s injury in the 1988 NBA Finals to inspire Kobe 
• What Kobe did in game 4 after Shaq fouled out to set the Lakers up to win their first title since Magic retired

To hear more of Gary’s stories about Kobe, Shaq, Magic, Kareem, and Pat Riley, listen to our previous Basketball Strong episode with him, and read his book 32 Years of Titles and Tears from the Best Seat in the House.

Henry Barrera currently holds the position of the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach and Assistant Coach for the University of Alabama men's basketball team. Before that, he joined the Liberty men’s basketball program as its Director of Performance in June 2015 and was promoted to 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 on to 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

[Originally released February 2022]

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

Caleb Burgess’s basketball journey as a player includes a nail biting finish to the NAIA national championship game, a horrendous elbow injury that saw a bone shoved into his triceps, and lots more ups and downs. Deciding to stay on at Azusa Pacific after completing his own playing career to pursue a master’s and PhD in physical therapy, Caleb then completed a Residency in Orthopedic Physical Therapy and then a Fellowship in Sports and Orthopedic Physical Therapy through Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

These experiences helped him become an expert in musculoskeletal issues, which he combined with his expertise in sports medicine to treat people as a physical therapist and train them as a strength coach. The combination of the two disciplines has made Caleb a sought-after specialist who is as adept at working with the general population as he is in training and rehabilitating athletes. He has also built up a loyal online following by making complex movement theories simple and accessible. 

In this episode, Caleb shares: 

• How his own injuries inform how he treats his patients
• What role connection and communication play in effectively therapy and coaching
• Why playing the long game is more effective than chasing shortcuts 
• How function takes precedence over pain during injury rehab
• What he remembers about playing for a national championship

Learn more about Caleb’s work on his website and through his Instagram feed.

Tom Brennan went from a small town in New Jersey to playing basketball at the University of Georgia, where he played for Dean Smith’s former assistant Ken Rosemond and won a senior leadership award. While he was at UGA, he had the difficult task of trying to slow down the college basketball phenom in the country, Pistol Pete Maravich. A UGA grad assistant role helped him learn the coaching ropes and he then assisted Bill Raftery at Seton Hall, Rollie Massimino at Villanova, and Bruce Parkhill at William & Mary. Tom coached basketball and baseball at Fairleigh Dickinson before being named head coach at Yale University, where he guided players like Chris Dudley and Butch Graves.   

Tom then took the head coaching job at the University of Vermont. The Catamounts had never been to the NCAA Tournament, but Tom turned them into a perennial power in the America East Conference. He became a fan favorite, co-hosting the Corm and the Coach radio show and becoming “a citizen of the community” in Burlington. Tom led the Catamounts to three straight conference titles and NCAA Tournament runs, culminating in an upset of top-ranked Syracuse. After 19 seasons, Tom moved onto broadcasting for ESPN and CBS, and Vermont named its basketball court in his honor.

In this episode, Tom shares:

• What it was like guarding Pistol Pete Maravich
• How he got addicted to the rush of coaching basketball
• What he learned working for legendary coaches Bill Raftery, Bruce Parkhill & Rollie Massimino  
• Why he left Yale and the Ivy League to coach at Vermont, and what kept him there for 19 years
• How strong relationships & trusting 4-year point guards led to championships
•  What advice Jerry Tarkanian (Tark) gave him before the Syracuse game
• How T.J. Sorrentine and Taylor Coppenrath helped take down Syracuse’s roster of future NBA players
• Why he was never afraid of his team losing
• How he knew Jay Wright was going to become a brilliant coach

Most young assistant coaches dream of the day when they’ll finally get a crack at promotion. But few are ready for the realities of being a head coach. Jesse Wright realized he still had a lot to learn when he was tasked with running the weight room for the NFL Europe team in Barcelona while still in his early 20s. His work ethic and ability to problem solve got him through that trying season, and upon returning to his native Philadelphia, he soon found himself working for the 76ers as a consulting coach through a local performance center that had a contract to oversee the NBA team’s strength and conditioning. 

Overseeing the training of rookies, veterans like Andre Iguodala, Aaron McKie, and Elton Brand, and everyone in between, Jesse recognized the need to give players some degree of autonomy. After his company’s contract ended, he assumed the full-time role of the Sixers S&C coach, and later become the team’s Director of Performance Science. 

In this episode, Jesse reveals:

• Why younger players have so much to learn from the work habits of Aaron McKie, Andre Iguodal, and Elton Brand
• Which elements of coaching football players transferred to his time in the NBA
• How soft skills like communication, hustle, and vision can do more for anyone’s career than technical proficiency 
• How he continued his mother’s creative legacy by writing two books
• What tactics you can use to manage fast-growing teams in any walk of life

To learn more from Jesse, check out his book The Intent is to Grow, follow him on Instagram, and visit his website.

Mike Robertson’s first exposure to basketball conditioning was his high school coach forcing him to run cross country. Though he eventually broke his three-mile PR, logging miles during an Indiana winter actually set him back when he returned to the court. It was solving problems like this that led Mike to take a master’s in sports biomechanics at Ball State, where he studied under pioneers William Kraemer and Robert Newton. Mike also honed his skills working with Ball State athletes, and then with rehab and in-home training clients.

When he moved to Indianapolis, Mike was already offering online training programs and writing for the likes of T Nation and EliteFTS. He then partnered with physical therapist Bill Hartman to open IFAST, which Men’s Health named one of the top 10 gyms in America. Mike has worked with NBA and college basketball players, served as an S+C coach in pro soccer, and prepared athletes at all levels to excel.

In this episode, Mike dishes on:

• How creating a win-win for athletes, coaches, and players creates buy-in for long-term player development
• Why you need to work on athletes’ brakes as well as their engines when increasing vertical jump and power
• Why basketball players and tall athletes are susceptible to ankle, knee, and back injuries and how he makes them more durable
• What he did to prepare Roy Hibbert in the offseason
• How to find the sweet spot between isolated and compound movements to build resilience
• What he does differently to his high school coach for basketball conditioning

Learn more from Mike at www.robertsontrainingsystems.com, listen to his show The Physical Preparation Podcast, and follow him on Instagram @robtrainsystems

After years of beatdowns by the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys, Michael Jordan finally won his first NBA title in 1992. Amidst the commotion in the Bulls’ locker room - champagne spraying, players and coaches yelling, media swarming - everyone wanted to get a defining image of MJ’s triumph, but the Finals MVP was nowhere to be seen. Lakers team photographer and co-creator of NBA Photos Andrew Bernstein was the one who snapped the definitive shot of Jordan crying with the trophy, his father James at his son’s side. 

Such photographic glory was no such thing when a 20-year-old Andrew left UMass at Amherst and headed west to study in the City of Angels. He soon got a gig assisting veteran photogs for Sports Illustrated, and then managed to talk his way into photographing the 1983 All-Star Game for the League on his own, long before photographers had assistants and technicians to help them. He proved his talent and tenacity in the Forum that weekend, and was soon the official lensman for the Lakers, documenting their wins and losses against Larry Bird’s Celtics, the Shaq-Kobe-Phil Jackson three-peat, and the two titles Kobe won with Pau Gasol.

In this episode, Andrew shares:

• How he talked his way into the 1983 All-Star Game assignment 
• What role confidence and New Jersey moxie played as he built an unsurpassed portfolio and started NBA Photos in a filing cabinet in his small apartment 
• What he did to make Magic Johnson reprimand him on a Converse commercial set
• How he got into Pat Riley’s huddle to shoot the Showtime Lakers during timeouts
• Why a shot of Michael Jordan and another of Kobe are his favorites among thousands of photos

Learn more about Andrew’s fantastic photography on his Instagram feed and listen to his insightful interviews as host of the Legends of Sport podcast.

Bill Foran first got into strength training with a friend’s set of vinyl weights from Sears. After studying physical education at Central Michigan, his first coaching job helped the smallest high school compete in its conference. He went from a grad assistant job at Michigan State to head strength coach at Washington State in just one year, helping turn around a football program that hadn’t been to a bowl game in 50 years.

The U came calling and Bill moved to Miami, where he prepared the football team to reach a 55-5 record and win two national championships. After consulting with the Miami Heat during their first season, the team hired Bill as one of the league’s earliest strength coaches. The franchise became a legit contender when Pat Riley arrived in 1995, and won the 2006 title with Shaq, Dwyane Wade, and Alonzo Mourning. Bill also ran the weight room when the Big 3 of Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Both won two titles. After 29 seasons as the Heat’s head strength and conditioning coach, Bill passed the torch to his son, Eric. Bill is also the author of several books, including Strength Training for Basketball.

In this episode, Bill shares:

• How Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson helped him get and keep his job with the Heat
•  What Pat Riley wrote on the locker room whiteboard that inspired the Heat to come back from 2-0 down against the Mavericks and claim the 2006 title
• How Riley’s leadership created The Heat Way and which key values it’s based on
• What made Udonis Haslem and Keith Askins his favorite players to coach
• How a Shane Battier speech sparked a 27-game win streak and championship run
•  Why LeBron James has stayed so durable for so long
• Where he thinks the sweet spot is between NBA load management and continual hard work

Chris Leazier refers to himself as a basketball nomad. He grew up glued to Indiana University games back when Bobby Knight was patrolling the sidelines and winning more championships than he threw chairs. Though a good player, Chris decided in high school that he’d have a greater impact with a whistle around his neck. One of his first stops was Thetford Academy, where he coached Basketball Strong co-host Tim DiFrancesco (TD). After spending seven years as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College, Chris was at the helm of Saint Anselm College’s women’s basketball for two years. 

Then Bakersfield Jam head coach Will Voigt came calling and Chris entered the D-League, soon reuniting with TD as well. After several other college and high school coaching jobs, Will called Chris again and they teamed up to lead the Nigerian men’s national team at the Rio Olympics. Soon after, Chris was back coaching high school basketball, and also served as the head of scouting and video for University of North Carolina women’s coach Courtney Banghart, who had been his fellow assistant coach at Dartmouth. In the past few years, Chris has applied all his coaching expertise at Hudl, where he currently serves as market lead for elite basketball & D1 colleges. 

In this episode, Chris riffs on:

• How he developed more compassion as a coach, while still maintaining a standard of excellence
• Why it’s important to enjoy and learn from every experience 
• What coaching and life lesson transferred from coaching in the Olympics, college, and high school basketball
• Which coach was the best servant leader he has ever seen
• What makes Courtney Banghart such a successful coach

Keep up with Chris on his Twitter feed. 

When Cate Shanahan was in medical school, she was led to believe that “vegetable” oils were healthy and sugar was OK, while saturated fats and salt were the causes of heart disease and other illnesses. It wasn’t until later when Cate investigated why she kept getting sick that she realized everything she’d been taught wasn’t true. Seed oils and excess sugar were the real causes of her issue and rising rates of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, cancer, cognitive decline and other health problems.

While Cate was consulting with the Lakers, she taught players like Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, and Dwight Howard about the toxins lurking in their pantry and on supermarket shelves. She also revealed the benefits of grass-fed meat and dairy, collagen, and other nutrients that helped the world’s best basketball players up their game and improve their wellbeing.  

In this episode, Dr. Cate shares:

·       How seed oils contribute to heart and metabolic diseases once blamed on salt and saturated fats

·       Which Hateful 8 oils you should avoid and the healthy alternatives to seek out instead

·       Why Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace turned to bone broth to quickly heal injuries

·       How sugar & PUFAs cause inflammation and degrade connective tissue, muscle & joint health

·       Why she recommends grass-fed butter instead of omega 3 supplements

·       What health, performance & recovery benefits you’ll get from cutting out seed oils, limiting sugar & including more on-the-bone meat in your diet

Learn more about Dr. Cate’s work on her website, www.drcate.com, read her books Deep Nutrition, The Fatburn Fix, and Food Rules, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @drcateshanahan .

Growing up in a broken home, Phil Beckner watched his mom walk to work at a gas station, and later clean houses after long shifts at a truck stop. So when it came to putting in the effort to earn good grades or a basketball roster spot at Kansas Wesleyan University, he had a higher standard to aim for.  When he graduated, Phil applied his gift for getting the best out of others to coaching, with roles at Weber State, the Oklahoma City Blue (the Thunder's D-League affiliate), and Nebraska.

After two years as associate head coach at Boise State, Phil made the difficult decision to walk away from the college basketball sidelines. Several NBA teams came calling, but he chose to focus on two clients – Damian Lillard and Tim Frazier – and build his own coaching business instead. Betting on himself eventually paid off, with the likes of Mikal Bridges, Anfernee Simons, CJ McCollum, and Cam Johnson relying on Phil to develop their skills, mindset, and character. He also consults with the Philadelphia 76ers and other elite teams, athletes, and organizations.

In this episode, Phil shares:

• How his mom’s work ethic, two teachers’ examples, and several mentors imprinted on him
• Where the philosophy behind “Be better, be different” came from and how everyone can harness the success formula that made Damian Lillard an All-Star player and person
• Why he equips players to be better humans as he’s developing them on the court
• What led him to leave college coaching and build a coaching business from scratch instead of taking an NBA job
• Why “We don’t want anything from you – we want everything FOR you” guides his coaching
• Why a deep level of significance is more impactful than a surface level of success

Learn more from Phil @PhilBeckner on Twitter and at develop2compete.com

Have you ever wondered why tall athletes can move so fluidly on the basketball court or in a rowing boat but sometimes struggle to squat or deadlift? As a well-muscled, tall sprinter and long jumper in high school, Lee Boyce quickly realized that he didn’t look or move like most of his fellow track and field athletes. He was curious about why height, weight, limb length, and other factors impacted athletic performance and how he could apply this to his own training. This thirst for knowledge led Lee to take exercise science classes, where he mastered \\\\\the basics of how the human body moves and realized he wanted to pass along what he discovered to others through coaching.

While he was studying kinesiology in college and competing in track, he started training at a gym and helping others put the lessons he was learning into action. 16 years later, Lee has trained hundreds of people, written over 1,200 articles for the likes of Men’s Health, Onnit, and Breaking Muscle, taught multiple college classes, and co-authored the book Strength Training for All Body Types with Melody Schoenfeld. His #tallguytuesday posts have become a go-to resource for basketball players and coaches at all levels.

In this episode, Lee shares:

·       Which squat and core training exercise variations basketball players and other tall athletes benefit from

·       What his severe knee injury taught him about training for durability

·       How an athlete’s height, weight, lever length, training age, and real age should guide their training program

·       What the top 3 motivations are for recreational athletes and how a coach can harness these

·       Why there should be principles but not rules in coaching

Learn more from Lee by reading his book Strength Training for All Body Types, visiting his website leeboyce.com, and checking out his daily posts on Twitter and Instagram @coachleeboyce.

Sometimes a classic sports story begins with someone believing in the underdog who goes on to become the hero. But in the case of Coach Rocky Lamar, it was a doubter who told him he should switch sports that put him on the path to basketball greatness. His determination to prove them wrong fueled three hours a day of practice, which earned him a spot on the varsity. Rocky’s Hall of Fame Coach Bill Fleming didn’t just teach him how to play point guard, but also the importance of defending, rebounding, and valuing the ball. These principles helped Rocky reach the college level, where he set records for assists and free throw percentage at MidAmerica Nazarene College (later university).

Fleming’s influence also inspired Rocky to coach high school basketball back in Iowa. When he returned to his alma mater, MNU’s only winning seasons had come when Rocky played, but he soon built them into a powerhouse. Though the team lost the 2001 title game, they won the national championship in 2007 and reached the NAIA Final Four five other times. By the time he retired in 2022, Rocky’s teams has won 13 conference titles, made it to the national tournament 19 times, and had 23 seasons with 20 or more wins. His 803 victories put him eight on the all-time active coaching list, alongside the likes of Jim Calhoun, Mike Krzyzewski, and Mike Boeheim.

In this episode, Rocky reveals:

·       Why planning fundamentals-focused practices like John Wooden created consistent excellence

·       What nightly open gym runs in the summer did to fuel four straight Final Four appearances

·       Why relationship-building should be focused on helping players and expecting nothing in return

·       How staying with a single program enabled him to touch lives and develop a large coaching tree

·       Why every player should do what’s right, do more than their fair share, and be tough

Learn more from Rocky as he keeps mentoring players and coaches on Twitter @CoachRockyLamar.

Stan Van Gundy recently tweeted about how injuries and games missed are way up despite NBA load management and teams having bigger medical and performance staffs. Basketball Strong co-host and former Lakers S&C coach Tim DiFrancesco (@tdathletesedge) replied that SVG is right, but 80s and 90s players didn’t grow up playing year-round AAU and spending off court time on their phones or with skills trainers, which affects durability. Veteran strength coach Mike Boyle responded: “Too many games too early. The mileage on these guys is way up by the time they get to the professional level. Plus more strength coaches doesn’t necessarily mean more players lifting.”

Over a 40-year career, Mike has coached everyone from high school to college to pro athletes, including the World Series-winning Boston Red Sox. So if anyone’s qualified to identify root issues in youth sports that bear bad fruit in the big leagues and then propose practical solutions, it’s him.  

In this episode, Mike reveals:

·       Why early youth sports specialization doesn’t work

·       What a more well-rounded and responsible approach to developing young athletes looks like

·       How 2 strength sessions per week/100 per year increase the durability of young athletes & NBA players alike

·       Why pro players are often like a broken bottle held together by the label & what teams and coaches can do about it

·       How going back to basics with jumping/landing, sprinting, lifting, and throwing creates a solid foundation for athletic development and reduces preventable injuries

Dive deeper into Mike’s expertise on strengthcoach.com and bodybyboyle.com, follow him at @mboyle1959 on Twitter and @michael_boyle1959 on Instagram, and listen to him and Anthony Renna on the Strength Coach Podcast.

Anyone who loves basketball in the Pittsburgh area knows T.J. McConnell’s family name. Whether it’s his father Tim, who racked up 662 wins at Chartiers Valley, his aunt Suzie who played in two Olympics and was WNBA Coach of the Year, or another aunt and uncle who’ve coached at the college level, the McConnells are legendary in Pennsylvania hoops. So it’s no surprise that T.J.’s ended up on the court at a young age.

But as a 5-foot-5 freshman, there didn’t seem to be a path to a major college, let alone the NBA. However, T.J.’s tenaciousness earned him a scholarship from Duquesne and growing to 6-foot-1 helped him average 34 points a game as a senior. After two solid college seasons, T.J. made the difficult decision to transfer from Duquesne and play for Sean Miller at Arizona. He redshirted and then helped the Wildcats reach the Elite Eight in his junior and senior years. Though he went undrafted, T.J. got an invite to the Sixers’ summer league team and his relentless work ethic earned him a roster spot. He has since set an NBA record with nine steals in a game and now plays point guard for the Indiana Pacers.  

Listen up as T.J. dishes on:

·       What his dad taught him about basketball, hard work, and life

·       Why he transferred to the University of Arizona and how it forced him to level up

·       How he had to scratch, claw, and give 110% to make the cut with the Philadelphia 76ers

·       Why he still tells himself that that the moment he relaxes is the moment he’s done in the NBA

·       Where his commitment to be a pest on defense comes from and what he learned from JJ Redick

Follow T.J.’s push to the playoffs with the Pacers and his passion for wine and coffee on his Instagram feed @tjmcconnell.

Coach John Mosley can still remember the day his life changed forever. Gang members fired bullets outside his Los Angeles high school in a drive-by shooting, and Mosley was on his way to get revenge. But as he was about to jump in his friend’s car, he asked himself, “What am I doing?” Soon afterwards, two words took him down a different path: “Basketball tryouts.” Mosley came late to the game, but his stellar point guard play earned him minutes at East LA College (ELAC), The Master’s College (now University) and with pro teams in Brazil and Australia. Next, he went back to guide the Mustangs on the sidelines with Coach Keith Oates and then took the assistant coach position at Cal State Bakersfield with Keith Brown.

His other alma mater, ELAC, came calling, and Mosley took his first head coaching job, believing he’d just be there for a year before accepting a D1 offer. Yet 11 seasons later, he feels called to remain at ELAC to develop troubled young men as players and people. Just before the pandemic, his squad got international airtime in season 1 of Last Chance U Basketball. Though COVID robbed them of a state title, KJ Allen, Deshaun Highler, and Joe Hampton became stars. In season 2, Coach Mosley and his assistants Ken Hunter and Rob Robinson guided a new crew led by Bryan Penn-Johnson, Dez Washington, Shemar Washington and Demetrius "DC" Calip II to D1 and D2 scholarships, and ELAC won the conference title.  

In this episode, Coach Mosley shares:

• How faith and basketball saved his life
• Why growing up in a tough neighborhood prepared him to lead young men
• When he almost turned down Netflix
• How he and his kids survived a terrible car wreck
• Why he continues to turn down offers from prestigious programs to serve at ELAC
• How his father passing unexpectedly galvanized his mission
• Why impacting lives is even more important than winning games or trophies

Learn more from Coach Mosley at his website, https://coachjohnmosley.com/ and on Instagram @coachjohnmosley

In practice, Sean Light could often make every free throw. So why was it that in college basketball games he felt frozen at the line, while his brother could pitch 102 miles an hour at Fenway Park with no problem? It was questions like this that Sean sought to answer as he served as a strength coach with the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks.

As he observed minor leaguers over the long, 162-game season, there were a lot of counterintuitive patterns, like nonchalant players making it to the majors while hard workers struggled. It wasn’t until Sean joined Basketball Strong co-host Tim DiFrancesco at the Lakers that he started making connections between the brain, nervous system, and performance. He has since built such insights into evidence-based systems of excellence through Weight Room Wealth.

In this episode, Sean shares:

·       How he helped NBA players like Brandon Ingram unlock their full performance potential

·       What you can do to stay calm on the court and in life

·       Why managing threat perception is key to being your best

·       How to harness neuroscience to groove new habits

·       Which 3 steps will help you make focus your default state

·       The funniest Randy “Big Unit” Johnson story you’ve never heard

Learn more about Sean’s unique approach to the neuroscience of business and sports performance at www.weightroomwealth.com and on his Twitter feed @SLight20.

In his 22 years covering the Los Angeles Lakers as a sideline reporter and play-by-play announcer riffing off color commentator Mychal Thompson, John Ireland has seen the team win five NBA titles, pull off a rare threepeat, and make it to the Finals eight times. He has witnessed a lifetime of highlights from the likes of Shaq, LeBron, Paul Gasol, and other All-Stars, but it’s the legacy of Kobe Bryant that has left an indelible mark.

John started covering the Lakers in Kobe’s rookie year, and saw him grow from an unnaturally confident teenager into a perennial All-Star, two-time Finals MVP, and five-time champion. As a broadcaster, John called all of Kobe’s biggest victories and most painful losses, but it was the moments when nobody else was watching that revealed his true character. From brief courtside encounters at Staples Center to hotel conversations on the road to after-hours practice sessions in empty arenas, John had unique insights into a singular talent who will never be forgotten.

In this memorable episode marking Kobe’s tragic passing, John shares:

·       What Kobe working out with an assistant coach’s son at 4 AM showed

·       How his comment about Kobe not playing with a sprained ankle led to a 39-point outburst

·       Why Kobe once had 18 full beer bottles by his feet in a Houston bar

·       What parenting advice he gave Kobe after his daughter Natalia was born

·       Which Michael Jordan move Kobe perfected even though he knew it was traveling

·       Why Kobe’s 60-point farewell is the one game he’d go back and re-live

Listen to John as he calls Lakers games and hosts the Mason & Ireland show for ESPN LA, and follow him on Twitter @LAIreland.

“On a football field, I didn’t pass the eye test,” said Mike Guevara (aka Mike G). Despite describing himself as short and slow and facing prejudice from being one of few on the football field with both Asian and Mexican descent, Mike battled his way to a college football scholarship and starred as a wide receiver. His work ethic, self-discipline, and quest for continual improvement has even earlier roots in his upbringing as the son of a 20-year US Army veteran.

When his football career ended, Mike translated his passion for training himself into coaching others. Earning an internship at The Training Factory, he put in long hours, did everything his colleagues didn’t want to do, and sought mentorship from veteran coaches. Within a few years, he’d worked his way up to being performance director and helped prepare Victoria Azarenka to win two Australian Open titles and Olympic tennis gold. When another coach left, he took over the training of eventual NBA champion Jrue Holiday, which led to also coaching his brothers, Anthony Davis, and many other pros. As well as coaching athletes independently, Mike and his wife launched the GBG (Greatness Breeds Greatness) app, which offers NBA-level coaching to players of all ages and abilities.

Listen up as Mike shares:

·       Which 5 qualities create success in coaching and life

·       Why passion, hard work, and persistence lead to winning

·       How finding joy in coaching everyone prepared him to excel with elite athletes  

·       Why “figure it out” is one of his guiding principles

·       What role being prepared and committing to daily excellence play in his continued growth

Keep up with Mike G on Instagram @mrdoitmoving and check out the GBG app at https://gbghoops.com/ and on the GBG Instagram feed @gbg.hoops.

Imagine being born with a gift for music, playing piano, drums, and bass so well that you were recruited by Julliard and other top music schools, but then giving it up because it was too easy and you really loved basketball. That was the path chosen by Alex McLean, who didn’t play organized ball until he was 18 and then had to learn the game at two junior colleges. His dedication eventually earned a college scholarship to Liberty University, where Alex became a prolific scorer and rebounded.

But though he got good enough to star in several pro leagues overseas, Alex took another diversion when he gave up playing to start his coaching career. An unexpected call from the Washington Wizards led to him overseeing G-League assignments, and he worked his way up to lead the team’s player development. Alex has also become a go-to coach in women’s basketball, working with the likes of Kiki Rice and Paige Bueckers, and recently started a school with his business partner to give back to the DC community.

Listen up as Alex shares:

·       Why he turned down a lucrative pro deal in China to become a GA for $800 a month at Liberty U

·       How being the first player in the gym for a year can help you win a roster spot

·       What Paige Bueckers finishing a training session with one shoe showed about her

·       How John Wall’s Achilles injury and a commitment to serving helped establish his NBA career

·       Why doing the unseen work today prepares you for tomorrow’s opportunity

Learn from Alex’s lead-by-example mentality on Instagram @alexmcleanbball

The first thing almost every interviewer asks Alan Stein Jr. about is coaching Kevin Durant. But what they gloss over is that it took two years of calls and faxes (remember those?) for Durant’s prep school, Montrose Academy, to bring him in as a strength and conditioning consultant, that this role was initially unpaid, and that he covered his own travel expenses. There’s also rarely a mention of all the unseen hours that Alan spent training general population clients and building up his basketball coaching business with DC-area high school players. 

Alan applied the same level of diligence and persistence once he got the role at Montrose, and as he began to work at Nike elite camps. This experience gave him the confidence to start impacting teams and coaches, and eventually led to his transition into high performance coaching for companies and executives, which he balances with keynote speaking and authoring the best-selling books Raise Your Game and Sustain Your Game. 

In this episode, Alan shares: 

• How working with general population clients crossed over to coaching basketball players like Kevin Durant
• Why the best measures of a player’s progress are how they perform on the court and how much fun they’re having
• What role a mentor played in developing his coaching craft
• Why investing in becoming the best version of yourself is the most valuable thing you can do 
• How relationship building and showing how much you care are the keys to impactful coaching

Learn more about Alan’s principles-driven coaching in his new book Sustain Your Game and follow him on Instagram.

Imagine seeing talented but raw basketball players like Andrew Wiggins, Lou Dort, Tyler Ennis, and Jamal Murray when they were 15 years old and being tasked with molding them into future NBA and Olympic pros. Dr. Marc Bubbs has lived this life for the past decade, as the sports nutritionist on a holistic, person-first Canada Basketball team of dedicated coaches, talented players, and committed sports scientists. 

Marc encapsulated his experiences working with this organization and professional teams in many other sports in the excellent book Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That is Revolutionizing Sports. In it, he covers everything from epigenetics to gut health to immunity, and much more. 

Fire up this episode and you’ll hear Marc’s take on:

• Why nutrition is so foundational to basketball performance
• How improving overall health quickstarts athletic development
• What role sleep plays for anyone wanting to be at their best
• Why community is an underrated aspect of peak achievement
• Which obstacles he has to help athletes overcome to reach their potential

To continue learning from Marc, grab a copy of his book Peak and follow him on Instagram.

Lance Hurdle learned to love basketball from his grandfather, who put a basketball in his small hands when he was five. 15 years later and with Lance now starring for the University of Miami, it was the same man who’s imminent passing inspired Lance to record his career high against the UNC Tar Heels. In between, Lance moved from New Jersey to San Diego, where he started playing against his step father’s Army buddies as a teenager. In his senior year of high school, he upped his scoring average from 13 to 24 points to lead his squad to a division championship. 

Lance’s star was on the rise, but at UC Santa Barbara, he struggled to find his best game and place in the rotation. He transferred to San Bernardino Valley College and came on strong in the second half of the season, winning conference player of the year as histeam claimed the conference title. With several offers from top D1 programs, Lance chose to attend the University of Miami, and got his first taste of the NCAA tournament. He then played for the Bakersfield Jam, Idaho Stampede, and Springfield Armor in the NBA D-League, before taking his talents to play pro in Australia. Lance then co-founded Excel Basketball Academy and is the Cape Henry Collegiate School's Varsity Assistant Basketball Coach, 8th Grade Head Basketball Coach and Director of Student Life.

In this episode, Lance shares how he:

• Learned tough lessons about hard work, sacrifice, and attitude from 3 coaches
• Overcame adversity in his freshman year and bounced back to earn a scholarship to University of Miami
• Leaned on his faith when times got tough
• Received essential advice from Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra
• Discovered the true meaning of gratitude when coaching Aboriginal kids in Australia
• Decided to share all he has learned from the game with students at Excel Basketball Academy and Cape Henry Collegiate School

Keep up with Lance on Instagram and via the Excel Basketball Academy website.

Todd Wright’s journey to the NBA improbably with living in a closet alongside the costume for the Boston College eagle mascot. This might seem improbable, but it was an indication of the many sacrifices he would make along the path to becoming one of the most respected strength and conditioning coaches in basketball. The fact that he ended up in the sport at all is fortuitous, as he started out playing college football and then leading linemen, receivers, and the rest through their lifts. The opportunity to switch to from the field to the court came courtesy of Rick Barnes.

Having earned his stripes at George Mason University and Providence College, Barnes took over the basketball program at Clemson. Seeing the fine work Todd was doing, he offered him the chance to learn the ropes with his team while furthering his education. Todd jumped at the chance and helped Barnes turn around the Tigers, before going with him to the University of Texas. There, the Longhorns made it to the NCAA 16 out of 17 seasons. Todd then had the chance to transition to the NBA, where he took a unique dual role of assistant coach and head of strength and conditioning. After four years with the 76ers, Todd became the vice president of player performance and assistant coach for the LA Clippers.

In this episode, Todd reveals:

·       What he learned from Rick Barnes during a two-decade partnership and Brett Brown with the 76ers

·       How his dual role in the weight room and on the bench came about

·       Why coaches should invest in continuing education

·       What he includes in his basketball-specific movement system

·       How NBA performance and player care have evolved

Keep up with Todd’s push to the playoffs with the Clippers on Instagram @toddwright_coach

Coach Brendan Suhr is viewed as one of the most respected figures in basketball with nearly 30 years as a coach and executive in the NBA and 13 seasons as a coach at the collegiate level. He has been a part of some of the most historical basketball teams of all time while winning back-to-back NBA Championships with the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys”, as well as the 1992 “Dream Team” who won the gold medal for the United States at the Barcelona Olympic Games. He developed his “Servant Leadership” mentality while working as an Assistant Coach under Hall of Fame coaches Chuck Daly, Hubie Brown and Lenny Wilkins.

During his coaching career he has coached some of the world’s best players such as Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, and Karl Malone. Coach Suhr has a passion for developing effective leaders. His extensive background in the corporate world spans over 30 years as a leadership consultant who specializes in coaching, leadership, team building and culture.

In this episode, you’ll hear Coach Suhr share:

·       What Michael Jordan did to lead by example on the 1992 Dream Team

·       How Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumar, and Bill Laimbeer’s unique personalities blended to propel the Bad Boys to two NBA titles

·       Which lessons that he learned from Hubie Brown still stick with him

·       How the tireless work ethic and basketball IQ of Dennis Rodman powered the Pistons

·       Why the Dream Team wasn’t the greatest squad he’s ever coached

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

During his six seasons with the Lakers, Tim DiFrancesco (TD) saw first-hand how Kobe Bryant pushed through pain and injury to give his all to the game he loved. In one memorable moment, Mamba cemented his Madison Square Garden legacy by overcoming severe low-back tightness to somehow take the hallowed floor and put on another classic performance against the New York Knicks. 

In this episode, TD shares: 

• What Kobe did before each game to get his aging body game ready
• Why he was on the floor of the visitors’ locker room in agony
• Which exercises TD and the Lakers staff did with Kobe to bring relief
• How the Mamba Mentality enabled Kobe to tough it out when most people would quit
• Why Kobe was determined to honor the MSG fans and give every game his all

For a deeper insider’s view of Kobe’s greatness, check out our previous conversation with longtime Lakers trainer Gary Vitti and TD’s 8 Things that Coaching Kobe Bryant Taught Me episode.

Strength and conditioning for young pro athletes isn’t easy, but because they’re bouncy and resilient, you can experiment more to find a line of best fit. But what about when you’re training older athletes aged 35 and up, either in the general population or a pro sports setting? That’s the question legendary strength coach answers in this podcast. In this part 2, he and former Lakers S&C coach Tim DiFrancesco discuss:

• Why you should make a “who’s smarter than me?” list and then seek those people out to learn from them
•  How he approached coaching veteran athletes with the Boston Red Sox
• Why the most important question to ask is “Does this hurt” and any answer other than “no” means “yes”
• What the number one reason is for older athletes getting hurt and how to avoid it
• Why over-valuing your own knowledge leads to under-networking
•  Which exercises he typically avoids with veteran athletes
• Why a coach needs to be an effective face reader and active listener
• How being a bouncer and bartender gave him the soft skills needed for coaching
• Which coaches and PTs he sought out for mentoring and who he recommends today

Read Mike’s new book, Designing Strength Training Programs and Facilities (2nd edition), check out his articles at strengthcoach.com, and follow him at @mboyle1959 on Twitter and @michael_boyle1959 on Instagram 

Chris Winter’s path to becoming a world-renowned sleep doctor began when he was a child. When the power went out in a blizzard and he and his family were huddled up in sleeping bags around their stove, he wondered, “Does everyone like to sleep as much as me?” Fast forward 20 or so years and Chris was studying at the University of Virginia, wondering what branch of medicine to specialize in. A biology credit advisor suggested that he help out a sleep specialist, Paul Serratt. One day, Chris said, “It’d be cool to study how sleep affects athletes.” His mentor replied, “Chris, this is the best thing about it – anything you can think about with sleep research hasn’t been done yet.” Just like that, Chris decided what he wanted to do with his career. 

During his first year of practice,Chris heard that the Montreal Expos were playing half their games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and realized this would be the perfect opportunity to study how jet lag and circadian rhythm disruption impacts sports performance. This kicked off what would become one of the largest sleep studies of pro athletes, with Chris compiling data from more than 22,000 MLB games over nine years. The San Francisco Giants saw a news report quoting Chris when he presented his research and hired him as a consultant, and soon afterward the Oklahoma City Thunder did likewise. He has since worked with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards, as well as the Washington Mystics in the WNBA.

In this episode, Chris shares:

• What you can do to sleep longer and better without medication
• How sleep improves physical performance and emotional wellbeing
• Why sleep is a secret weapon that helps NBA veterans stay in the league and young players make the cut
• How travel gives one team a circadian advantage and what that means for when you cross time zones
• What coaches, physical therapists, and other practitioners can do to improve their athletes’ sleep

Learn more from Chris by reading his books The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child, and by following him on Twitter @drchriswinter

Few basketball players can claim to have played on the same high school team as an NBA All-Star, but that’s the experience this week’s guest, Trey Johnson, had when hooping with Mo Williams. A gifted scorer in his own right, Trey took his talents to Northeast Mississippi Community College, where he averaged 19 ppg before transferring to Alcorn State. Here he shot 41.5% from behind the arc for a year, and then transferred to his father’s alma mater, Jackson State. Trey finished 10th in the nation in scoring during his junior season with 23.5 points per game, and upped this to 27.1 ppg, earning conference tournament MVP honors and being named SWAC Player of the Year.

Pro scouts soon came calling and Trey spent three NBA seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, and New Orleans Hornets. He was also a member of the 2011 Lakers’ playoff team. Trey also made his mark in the D-League, earning All-Star honors twice (2008-09 and 2010-11). He was named to the All-D-League Second in 2008-09 and First Team honors in 2010-11 after leading the league in scoring at 25.5 points per game – while also scoring a league-high 48 points in a single game. After finishing his pro career overseas, Trey went into coaching. 

In this episode, you’ll learn from Trey:

• What it meant to follow in his father’s footsteps at HBCU Jackson State
• How he learned to be a pro from playing with Mo Williams
• Who he leaned on as he went back and forth between the NBA, D-League, and playing overseas
• How his faith informs his principle-driven coaching style
• What he does to reach young players and help them grow on and off the court

Keep up with Trey on his Twitter feed. 

Sometimes the only way to begin a new chapter in life is to painfully end the previous one. So it was for Andy Barr, whose pro soccer career with Luton Town in England was cut short by injury. With help from the player’s union, he pursued a degree in physiotherapy and right out of college, found himself back in top-level football with Bolton Wanderers FC, where he was part of a forward-thinking sports medicine team.

Andy helped reduce injury rates at Bolton, Southampton, and Manchester City by 40 to 60%, while also pioneering the use of heart rate monitoring and other technology. He then seized the chance to work in the NBA and enabled the New York Knicks to make similar advances. Founding Quantum Performance allowed him and his colleagues to scale elite-level training to not only pro basketball, soccer, and football players, but also weekend warriors. Andy helped Kevin Durant return to play, is consulting with the Brooklyn Nets, and recently launched the Q-Bands prehab/training/rehab system.

In this episode, Andy shares:

• Why the best kind of ability for any athlete is availability
• What role communication and collaboration played in helping Kevin Durant return from an Achilles tear
• How Mike D’Antoni was ahead of his time with load management
• Why sports science always needs to be all about the players and the game
• How risk taking and wanting to increase his impact took him from Manchester City to Manhattan and led to creating the Q-Bands training and rehab system

Keep up with Andy on Instagram @andybarrpt, learn more about Quantum Performance at quantumperformance.co and check out Q-Bands at https://www.qbands.co/products/quantum-performance-bands

JJ Outlaw’s father, John,  followed an unconventional path in pro sports, playing in the NFL before coaching in the NBA. Two decades later, his son followed in John’s footsteps. JJ was equally adept as a baller and a football player, but decided to focus on the latter when he went to Villanova. During his four-year career with the Wildcats, JJ was a three-time All-Atlantic 10 selection and ranked fifth in school history in receptions and ninth in receiving yards. As a senior in 2005, he led the Atlantic 10 in receptions per game, ranked third in all-purpose yards, and was sixth in the league in receiving yards per game.

JJ’s stellar college career earned him a roster spot with the Philadelphia Eagles. When his football career ended, he became Director of Basketball Operations for Marist University, where he spent two seasons before being recruited by LA Lakers head coach Mike Brown as the team’s video coordinator. JJ soon worked his way into the role of Player Development Coach with the Lakers, and went on to serve as assistant coach of the Memphis Grizzlies for two years (which included a brief stint as head coach). In August 2019, the Cleveland Cavaliers hired JJ to be their assistant coach. 

In this episode, JJ shares: 

• How only one other person understands his unconventional career path: his father
  Why being around NBA players and coaches inspired him to shoot for the stars
• What was the hardest thing about going from a pro football player to an entry-level college basketball role
• Who mentored him on his NBA coaching journey
• Why he feels blessed every single day

Keep up with JJ via his Instagram feed.

We ended part 1 of our conversation with sports psychologist Dr. Jim Afremow with him quoting Bill Russell as saying, “Commitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered.” Now Jim’s back to share how you can develop this key attribute and other mindset skills. The good news is it only takes a few minutes a day, and that with practice, everyone can build a true champion’s mind. This is what Jim has seen since his earliest days as a sports psychologist, when he saw the rise of Tom Izzo and Nick Saban at Michigan State.

Connection is another “C” of mental toughness that Jim has found is essential to bringing athletes and coaches together as a unit. He then explores how serving others and selflessness are traits common to most great leaders. In contrast, Jim reveals the wedges that can drive people and locker rooms apart and undermine a team’s culture, which is another core pillar of team-level mental resilience.   

Hear Jim share:

·       Why purpose and consistency are the keys to becoming totally committed  

·       How Steve Kerr’s core values fueled the Warriors’ title runs

·       What he learned about teamwork at the San Francisco Giants

·       Why you should create a goal card and look at it daily

·       Which exercises coaches and players can use to get to know each other better

Get more insights on the mental game from Jim in his classic book The Champions Mind and on Twitter @goldmedalmind.

Dr. J once said, “The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life – mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical.” Yet so often, we focus most of our time and effort on that last one. In working with everyone from college teams like Michigan State and Arizona State to NBA All-Stars and Olympians, sports psychologist Dr. Jim Afremow has developed the 6 Cs of mental toughness.

In this first of two parts, he shares that being mentally resilient isn’t something we’re born with, but is a skill that can be developed just like a fadeaway jumper or step-back dribble. Jim also revealed that old-school notions of coaches making players run until they puke or denying water breaks have nothing to do with real toughness – it’s more about staying positive and proactive in the most adverse situations. Listen in to learn from Jim:

·       What you can do to build your confidence up to Michael Jordan’s level

·       How to remain composed when the game is on the line

·       Why self-talk is so important and how to develop it

·       Which techniques the best players use to keep their concentration

·       When it’s time to flip the switch before a game

Learn more from Jim by following him on Twitter @goldmedalmind and by reading his latest book, The Leader’s Mind.

In our first interview with Larry Nance Jr., he shared how his tryout got him drafted by the Lakers, what Byron Scott taught him about how to get more playing time, and why Damian Lillard is such a strong leader. Since then, Larry and teammate CJ McCollum got traded from the Blazers to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Though Zion Williamson was out injured, Larry, CJ, and Brandon Ingram took a team that had started 1-13 on a strong push in the final weeks of the season and earned them a spot in the NBA Play-In. They beat the Spurs and the Clippers to tee up a first round series against Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and the Phoenix Suns. Exceeding expectations, the Pelicans pushed the Suns to six games, who needed a perfect game from Paul to advance. Larry took time out of Pelicans training camp to come back on the Basketball Strong Podcast, and he shared:

·       How guarding Zion Williamson reminds him of battling Julius Randle as a rookie

·       What he told Zion about treating his body like a Lamborghini

·       Which playoff moment showed him Willie Green’s coaching excellence

·       How young players can make an NBA roster and the habits veterans need to stay in the league

·       What it’s really like inside an NBA training camp

Follow Larry’s season with the Pelicans on Instagram at @larrydn7 And learn more about his and Noah Weber’s foundation, Athletes vs. Crohn’s & Colitis, on their feed @athletesvscrohns