Basketball Interview Questions

Everyone has their favorite interview questions. Let’s take a swing at some and get an AI consult. 

The candidates want to introduce themselves and understand the athletic environment. Be prepared and authentic. 

What is your basketball philosophy?

• Our culture flows from our philosophy - teamwork, improvement, and accountability. 
• Need platitudes? "Champions behave that way before they become one."
• I heard of a candidate who answered that they didn't have one and got the job. It didn’t go well.

Describe your top strengths. 

• Player development includes skill, leadership, and character. Coaches change behavior and belief. 
• Find a coach with a superpower, developing a learning culture. 
• The game is about the players. The players drive the process. 

How have you rebounded from a failure?

• I had a mediocre, disappointing not average college baseball career. That didn't define my life.
• I don't think I excelled at work-life balance. Ask whether you can "always do your best" when work and family time conflict. It’s a work in progress.

What is your greatest achievement as a coach?

• At the same time of working to bring our best version as a doctor-engineer wife team and as a coach, we raised four great adults.
• The career arcs of players coached brings a lot of satisfaction.  

What’s your communication policy with parents? 

• Never discuss playing time of another player. 
• Never discuss strategy. 
• Have a 24 hour "cooling off" period post games. 
• Never have a meaningful, hard conversation with a player without another adult (assistant coach, parent) present. 
• Work to "speak greatness," sandwiching correction amidst praise. 

Describe a couple of basketball/sports books that influenced you

• "In These Girls Hope Is a Muscle" (Madeleine Blais) examines girls basketball culture in depth 
• "The Politics of Coaching" (Carl Pierson) addresses the realities underpinning coaching.
• "Basketball: Multiple Offense and Defense" (Dean Smith) is my favorite 'coaching' book

What’s your policy about playing time? 

• In the developmental (middle school) level, every player gets in twice each half
• The top few players got more time because they had earned it including offseason skill development sessions
• "If you get the kid, you have to take care of her." Herb Welling delivered advice about getting the generational player. 

In the event of a disciplinary issue, what is your process?

• We never had any substantive problems...if there had been, they require a conversation among the player, the parents, and the program director. 

Who is your top idol as a coach?

• I'm a huge fan of Dean Smith as both a person and as a basketball mind. My high school coach, Sonny Lane (New England Basketball Hall of Fame) deserves credit as a coach and mentor. 

Why do you want this particular job?

• This is the 'raison d'etre' the why of coaching. Whomever you choose to lead this program has a responsibility to teach life, bring positivity, and model excellence daily.
• "Basketball is sharing" - Phil Jackson  Creating a learning and leadership culture is a solemn responsibility.  

Lagniappe: AI Consult from ChatGPT

When basketball coaching job openings arise, candidates should expect to be evaluated on their leadership, technical knowledge, communication, and program-building ability. Here are five essential questions candidates should be prepared to address:

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1. What is your coaching philosophy, and how does it translate into daily practice and game strategy?

Why it matters: This reveals clarity of purpose, alignment with the school or program’s values, and how the coach balances development and competitiveness.

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2. How do you build team culture and maintain player accountability throughout the season?

Why it matters: Culture drives consistency and cohesion. This question tests whether the coach can create a disciplined, positive, and resilient environment.

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3. How do you develop individual players—athletically, technically, and personally—within the context of the team?

Why it matters: Successful coaches maximize each player’s potential while integrating them into a larger system. Look for responses that emphasize both growth and role clarity.

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4. How do you handle adversity, such as a losing streak, conflict with a player or parent, or off-court issues affecting the team?

Why it matters: Basketball seasons are emotionally and socially complex. This question tests emotional intelligence, composure, and problem-solving.

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5. What is your approach to scouting, game planning, and in-game adjustments?

Why it matters: Xs and Os still matter. A coach must show that they prepare effectively, analyze opponents, and adapt during games to give their team a strategic edge.

Basketball - Bad Teammates

I can't recall ever playing with a "bad teammate." What does that mean?

1) Bad teammates are selfish. They put their interests first, meaning that the scorebook outranks the scoreboard. There is a story about a college player taken to task for that. In a team meeting, she broke down and said that her father wouldn't talk to her if she didn't score.

Strive for the UNC Women's Soccer motto: "Excellence is our only agenda."

2) Bad teammates are credit hogs. Adam Grant's Give and Take shares real-life examples of takers. Frank Lloyd Wright didn't want to pay interns and insisted on credit for their work. Jonas Salk didn't give his team of scientists recognition for developing the polio vaccine. As a result he never received a Nobel Prize or election to the prestigious National Academy of Science. 

In print and electronic interviews, bad teammates don't credit coaches, teammates, or others who make their success possible. 

3) Bad teammates "punch down." That can manifest as physical, verbal, and psychological abuse. Don't 'dog' underclassmen or lower status teammates. 

4) Bad teammates behave dismissively toward others. Disrespecting opponents and officials is dismissive. They may seek to exclude others from group activities. Be inclusive. 

5) Bad teammates complain, blame, and make excuses. They lack commitment to the team and lack accountability. 

6) Bad teammates represent the team poorly with lack of sportsmanship and irresponsible behaviors off the court which could include interactions with media, substance use, and abusive relationships. 

Be a great teammate:

• Team first. 
• "Always do your best."
• Share credit.
• Respect everyone. 
• Be positive and inclusive. 
• Be accountable.
• Show sportsmanship and class. 

Lagniappe. Build a standard of excellence into our culture. 

Nick Saban didn’t become the GOAT by accident.

He built a standard.
He lived in the present.
He hated losing more than he loved winning.

Here are 10 timeless coaching truths from Saban’s playbook.

Use them to lead your team better this week. pic.twitter.com/c1YUBMgbwN

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) May 27, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Everything matters.  

Everything matters. #DailyWisdom pic.twitter.com/PEybpmfbU6

— Ball is Psych (@BallisPsych) May 26, 2025

Basketball - Preparation

Belichick's The Art of Winning overflows with coaching advice (see above). 

Preparation envelopes our process. In The Art of War, General Sun Tzu reminds us, "every battle is won before it is fought."

Preparation takes time. Lincoln wrote, "I apologize for the length of this letter, I did not have the time to make it shorter."

Reading, studying video, physical training, mindfulness, going to clinics, writing... everything prepares us. 

Preparation comes before, during, and after competition. 

Before: 

• Mental and physical preparation
• Hydration (see lagniappe)
• Game planning

During:

• Refocusing possession by possession
• Taking a deep, cleansing breath 

After:

• "After Action Review" part of next game preparation
• Recovery (hydration, thermal contrast, massage, nutrition, sleep)

Lagniappe. Hydration boosts performance. 

When #basketball athletes are even just 2%😟 dehydrated shooting:
🏀3-pt decreased 18%
🏀Free-throw fell 11%

📉Avg sprint times = 4 sec. slower & total lateral movement times were 5 sec. slower.

⏱️Fluid & electrolytes are key to support focus, power, speed, muscle 💪during play https://t.co/sX8iv5001b

— Wendi A. Irlbeck MS, RDN, LD, CISSN (@Wendi_Irlbeck) May 20, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Excellence is more than talent.  

My thoughts after working w/ 15+ College Players the last 3 weeks-

Talent has never been higher
Maturity has never been lower

Bodies are Strong
Minds are Weak

Talk is Great
Actions don’t Match

External Social Media looks CONFIDENT
Internal Self-Talk and Belief is FRAGILE

— Phil Beckner (@PhilBeckner) May 20, 2025

 

Basketball - Center Cut, Actions for Posts and More

"Post play is dead." Analytics (and execution) favor the triad of layups, threes, and free throws. That doesn't mean bigs can't score as witnessed by Karl-Anthony Towns recently with outside/inside scoring. 

Develop actions for posts to get layups. 

Elbow get (think get everyone involved) 

Pick-and-pop. Coach Hacks reminds us that there are many ways to attack drop coverage. 

"Old school" ways to beat switching defenses:
- Slipping the screen
- Hit the roller
- Isolate the mismatch (big vs little & vice versa)

"New school" ways:
- Ghost screens (as seen in this clip)
- Brush screens
- Gortat screen (seal screen) pic.twitter.com/A7XPofyybk

— Matt Hackenberg (@CoachHackGO) March 18, 2025

Slips (think release to basket) In this clip "Professor Pick-and-Roll" Chris Paul assists off of a rescreen. 

Seal and score The post game requires ball entry first. 

Post being fronted? No problem. "SOS"

When teams have a post finisher, "swing and seal" opportunity arises. 

Zoom Mulitple options including the post getting a roll pass off of the DHO. 

Gortat screen. Drop coverage is common. Screen after screen is less common. Nothing is perfect and illegal screening can happen. 

Everything bagel. "Everything sets up everything else." How about high ball screens setting up corner cuts for layups? 

Lagniappe. Learn across domains. Defenses are taught to react in certain ways (e.g. "jump to the ball"). Offenses take advantage of that with varied concepts. Kyle Shanahan is far more than a "nepo baby" with system development. 

Think about that regarding "newer age" offenses like pistol, zoom, and the many options from horns and its variations. 

Basketball - What Can I Control Right Now?

"Your internal voice, your self talk, is your most constant coach." - Jiri Popelka 

This volleyball video shares a wealth of tips. He recommends developing "power words" to help guide actions.

• Explode
• Calm
• Quick 

"The best goals are short term and long-term measurable."

"They say more than, 'I want to get better'."

"Pressure is a privilege." Weaker teams seldom get the big moments. 

"They don't run from pressure. They run into it." 

"This is my chance." 

"This is what I train for. I love this moment." 

"When they feel nervous, they relabel it as excitement." 

Invest in watching this with full attention. It's worth your investment. 

Lagniappe. From "The Why Is Everything," by Mike Silver  

"To Shanahan, all of the motivational-speaker blather coming out of McVay’s mouth is mere noise. The way to succeed as a football coach, in his eyes, isn’t through intangible skills. You win the strategic battle and find the right players to execute the plan, and nothing else matters."

Lagniappe 2. Coach Hacks with some "Four Corners" sets...  

Set plays out of “4 Corners”

Perfect to take the last shot at the end of quarters pic.twitter.com/FDl5rxlG88

— Matt Hackenberg (@CoachHackGO) May 25, 2025

Lagniappe 3. "Practice chaos equals game calmness." - Mike Neighbors   

Those perfectly ordered practices are actually hurting your team. Coach @MikeNeighbors talks chaos in practice.

"Practice chaos = game calmness." - @franfraschilla pic.twitter.com/VTN0nrP98h

— Coach Tony Miller (@tonywmiller) May 25, 2025

Basketball - The Second Arrow

"Buddhists say that when we suffer misfortune, two arrows fly our way. Being struck by an arrow is painful, but being struck by a second arrow is even more painful. The second arrow is our reaction to the first, and it causes mental suffering." 

Events swirl around us. We cannot ignore the pain of "the first arrow." Avoid the pain of the second. 

A key player gets injured. Control what we can control, compensating with changes in personnel, strategy (play faster, slower, or differently), and operations. Find ways to rearrange the roster and how we structure practice. 

We experience a painful loss. Don't blame, complain, or make excuses. Analyze what we need to do to be better. Love our losses and learn from them. 

We say or do something we regret. Own it. Apologize for our mistake. "I could have handled that better." Remind ourselves of "The Four Agreements," the last of which is "Always do your best." 

Don't be helpless. Add tools to our toolbox of how we react to the first arrow. 

• Mindfulness helps to widen the 'space' between what happens, including perceived offenses, and how we respond. 
• Professionalism reflects maturity and character. 
• Branding is how others see both our identity and performance. 

Dr. Fergus Connolly's core elements include skill, strategy, physicality, and psychology (including resilience). Avoiding the pain of the second arrow is a key part of resilience. 

Lagniappe. Post reads. 

The Secret To Being Effective In The Post

Coach Jim Huber goes over the importance of the “3 C’s” of Post Play.

-Catch
-Chin
-Check

This clip will teach you how to utilize those C’s and the importance of giving yourself space when in the post. pic.twitter.com/XU57zex1dR

— Joe Haefner | Breakthrough Basketball (@BreakthruBball) May 24, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Like Jay Wright, Kelvin Sampson invests in attitude. 

Hurricane of Houston Basketball Defense:

“Our Defensive System is based on Effort & Attitude!”

“We spend a tremendous amount of time teaching Attitude & Effort.”

“I am not a Skill Development Coach, I am a Basketball Coach.” pic.twitter.com/ifNOZjCdpy

— JIM BOONE 🏀 (@CoachJimBoone) May 23, 2025

Lagniappe 3.  Rethink the game. 

Listening to Mark Pope break the game down using analytics is really interesting

He’s an elite ball coach

(Via @MarioMaitland_3 🎥)

pic.twitter.com/wkiqVPOQQZ

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) May 23, 2025

Basketball - Discipline

“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most." - Abraham Lincoln

— Phil Beckner (@PhilBeckner) May 20, 2025

It's natural and easy to tell ourselves, "it can wait." Excellence won't wait. 

Leaders say it different ways. 

"Habits are a vote for the person that we want to be." - James Clear   That applies to study, rest, recovery, diet, hydration, practice, everything. 

"Discipline defines destiny." 

"We're not going to talk about what we're going to accomplish, we're going to talk about how we're going to do it." - Nick Saban

"It takes what it takes." - Nick Saban 

"Here's something I know I'm supposed to do that I really don't want to do...can you make yourself do it...here's something you know you're not supposed to do...can you keep yourself from it?" - Nick Saban

Lagniappe. "It's what you're willing to accept." 

Lagniappe 2. Coach Hacks offers his pressbreaker. We always practiced pressbreaking 5 versus 7, which enforced a 'discipline of pass and cut'. 

The ONLY press breaker I’ve used in my coaching career

Never struggle against press defense again pic.twitter.com/kqbDy9DRD8

— Matt Hackenberg (@CoachHackGO) May 19, 2025

 

Basketball - Ten Things I Hate About You

"“He just crawls under your skin,” Saleh said, “because Matt’s going to say exactly what everyone else is thinking. And it’s healthy. You need that guy in your life to always keep you in check and make sure you’re checking the boxes. You may not like what you’re hearing, but you’re going to sit back after being mad and be like, ‘Bitch was right.’ It was good. It was productive. You need those people in your life, and that’s what I love about him.”" - from The Why Is Everything by Mike Silver

Players should know what behaviors (e.g. eye rolling) and words will set their coaches off. The list is extensive. 

"It's okay." A teammate makes a mistake such as throwing the ball directly to an opponent. Another says, "don't worry about it, it's okay." It's not okay. Basketball is a game of possessions. More successful possessions create more success. "It's not okay. Bear down. Focus. Next play." Immediacy matters. 

"I know, I know." A player takes a ridiculous shot, a shot turnover and then says to the bench, "I know." Everybody knows. Everyone makes mistakes. Top players don't repeat them. 

"Don't just stand there." Basketball is a game of cutting and passing, a game of creating advantage, a sprinting game. Players who consistently stand around get to sit on the bench. 

"She's a baker. Turnovers are her specialty." Intuitively, you know that you cannot give the ball away. You've learned the Four Factors. "The ball is gold." Take care of the basketball. "Turnovers kill dreams." 

"Killer S's" The killer S's - selfishness, softness, and sloth - destroy teams from within. If "fear is the mind killer," the Killer S's are the team killer. 

"Uncoachable" You think you know everything. You know better than your coaches. 

"Silence is deadly." A lack of talk shows up with more mistakes and worse execution on both ends. You know it's ELO - early, loud, and often. Talk energizes, recruits effort, and intimidates. 

"Get your head in the game." Focus is a skill. Be in the moment whether in the game or on the bench, awaiting your chance to change the world. 

"Too much mustard, not enough dog." If you're going to live on Fancy Dan lane, then you better be able to execute at a high level. One of the most fundamentally sound players of all time, John Havlicek, was all dog and no mustard. 

"Basketball is not a running game, it's a sprinting game." When our high school girls’ team was at full power, an opposing coach told me, "It's hard to compete against a team where the girls are running full time." Sprinting creates separation, wins transition, and limits exposure on defense.

The sooner players learn reality, the more success they'll earn. 

Lagniappe. Learn strategy models. Find one that resonates for you. 

The art of strategy pic.twitter.com/Pc8N4e5wtS

— Book Therapy (@Book_therapy223) May 22, 2025

What about SWOT - strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.

Lagniappe 2. Helpful glossary.  "Dumb jock" is simply a big lie. 

🚨 NBA playoffs OFF BALL SCREENING actions GLOSSARY 🚨

Flare- back screen cutting away from the basketball

Exit- horizontal screen for a baseline 3

Pin- down screen with back to the ball

Wide pin- pin beyond the 3 point line

RIP- back screen

Flex/STS- set a screen and…

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) May 22, 2025

Basketball - Nick Saban Isn't Opposed to Players Being in on "I"

Learn across domains. Retired Alabama football coach Nick Saban may be the greatest college football coach ever. As a boy, he helped run his father's service station/car wash. Saban's father inspected every finished wash and made his son rewash the whole car if there was one spot. That explains a lot.  

Nick Saban literally gave one of the best explanations of teamwork and commitment pic.twitter.com/ADMhGV8XYp

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) May 18, 2025

What resonates? The individual doesn't have the right to bring the team down. "There is an "i" in "Win." That "i" includes:

• Intelligence, make great decision on and off the court.
• Intensity, compete at your best level at all times. 
• Immediacy. Focus on the now, this play.

Performance depends on the quality of the effort, the mindset, and the progress of the younger players.

Here's a harsh truth. a head coach and his/her staff don't decide who plays, their role, and their recognition. The quality of YOUR EFFORT defines your individual and team destiny. You write your story. Make it memorable.

Lagniappe. There's a profile of Alex Bregman in Sunday's Boston Globe. Here are a few quotes: 

“They (his parent) just told me if I wanted to do anything, I better work — work for it every day.” Do the work. 

Bregman, armed with an iPad, digested at-bats, pitches, and plays. He talked about approaches, mechanics, mind-sets — seeking and giving feedback to hitters, pitchers, and anyone else. Be a great teammate.

Bregman talks of “falling in love with the work before the game” and then allowing himself to treat the game itself as the reward for everything he does over the rest of his day. Process over results.

“I know for a fact he’s made some of our younger players better [be] hungry, and [helped them] understand this is what greatness is.” Exceptional players show the will to become exceptional. 

Lagniappe 2. Words help and our actions define us. 

pic.twitter.com/UG8QnCzico

— Jon Gordon (@JonGordon11) May 17, 2025

Basketball - Storytelling, Career Arcs, and Asset Allocation

People succeed in many ways - academically, parenting, athletically, artistically, in their vocation, literally their calling.

Coaching allowed sharing success stories of women and men for our young girls. 

• Arlene Blum lead an all-women's expedition to climb Annapurna, one of 14 Himalayan peaks over 8,000 meters
• Frances Perkins, was a labor leader-reformer and the first cabinet level woman as Labor Secretary under President Franklin Roosevelt.
• Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Bowdoin rhetoric professor turned Civil War hero helping win the Battle of Gettysburg and a Congressional Medal of Honor. 

Their history is our history.

In a 1973 high school "mimeograph," certain careers were suggested as available to women - teaching, nursing, seamstress. 

"How to Invest" shares an anthology of interviews by David Rubinstein, including one with Paula Volent, an investment manager at Bowdoin who produced astonishing returns eclipsing those of 'the Ivies'. 

A few quotes from the article reminds us that women can succeed in any field. 

She began her career in art history and through chance ended up in a business career after working closely with Yale's superb investor David Swensen. While at Bowdoin from 2000-2001, she helped grow their endowment from $465 million to $2.72 billion. She understands risk management. 

Basketball is similar. Study a problem, its possible solutions, and then apply the ones that seem most likely to work. 

Invest in yourself. Read. Someone asks, "what three sports books are worth reading this summer?" Game Changer: The Art of Sports Science by Fergus Connolly, The Why is Everything by Michael Silver, and The Art of Winning by Bill Belichick. 

Successful coaches become experts in asset allocation - practice time, roster formation, playing time, deployment of strategies. Both Bill Belichick and Brad Stevens hold economics degrees. 

Success in any field requires self-reflection, understanding your field and pressing your strategic advantages in people, strategy, and operations (how you play). 

Strive to think clearly and communicate well. Present yourself well in speech, writing, and nonverbal communication. People judge coaches on our behavior, ideas, and communication. 

Changing people and strategies creates a regular challenge for coaches. Supporting a struggling player can yield benefits or failure. When we miss our exit on the highway, we don't drive forever. We look for the next exit. "The next exit" in sports can result in sadness and hurt feelings. But the best coaches know they need to act.  

Lagniappe. Develop a diversity of coaching abilities. 

Lagniappe 2. Excellent spread on spacing. 

🧵THREAD: What is SPACING in basketball — and how do you train it effectively?

Spacing isn’t just “standing apart.” It’s about creating space for real decisions.

Here’s how to break it down 🧠⤵️

— Jose Daniel Gonzalo (@CoachJDGonzalo) May 20, 2025

 

 

Basketball - Repetitive Thinking

In John Maxwell's The Seventeen Qualities of a Team Player, he includes a chapter on "Solutions." What helps us unearth solutions? Outline the process and share examples. 

1) Refuse to give up. UNC under Dean Smith trailed their archrival Duke by eight with seventeen seconds left. They could have mailed in those last seconds. They chose to fight. 

2) Refocus. In almost every game, you see a player make a mistake like a poor shot or a turnover and then "double down" with a foul. Coach used to call them 'stupid fouls' or 'retaliation fouls'. A proverb says that "holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." Next play mentality or "playing present" prevents one bad play from bleeding into a series of errors. 

3) Rethink your strategy. When Plan A isn't working, move on to Plan B. That might mean changing tempo, going from man defense to zone, or using more screens and backcuts against pressure defense. If we miss our turnoff on the highway, find the next exit. 

Most people credit economist John Maynard Keynes with this quote, "When events change, I change my mind. What do you do?"

4) Repeat a winning process. Fire, Ready, Aim is a losing approach. Most things in life require finding an edge, applying it, and repeating the process relentlessly. Great habits, ruthlessly applied, produce results. 

Summary:

• Refuse to quit
• Refocus
• Rethink
• Repeat

Lagniappe. Aggressiveness and fundamentals (footwork) add value. 

2 AREAS OF FOCUS FOR YOUNG PLAYERS

I’m often asked where do you start with working with young players. The 2 areas I have our trainers focus on is AGGRESSIVENESS AND FOOTWORK.

Getting players to be competitive and aggressive will give them a foundation that will lead to… pic.twitter.com/4j64zYYEuW

— Steve Dagostino (@DagsBasketball) May 4, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Quicken your release. 

QUICK RELEASE IN WORKOUTS

One of the reasons players can’t translate shooting success I. Workouts to shooting success in games is because their preparation and release in training isn’t as fast as it is in games.

You’ll see great shooters like Steph push themselves to prepare… pic.twitter.com/U8jLbUMrBr

— Steve Dagostino (@DagsBasketball) May 21, 2025

Two drills I used: 1) face the basket, flip back over your head, catch on a bounce, turn and fire. 2) QuickDraw - ball at chest, bounce hard, catch and shoot quickly 

 

Be the Foxhole Guy

Success demands having competitive players. Back in the day, somebody described a kid saying, "he was always the kid picked first in pickup games, no matter what the sport."

Coaches want those guys. The best coaches excel in identifying, developing, and using that guy. As a player, be that guy. 

Trust. From Boston Sports Journal, guest columnist Gregg Cosell said, "What do defensive coaches always talk about? They want to be able to trust their players. Sometimes they may not put the best athlete on the field because another guy can go out there, and they know that he won't make mistakes." Coaches 'need' to believe that the player will make the right decision and make the play in the moment. 

Ascending players. UNC Women's Soccer Coach Anson Dorrance had an expression "continual ascension." Coaches want players who keep developing. Sometimes a program has problems because a prospect becomes a suspect. The player doesn't make the transition from a tiger cub into a tiger. 

Competitive character. Brad Stevens talks about competitive character, the skill and will to be impactful. You've heard it said other ways such as 'foxhole guy', the person you want next to you in the foxhole. 

So far as every team goes, I speak with an outsider's perspective. Being at practice regularly allows coaches to see dimensions like leadership, mentoring, teamwork, supportiveness, and other intangibles. Young players can absolutely contribute beyond expectations with competitive character. 

Lagniappe. Get help...and give it. Young players...as Mr. Rogers said, "look for the helpers." Veterans, give help because you want to be a champion. 

Lagniappe 2. Foxhole guy (from ChatGPT):

In sports, being a "foxhole guy" means being the kind of teammate others want beside them in the toughest moments—the pressure situations, the grind-it-out games, the times when things aren’t going well. The metaphor comes from the idea of being in a literal foxhole during war: you're under fire, stakes are high, and trust is everything. A foxhole guy doesn't flinch, complain, or look for a way out. Instead, they stay focused, bring calm or intensity when needed, and always put the team first. They're dependable under pressure, emotionally steady, and often make the hard plays that don’t show up in the box score.

More than skill, being a foxhole guy is about character. Coaches and teammates value these players because they lead through example, hold themselves accountable, and help others stay grounded. They might not be the loudest voice in the locker room or the flashiest player on the court, but when the game is on the line, they’re the ones you trust to do their job, support their teammates, and compete with toughness and composure.

 

Basketball - "Greed Is Good?"

Sport is a microcosm of society. In the movie Wall Street, fictional character Gordon Gekko proclaims "Greed is good." There's another Wall Street saying, "It takes courage to be a pig."

How does that impact our philosophy and ethical view about basketball? 

This screenshot of a 'travel basketball' pricing poster shows how Gordon Gekko moved from the boardroom to the basketball court. 

This extends concepts discussed by Philip Delves Broughton in "What They Teach You at Harvard Business School." Learn and apply lessons from HBS, an insular complex 'across the river' from Harvard College...with an assist from ChatGPT (in blue). 

1. Confidence Is Currency

Broughton repeatedly emphasizes how confidence—projected and internalized—is a key to success, often more than technical knowledge. HBS encourages students to speak up, defend their ideas, and own the room. This prepares them not just to analyze, but to lead.

Lesson: Being confident and decisive, even under uncertainty, often matters more than being perfectly correct.

You can only be as good as you believe you are. In a MasterClass about the CIA, a senior leader rhetorically asked a younger woman presenter "are you the expert in the room on this subject?" He then adds, "then act like it."

Leaders solve problems by understanding the complex root causes and promoting workable solutions. For example, imagine a basketball program has struggled. Sometimes we see the program schedule more 'cupcakes' to improve its record. That's equivalent to smashing a gas gauge and moving the needle from empty to half full.

2. The Case Method Teaches Framing and Persuasion

Instead of traditional lectures, HBS uses the case method, requiring students to analyze real-world business problems and defend their solutions. The goal isn't a right answer—it’s learning how to frame arguments, listen strategically, and persuade others.

Lesson: Business is often about shaping perception and making decisions with incomplete information.

The OKC Thunder present a case study argument for going 'all in' on tanking and accumulating draft choices. (some assist from AI)

Player	How Acquired	Details
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	Trade (2019)	Via LAC - Paul George trade (plus picks).
Chet Holmgren	Draft (2022, 1st Rd #2)	Selected 2nd overall (2022 NBA Draft).
Jalen Williams	Draft (2022, 1st Rd #12)	Selected 12th overall (2022 NBA Draft).
Josh Giddey	Draft (2021, 1st Rd #6)	Selected 6th overall (2021 NBA Draft).  Traded for Alex Caruso
Luguentz Dort	Undrafted FA (2019)	Undrafted free agent (two-way, later converted).
Cason Wallace	Draft (2023, 1st Rd #10)	Selected 10th overall (2023 NBA Draft).
Jaylin Williams	Draft (2022, 2nd Rd #34)	Selected 34th overall (2022 NBA Draft).
Isaiah Hartenstein	Free agent (2024)
Aaron Wiggins	Draft (2021, 2nd Rd #55)	Selected 55th overall (2021 NBA Draft).
Ousmane Dieng	Draft (2022, 1st Rd #11)	Selected 11th overall (2022 NBA Draft).

Key Takeaways:

1. Draft-Centric Approach – OKC has built primarily through the draft, leveraging high picks (Holmgren) and later steals (Jalen Williams, Dort).

2. Strategic Trades – SGA was acquired in the blockbuster Paul George deal, proving pivotal. Caruso trade for Giddey added a key defensive piece and team player

3. Development Focus – Found gems like Dort (undrafted) and Joe (waivers), showcasing strong scouting.

4. Free agency - Added key rim protector/rebounder Isaiah Hartenstein

3. Leadership Is a Narrative

Broughton explores how students learn that effective leadership involves crafting and owning a compelling story, whether about a product, company, or personal brand. Those who can tell a clear, bold story tend to lead others—even if the underlying reality is still forming.

Lesson: People follow leaders who offer coherent vision and purpose, even amid ambiguity.

Executive Sam Presti had a clear mission in constructing a team around star players, size, and elite defense 

4. Network Is Power

The HBS network is one of its most powerful assets. Relationships formed at school—through dorms, sections, and social events—often prove as valuable as classroom learning. Access, not just ability, shapes many careers.

Lesson: Who you know (and how you cultivate those relationships) can shape your opportunities as much as what you know.

Do whatever we can to help grow our players' skill, game understanding, resilience, and if possible, academic progress. Help them by networking with other coaches and other coaches at other levels. 

5. Business School Can Be an Ethical Gray Zone

Broughton wrestles with the moral ambiguity he observes. The mantra isn’t quite “Greed is good,” but there's an undercurrent of pragmatism over idealism, with success often defined by financial return. Broughton leaves HBS ambivalent—impressed by the talent, but wary of the values.

Lesson: Business school trains people to win—but doesn’t always ask whether the game is worth winning.

Each of us decides how we conduct our business. Players see everything and if we 'color outside the lines' they may accept blurring or removing ethical boundaries. Coaches have a responsibility to teach sportsmanship. 

Lagniappe. Physical and mental toughness are skills. 

“When you decide you want to win at something, you don’t get to pick the environment. You don’t get to pick the circumstances. The only thing you get to pick is how you respond” - Joe Mazzulla

(Via @thewinningdiff1 🎥)

pic.twitter.com/1ymT5rb9m1

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) May 14, 2025

Lagniappe 2.  A good video for players to study an undervalued skill, cutting. 

"Cutting opens space... it creates vacuums"
-Kenny Atkinson

Examples⬇️
1) Slice cut
2) Exchange
3) Shallow
4) Wheel
5) Over cut
6) BL Runner
7) Burn cut
8) Nail cut
9) Away cut
10) Zone Up pic.twitter.com/h7fFaHsqPp

— Taylor Tucker (@tucker_thorson) May 15, 2025