1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to This League Uncut in the rule of twenty 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: four hour NBA News. This is you, Chris Haynes. It's time, 3 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: work's time, It's so time. This League Uncut is underway 4 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: in on fire. This should be a good one. 5 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 2: Everybody. 6 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 3: Welcome in to a live edition of the This League 7 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 3: Uncut Podcast. 8 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: I'm Mark Stein on the end of course Turner Sports. 9 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 2: Chris Haynes. 10 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 3: We host the This League Uncut Podcast twice. 11 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 2: A week, but we don't get to do it like 12 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 2: this too often. 13 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 3: Live at All Star Weekend here in Indianapolis on the 14 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 3: NBA Crossover Stage, and we have a guest of honor 15 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 3: in about seven eight hours. He'll be coaching the Western 16 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 3: Conference All Stars from the Minnesota Timberwolves. 17 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: Coach Chris Finch. Good morning, sir. 18 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 4: Good morning, Thanks for having me on Wells Standing Ovation 19 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 4: right there. 20 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 3: Minnesota, thirty nine and sixteen, number one seed in the West. 21 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 3: You were an eighth seed last season. You're coaching the 22 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 3: Western Conference All Stars. I'm guessing this is just how 23 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 3: you drew it up back in October when you guys 24 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 3: were well in training camp and planning this season out. 25 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 5: Well, not exactly. We thought we'd be a lot better 26 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 5: than last year. We figured we could really make a 27 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 5: push to have a home court playoff spot, and you know, 28 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 5: at the end of the day, hopefully that's where it 29 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 5: continues to shake out. But we had a really really 30 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 5: good start of the season. I think we've jumped out 31 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 5: seventeen and four, played pretty good basketball since then too, 32 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 5: to keep our nose in front. But the guys have 33 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 5: been been great. We've been locked in. Defense has been 34 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 5: the key. They really enjoy playing with each other. We've 35 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 5: got good depth, great flaxibility, you know, a lot. We 36 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 5: have been relatively healthy, you know last year we were not. 37 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 5: So all the things point in the right direction. And 38 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 5: then most importantly, you know, when you make the type 39 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 5: of deal we made last year to bring in Rudy, 40 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 5: like these things just take time. They just do. I mean, 41 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 5: it's just set it time and again, you know, Lebron 42 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 5: goes to Miami, takes them a year, you know, to 43 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 5: figure it out. There's a lot of things that you've 44 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 5: got to learn about each other, a lot of roles 45 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 5: have to adjust, and our guys have done that and 46 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 5: we've seen that kind of coming slowly. And then, like 47 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,119 Speaker 5: anything else, kind of all comes together at one time. 48 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 3: When and where in your career was the last time 49 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:39,920 Speaker 3: you coached an All Star game. 50 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 5: I G League coached the G League All Star team 51 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 5: my first year. I think they would have been two 52 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 5: thousand and ten. Maybe it was in Dallas, Remember they 53 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 5: had the snowstorm. By the way, the G League All 54 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 5: Star Game might be the best game here all weekend 55 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 5: because they all play, because they're all being scouted by 56 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 5: the front offices who were do stop by, and it 57 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 5: might be the most competitive game of the entire weekend. 58 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 3: And we only had one day of snow here in Indianapolis, 59 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 3: but Dallas was NonStop snow and hard, hard for people 60 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 3: to get to. 61 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 5: Yeah, I kind of messed up the whole weekend after 62 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 5: the well I coached in the game, but I don't 63 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 5: think I left the hotel bar the rest of the weekend. 64 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 4: So now we're having a good time here in Indianapolis. 65 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 4: This is not quite the worst All Star weekend for me. 66 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 4: Was Toronto two thousand. What year was that star sixteen? 67 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 4: Twenty sixteen? What did the temperature get? 68 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 2: I don't know what the number was, but it was 69 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 2: way colder than that. 70 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, we didn't step outside, not once. Fitch I have 71 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 4: to hit you with the hard hitting question right now. 72 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 5: I just say I was at that All Star Game too, 73 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 5: worked on behalf the NBA with basketball down borders, and 74 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 5: I can remember the lake freezing. You could see the 75 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 5: lake freezing like in one hundred yard segments almost in 76 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 5: front of our eyes. 77 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 4: Usually All Star weekend myself, I like to hit up 78 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 4: all the shoe events, all the parties and what else. 79 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 4: You know, just all the brunches that's going on. Didn't 80 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 4: hit not one of them up that that weekend. It 81 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 4: was that serious offense. You're not getting it out of 82 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 4: this question, hard hitting question right here. With Lebron James 83 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 4: not showing up the practice yesterday, are you bringing him 84 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:17,559 Speaker 4: off the bench tonight? 85 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 5: Heck? Now, I'm trying to keep my job, So I was. 86 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 5: I was. 87 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 4: We were talking a little bit before before we start recording. 88 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 4: Like I would think for most coaches, like once you 89 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 4: get that NBA head coaching job that you know on 90 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 4: the bucket list is to you know, coach an All 91 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 4: Star Game at one point because that major team is 92 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 4: having success and has the best record leading up to 93 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 4: the All Star break. But I would imagine like after 94 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 4: you get one, as you've seen with the commitments you 95 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 4: probably have after you get one, you probably want, you know, 96 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 4: your all star break to yourself after that, Like, what's 97 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 4: what's been the experience like for you? 98 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 5: It's been a great experience. I mean it's a lot 99 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 5: of really kind of cool individual experiences come up and 100 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 5: just being able to bring you know, friends, family, you know, 101 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 5: close ones into the event and they all get a 102 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 5: special experience too. It's and then there's a lot of 103 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 5: waiting in between, you know, the next, the next things 104 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 5: that happen. But it it I've enjoyed the downtime. You know, 105 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 5: I took a nap yesterday. I never do that, sleep 106 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 5: in for a while today. I never do that. The 107 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 5: mental break is from the grind of the season is 108 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 5: just as important as the physical. You know, a lot 109 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 5: of people would like to get get away, go to 110 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 5: the beach, wherever they go. You know, I think we 111 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 5: get in trouble and these if we take these things 112 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 5: for granted, you know, and I think we get in 113 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 5: trouble if we you know, if we don't really try 114 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 5: to enjoy them. So yeah, next year we're assured that 115 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 5: we can't be here regardless. But you know, as long 116 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 5: as the great thing about being here is it means 117 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 5: your team's playing really, really well, and that's the most important. 118 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 3: You made a bit of a Twitter splash yesterday with 119 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 3: your reaction to Anthony Edwards leftfty three's. In practice, they 120 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,280 Speaker 3: did not go well in the skills competition. What are 121 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 3: the chances that you're gonna let him hoist a lefty 122 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 3: three tonight in this game? 123 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: Can you stop him if. 124 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 4: He said he's shooting lefty all game. 125 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,159 Speaker 5: Yeah, We're gonna have a conversation about that, I think, 126 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 5: in the spirit of heightening the competition around the game, 127 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,280 Speaker 5: which I know the league is really pushing everyone to do. 128 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:25,919 Speaker 5: We we need to get him to shoot right handed. 129 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 5: But he has a he's a left handed player. He 130 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 5: likes to attack left handed, he likes to finish left handed. 131 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 5: He might be and you know, even unbeknownst to him 132 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 5: left handed, he shoots a pretty well left handed. And 133 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 5: he's been pushing me to want to shoot one in 134 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 5: a game, a real game. Yeah, And so I said, okay, 135 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 5: if you make if you make three out of five, 136 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 5: you know you can do that. And he made four 137 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 5: out of five. So, but do you know, Anthony's has 138 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 5: got got an incredible amount of confidence. Thinks he can 139 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 5: do whatever he puts his mind to, and most of 140 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 5: the times he can't. 141 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 4: Well, when you think about Anthony Edward, we were talking 142 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 4: about him potential super left handed jump shots. Let's talk 143 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 4: about the competition level of the All Star Game, Like, 144 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 4: do you feel as an obligation to get the guys 145 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 4: to play harder? What has been the message for you 146 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 4: with the team going into this game. 147 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 5: Yeah, I do feel an obligation that we put on 148 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 5: the most the most competitive show we can. I know 149 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 5: the league is really pushing the players, and uh, you know, 150 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 5: we had a meeting with the league a week or 151 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 5: so ago where they went through some of the points 152 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 5: of emphasis of the weekend, and that was certainly one 153 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 5: is they kind of bringing the competition back. I think 154 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 5: one of the reasons they went back to East West 155 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 5: is to hopefully it would infuse some natural rivalry between 156 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 5: the game, within the game, between the players. But at 157 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 5: the end of the day, it's going to come down 158 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 5: to the players willingness to do it. Traditionally, and when 159 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 5: we were growing up, you know, these games would kind 160 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 5: of grow into a competitive, uh you know, competition. The 161 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 5: fourth quarters would probably be you know, more like a 162 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 5: regular NBA game. So yeah, I think there's a little 163 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 5: bit of anxiety about how this is going to go tonight. 164 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 5: I think if people will be honest with themselves, but 165 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 5: I'm hopeful that the guys, you know, bring it and compete. 166 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 3: What realistically, as a coach, can you say to these 167 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 3: guys in terms of defense, what kind of defensive messaging 168 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 3: will there be pregame or during a timeout? 169 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 2: What do you think you can really I. 170 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 5: Mean, I mean, you just you're gonna you can tell 171 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 5: them to try to play some defense. 172 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 4: You know. 173 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 5: It's I mean, it's we're not going to be scheme based. 174 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 5: You know, we're not going to be out there with 175 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 5: any kind of great philosophy. Just comes down to their 176 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 5: level of individual competitiveness. You know, you don't want it 177 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 5: to get to the point where it's too cool to 178 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,679 Speaker 5: play defense, you know, where everything's too cool you don't 179 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 5: want to try. People would feel like it's you know, 180 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 5: it's not cool to try hard, and I don't think 181 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 5: that looks good or feels good for anybody. I'm sure 182 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,319 Speaker 5: in the beginning there'll be a lot of like feeling 183 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 5: it out, and then somebody's gonna have to set the tone, 184 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:05,599 Speaker 5: you know, So the player are gonna have to go 185 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 5: out set the tone offensively and defensively, and that'll wake 186 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 5: up the rest of the troops. 187 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 3: I'm sure defense has been such a big part of 188 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 3: your success with the Wolves this season. I'm sure you're 189 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 3: thrilled to have two of your own players on the 190 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 3: Western Conference All Stars, but Rudy Gobert is not here. 191 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 2: I thought Rudy Gobert should have been an All Star. 192 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 3: How hard do you think he's taking it that he 193 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 3: did not get selected, because you guys have the number 194 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 3: one d in the league, top ranked defense, and he's 195 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:34,199 Speaker 3: obviously a huge part. 196 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:39,679 Speaker 5: Yeah, we thought he was deserving him an All Star nomination. 197 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 5: For sure. He was disappointed. We were disappointed for him, 198 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 5: but in true Rudy style, you know, he's used it 199 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 5: as great motivation and he's played some of his best 200 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 5: basketball ever in the last several weeks since being snubbed, 201 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 5: so to speak. So for us, you know, we're kind 202 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 5: of happy that he's on a beach somewhere, just. 203 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 2: Relaxing and seething somewhere, seething and. 204 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 5: Relaxing, fueling up for what's going to be a heck 205 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 5: of a stretch run. I know he's got his his 206 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 5: you know, his site set on bigger and better things 207 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,199 Speaker 5: for him and us, and that's what's most important. 208 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 4: Coach I've heard in other years prior. I don't know 209 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 4: if it's happened to you, but I'll ask, But there 210 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 4: have been times where other coaches where they have their 211 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 4: players participate in the All Star Games, they'll actually contact 212 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 4: the coach that's coaching that game and tell them, hey, 213 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 4: don't play my guy to like leave Malone. Has any 214 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 4: coaches contacted you about playing time? 215 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 5: That has not happened, you know, but the players have 216 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:41,719 Speaker 5: been pretty you know, pretty open and about what they 217 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 5: want to do. You know, we kind of checked in 218 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 5: where you know, how you're feeling, you know, what's your 219 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 5: body like, where you're at, you know, And so they've 220 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,200 Speaker 5: given us a gauge where they think that they'd like 221 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 5: to play. Who wants to play the most? Oh, no, 222 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 5: I guess this is these are private conversations. You'll know 223 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 5: in a few hours. Yeah, you'll know in a few hours. 224 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,559 Speaker 4: If he played Lebron like forty minutes today. How with 225 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 4: Darth Ham. 226 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 5: I think I think Lebron's going to tell me, but 227 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 5: how much you wanted to play? Yeah, probably right there. 228 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 3: I'd like to go back many, many years because I 229 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 3: was fortunate to meet you. I think it's almost twenty 230 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 3: five years ago now. You were coaching the Sheffield Sharks 231 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 3: in England. After playing for the Sheffield Sharks, Nick Nurse 232 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 3: was coaching the Manchester Giants. I love to tell people 233 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 3: that I discovered the both of you, but. 234 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 2: That's really kind of an exaggeration. 235 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 3: Our mutual friend Ian Whittle a journalist in England at 236 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 3: the time. He was really the only journalist in England, 237 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,719 Speaker 3: or pretty much the only journalist who was covering basketball, 238 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 3: and he introduced me to both you guys now and 239 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 3: I didn't ask too many questions because I was just 240 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 3: getting to meet the both of you. But had I 241 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 3: really put the full court press on you back in 242 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 3: nineteen ninety nine, what would you have said was your 243 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 3: vision for your career? What were you hoping to accomplish 244 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:08,960 Speaker 3: at that point? 245 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 5: Well, I think you know my I just thought I'd 246 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 5: come back and be coaching in college, probably in small colleges. 247 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 5: You know, that's always been my background. We grew up 248 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,679 Speaker 5: in a small college environment. I didn't have a big network, 249 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 5: certainly in Division one. I didn't have any real network 250 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 5: into the NBA at that point in time. I mean, 251 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:33,319 Speaker 5: I was just focused. I was so young then, probably 252 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 5: around you know, around about thirty the beginning of my career, 253 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 5: just trying to you know, win the British Basketball League 254 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 5: every every single season and then go from there. And 255 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 5: that's really it. I did have a few kind of 256 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:51,959 Speaker 5: things happened in my career, like things that didn't happen. Actually, 257 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 5: I had a high school job back in Reading, Pennsylvania. 258 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 5: Is that I didn't get I was offered the job 259 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 5: and then the kind of get away from me for 260 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:02,839 Speaker 5: political reasons at the last moment before I was even 261 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 5: allowed to start. It's a long story, but it's not important. 262 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 5: And then I had another really tiny job offer finalists 263 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 5: for a job a small school in upstate New York, 264 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 5: and I would have had to take a massive pay 265 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 5: cut to do it, but I just an effort to 266 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 5: get home. I just wanted to get home. And neither 267 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:24,319 Speaker 5: of those things happened for me, And had they happened, 268 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 5: I wouldn't be sitting here, you know, I would be 269 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 5: either high school coach teaching in Pennsylvania or I'd be, 270 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 5: you know, on some small college career path right now 271 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:36,680 Speaker 5: or whatever. But when those things didn't turn out for me, 272 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 5: I thought, what am I doing? Like, I'm I'm I'm 273 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 5: on a good path here in Europe. I need to 274 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 5: like maximize this opportunity, and I switched gears. I was like, Okay, 275 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 5: I want to get to I want to get out 276 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:47,679 Speaker 5: to the bigger and better leagues. And when I went 277 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 5: to Germany, I want to eventually get to Spain. I 278 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 5: want to get to these top level countries. So that's 279 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 5: why I set my sights on and when I did that, 280 00:13:55,760 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 5: everything changed for me. Went to Germany but got fine. 281 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 5: That had to rebuild my career in Belgium, and that 282 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 5: was actually kind of the blessing in disguise because the 283 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 5: team there had a lot of money. We were able 284 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 5: to play in the European leagues. We did well in 285 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 5: European leagues, and then it started to snowball from there. 286 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 2: And what do you think got you on the NBA radar? 287 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 5: Well, I know sam Hinkey got me on the NBA radar. 288 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 5: They were when they launched their their D League in 289 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 5: the initiative of Rio Grand they were taking over basketball operations, 290 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 5: basically implementing the baseball model, and they just wanted somebody 291 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 5: that had a totally different profile from what they were 292 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 5: looking for. And unbeknownst to me at the time, they 293 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 5: wanted somebody who played fast, inefficient basketball, which we were 294 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 5: doing in Europe, not because we were more smart or 295 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 5: ahead of the curve, just because these were the types 296 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 5: of players I could afford, you know, guys who could 297 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 5: shoot threes, undersized centers that we played fast. You know, 298 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 5: I couldn't afford to compete in the European leagues against 299 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 5: these big centers and his more rugged teams because we 300 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 5: didn't have that type of money. So we built these 301 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 5: fast teams that shoot shot a lot of threes. And 302 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 5: they started looking for somebody, and my name kept coming up. 303 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 5: And Sam Hinkey has a philosophy that he here's something 304 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 5: from more than one person, he investigates it and whether 305 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 5: it be a book, a movie, some sort of Ted talk, 306 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 5: whatever it might be. You know, he's like, Okay, what's 307 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 5: going on here? So he reached out to me after 308 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 5: summer league. I was guest coach. Donnie Nelson was kind 309 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 5: enough with one of a few contacts because he's so 310 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 5: prevalent in Europe, and his scouting had invited me to 311 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:37,400 Speaker 5: be a guest coach with the Dallas Mavericks and at 312 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 5: Summer League that year, Sam reached out and explained what 313 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 5: they were looking for and asked if I would be interested, 314 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 5: and I said sure. So that's that's kind of how 315 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 5: it all happened. And so Sam, Darryl mory Gerson rosis 316 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 5: you know those that triumpherent was really kind of the 317 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 5: crew that brought me to the league. 318 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 3: And now almost twenty years later, you're coaching the West 319 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 3: All Stars and you're a tipsy and defense first coach. 320 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 2: What happened to? 321 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 5: What happened? I've always liked defense, just you know, somehow 322 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 5: along the way, I got tabbed to being an offensive guy. 323 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 5: That's what they wanted me to do in Houston. When 324 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 5: I went there, they said, Okay, we're gonna go to 325 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 5: the G League. We're gonna tinker around with this stuff, 326 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 5: and we're gonna see what we can do and how 327 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 5: far we can push the envelope offensively down there. And 328 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 5: it was one of the things that kind of like 329 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 5: gave me pause before I took the job, because I 330 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 5: thought it was like, it's still gonna be a circus act. 331 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 5: You know, it's what kind of I want to play 332 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 5: basketball coach, and I don't want to just do crazy things? 333 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 5: So now are in yeah, crazy things? I mean, look out, 334 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 5: the game's revolutionized, and you know everybody kind of plays 335 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 5: that way. But when we first made it to the league, 336 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 5: probably only eight ten teams were playing with pace, you know, 337 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 5: valuing shot selection. And then you know, once Golden State 338 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 5: kind of hit their stride, everything just exploded from there. 339 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 4: So You've been around a bunch of head coaches and 340 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 4: I'm curious your perspective on this. You know, you have 341 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 4: coaches that are great at x's and o's, You've got 342 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 4: coaches that are great at communicating. You've got great coaches 343 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 4: that aren't great at communicating. But when you're coaching the 344 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:17,439 Speaker 4: NBA level, what is the balance that you think that 345 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 4: you have to have in order to be successful in 346 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 4: like commanding the respect of the locker room, not losing guys, 347 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 4: and being efficient? Like, what are what are the features 348 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 4: you need to have? 349 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 5: I would say for me, it's seventy thirty. You have 350 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,959 Speaker 5: the seventy thirty seventy in the man management, you know, 351 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 5: just the relationship with the players, controlling the environment, managing 352 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 5: the staff, holding everybody accountable. You know, the x'es and 353 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:46,120 Speaker 5: o's part is probably thirty percent for me. Staffs are 354 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 5: so big now that we can have so many guys 355 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 5: specialized in all the x's and o's. You know, we 356 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 5: have offensive defensive guys, we have special teams guys, we 357 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:57,880 Speaker 5: have player development guys. I have a staff broken down 358 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:01,919 Speaker 5: into transition coach, a pick and roll coach, almost like 359 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 5: football model, right, And I like that because it gives 360 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:11,360 Speaker 5: those guys like overview, accountability, ownership over something, empowers them 361 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:13,360 Speaker 5: in that space. Then it's easy for me to hold 362 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 5: them accountable. Hey, you're supposed to be in charge of this, 363 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 5: we're not good enough at that. And then I just 364 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,920 Speaker 5: can kind of like check in with the players and 365 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 5: make sure that the mood is right and you know, 366 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,119 Speaker 5: manage the roster and deal with the front office and 367 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 5: all that stuff. And then come meeting time, we sit 368 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 5: down and we all lay it out on the table, 369 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 5: and of course it's my job to make the final decisions. 370 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 5: But I got a great staff. Trust them implicitly, but yeah, 371 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 5: if they're not really good at the ex'es and o's part, 372 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 5: I can't be really good at all the other things. 373 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 5: And these jobs right now are so big. They're way 374 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:50,959 Speaker 5: more about leadership than they are about basketball. 375 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:52,160 Speaker 4: Is that something you learn. 376 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 5: One of my first encounters with Greg Popovich, I was 377 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 5: coaching one of his young kind of draft picks for 378 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:04,440 Speaker 5: the national team in Great Britain, Ryan Richards. Yeah, and 379 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 5: he could. He had come over and had to watch 380 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 5: a tournament in London. You might have actually been there. 381 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 5: France was there in Spain. It was twenty eleven, summer 382 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 5: before the Olympics, and I had a tiny little interaction 383 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:19,360 Speaker 5: with him talking about Ryan and when we were talking 384 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:23,160 Speaker 5: about the jobs, and he said that to me, he said, 385 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:25,640 Speaker 5: the job is way more about leadership than it's about basketball. 386 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:29,160 Speaker 5: And it always stuck with me and then just being 387 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 5: on you know, being in it. He's one hundred percent right. 388 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:36,159 Speaker 3: Wow, I'm glad you brought up the Olympics because just 389 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 3: what was that like? Obviously you were an American. Nick 390 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 3: Nurse was on your staff. You guys are Americans, but 391 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,959 Speaker 3: you had been in England for so long to coach 392 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:49,919 Speaker 3: Great Britain in the Olympics in London, lou All, Dang, 393 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 3: just what are your thoughts when you just think back 394 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 3: on that whole experience. 395 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:56,120 Speaker 5: Well, it's not too dissimilar to this weekend, this experience. 396 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,159 Speaker 5: You know, I've never in my wildest dreams thought it 397 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:01,439 Speaker 5: would have happen. You know, with our history, Nick and 398 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 5: I are, our history of the England is a huge 399 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 5: affinity for basketball there and obviously, you know, our most 400 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 5: formative years were there. We feel kind of almost like citizens, 401 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 5: you know, with such a special place in our heart 402 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 5: for the country and the people in the basketball game there. 403 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 5: But it was one again surreal experience after another. I mean, 404 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 5: met the Prime Minister, met the Queen. Really yeah, and 405 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:28,399 Speaker 5: how is that? What was meeting the queen like that? 406 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 5: It was incredible and Nick and I it was so 407 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 5: the Olympics open on Friday night, the opening ceremonies Saturday morning, 408 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 5: we were like in our apartment and we got a 409 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 5: knock on the door and guy's sense like, hey, the 410 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 5: Queen's coming through to view her you know, basically dormitory 411 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,919 Speaker 5: block where all the British athletes were living, and she 412 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 5: wants to meet half a dozen coaches and half a 413 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 5: dozen athletes, and most of the people were out like 414 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 5: they're out training they're out wherever, and so Nick and 415 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:00,400 Speaker 5: I were able to do a little receiving line comes 416 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:05,360 Speaker 5: down super gracious, you know, somebody with her, with her presence. 417 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 2: I don't even know. 418 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 5: You don't bow, no, you just kind of put your 419 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 5: hands behind your back and wait for her to talk 420 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,159 Speaker 5: to you. And there's all these photocols. You know, I 421 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:16,159 Speaker 5: tell the story a lot. 422 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 2: So coaching Lebron is nothing. 423 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:22,159 Speaker 5: You've met the queen, yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah, but like 424 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 5: she makes you. She made you feel incredibly at ease, 425 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 5: which is quite you know, quite a quite a quite 426 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 5: the talent when you're you know, dealing with somebody like 427 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 5: the Queen. But the best part was Prince She said, oh, 428 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 5: and what do you do? I said, I coach basketball. 429 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 5: She said, all that makes sense, you're very tall. Yeah, 430 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 5: you know, all the usual things that some grandmother would 431 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 5: say too. Yeah, she did there with me. Well, Nick 432 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 5: Nurse was there and Prince Philip, her husband, was right behind, 433 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 5: and she said, on what do you Oh, you must 434 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 5: be the wrestling coach. At the time. The time, Nick 435 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 5: was carrying about twenty five extra pounds than he is 436 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 5: right now. So we always laugh about that. But in 437 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,640 Speaker 5: my office, I have that picture of Nick and I 438 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:06,439 Speaker 5: both with the with the Queen. So and then just 439 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:08,680 Speaker 5: to get to the games and that you know, growing 440 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,439 Speaker 5: up like the Olympics were like this. I mean, we 441 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 5: didn't miss them when we were growing up with just 442 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,840 Speaker 5: they thought this is an incredible sporting event. And then 443 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 5: as you get into professional sports you become so cynical 444 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 5: about everything, right, and then when it all changed when 445 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 5: I was able to be in the Olympics, it's an 446 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 5: incredibly pure sporting event and we know it's not pure, 447 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 5: but as athletes in the village, it was an incredible, 448 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 5: incredible time. So and then to be able to step 449 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 5: out on the floor and what it meant to those 450 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 5: players to hear the you know, God save the Queen 451 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:48,160 Speaker 5: before the games in the arenas you know, playing basketball, 452 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 5: which is not a marquee sport in England, but it 453 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 5: become a pretty big event, team event in the run 454 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:55,960 Speaker 5: up to the Olympics. 455 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 3: So especially because the Olympic field it's only twelve teams, 456 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:00,440 Speaker 3: it's so much smaller than the World World Cup. 457 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:04,399 Speaker 5: So huge. Yeah. So it's just again I can't you know, 458 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:07,400 Speaker 5: just lucky think about my career, things that. 459 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:09,720 Speaker 4: Have happened to me, coach, I want to get a 460 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 4: get a question from the audience real quick. 461 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 5: And I see a young. 462 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 4: Lady right here, been raising her hand all night. Young lady, 463 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:16,360 Speaker 4: come come here police. 464 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 2: What is your name, Charlotte? 465 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 5: Charlotte? 466 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 4: What's your last name? Kane's? 467 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 2: This is my wife, coach. 468 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 6: Yes, well, Coach, I definitely am intrigued with your story. 469 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:33,199 Speaker 6: And I just feel like what you've gone through is 470 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 6: inspirational and. 471 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:37,880 Speaker 2: Required a lot of endurance. 472 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 6: And I want to know how you really use your 473 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 6: your life lessons to you know, help your not only 474 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 6: the players, but your staff, because it is about leadership 475 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 6: and you've had doors open and doors closed, and you know, 476 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,239 Speaker 6: with players there, you know they could be traded, they 477 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,960 Speaker 6: could you know, get hurt, or staff they're not getting 478 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:01,919 Speaker 6: opportunities that they think that they deserve or they would 479 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 6: be next in line. How do you use your life 480 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 6: lessons to like lead them and guide them? 481 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 5: Great question? Thank you. A couple of things. First of all, 482 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:15,640 Speaker 5: you know, I I consider myself kind of an NBA outsider, 483 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,199 Speaker 5: just you know my I think what my path is 484 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 5: taught is a lot of humility. I loved everywhere I 485 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 5: was at I mean, I really did, and so you know, 486 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:30,199 Speaker 5: it kind of bothers me if we go to a 487 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 5: hotel and people complain about these five star hotels that 488 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 5: we stay in. You know, I'm just like, you know, 489 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:38,439 Speaker 5: kind of it's a reality check. Hey, come on, Like 490 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 5: if you were kind of berthed right into the NBA opportunity, 491 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 5: you get spoiled quickly. And I think like having to 492 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 5: kind of coach, you know, around the edges or take 493 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 5: a different path, keeps you, keeps you grounded a little 494 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,199 Speaker 5: bit more. Sometimes I have to remind our staff of that. 495 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 5: You know, hey, let's reduce our footprint. Let's let's be 496 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,119 Speaker 5: super grateful for the things that we're able to have here. 497 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,000 Speaker 5: And then the other thing is it's like you just 498 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 5: got to put the work in and it take it 499 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:07,440 Speaker 5: takes time. Like you know, everybody wants it so fast, 500 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,119 Speaker 5: you know, whether it's players or coaches, everybody wants it 501 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 5: so fast. And that comes from a good place, it 502 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:18,159 Speaker 5: really does. And and but sometimes you know, it just 503 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,880 Speaker 5: doesn't come. And if it doesn't come where you're at, 504 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:22,840 Speaker 5: this is what I've learned. It like you keep trying 505 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 5: and keep trying and keep trying, it's probably not going 506 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 5: to come. There, and then it's not until you leave 507 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:30,200 Speaker 5: that environment you really realize maybe it was dysfunctional, maybe 508 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 5: it wasn't for me. And you always land like we live, 509 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 5: We work in a volatile environment and getting fired or 510 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 5: they were moving on is just part of it. But 511 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:43,959 Speaker 5: I've always landed in a better place, but I couldn't 512 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 5: see it until I got there. And and when you 513 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:49,119 Speaker 5: get there, you get the chance to kind of like 514 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 5: reinvent yourself or go back to what you do best. 515 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:55,159 Speaker 5: And then a whole other people, whole nother you know, 516 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 5: group of people that can then appreciate working with you 517 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:01,160 Speaker 5: and you with them. So those are some of the things. 518 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 5: I think. A person that bodies that on my team 519 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:06,440 Speaker 5: is Nikhil Alexander Walker. I was with him as a 520 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,360 Speaker 5: young player, just kept stubbing his toe, stubbing his toe, 521 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:11,920 Speaker 5: wanted it so bad, wanted so bad, and just had 522 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:14,640 Speaker 5: to go through these processes. And now he's like one 523 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 5: of our most important players, you know, and it's really 524 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,159 Speaker 5: been incredible to like watch him kind of develop that way. 525 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,879 Speaker 3: I'm glad you brought it back to the Timberwolves because 526 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 3: our boss Scott Shapiro, who I want to thank for 527 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,639 Speaker 3: helping us make this show happen. He is a Minnesota native, 528 00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 3: massive Timberwolves fan, and he's going to be playing this 529 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:36,680 Speaker 3: on Loop in his car driving work probably all week 530 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:38,640 Speaker 3: till you guys play another game. 531 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:40,400 Speaker 4: So producer Tim as well. 532 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 3: Our producer Tim, who's working on this show, another Minneapolis. 533 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 5: Well, we appreciate the sport you. One thing that's been 534 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:49,200 Speaker 5: great about our current success is we see a ton 535 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 5: of Timberwolves fans in visiting arenas right now, and that's 536 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 5: pretty cool. 537 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:03,159 Speaker 3: So you guys are thirty nine and sixteen atop the 538 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:05,480 Speaker 3: West here at the break. If my math is right, 539 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:09,200 Speaker 3: I think this is the thirty fifth season of Timberwolves basketball. 540 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 3: But this is a franchise that has not won a 541 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:14,639 Speaker 3: playoff series for twenty years, and that run to the 542 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 3: West Finals and four it's the only two playoff series 543 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 3: that the franchise has ever won. So how much as 544 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 3: a staff, your team, how much do you guys feel 545 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 3: that weight of expectation because obviously in the regular season 546 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 3: you're building up to this playoff run. 547 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:35,680 Speaker 5: Now, really, really, I've never heard that before, Like most 548 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:40,360 Speaker 5: things that you know have happened previously to us. Arriving 549 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 5: in Minnesota. We don't pay a ton of attention to it. 550 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 5: The history's there, but it doesn't really relate to us. 551 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 5: We're trying to forge our own path. We believe what 552 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 5: we're doing is real and repeatable. You know, we got 553 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,120 Speaker 5: some guys that I know are super hungry. They don't 554 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:59,640 Speaker 5: care about individual accolades right now. They're focused on one 555 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 5: thing that as pushing this team through the playoffs as 556 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 5: far as I can go. 557 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:05,200 Speaker 3: Maybe you can answer this one, because you guys were 558 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 3: in Dallas recently and I had a chance to visit 559 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 3: with Tim Conley and I said, you know, you took 560 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 3: so much, so much grief from all of us media. 561 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 2: Know it all is last season. Don't you want to. 562 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:16,480 Speaker 3: Throw it back in our face? How well the trade 563 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 3: is working out now? And of course he was very 564 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:21,480 Speaker 3: humble and he wouldn't do it. But how good is 565 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 3: he feeling right now after last season and all the 566 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:26,440 Speaker 3: heat you guys took, and like you said, a year later, 567 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 3: with you time to get everybody acclimated, and we see 568 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 3: Rudy bouncing back with such a strong season. 569 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,879 Speaker 5: I mean, I think Tim feels extremely proud of this 570 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 5: team and its efforts. I think it's the vision he 571 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 5: always had. We always knew it took take time. We 572 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 5: thought last season it would take at least fifty games 573 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 5: to figure it out. We never really got that chance, right. 574 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 5: He's an incredible valuator of talent and how that talent 575 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 5: fits together. We have a continual dialogue about it all. 576 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 5: I really love working with him. He's never going to 577 00:28:57,720 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 5: be the type of guy who's going to throw it 578 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 5: in anyone's face, know, because he knows how quickly these 579 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 5: things can change. And that's the that's the league we 580 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,959 Speaker 5: work in. You got to stay humble through your success. 581 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 5: You know. We all sat in that room and we 582 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 5: made this the Ruty deal, and we just we were 583 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 5: committed to making it work. And even last year we 584 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 5: didn't feel like it didn't work. We probably win twenty 585 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:21,880 Speaker 5: five games, we don't have Rudy. We're not in the 586 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 5: playoffs last year if we don't have Rudy, and then 587 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 5: you know, being able to continually add to the roster, 588 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 5: you know, Mike, the emergence of Ni Kiel now Monte 589 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 5: Kyle Anderson as a signing. I mean, there's been a 590 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:39,120 Speaker 5: lot of home runs that Tim Connley's hit, and it's 591 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:41,719 Speaker 5: not just the Ruty deal. But it's really the totality 592 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 5: of it all. 593 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 3: And size is back, right. I mean, you're not gonna 594 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 3: win in the NBA without size. 595 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 2: In the West. 596 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 3: You got to get through Denver and you can't do 597 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 3: that with outsize. 598 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 5: Yeah, and you know they're not going to take their 599 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 5: best player off the floor to go small, you know. 600 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 5: And and I think also at the height of small ball, 601 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 5: and the best team to ever do it was Golden State, 602 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 5: and you're just not going to do it better than them. 603 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 5: So I think one of the things coming into it 604 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:07,880 Speaker 5: all was like can we be different? And can that 605 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:08,640 Speaker 5: be good enough? 606 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 4: We had a none of somebody from audience one ask 607 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:12,040 Speaker 4: the question. 608 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:14,200 Speaker 3: I go for it, We're good, go for it, and 609 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:17,560 Speaker 3: then go for it and then we're gonna all right. 610 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 5: Where are you from? 611 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 7: I had done David Warshowski, Chris as a fellow f 612 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 7: and m Alum you had me by a couple of years. 613 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,480 Speaker 7: One not so serious question. When we used to play 614 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:31,800 Speaker 7: pickup ball, you used to make me look the fool 615 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 7: by busting me with threes from the outside. 616 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:36,560 Speaker 5: Why'd you have to do that then? 617 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:41,200 Speaker 7: But the more serious question is you took an untraditional 618 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 7: route and playing for a legendary coach like Coach Robinson, 619 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 7: and being from Franklin and Marshall. Were there positives for 620 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 7: you compared to coaches who don't come through that kind 621 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:54,239 Speaker 7: of background that have made you the coach that you 622 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:54,959 Speaker 7: are today. 623 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:59,160 Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, I appreciate that, and so we need 624 00:30:59,200 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 5: to see some footage. 625 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 2: I need some footage of you playing. 626 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 5: And three, you appreciate people from Franklin Marshall are known 627 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 5: as Fummers, so it's a fellow fumber here. I was 628 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 5: fortunate in my career to have great coaches at high 629 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 5: school and college level. In particular, Coach Robinson will be 630 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 5: in the Hall of Fame one day. I'm sure there's one, 631 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:23,600 Speaker 5: just shy of a thousand game. It's the only job 632 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 5: he ever had. He held it for fifty years he went. 633 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 5: When I was there, we were ranked number one in 634 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 5: the nation for three out of the four years in 635 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 5: my entire career. We lost fourteen games in college, three 636 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 5: of them to Princeton and the other four in the tournament. 637 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:39,440 Speaker 5: So we lost basically seven regular season games to Division 638 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:44,360 Speaker 5: three opponents. What I learned from Coach was situational basketball. 639 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 5: It was outstanding at like, you know, how do you 640 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 5: manage through end of games? In fact, I should probably 641 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 5: bring them in and have them talked to our team 642 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:54,479 Speaker 5: a little bit here, as we have blown a lot 643 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 5: of fourth quarter leeds late resily. But I also learned 644 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:00,880 Speaker 5: that it's simple. We had three plays. That's it. We 645 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 5: had three plays. He never changed him. It was the 646 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,320 Speaker 5: same four three plays for all four years, probably the 647 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 5: same three plays for thirty of his fifty years coaching there. 648 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 5: And it wasn't about the x's and o's. It was 649 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 5: just about how well you choose to do what you 650 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:19,680 Speaker 5: choose to do. So, you know, when I look back 651 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:22,360 Speaker 5: sometimes I have compared my career to my brother, which 652 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:25,959 Speaker 5: who didn't have good coaching. You know, he didn't have 653 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 5: the same experience with and he was five years ahead 654 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:29,960 Speaker 5: of me. And the only reason I'm in basketball is 655 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:33,520 Speaker 5: because I followed him and he just didn't have the 656 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 5: enjoyment and the coaching that I was lucky to have. 657 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:39,200 Speaker 5: So there's a ton of things I take from Coach 658 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 5: Robinson to this day, from the fluidity of the offense, 659 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 5: to the simplicity of things to managing the small pieces 660 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 5: of the game. You know, so. 661 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 2: Well, look without your star power. 662 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 3: We would not have been granted this stage, so to 663 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 3: do this on seriously, to do to come in here 664 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:02,360 Speaker 3: and join us on the day you've got to coach 665 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:04,640 Speaker 3: the All Star Game on the morning of the game, 666 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 3: we are really appreciative. Congratulations to you on a tremendous 667 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 3: first two thirds of the season and wishing you and 668 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 3: the Timberwolves great luck here in the playoffs to come. Everybody, 669 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 3: thanks so much for joining us, Thanks to Chris Finch, 670 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 3: coach of the Wolves, and please, as always remember keep 671 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:29,200 Speaker 3: listening to This League Uncut. Please follow us, rate review, 672 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 3: subscribe to the podcast via Apple, Spotify, wherever you get 673 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:37,080 Speaker 3: your podcasts, and a lot of fun for Chris and 674 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 3: I were not in the same room too often. So 675 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:43,920 Speaker 3: great to have a live episode of This League Uncut 676 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:46,360 Speaker 3: and so honored to have Chris Finch the Timberwolves here 677 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 3: with us. 678 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 2: Thanks again for being with us. 679 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:52,960 Speaker 5: Everybody, Thank you, thank you, and that'll do it for us. 680 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:57,800 Speaker 1: See you next time. This League uncuta is and iHeartRadio production. 681 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:04,479 Speaker 1: The suck a locket Chris Haines and Mark Stein 682 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 5: M HM