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Damon Stoudamire fiddled with the microphone on the press convention earlier than wiping away the tears that had begun to swell up in his eyes. The previous seventh general decide within the 1995 NBA Draft and Rookie of the 12 months had simply formally been named the pinnacle coach of the Georgia Tech males’s basketball crew. For the primary time in his 15-year teaching profession, the previous Boston Celtics assistant is helming his personal excessive main hoops program.
Forward of his inaugural season with the Yellow Jackets, we sat down with Stoudamire at SLAM’s HQ to study extra about his teaching model and the way he transitioned to the sidelines after 13 years on the hardwood.
SLAM: Individuals know you out of your NBA days within the ’90s and ’00s. What made you get into teaching?
Damon Stoudamire: I used to be in Houston and I used to be figuring out at Rice College. After I was an undergrad at Arizona, there was a man named Chris Del Conte who was working underneath our [Arizona] AD Jim Livengood. He was the Athletic Director at Rice at the moment and he was the one who mentioned, Man, you need to coach. He was like, We’ve received a brand new coach [Ben Braun], go discuss to him. So I went and talked to him, and he mentioned he might deliver me on. He couldn’t pay me nevertheless it wasn’t concerning the cash, clearly.
That’s the way it began, simply being across the sport. It went from watching practices to, Coach, is it OK if I come to your workplace and shadow you? Discuss to you, decide your mind? Yeah, positive. Coach, can I come to recruiting conferences? Yeah, positive. Coach, can I come on a highway journey with you? I wish to see what that appears like. In order that’s type of the way it began. He let me get an apprenticeship—I might name it being a high-level intern. I used to be doing that for perhaps a month and a half, two months. Then the Memphis Grizzlies, who I performed for, had employed Lionel Hollins, and Lionel referred to as me to see if I might be occupied with becoming a member of the workers. That’s when every part began getting in that trajectory.
SLAM: Whenever you landed with the Grizzlies, was teaching one thing that you just had been actively making an attempt to pursue?
DS: I’m nonetheless making an attempt to determine it out [at that point]. Lionel let me get my ft moist, so I used to be in command of participant improvement. I used to be principally figuring out with guys that I simply received by enjoying with. I performed with Mike Conley. I performed with Rudy Homosexual. Darius Miles was on the crew. It was loopy, as a result of it was like three to 4 guys I had truly performed with within the NBA. And now I’m teaching them. So Lionel advised me, I’ll always remember this, Whenever you’re prepared, we’ll offer you some scouts. That’s type of once I knew I wished to teach.
I’ll inform you one factor about me teaching is that I realized from among the greatest, they usually taught me lots they usually allowed me to develop. That was the largest factor—they allowed me to develop.
SLAM: At what level did you begin to formulate a plan and a timeline in your teaching profession?
DS: I by no means formulated a timeline however that is what I advised myself—with my background as an NBA participant, after which going to school, that’s the most effective of each worlds. That makes a person fascinating. That’s how I checked out it. The one timetable I set—I haven’t advised lots of people this, solely a few individuals know—was by the point I’m 50 years outdated, I need to have the ability to decide the job of my selection. Whether or not it’s within the NBA or whether or not it’s in school, I wish to make myself essentially the most fascinating coach that I may be to the place if a job opens, they are saying, We wish Damon Stoudamire.
SLAM: How would you describe your teaching model now that you just’ve received your individual crew?
DS: My model is just the way it suits my crew. You can’t say you’re going to play one model or one other should you don’t have the precise crew. So that you’ve received to see what your crew seems like. It’s a must to see the place the power of your crew lies. And then you definitely’ve received to formulate your plan from there, on each side of the ball. My model is, I’m a participant’s coach. It’s a really feel. I all the time put myself within the place of a participant. Being a participant’s coach is being relationship pushed, and it’s understanding the room. And from the standpoint of who I’m, that’s my biggest trait. I’m a man who understands what every participant wants individually to achieve success and the way that matches into the entire to assist the crew achieve success.
SLAM: Whenever you had been employed by Georgia Tech, you and the Boston Celtics had been in Atlanta to face the Hawks. Inform us a bit of bit about that weekend.
DS: It’s a 13-day highway journey and about 5 – 6 video games. There wasn’t even time to assume, that’s how briskly it occurred. I get to Atlanta and I meet with the AD and all people. In all probability 5 minutes into the dialog, I used to be like, That is actual proper right here. We had been speaking, attending to know one another, making an attempt to gauge if it was a match. Let’s see if Damon’s character, his demeanor and his model match Georgia Tech. So we go from that dinner to, Nicely, are you able to meet within the morning with the president? And that’s the morning that we’re enjoying the Hawks. We ended up assembly at seven within the morning. And as I’m getting on the primary bus, I get a name they usually mentioned, Hey, man, it seems such as you may be the man. They wish to begin rushing this up. So we get by the sport, get again to the lodge and begin hammering out contract particulars. It was bittersweet, actually. However issues occurred so rapidly. After which proper after that sport in Houston, I received [on] a airplane, got here proper again to Tech, had a press convention that morning, [and] then increase, you’re hitting the bottom operating.
SLAM: After you had been employed, you mentioned, “I all the time inform individuals, until anyone tells me completely different, I’ve by no means recognized a man that’s gotten a job that he chases.” What did you imply?
DS: Solely a choose few are chosen to speed up the method. However most of us need to undergo the method. There’s a trajectory to get to the place we’ve received to go. I all the time inform guys, You’ve received to be affected person and don’t be formidable. Do the most effective job within the place that you just’re in, as a result of belief me, individuals discover that. I bear in mind when Lawrence Frank received the Detroit Pistons job. I didn’t know Lawrence from a can of paint, and he didn’t know me. However I received a name from him about becoming a member of his workers as a result of he had talked to individuals about me they usually advised him I used to be a tough employee, I’d be nice for him. For me, that’s one of many greatest compliments I ever received. For anyone that you just don’t know to name you and need you to affix their workers—man, that doesn’t occur an entire lot.
SLAM: There have been so many nice level guards who’ve come by Georgia Tech. Are you going to proceed that custom?
DS: The purpose guard has been synonymous with Tech, and I need that custom to proceed. However on the similar time, there’s been some nice forwards to come back by Tech. I’m on the lookout for the following Chris Bosh, Derrick Favors. I performed with John Salley in Toronto.
For me, the largest factor is getting Tech again to prominence. It’s an incredible metropolis, it’s an incredible establishment and it’s an incredible basketball convention. I bear in mind rising up and eager to play within the ACC. The ACC Event was the largest factor for me rising up, at the same time as a West Coast man. After I have a look at the league and the success the league has had over the course of time, it simply makes it extra thrilling for me to be at Tech.
Images by way of Getty Pictures.
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