Kevin Eastman Basketball Training Program Notes

Day 2 – Kevin Eastman

Coaching Turnovers – Use the ball rack. Every time there’s a turnover take that ball out of play.
After every turnover their mindset is that they MUST get a stop.

We all have a platform. We must be responsible with that platform.

In order to win, your mind must be clutter free. When the players walk over the line, we must read their body language. “Your body language is my only window into your mind.” – Coach Eastman to players.

Doc Rivers wanted the team to talk about the Clippers lack of history. Know our history.
Champions are about:
– pulling together, not pulling apart
– sacrificing for each other, not selfish results
– team results, not who gets the results
– finding solutions, not placing blame
– building each other up, not tearing each other down
– the end result, not their results
– competition, not performance. “this is competition, not a performance.” The more they talked about lob city in the press, the more the outside world determined what the team’s identity was, the worse the team played.
– raising their teams emotion, not hijacking their emotions
– one agenda, not their agenda
– fighting for their team, not with their team

Lessons from the Assistant Coach’s seat | Basketball Training Program
– Treat people with respect. Please, thank you, yes no.
– Be a learn it all, not a know it all.
– Be a great question asker
– Do the un-required work
– Big eyes, big ears, small mouth
– No job too big, no job too small
– Know what you don’t know. Find those answers!
– Never pass up a basketball opportunity
– Seek wisdom from those who came before you
– Read every day!

When you get that new job, sometimes you have to fake it until you learn it.

Every day he does a ‘practice plan for the day’

I should be able to look at two things to know whether you’re going to be a success: Your day timer, and your phone. What does your day look like? Who is in your contacts? Are you developing relationships? Body language and appearance are your first chance to make an impression.

What are 1-2 things that you do that nobody else does? – question for Shaka Smart.

Dry erase board with all players names and all coaches names. Go down the list, if this player had a problem in their life, which coach would they come to? Check off for each coach. If there are empty boxes, then you have to develop that relationships.

Two things players always want to know: Why are we doing it and what’s in it for me? Meet with them and make sure they know what’s in it for them.

Everyone wants to be loved, respected, appreciated, valued, and needed. Are your players getting those?

Are your players coming to grips with the role you’re giving them? They don’t really use the words “role player.” They talk about the value that the guy brings to the team.

Be an All Star at your role! You may not like your role, but it’s what we need from you in order to win a championship. If the guy doesn’t buy into his role, then he is saying championships don’t mean anything to me.

What is it that you don’t know that you should know to get to where you want to go?

Google Jim Rohm: Success is a few simple disciplines done every day. Failure is a few errors in judgement repeated every day. All the “i’ll do it tomorrows” add up to nothing.

As you talk to the team, you must observe. Look at the body language. What is their BL telling you? What do they need from you. Read the room!

7 Powerful sentences that doc said to team about Sterling issue:

4 core beliefs that got Doc through the Sterling issue | Basketball Training Program
– Every decision he made was based on right and wrong. You can have some emotion, but don’t get emotional. When you get emotional, you get irrational.
– Always have a care and concern for others.
– Total honesty. – The truth stands the test of time and the test of inquiry.
– Do your job. Completely.

Why would you let someone else come into your mind and ruin your dreams?

Four C’s for the Clippers to change culture | Basketball Training Program
– Character
– Class: It is how you operate, not what you cut. It’s not about cutting class
– Committed: Buy in vs. giving in. Buy in needs to move to lock in.
– Communication: never make someone else look dumb because you didn’t communicate with them. Talk TO others, not AT others. Talk WITH people, not down to people.

If you fear the consequence of failure, also fear the consequence of never trying.

Culture needs three things:
– Direction. What is it? Where are we taking this team? Is this going to get us there?
– Commitment. Every day.
– People. They have to carry it every day. Every single day.

Any breach of culture has to be confronted immediately | Basketball Training Program

We walk on and play on one turf. We all share it. We need to combine old school and new school. Combine it all to ONE school. Appreciate both.

Made 7 index cards and put them into two groups. One word on index cards | Basketball Training program
– Staff
– Players
– Employees
– Fans

Put them in the order from most important to least important: Players, staff, employees, fans. Then let’s prioritize our decisions in that order.

Other three cards:
– Revenue
– First class reputation
– Championships

Correct Order: Championships, first class organization, revenue. All of our decisions are based on what’s most important. It’s not what’s best for the player, it’s what’s best for the team.

Coach to player: We don’t become you, you become us. You’ve got to mold yourself into the team.

Handling winning is a lot harder than handling losing. How do we handle winning? False sense of confidence. State of complacency. Allowed us to say “We’ll get to that.” Losing focuses, and makes us more driven. Tell me the one thing that keeps us from repeating championships: role players. They’re the ones that want an even greater role next year. Best players will stay your best players, but you have to watch out for your 6-10 who want a bigger piece of the pie.

Pop coaches hard, how does he do that? “If you want to coach hard, relationships come first.” Every practice Pop has his arm around multiple players.

Don’t put boundaries on talent | Basketball Training Program

Make sure their people (the players) get to see them. The championship trophy is being taken to the home town of every player.

You must answer the question “What works for you.” The best teams discipline themselves to what works for them.

The best players:
– see the game like a head coach. PG has to see the game the same way.
– Invest. Kobe Bryant “I don’t workout, I blackout.” Everybody else is working out, I have to do something extra. What is the un-reqiured work.
– Have the best habits. Work they do. Food they eat. Sleep. Rehab. It’s not just habits on the floor.
– Practice habits match up with the goals they set.
– Expectations and their demands of their coaches and themselves.
– Never short-change themselves by letting outside interests short-change their inside responsibilities.
– Will listen to anyone who can help them get better.
– Are built for the grind. Don’t have to like it.
– To be free on the floor, you have to go through the monotony of repetition. “You get your rep through your reps.” You want a reputation? Start doing the things you need to do on your own.
– “Coach, I may not always get my numbers, but I promise you I will have an impact on the game. I’ll find a way to impact it.” – Kevin Garnett
– Inner drive greater than the outside expectations put on them.
– “The best part of being #1 is that I have to earn it every day.” – Tiger Woods
– “I know what he did, but were his intentions right?” Then we can deal with that mistake for that player.
– KG, CP had a way of including players that didn’t get in the spotlight. In post game interview or otherwise, they look to build up others. I’m here to complement you.

When facing big games: preparation trumps pressure.

Go out there with a kid’s enthusiasm, but an adult’s seriousness and focus. It’s OKAY tonight and in your life to go out there and give 100% and come up short. Can’t lie to them and say we are better when it’s not true. Have to tell them to give it everything and it’s okay if it’s not enough.

Players have to play with emotion, but they can’t get emotional.

Have to be ready to work, but prepared to win.

The best teams, you can hear their practices. Voices talk and the sneakers squeak. Communication.

5 on 0 skeleton offense – for setting screens, must hear the sneakers squeak.

Don’t just do the drill, invest in the drill.

The best players live in the world of ownership, not in excuses.

Great thing to do going to each new year is to make sure you start before you start. Coach K flew and spoke to players prior to the first practice. Talk with players before each year, especially potential issues.

Bilities: If you do these things you will be successful | Basketball Training Program
– Credibility: can we believe you?
– Responsibility: Do the job you’ve been given. Do the job you’ve chosen.
– Accountability: Take ownership of your choices and actions.
– Adaptability: Are you changing with the game? As you change, you have to make it work while you see if it works.
– Dependability:
– Greatest one of all: Availability: Are you there every day?

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Kevin Eastman Basketball Training Program Notes