June 13, 2023 • 51 mins
Chris speaks to the Brooklyn Nets’ assistant coach Adam Caporn about his basketball journey, starting in Western Australia and ending up in the NBA.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey, what's going on. It's Chris Carno. This is the
Voice of the NETS podcast. Today we want to tell
the story of Adam cape Porn. I'm really intrigued by
a lot of these wonderful people in the NETS organization
who have these terrific personal professional journeys. So many of
you reached out on our previous episode where we spotlighted
(00:32):
Ryan foroehand Kelly, the NETS assistant coach, and how he
traveled the world in before discovering what it was that
he wanted to do to lead him to the NBA,
and that was coaching. Today we talked to Adam Capehorn.
He's from Australia. A few years ago the NETS Long
(00:52):
Island coaching position opened up Brett bill Meyer was leaving
and they were looking for another head coach of the
Long Island Nets in the G League and their search
took them to Australia and one of the people who
chimed in and gave his recommendation was a former NET
coach and a former Long Island head coach who has
(01:14):
a lot of experience in Australia. Will Weaver, an assistant
coach with the Australian national team. He's been a head
coach and an assistant coach in the Australian National Basketball League,
so when the opening came up in the G League,
he called to recommend Adam k Porn and Alex Schiffer,
the athletic who covers the Nets, does a great job.
(01:35):
He had written a story when Adam k Porn took
over as the Long Island Nets head coach, and he
got this quote from Will Weaver. This is what Will
Weaver said about Adam k Porn. He said, he's at
the very pointy part of the spear in terms of
modern coaching. When Brett Brullmeyer left, Adam was an obvious
person to recommend because he's a flame thrower and they
(01:57):
are covered in kerosene. What they love is unselfish, evidence
based modern coaches that enjoy keeping the game fun but
take it very seriously. Adam is all those things. Indeed
he is, and he's got a great basketball story, personal journey.
(02:18):
You know that the Saint Mary's program out in California
has all of a sudden become a perennial Top twenty
NCAA basketball program, and they're known for having this program
that's been fueled by a pipeline to Australia. Great Australian players,
you know. Patty Mills was there, Matthew Delavo Dova went there.
(02:40):
Today's game. Jack Landell, who's with the Phoenix Suns, who's
becoming up and coming player. He was at Saint Mary's.
Adam Kporn was the first guy in the pipeline. He
started it. He got the pipeline flowing from Australia to
Saint Mary's. And throughout his life he has faced the
(03:04):
sign posts. It's like a build your own adventure book
when it comes to Adam k Porn facing these these
arrows and which way to go, and he has taken
giant leaps of faith to follow one arrow in a
direction that leads him right now to the Brooklyn Nets.
(03:26):
So here is a conversation with Nets assistant coach Adam
k Porn here on the Voice of the Nets. So, Adam,
I know, even with just myself and doing this number
of years, your your schedule for eight months is just
it's just jam packed. It's just your your entire life
(03:49):
is based on the NBA schedule. And then you play
that last playoff game and then it just ends. Is
there an adjustment. Did you take a couple of weeks
to kind of decompress, or did you just jump right
back in watching playoff games and there's your brain ever
kind of turn off.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
It's a great question. It's a difficult thing to go
through and definitely an emotional element. I found it really
hard to watch the games for the next few days
and watch them start, switch them off, download them, struggle
to get through them. I don't know how long it takes,
but I think about a week. Start to feel better.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You're watching the NET games again on tape, or watching
the playoff games that were going on, a bit.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Of both, but the playoff games were going on the
next few days found really hard. Don't switch off straight away,
that's for sure, and you're still not The season's going on,
and you start to definitely get a little more time
with family, which is great, but just recalibrate into off
season mode and not in terms of just getting away
from at all. There's certainly we need to break at
(04:57):
some stage, but it's sort of planning your season obviously
for players to develop and get better, and it's been
part of my role, so putting those structures in place
and getting those things moving, but also for your own coaching,
starting to put some thought into who am I going to,
what teams am I going to watch? That are things
I'd like to study, books, I'd like to read, plays,
(05:18):
like to visit coaches, zooms. Start to think about that
stuff and that's really enjoyable. So that sort of helps
us thing a little bit. I guess you turned your
attention to trying to get better.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Uh, let's go, let's go back now, let's go back
to the Adam cape Horn origin story. I have had
another great Aussie coach on here on the in a
past episode, the head coach of the Liberty, Sandy Brundella. Yeah,
and she has this great Australian basketball origin story of
her father putting up a hoop and a grass field
(05:51):
at her You know, she looked on sugarcane plantation basics
right by the coast. She stayed in shape by carrying
big paped across the sugar cane fields. Do you have
a basketball origin story as exotic as that?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Definitely not as exotic as that. I'm from the opposite
corner of the country. I think basketball really happened for me.
A bit of timing. Michael Jordan the pro team sort
of an hour from where I lived, won a championship
in Australia. But we moved to the country sort of
from suburbia when I was eight, to the country and
(06:30):
small hobby farm, not many other kids around, and you
can play by yourself, so that puts a hoop up
in the backyard. That's what I spend your time doing.
And then sort of got the bug when I sort
of started making some teams and there was a national
championship in Australia and you go on your first trip
and the friendships of that and we we happened to win,
(06:53):
and that whole spark was really exciting.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
So you were your family. You made it sound like
your family had a farm. So that was the business, a.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Courage little hobby farm that like industrial cleaning business, cleaning
navy ships. The me the parent really played basketball, knew
a little bit about it, but my dad was really
thoughtful about when I shad really interest in it, like
driving me to teams and finding coaches and you know,
building the court in the backyard and my brother and
(07:21):
I got a younger brother, we just put hours in
the backyard. It was really and how I remember it
is just fun living in my imagination pretending you're, you know,
playing for the Perth wild Cats and the.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
NBA even well, I was going to ask you because
you know, if you're, if you're every kid is in
that situation, shooting on a hoop by themselves and they're
doing the countdown, and you know, and what was you know?
I know here in the United States and New York
City kids are saying, well, you know we're here at
where at Berkley Center. It's the fatal second? Is the
championship game? Yeah? What was? What was your dream there
(08:00):
at that point? You said it was Perth or it
was Melbourne, or it was it was the Australian League
in a.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Combination definitely the NBA, you know, like Michael Jordan had
to hit our shores and then I was a bit older,
more sort of awareness of other NBA teams.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Did you get the games? Were you able to watch now?
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Mostly like Michael Jordan Come Fly with Me video? I
remember that watching the other thousand times reverse layups? Do
you know?
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Do you know Lee Ellis He used to be a
part of the NBA TV. He's an Australian guy. We
had him on. He's touring the world doing pickup games,
and he said that, you know, he was growing up
in Australia and he used to somehow somebody gave him
a VHS of an All Star NBA All Star Game
and that's how he started, back when the NBA All
(08:48):
Star Game was like very competitive, you know, back in
those days in the eighties and early nineties. And he said,
that's kind of what turned Deimond to the NBA. So
I guess the situation here.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, that VH watched it over and over and the
athleticism of the NBA just caught your attention. We hadn't
seen anything like it. And then I do actually remember
the Division two semi professional teams throughout Australia and we
had an US import. He ran a camp and he
took a real interest in me and helped me sort of.
(09:22):
I don't get some skills early, and I remember him
teaching us really simple things like lay up footwork. We're like, wow,
how exciting, Like it was really it was really cool
trying to figure it out. My dad and my brother
and I just remember it being so much fun.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Were there are other sports that you were interested at
the time?
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Yeah, So I was much more an Australian football player
like aflus he rules. So the thing we were most
serious about played competitively, played all the way through to
st junior year of high senior year of high school
until basketball fortun to make a decision, and a lot
of track and field for me middle distance running.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Was that was basketball kind of a niche thing? Or
was it a is it a meanstream like you're going
to a high school and a rural area in Australia.
Is basketball the kind of thing that a lot of
people play? Or was it kind of a little niche sport?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Niche sport for sure. I remember my high school team
was coached by the math teacher. We had five players.
I played center and point guard. One of my friends
who's quite a famous author now, I used to tell
him when the other team shoots, just run down our end,
because there's no point you've been down here. And the
math teacher coached the team bought us uniforms. When we
(10:40):
showed up for one of our games, I remember one
of the other players saying, oh, we're playing inside, playing indoors.
That's surprising. That was our high school team. So definitely
a niche sport and that's why, you know, I said,
I had to choose. Eventually it sort of got identified
and invited and offered a scholarship to the Australian to
(11:00):
the Sport, which is where the MBIA Global Academy is now,
and that was very exciting and that.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Sort of Yeah, I'm gonna say, how do you go
from rural Australia, five guys on the team, the math
teacher coaching, This is not exactly like I MG, you know,
and then you get you get discovered by a Division
one NCAA team and Saint Mary's because you're you're You're
kind of everybody knows Saint Mary's now as a team
(11:29):
they watch in the NCAA tournament every year. It's always
led by some tough Australian guards and uh and they've
had this great rivalry now with Gonzaga and they become
a national power. You were kind of the first guy
in that pipeline to go over there. So what was
the how do you get discovered as as as a
high school player, like you said and describe so well
(11:50):
to now where you're going. I know Saint Mary's wasn't
the power that it is now, but at the time
it's still an NCAA Division I team in a big conference.
How does how does that transition to police?
Speaker 2 (12:02):
It does seem crazy considering the situation I just explained.
But so that was my high school team. And of
course club sport is bigger than school sport in Australia
for the most part. So there were clubs and that
the structures of Australian sport and the development pathway in
basketball in particularly is really strong. So there was like
a progression. We had a a state head coach. It's
(12:27):
Western Australia, big area. We used to drive an hour
in the morning to get individual coaching twice a week,
four thirty am wake up. So I was doing that
stuff for a couple of years. So there was this
this structure that got you started. But we went to
our national championships. We want it. I got this invite
to our national Academy essentially Australian Sports now called the
(12:50):
Basketball Australia Center of Excellence. The NBA Global Academy is
set up in partnership there in Canberra. And so that
was like going to prep school. Went for a year
and a half and that was three sessions a day,
full basketball education. Junior national team Overseas played in a
D two pro league, So that was pretty serious and
(13:13):
intense and really fun. But I do remember the coach,
great coach, mentor father figure to me. One of my
memories is after one of the games him just sort
of what are you doing? Asking me that what do
you mean? He said, you just get the ball on
a run around? Crazy and funny to think back, he
(13:34):
really just you know who is that? His name is
Marty Clark. He's the director of the NBA Global Academy now.
But it's sort of think back on those first few
practices and games at that sort of that just having
no idea what I was doing essentially, and going from
that to getting a college scholarship and getting to come
(13:58):
to American play college basketball within that the eight a
month period was you know, I a lot to that
program and loved it.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
So it wasn't exactly a straight line from your your
five man team in high school to to see Mary's.
There's a but it's only but not eighteen months is
not a long period of time for all that to happen,
And now you had to seek out going to those
places or did someone see you play and say Hey,
you should go. You should come and work out here
(14:25):
and try and get into the national program.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
So it was pretty innocuous. I didn't know a lot
about college basketball. My parents weren't in sport, I thought,
and at that time a lot of people stayed in Australia,
so I thought I would just play for one of
the pro teams and study on the side. And some
of the some players have started to go to college
more and more, and guys that had gone to the
(14:49):
pro league would say, I wish I'd gone to college,
and I liked school, definitely wanted wanted that to be
part of my pathway. So you know, the coaches you
should consider college as an option, and I remember just
saying okay, and they would use their networks to, I guess,
try and help you and put out word let's say.
(15:11):
And then a few teams, Arizona State and Stanford came
to Australia and we played them, and Randy Bennett got
the tape of that. He's the Saint Mary's coach of
that Arizona State game. I got a phone call from him.
He said, do you want to come here? I like
the second phone call, I said, yeah, sounds good. Got
(15:31):
on a plane, school had started, no visit, showed up.
I remember walking in the dorm room. No linen said
not to do practice the next day. That's great.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
So this was not a this was not a you
were going to visit to see if you wanted to go.
This is just just a blind eat. And you showed
up and you get married.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Like a coach connected with him on the phone, seeing
about the right stuff. Great location, really good academics, all
made sense, great adventure, and that's I just remember telling
my parents. My parents never visited, they never spoke to
the coach. Once my coaches helped me set it up
and off of went fun.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
And and had you ever been in the United States before? No? Wow,
you just this is a leap of faith.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Well you don't know any different. You've just grown up
in the backyard. And seems really exciting. Your appreciative of
the opportunity. And yeah, it's funny to think.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
About had you at that point, were you had you
had you developed a little bit more discipline in your game,
or were you still the guy that, as that coach
told you, was just kind of running around out there.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Saying that. I think back to some of the explanations
from my college coaches was that I was turnover prone,
would be the nice way of putting it. And that's
what college was grateful making, as you said, just a
much more disciplined player, and you know, understanding the game
better and the value of the ball and every possession
counts and the pressure of it. And yes, I mean
(17:11):
I got to when I came in the it was
Randy Bennett's first year. The team had won two games
a year before, so there was a good opportunity to play.
So I started my freshman year and a lot of
faith in me, and I got so many great experiences
and improved in so many ways. So it was a
leap of faith, but it was so much fun and
(17:31):
learned so much so quickly.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
You mentioned that you played Australian rules football, which I've watched,
you know, I've seen it over the years, and it's
that it's kind of a rugby kind of game. Is
there is there an element that you know, people talk
about the rugged Australian players that have played for Saint
Mary's and is there an element to that that helped
(17:58):
that that influenced the you played basketball.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
For sure, especially if you're not that good. You've started ling,
you know, try really hard. Yeah, the coach says, taking
charge physical. Yeah, I mean I remember that breaking a
rib two days before, well maybe a week before our
first game, and struggling writing in class but playing the
first game of the sea at different time. But you
(18:25):
broke the rim yeah, practice, you know. I think our
last sort of blue white scrimmage or something like that
cracked ribs. So the and I think that's what the
Australian thing has worked at Saint Mary's is. I had
a pretty immediate connection with the coaching staff there at Randy,
but the other coaches, to Carl Smith who's at Washington
State now, just about team and toughness and similar values
(18:50):
and a small West Coast school that just had a great,
great fit. And so you know, they taught me how
to play better basketball education and I like to think
I was a solid player. But I'm known a little
bit for being the first of Saint Mary. It's not
for being.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Okay, well, I mean the thing is, you did I think,
did you have an injury there besides the rib?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Were you monu stuff?
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Now? Okay, but you you end up using this now
as as you end up in the Australian professionally. Yeah, right,
playing there. But before we get into that, did they now,
Coach Bennett obviously used you as a recruiting tool. He's
probably like he liked what he saw. He loved the
(19:37):
toughness that you had and said, are any any more
like you that? Any anybody you can bring along here?
Say that you started the You might not have you
might not have been the Patty Mills, but you kind
of opened the pipeline, you know, you kind of turned
on the faucet there. How did that relationship? Were you
able to recruit other guys to Saint Mary's?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Well, my, uh, you know one of my best friends
from the from the program I just come from with
Daniel Kickett, who then came a year later and ended
up being the schools all time leading scorer, a great
career in Europe, a really great player as players in
the history of school. So Randy definitely had a plan
to open the for recruiting. Yeah, to open that up,
(20:24):
and I was a beneficiary of it too. Had a
great experience. I don't remember like actively doing much other
than he would ask me about some some of the
guys I played with, and you know when kicker came
was a great moment for the school and obviously Patty
and Delivan Over and others just took it to New Heights.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Well, you understand that you're just coming to see Mary
say unseen. It's probably not the common event. It's probably
not so that happens a lot. So guys that came
up behind you, you know, yeah, to see it to
be it sometime and you were out there and it's like,
all right, well we trust now that this is a
(21:04):
good path. And I mean, you know so you probably
are you your humility is showing here now when you
talk about what you're able to, you know, help them
start there, because eventually you end up back there as
an assistant coach as well. So this is now the
gift that kept on giving to Saint Mary.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Yeah, I mean that's why I feel so fortunate that
but that school and that program and Coach Bennett has
stayed there. And that's sort of one of the other
benefits that's continues to give back to me. I love
going back to visit, taking my kids to games.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Yeah, I mean it's perennial. It's about twenty team now.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Yeah, I mean he's a great, great coach, and I
had so many great players as well. Obviously, one of
the things I was going to say about it is
my relationship with coach was really strong from the start,
and all the coaching stuff I really needed that. That's
one of the ways I reflect on it, like I
didn't know what I was doing. I just got on
the plane. I didn't really have a lot of support
from home. That's not a criticism or anything I regret,
(22:11):
just from a different place than my parents. Yeah, school great,
so yeah, come back in the summer and visit. Never
visited once once Again, not a criticism. I didn't know
any different. I didn't know any different, never spoke to
the coach on the phone. So I relied on the
coaching staff and Coach Bennett would talk to me about
(22:31):
one day you'll come back here and coach just and then.
I didn't think much of it at the time, but
as my playing career finished finished prematurely due to injury,
you know, that sort of support I got from him
and other coaches I had along the way, it was
it was huge for me.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
So that was in Now you end up in Australia
playing professionally after seeing marriage, that's where you had an
injury that kind of ended your What was the dream
for you at any point? You know, what was the
highest level you thought you could achieve.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
I was trying to make it a national team going
to the Olympics World Championships, and so I was in
camps a reserve, never making the team, as I was
knocking on the door a little bit, and I was
trying to get in and be a role player. Let's
put it generously. I was a starter in the in
our national league at that time. As I was knocking
(23:24):
on that door, I was at camp day one and
there's this new young point guard and he first possession
of the first scrimmage picks me up full court. Then
he gets the ball, blows past me, scores it, and
I was really confused and frustrated, and one I stop
out after that play, I'm like chastising myself. I'm gonna
get myself ready to play. Well, that was Patty, and
(23:47):
so pretty quickly it was I wasn't going to make
that team over him, and he made that one. And
so that was the dream, and that to sort of
go to Olympics and things like that. And that's why
I sort of mentioned that those relationship with coach Bennett
and other coaches. Certainly the supporter had as I got
injured and been able to transition into coaching and navigate
(24:10):
that whole space. I'm so thankful for because that's a
difficult and traumatic, potentially traumatic thing.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
What was the injury.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
It's like acute left knee injury essentially, like really bad
arthritis in the end, you know, yeah, nowadays I think
you could survive it better than I did medically, but
it was like a combination of wear and tear and
a cute injury.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
So when they asked you to coach, it seemed Mary's
or was that something that had been on your rider
or is that something that they kind of introduced to
you as a passibility? Had been had you been thinking
about coaching?
Speaker 2 (24:47):
I hadn't really been thinking about it. I would help
out while I was hurt and assistant coach and things
like that in our sort of D two league in
programs I played in, I was more less pushed or
by the CEO. Same was Nick Marvin on the assistant
coaches Mark Bradford, Scott Fisher who were with Perth Wildcats
(25:11):
and Protein I was with the time and Randy Bennett
mighty gotsuit. It was sort of encouraged me that that
would be a path I should pursue in my mind
and considering what I've been through being heard and I
just remember I just bought the house and was stressed
with that my career potentially being over, in my income,
I was going into the real world and to try
and be an engineer or work and study. And so
(25:35):
initially I got help getting a head coaching job in
the D two, the D two Pro League, and I
sort of did that for a bit of money and
transition and the connections, and that was the first gig,
and then assistant coach at back at our sort of
national academy. And the Randy Bennett thing was interesting because
he was offering it to a colleague or talking to
(25:56):
a colleague about that job, and I was saying, you
must take that job. Is an unbelievable job, and situation
wasn't something honest thing about pursuing that time. I'm just
getting into coaching and sort of just trying to get
better at that. And then he asked me, and I
was packed pretty quickly.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Again he came calling, and you jumped on a plane again.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Two bags and off I went.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Now, were you married at that point? Yeah? No, And
then so you had that freedom and that flexibility to
jump at that opportunity, you did it for a while. Now,
Patty you said schooled you in those those Australian national tryouts.
(26:39):
But so now, how much younger is he than you?
He was kind of right behind you.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
No, it's like six years or something like that. I
would have been twenty four in him eighteen or so?
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Was he?
Speaker 2 (26:51):
So was he?
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Did you overlap in your coaching is at Mary's with
him as a player?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Now? No, he came back in the summers and he
got hurt for as of NBA occurred in ex playing
in China, I believe, and he came and spent the
summer and I worked out with him every day then
and at that state, I was more on the court
playing than I am now. We would play three on
three every day and that was that was as he
sort of got back into the NBA.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Yeah, because he and and you know, he's another one
that didn't have we know, his success in San Antonio,
but it wasn't a straight line either. It was you know,
going from Saint Mary's and struggling a little bit and
being on teams or he didn't play much in Portland
and so it wasn't It wasn't an overnight success for
him either, despite his prowess against you on the basketball
(27:39):
court there what could you? But But eventually though he's
risen to a point and what he's done for the
national team. I mean, what is Patty Mills been for Australia,
not let alone the Australian national team in basketball, but
for Australia. Uh, tough question because.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
It's really hard to quantify. It's his influence stretches, you know,
well beyond the sort of basketball sporting landscape. Such an
important figure, give so much back, pour so much time
into so make an Australia a better place for all
(28:23):
young people and really inspiring that way. His IBA and
Indigenous Basketball League just one great example of the many
things he does. That that moment, you know, I get
to be a small part of when we won our
first international men senior medals, who went bronze medal at
(28:43):
the Olympics. You know, I'll never forget look on his face,
some of the other players and Matthew Delibant overs just
to have that be so close and have that sort
of moment together and then be able to I think
one of the things I realized is is that having
that opportunity to inspire other young people in Australia was
(29:04):
really meaningful for Patty, and he's used that platform to
make a real difference.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
That's it's incredible, especially you know, being indigenous the way
he is and coming from such a remote area and
what that's done for people, just as an example, it's
just extraordinary. It's it's do you remember at the time
when you first met him and you're going up against him,
(29:29):
of what of what sort of he represented at that moment.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Not at that moment, he always had a great charisma
and just personality and great sort of qualities that I
think drew people to him. He always had that, including
his confidence. He always had that and you know that's
the quality that draws people to you and inspires people too.
(29:58):
So that was obvious from stuff.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
You you end up going back. You mentioned that the
stretch you had in developing your coaching and getting into
coaching and in the professional leagues there in Australia, and
then you go to Saint Mary's again, you spend some
time there, your Australia calls you back. Now, you you
end up going back with one of the development the
(30:22):
academy there in Australia, and you spent a number of
years there before you'd eventually get to the NBA. What
was it that called you back home? And what was
that transition? I think it's about seven years right where
you're you're coaching at the academy there in Australia. What
what was How would you describe that part of your life?
Speaker 2 (30:43):
It was a it was a big decision. I was
really I've seen enjoying my time at Saint Mary's and
had a great coaching job, vision on basketball, a great program.
I sort of I remember this discussion with coach Bennett
and just thinking through my own journey that sort of
the career growth was, you know, elite college assistant and
(31:07):
high major assistant potentially, it's sort of one of the
progressions people went or they could go to a lower
level and be a head coach. And I saw that
more as my sort of pathway. Thought I could get
better quicker, it fit my skill set or what I
wanted my skill set to be, and that sort of
timing just aligned with that job opening and the you know,
(31:29):
the program reached out, it's what I what I played at,
I mean an assistant coach at was very passionate about
and it was a turbulent time the program was changing.
So also the coach running overseeing the program our Olympic
now seeing your national team head coach Andrea Lamanas at
the time kind of also guilted me a little bit
(31:50):
like we need to and I was very passionate about it,
and that I just met my future wife like at
that sort of similar timeframe. So proposed and we went
to Australia.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Then the Tokyo Olympics get pushed up because of COVID,
and uh, what was the So how did it come
come about the Nets? Because you end up that's you.
You leave Australia and you were you were and you're
coaching there and you're running the academy and then you come,
uh to come to Brooklyn and then Long Island to
be the Long Island NETS head coach. So what was
(32:27):
that recruiting process like to get you back here? Obviously
your you're the idea was sparked, you wanted to do
something different? How did that become Long Island in Brooklyn?
Speaker 2 (32:40):
As I started, uh to be really honest, I don't
exactly know how the NETS part happened. We had some
guys that were future NBA, like Josh Kitty and others,
so we had some executives coming through and looking at
players and the national team get some exposure. But I
remember at some stage in a tournament we were playing
(33:03):
at an Intraviso our team I was coaching a former
NETS scout. Jean Luca said to me, you should think
about trying to get in the G League as a
head coach. That would make sense for you, And just
the way he said it, I got in my head.
I started asking about it. So that sort of got
the ball rolling of just that idea, I guess, and
(33:26):
when I thought it through and the sort of the
journey for our family, the kids were of an age
that you know, they're not in high school, they're in
the sort of age it's just starting sort of elementary school.
This would be a great adventure similar idea. I think
I'd really improve and I'd like to try and pursue that.
And so it was really fortunate the NETS one sort
(33:47):
of came up and interviewed and get off of the position.
It was really excited for it.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Well, there is definitely when you're around the nets, your
accent is not particularly unique. There are a lot of
you know, the developmental the staff, the medical staff, there's
a lot of Australians around, and you know we have
Sean Marx of course in New Zealand right there, little
(34:15):
island off the coast of Australia.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Does that.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
I guess it's I have a couple of prongs there
is what's so impressive? What's the secret sauce in Australia
when it comes to development, both skills and the medical
part of it as well, Because it seems to be
there on the cutting edge, and I think that's why
(34:41):
you're seeing a lot of your countrymen in the NBA.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
My opinion. But it's not I don't know if this
is correct. There's probably other parts to it. But part
of it is we have the Australian Institute of Sport
sort of national academy. It's not just passports basically all
Olympic sports, let's say. And so when I got to
play there, you were just interacting with other elite athletes
and you were learning things from them, sometimes by picking
(35:10):
their brain, watching them sometimes just obviously innocuously well, the
coaching part and when I went there as an assistant,
was quite intense in a really good way. You were
given a coaching mentor he was a swimming coach. For me,
you were put through a coach education program, may speak
in front of people. It was really challenging, demanding, had
to study homework like you name it, across different sports.
(35:36):
I had to run a practice for a water apollo team.
It was really fun and so that was also encompassing.
You know, a coach that's managing a staff and so
there on that campus is world class performance physiotherapist, strength
and conditioning coaches and so you are working with those
(35:58):
departments consistently. We're trying to be a world leader, innovative
and so that place I think is a driving force.
And I think the Australian Football League as it rules
is such a demanding physical game that that sport is
big in Australia, big budgets. It was another thing that
(36:18):
sort of drove the physical informance side of things, and
the fact that it's you know, it's an island nation
down they're just doing its own thing. It just sort
of that's how it happened. It's really demanding physical sport
and we're trying to find it, find an edge.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Those two things I think now, and I think that
the NETS is an organization and probably because Sean Marx is,
you know, part of it being from that area of
the world. You know, you're you're you want to know
the best. You want to see what's on the cutting edge,
whether it comes from Indiana or it comes from Perth.
It's just you want to do that and you want
(36:57):
to accumulate the people who are on the cutting edge
of what you're trying to do. Does it with having
a lot of your countrymen and people who are such
an international flavor around the NETS, does it? Did it
make it a little more comfortable for you, you know,
coming into an organization that has so many people that
have similar stories to you.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Yeah, I think so. I don't think it was so
much that there are other Australians. I think that first
of all, the NETS to a fantastic job welcoming you,
helping with the transition and looking after your family. Really,
the family part of it is it couldn't be better. Yeah,
and so important. Obviously, it's more the I think people
(37:43):
from all sorts of different backgrounds, countries experiences in a
really professional, innovative environment that values family. That whole sort
of mix of things is just, in my opinion, delivered
and executed to an elite level here and so I've
(38:04):
enjoyed every second of it. It was easy in a
sense to fit in, let's say, but you feel the
demands and pressure in a good way of delivering. That's
what I really enjoy about this place, the combination of
those things.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Well, one thing that that when people talk about you
they bring up is your competitiveness. I could just picture
when you first met your wife and how you know,
she's an All American athlete and you guys are probably
you know, maybe go for a run and see who
can go faster. I would imagine that that it does.
(38:44):
It extend to every part of your life.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
I've learned to turn it off because I was losing
so much at home that I had to I had
to adjust. You know, the great I was in a
golfer at all. She was a very good golfer, and
her whole family are essentially so is that that experience
I think has been really good for my coaching, because
I'm an awful golfer. During COVID started trying to learn
(39:11):
and play with the family, and now you know, in
the summers, I'll try and play with the dad and
it's just embarrassing. But here you are, it's great trying
to execute an athletic act. Feeling pressure, anxiety. That's a
good thing for a coach to go through again. And
the good thing is that I'm no chance of challenging
(39:32):
anyone in the family. So the competitive side is different.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
Let's say, yeah, yeah, when it comes to your philosophy
of developing young players. You know, you go out there
to start your coaching career coming back from Moscowia. You're
in the G League, and obviously this is a developmental league.
I think developing young players is probably more important than
(39:57):
even the wins and losses at that level. What do
you what do you kind of is your overall philosophy
when it comes to player development.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
So great question, and that's totally right about the G
League and the program I was in Australia. The sort
of let's say that the number one goal is helping
everyone get better is development, and that when you don't
have whe everyone wants to win. But when you don't
have the same pressure, it is really liberating. And enables.
(40:29):
One of the key things is an environment that allows
a little trial and error. We know that learning and
development where a player is or an athlete or any
learner is in a safe environment, can make mistakes, can
intrinsically learn, is ask questions, is challenged, is figuring things
out for themselves in a sense in the right environment
(40:54):
is just very, very powerful. And so that was one
of the really fun things about the G League and
things we're trying to do better here and the NBA
has got different challenges, but that's key. My overall philosophy
is really that you just you want to take a
holistic approach, You want a high quality learning environment, and
(41:14):
you just want really effective feedback. And that sounds super simple.
I think the challenges of learning and development are that
the things that seem really obvious aren't. Like you think
that if you just tell someone how to do something,
that's a good way to learn, and as you dive
into it, that's probably the worst way to learn. And
(41:37):
unpacking all of that and helping players do it in
a holistic way they have to execute under great pressure
is something I really enjoy.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
When people think holistic, I think they think some kind
of crystals or you know, meditation. It's more the whole self.
It's knowing what's going on in their lives. It's knowing
what how to what motivates people. It's just different for
everybody else. You know, for other people, the istemates have
(42:06):
to get out of yourself and what would motivate you
and try and learn about what would motivate others.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
I guess that's exactly right. So I just like to
say our program in Australia in particular development works really
hard because it's challenging daily work, which you know sort
of everyone has in their lives, but you can get
(42:31):
lost and a lot of things going on. In the end,
the only thing you can control is the work you
do today and then when you take a step back
from that. We have a vision as a team, as
an organization, we have goals, we have things we need
to achieve well that each player and each individual, you know,
they have their own challenges going on in their life,
but their own vision as well, and I think you
need to help an individual align their vision with the
(42:53):
group and with the team. It's not going to be perfect,
but you need to find some individual goals and help
them understand landscape and things like that that give them
genuine motivation, help them see them see where they're going
and get excited about work because all we can do
is the work today, and without the vision of how
to get there, I think it could be really challenging
(43:17):
and a lot of what you know, I think as
a coach you're trying to do is make each day
a little bit different in a way that you're executing
fundamental things. But the athlete has challenge. When they're bored,
they're not learning. When they're not challenged, not learning. That's
part of the reason it's so difficult. If they're an autopilot,
they're not learning, and so you're trying to just push
those edges, you know, help align it with the team,
(43:41):
within the team vision and the things they want to
achieve and get after it each day.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
And what is how has Jacques Vaughan set the tone
for that, especially since taking over this year. He's been
around with the organization so long as an assistant coach.
Where he was you know, he was he was in
try of developing some young, good young talent with the NATS.
How what have you learned and gleaned from Jhark and
(44:06):
the way he's kind of set the tone with your staff.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
I think when I first when I first came into
the nets, one of the things that was really exciting
was that it would really advanced in a play development sense,
not just getting on the court and the drills they
do with the players, but use that word holistically again,
really care about the player. The work on the court
was really exciting and you could see it. And one
(44:33):
of the things just obvious about Jack is his energy
on the court and the intent and sort of presence
he gives that player he is working with in that moment.
That was something that just was obvious from the start.
And you know, one of my first thoughts was either
I need to do better with that. And all the
coaches had these these great talents and said across the
(44:57):
organization analytics were bringing interesting ideas to development and things
like that. But one of the things I thought that
that intensity that Jacques gives and the things that I
found really exciting are that the work is quite progressive.
I think one of the ways that we've evolved in
coaching and sports is we know that the work needs
(45:19):
to be, like I said, some trial and error, more
what I would say is open drills, not closed and blocked,
not repetitive autopilot drills. And so the first practice I remember, workouts,
I remember coming into I could see Jacques and other
coaches challenging players and really creative ways. The passion and
(45:39):
energy in the gym was great. The players were into it.
Those boxes were really getting ticked at a high level,
and we're just trying to keep find ways to make
it a little better.
Speaker 1 (45:48):
Yeah, and you know, he was different in his first
kind of coaching. And you learn from your experiences everywhere
right now, and you grow as coaches as much as
you're trying to develop players. You know, you grow and
you learn more throughout all your experiences that you take
with you. And I'm sure you're learning as you go
here with the.
Speaker 2 (46:08):
NETS totally, you're constantly stealing, studying, asking questions. That's what
I mentioned about the off season is that's what helps
the transition and the pain of losing is well, we
have to get better, and it's really enjoyable to get
better and put some time into that. And you're exactly right.
(46:29):
One of the things I've loved about the Nets there's
so many great talented people and I'm learning from them
every day.
Speaker 1 (46:35):
Well, it was great getting to know you a little
bit more on a personal level. Let people introduce you, know,
you know, see and get to learn about the people
they see there on the bench and the people that
are behind the scenes. So before I let you go, though,
put you on the spot like I do all of
my all of my guests here. There was a great
(46:56):
American basketball coach, so I'm sure you're familiar with Jim Valvano,
who is an inspiring person up until the very end.
He has that great sub speech about never give up
something that's always been an important important in my life.
Looking back on that and in his message, but he
said that to have a full life, everyone should do
(47:18):
three things every day. They should laugh, cry, think. So
I ask you, from trying to get to know you
a little more on a personal level, what is something
or something recently that makes Adam Kporn laugh.
Speaker 2 (47:33):
My son just will not stop asking questions. And he
rides his bike around park slope and he's pretty good
on it, and he will just talk the whole time,
asking questions, a million questions about everything, and he will
He'll ride his bike ahead, so he'll get to the
corner and wait for me, and when I arrive on
the corner, he is talking to a stranger and he
is just foring them with a million questions, you know,
(47:57):
and I've had to say, you know, don't say my
dad coaches a bit and this person's looking around this kid.
Speaker 1 (48:05):
He's six a six.
Speaker 2 (48:07):
It's just a funny little scenario that happens often.
Speaker 1 (48:10):
Future podcast host. All right, So now the other aspect
of not not necessarily what makes you cry because it's sad,
but just what is something maybe recently or in general,
that that moves your emotions. I feel like it's important
to experience things that that make you emotional with something
(48:31):
that would do that for you.
Speaker 2 (48:33):
Yeah. So you know, when you get into the off season,
we just talked a little bit about coaching philosophy, you
start trying to redefine and get a little better with
your your philosophy is and your understanding of things. And
inevitably that for me, as you bore down into it
comes from a lot of things my dad taught me
growing up and he's passed. But these are like the
(48:56):
moments when you start thinking about, you know, the lessons
and what you really value and how you're using them,
and the thing that makes me sad is that he
doesn't get to see me try to execute that with
my kids. And I wish you got to see that,
of course, but lots of people experience these sorts of things.
The thing that it's, you know, the great thing for
(49:17):
me is that the driving force for me really is
to execute those things the best I can see my
kids witness it. That's what motivates me.
Speaker 1 (49:26):
That's excellent if you The final thing is think and
you know I always say outside Barkley Center has the Oculus,
the video circular video board that so many people see
every day coming through the subway, coming into the arena,
walking around that neighborhood. If you could put something up
there that you would want everyone, the millions that would
(49:49):
see it, to think about, is there something a philosophy
of life, something that you just like people to understand?
What would it be?
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Did try hard? Have fun?
Speaker 1 (50:02):
Be great toea mate, Adam k. Porn. Really appreciate you
joining us, and it's great getting to know you a
little bit better. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (50:10):
Thanks for having me. Chris enjoyed it.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
All right. My thanks to Adam K. Porn for joining us.
We're having this beautiful weather here in the Northeast. I
don't know about you where you are, but in the
Northeast we're having an actual spring and it's been absolutely gorgeous.
So I hope maybe you went out to take a
walk while you were listening to this, or maybe you're
having a drive out in this wonderful weather and tuning
(50:36):
into the Voice of the Nets podcast. In honor of
that and the Australian Adam k Porn, I leave you
with a lyric from the song weather with You by
the great Australian band Crowded House. Yes, Neil Finn and
his brother were from New Zealand, but the rest of
the band is from Australia. They're known as an Australian band.
The song weather with You and the quote Julius Caesar
(51:01):
and the Roman Empire couldn't conquer the blue sky. Everywhere
you go, always take the weather with you. My thanks
for producer Steve Goldberg, engineer Isaac Lee. Thanks for subscribing
and tuning in and sharing. Reach Out to me on
social media at Chris Carino on Instagram or Twitter and
(51:24):
let me know what you think of the show. I
always appreciate you listening. Thank you so much. For tuning in.
This has been the voice of the next
Hey, what's going on. It's Chris Carno. This is the
Voice of the NETS podcast. Today we want to tell
the story of Adam cape Porn. I'm really intrigued by
a lot of these wonderful people in the NETS organization
who have these terrific personal professional journeys. So many of
you reached out on our previous episode where we spotlighted
(00:32):
Ryan foroehand Kelly, the NETS assistant coach, and how he
traveled the world in before discovering what it was that
he wanted to do to lead him to the NBA,
and that was coaching. Today we talked to Adam Capehorn.
He's from Australia. A few years ago the NETS Long
(00:52):
Island coaching position opened up Brett bill Meyer was leaving
and they were looking for another head coach of the
Long Island Nets in the G League and their search
took them to Australia and one of the people who
chimed in and gave his recommendation was a former NET
coach and a former Long Island head coach who has
(01:14):
a lot of experience in Australia. Will Weaver, an assistant
coach with the Australian national team. He's been a head
coach and an assistant coach in the Australian National Basketball League,
so when the opening came up in the G League,
he called to recommend Adam k Porn and Alex Schiffer,
the athletic who covers the Nets, does a great job.
(01:35):
He had written a story when Adam k Porn took
over as the Long Island Nets head coach, and he
got this quote from Will Weaver. This is what Will
Weaver said about Adam k Porn. He said, he's at
the very pointy part of the spear in terms of
modern coaching. When Brett Brullmeyer left, Adam was an obvious
person to recommend because he's a flame thrower and they
(01:57):
are covered in kerosene. What they love is unselfish, evidence
based modern coaches that enjoy keeping the game fun but
take it very seriously. Adam is all those things. Indeed
he is, and he's got a great basketball story, personal journey.
(02:18):
You know that the Saint Mary's program out in California
has all of a sudden become a perennial Top twenty
NCAA basketball program, and they're known for having this program
that's been fueled by a pipeline to Australia. Great Australian players,
you know. Patty Mills was there, Matthew Delavo Dova went there.
(02:40):
Today's game. Jack Landell, who's with the Phoenix Suns, who's
becoming up and coming player. He was at Saint Mary's.
Adam Kporn was the first guy in the pipeline. He
started it. He got the pipeline flowing from Australia to
Saint Mary's. And throughout his life he has faced the
(03:04):
sign posts. It's like a build your own adventure book
when it comes to Adam k Porn facing these these
arrows and which way to go, and he has taken
giant leaps of faith to follow one arrow in a
direction that leads him right now to the Brooklyn Nets.
(03:26):
So here is a conversation with Nets assistant coach Adam
k Porn here on the Voice of the Nets. So, Adam,
I know, even with just myself and doing this number
of years, your your schedule for eight months is just
it's just jam packed. It's just your your entire life
(03:49):
is based on the NBA schedule. And then you play
that last playoff game and then it just ends. Is
there an adjustment. Did you take a couple of weeks
to kind of decompress, or did you just jump right
back in watching playoff games and there's your brain ever
kind of turn off.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
It's a great question. It's a difficult thing to go
through and definitely an emotional element. I found it really
hard to watch the games for the next few days
and watch them start, switch them off, download them, struggle
to get through them. I don't know how long it takes,
but I think about a week. Start to feel better.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You're watching the NET games again on tape, or watching
the playoff games that were going on, a bit.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Of both, but the playoff games were going on the
next few days found really hard. Don't switch off straight away,
that's for sure, and you're still not The season's going on,
and you start to definitely get a little more time
with family, which is great, but just recalibrate into off
season mode and not in terms of just getting away
from at all. There's certainly we need to break at
(04:57):
some stage, but it's sort of planning your season obviously
for players to develop and get better, and it's been
part of my role, so putting those structures in place
and getting those things moving, but also for your own coaching,
starting to put some thought into who am I going to,
what teams am I going to watch? That are things
I'd like to study, books, I'd like to read, plays,
(05:18):
like to visit coaches, zooms. Start to think about that
stuff and that's really enjoyable. So that sort of helps
us thing a little bit. I guess you turned your
attention to trying to get better.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Uh, let's go, let's go back now, let's go back
to the Adam cape Horn origin story. I have had
another great Aussie coach on here on the in a
past episode, the head coach of the Liberty, Sandy Brundella. Yeah,
and she has this great Australian basketball origin story of
her father putting up a hoop and a grass field
(05:51):
at her You know, she looked on sugarcane plantation basics
right by the coast. She stayed in shape by carrying
big paped across the sugar cane fields. Do you have
a basketball origin story as exotic as that?
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Definitely not as exotic as that. I'm from the opposite
corner of the country. I think basketball really happened for me.
A bit of timing. Michael Jordan the pro team sort
of an hour from where I lived, won a championship
in Australia. But we moved to the country sort of
from suburbia when I was eight, to the country and
(06:30):
small hobby farm, not many other kids around, and you
can play by yourself, so that puts a hoop up
in the backyard. That's what I spend your time doing.
And then sort of got the bug when I sort
of started making some teams and there was a national
championship in Australia and you go on your first trip
and the friendships of that and we we happened to win,
(06:53):
and that whole spark was really exciting.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
So you were your family. You made it sound like
your family had a farm. So that was the business, a.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Courage little hobby farm that like industrial cleaning business, cleaning
navy ships. The me the parent really played basketball, knew
a little bit about it, but my dad was really
thoughtful about when I shad really interest in it, like
driving me to teams and finding coaches and you know,
building the court in the backyard and my brother and
(07:21):
I got a younger brother, we just put hours in
the backyard. It was really and how I remember it
is just fun living in my imagination pretending you're, you know,
playing for the Perth wild Cats and the.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
NBA even well, I was going to ask you because
you know, if you're, if you're every kid is in
that situation, shooting on a hoop by themselves and they're
doing the countdown, and you know, and what was you know?
I know here in the United States and New York
City kids are saying, well, you know we're here at
where at Berkley Center. It's the fatal second? Is the
championship game? Yeah? What was? What was your dream there
(08:00):
at that point? You said it was Perth or it
was Melbourne, or it was it was the Australian League
in a.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Combination definitely the NBA, you know, like Michael Jordan had
to hit our shores and then I was a bit older,
more sort of awareness of other NBA teams.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Did you get the games? Were you able to watch now?
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Mostly like Michael Jordan Come Fly with Me video? I
remember that watching the other thousand times reverse layups? Do
you know?
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Do you know Lee Ellis He used to be a
part of the NBA TV. He's an Australian guy. We
had him on. He's touring the world doing pickup games,
and he said that, you know, he was growing up
in Australia and he used to somehow somebody gave him
a VHS of an All Star NBA All Star Game
and that's how he started, back when the NBA All
(08:48):
Star Game was like very competitive, you know, back in
those days in the eighties and early nineties. And he said,
that's kind of what turned Deimond to the NBA. So
I guess the situation here.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, that VH watched it over and over and the
athleticism of the NBA just caught your attention. We hadn't
seen anything like it. And then I do actually remember
the Division two semi professional teams throughout Australia and we
had an US import. He ran a camp and he
took a real interest in me and helped me sort of.
(09:22):
I don't get some skills early, and I remember him
teaching us really simple things like lay up footwork. We're like, wow,
how exciting, Like it was really it was really cool
trying to figure it out. My dad and my brother
and I just remember it being so much fun.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Were there are other sports that you were interested at
the time?
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Yeah, So I was much more an Australian football player
like aflus he rules. So the thing we were most
serious about played competitively, played all the way through to
st junior year of high senior year of high school
until basketball fortun to make a decision, and a lot
of track and field for me middle distance running.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Was that was basketball kind of a niche thing? Or
was it a is it a meanstream like you're going
to a high school and a rural area in Australia.
Is basketball the kind of thing that a lot of
people play? Or was it kind of a little niche sport?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Niche sport for sure. I remember my high school team
was coached by the math teacher. We had five players.
I played center and point guard. One of my friends
who's quite a famous author now, I used to tell
him when the other team shoots, just run down our end,
because there's no point you've been down here. And the
math teacher coached the team bought us uniforms. When we
(10:40):
showed up for one of our games, I remember one
of the other players saying, oh, we're playing inside, playing indoors.
That's surprising. That was our high school team. So definitely
a niche sport and that's why, you know, I said,
I had to choose. Eventually it sort of got identified
and invited and offered a scholarship to the Australian to
(11:00):
the Sport, which is where the MBIA Global Academy is now,
and that was very exciting and that.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Sort of Yeah, I'm gonna say, how do you go
from rural Australia, five guys on the team, the math
teacher coaching, This is not exactly like I MG, you know,
and then you get you get discovered by a Division
one NCAA team and Saint Mary's because you're you're You're
kind of everybody knows Saint Mary's now as a team
(11:29):
they watch in the NCAA tournament every year. It's always
led by some tough Australian guards and uh and they've
had this great rivalry now with Gonzaga and they become
a national power. You were kind of the first guy
in that pipeline to go over there. So what was
the how do you get discovered as as as a
high school player, like you said and describe so well
(11:50):
to now where you're going. I know Saint Mary's wasn't
the power that it is now, but at the time
it's still an NCAA Division I team in a big conference.
How does how does that transition to police?
Speaker 2 (12:02):
It does seem crazy considering the situation I just explained.
But so that was my high school team. And of
course club sport is bigger than school sport in Australia
for the most part. So there were clubs and that
the structures of Australian sport and the development pathway in
basketball in particularly is really strong. So there was like
a progression. We had a a state head coach. It's
(12:27):
Western Australia, big area. We used to drive an hour
in the morning to get individual coaching twice a week,
four thirty am wake up. So I was doing that
stuff for a couple of years. So there was this
this structure that got you started. But we went to
our national championships. We want it. I got this invite
to our national Academy essentially Australian Sports now called the
(12:50):
Basketball Australia Center of Excellence. The NBA Global Academy is
set up in partnership there in Canberra. And so that
was like going to prep school. Went for a year
and a half and that was three sessions a day,
full basketball education. Junior national team Overseas played in a
D two pro league, So that was pretty serious and
(13:13):
intense and really fun. But I do remember the coach,
great coach, mentor father figure to me. One of my
memories is after one of the games him just sort
of what are you doing? Asking me that what do
you mean? He said, you just get the ball on
a run around? Crazy and funny to think back, he
(13:34):
really just you know who is that? His name is
Marty Clark. He's the director of the NBA Global Academy now.
But it's sort of think back on those first few
practices and games at that sort of that just having
no idea what I was doing essentially, and going from
that to getting a college scholarship and getting to come
(13:58):
to American play college basketball within that the eight a
month period was you know, I a lot to that
program and loved it.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
So it wasn't exactly a straight line from your your
five man team in high school to to see Mary's.
There's a but it's only but not eighteen months is
not a long period of time for all that to happen,
And now you had to seek out going to those
places or did someone see you play and say Hey,
you should go. You should come and work out here
(14:25):
and try and get into the national program.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
So it was pretty innocuous. I didn't know a lot
about college basketball. My parents weren't in sport, I thought,
and at that time a lot of people stayed in Australia,
so I thought I would just play for one of
the pro teams and study on the side. And some
of the some players have started to go to college
more and more, and guys that had gone to the
(14:49):
pro league would say, I wish I'd gone to college,
and I liked school, definitely wanted wanted that to be
part of my pathway. So you know, the coaches you
should consider college as an option, and I remember just
saying okay, and they would use their networks to, I guess,
try and help you and put out word let's say.
(15:11):
And then a few teams, Arizona State and Stanford came
to Australia and we played them, and Randy Bennett got
the tape of that. He's the Saint Mary's coach of
that Arizona State game. I got a phone call from him.
He said, do you want to come here? I like
the second phone call, I said, yeah, sounds good. Got
(15:31):
on a plane, school had started, no visit, showed up.
I remember walking in the dorm room. No linen said
not to do practice the next day. That's great.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
So this was not a this was not a you
were going to visit to see if you wanted to go.
This is just just a blind eat. And you showed
up and you get married.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Like a coach connected with him on the phone, seeing
about the right stuff. Great location, really good academics, all
made sense, great adventure, and that's I just remember telling
my parents. My parents never visited, they never spoke to
the coach. Once my coaches helped me set it up
and off of went fun.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
And and had you ever been in the United States before? No? Wow,
you just this is a leap of faith.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Well you don't know any different. You've just grown up
in the backyard. And seems really exciting. Your appreciative of
the opportunity. And yeah, it's funny to think.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
About had you at that point, were you had you
had you developed a little bit more discipline in your game,
or were you still the guy that, as that coach
told you, was just kind of running around out there.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Saying that. I think back to some of the explanations
from my college coaches was that I was turnover prone,
would be the nice way of putting it. And that's
what college was grateful making, as you said, just a
much more disciplined player, and you know, understanding the game
better and the value of the ball and every possession
counts and the pressure of it. And yes, I mean
(17:11):
I got to when I came in the it was
Randy Bennett's first year. The team had won two games
a year before, so there was a good opportunity to play.
So I started my freshman year and a lot of
faith in me, and I got so many great experiences
and improved in so many ways. So it was a
leap of faith, but it was so much fun and
(17:31):
learned so much so quickly.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
You mentioned that you played Australian rules football, which I've watched,
you know, I've seen it over the years, and it's
that it's kind of a rugby kind of game. Is
there is there an element that you know, people talk
about the rugged Australian players that have played for Saint
Mary's and is there an element to that that helped
(17:58):
that that influenced the you played basketball.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
For sure, especially if you're not that good. You've started ling,
you know, try really hard. Yeah, the coach says, taking
charge physical. Yeah, I mean I remember that breaking a
rib two days before, well maybe a week before our
first game, and struggling writing in class but playing the
first game of the sea at different time. But you
(18:25):
broke the rim yeah, practice, you know. I think our
last sort of blue white scrimmage or something like that
cracked ribs. So the and I think that's what the
Australian thing has worked at Saint Mary's is. I had
a pretty immediate connection with the coaching staff there at Randy,
but the other coaches, to Carl Smith who's at Washington
State now, just about team and toughness and similar values
(18:50):
and a small West Coast school that just had a great,
great fit. And so you know, they taught me how
to play better basketball education and I like to think
I was a solid player. But I'm known a little
bit for being the first of Saint Mary. It's not
for being.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Okay, well, I mean the thing is, you did I think,
did you have an injury there besides the rib?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Were you monu stuff?
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Now? Okay, but you you end up using this now
as as you end up in the Australian professionally. Yeah, right,
playing there. But before we get into that, did they now,
Coach Bennett obviously used you as a recruiting tool. He's
probably like he liked what he saw. He loved the
(19:37):
toughness that you had and said, are any any more
like you that? Any anybody you can bring along here?
Say that you started the You might not have you
might not have been the Patty Mills, but you kind
of opened the pipeline, you know, you kind of turned
on the faucet there. How did that relationship? Were you
able to recruit other guys to Saint Mary's?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Well, my, uh, you know one of my best friends
from the from the program I just come from with
Daniel Kickett, who then came a year later and ended
up being the schools all time leading scorer, a great
career in Europe, a really great player as players in
the history of school. So Randy definitely had a plan
to open the for recruiting. Yeah, to open that up,
(20:24):
and I was a beneficiary of it too. Had a
great experience. I don't remember like actively doing much other
than he would ask me about some some of the
guys I played with, and you know when kicker came
was a great moment for the school and obviously Patty
and Delivan Over and others just took it to New Heights.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Well, you understand that you're just coming to see Mary
say unseen. It's probably not the common event. It's probably
not so that happens a lot. So guys that came
up behind you, you know, yeah, to see it to
be it sometime and you were out there and it's like,
all right, well we trust now that this is a
(21:04):
good path. And I mean, you know so you probably
are you your humility is showing here now when you
talk about what you're able to, you know, help them
start there, because eventually you end up back there as
an assistant coach as well. So this is now the
gift that kept on giving to Saint Mary.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Yeah, I mean that's why I feel so fortunate that
but that school and that program and Coach Bennett has
stayed there. And that's sort of one of the other
benefits that's continues to give back to me. I love
going back to visit, taking my kids to games.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Yeah, I mean it's perennial. It's about twenty team now.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Yeah, I mean he's a great, great coach, and I
had so many great players as well. Obviously, one of
the things I was going to say about it is
my relationship with coach was really strong from the start,
and all the coaching stuff I really needed that. That's
one of the ways I reflect on it, like I
didn't know what I was doing. I just got on
the plane. I didn't really have a lot of support
from home. That's not a criticism or anything I regret,
(22:11):
just from a different place than my parents. Yeah, school great,
so yeah, come back in the summer and visit. Never
visited once once Again, not a criticism. I didn't know
any different. I didn't know any different, never spoke to
the coach on the phone. So I relied on the
coaching staff and Coach Bennett would talk to me about
(22:31):
one day you'll come back here and coach just and then.
I didn't think much of it at the time, but
as my playing career finished finished prematurely due to injury,
you know, that sort of support I got from him
and other coaches I had along the way, it was
it was huge for me.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
So that was in Now you end up in Australia
playing professionally after seeing marriage, that's where you had an
injury that kind of ended your What was the dream
for you at any point? You know, what was the
highest level you thought you could achieve.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
I was trying to make it a national team going
to the Olympics World Championships, and so I was in
camps a reserve, never making the team, as I was
knocking on the door a little bit, and I was
trying to get in and be a role player. Let's
put it generously. I was a starter in the in
our national league at that time. As I was knocking
(23:24):
on that door, I was at camp day one and
there's this new young point guard and he first possession
of the first scrimmage picks me up full court. Then
he gets the ball, blows past me, scores it, and
I was really confused and frustrated, and one I stop
out after that play, I'm like chastising myself. I'm gonna
get myself ready to play. Well, that was Patty, and
(23:47):
so pretty quickly it was I wasn't going to make
that team over him, and he made that one. And
so that was the dream, and that to sort of
go to Olympics and things like that. And that's why
I sort of mentioned that those relationship with coach Bennett
and other coaches. Certainly the supporter had as I got
injured and been able to transition into coaching and navigate
(24:10):
that whole space. I'm so thankful for because that's a
difficult and traumatic, potentially traumatic thing.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
What was the injury.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
It's like acute left knee injury essentially, like really bad
arthritis in the end, you know, yeah, nowadays I think
you could survive it better than I did medically, but
it was like a combination of wear and tear and
a cute injury.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
So when they asked you to coach, it seemed Mary's
or was that something that had been on your rider
or is that something that they kind of introduced to
you as a passibility? Had been had you been thinking
about coaching?
Speaker 2 (24:47):
I hadn't really been thinking about it. I would help
out while I was hurt and assistant coach and things
like that in our sort of D two league in
programs I played in, I was more less pushed or
by the CEO. Same was Nick Marvin on the assistant
coaches Mark Bradford, Scott Fisher who were with Perth Wildcats
(25:11):
and Protein I was with the time and Randy Bennett
mighty gotsuit. It was sort of encouraged me that that
would be a path I should pursue in my mind
and considering what I've been through being heard and I
just remember I just bought the house and was stressed
with that my career potentially being over, in my income,
I was going into the real world and to try
and be an engineer or work and study. And so
(25:35):
initially I got help getting a head coaching job in
the D two, the D two Pro League, and I
sort of did that for a bit of money and
transition and the connections, and that was the first gig,
and then assistant coach at back at our sort of
national academy. And the Randy Bennett thing was interesting because
he was offering it to a colleague or talking to
(25:56):
a colleague about that job, and I was saying, you
must take that job. Is an unbelievable job, and situation
wasn't something honest thing about pursuing that time. I'm just
getting into coaching and sort of just trying to get
better at that. And then he asked me, and I
was packed pretty quickly.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
Again he came calling, and you jumped on a plane again.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Two bags and off I went.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Now, were you married at that point? Yeah? No, And
then so you had that freedom and that flexibility to
jump at that opportunity, you did it for a while. Now,
Patty you said schooled you in those those Australian national tryouts.
(26:39):
But so now, how much younger is he than you?
He was kind of right behind you.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
No, it's like six years or something like that. I
would have been twenty four in him eighteen or so?
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Was he?
Speaker 2 (26:51):
So was he?
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Did you overlap in your coaching is at Mary's with
him as a player?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Now? No, he came back in the summers and he
got hurt for as of NBA occurred in ex playing
in China, I believe, and he came and spent the
summer and I worked out with him every day then
and at that state, I was more on the court
playing than I am now. We would play three on
three every day and that was that was as he
sort of got back into the NBA.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
Yeah, because he and and you know, he's another one
that didn't have we know, his success in San Antonio,
but it wasn't a straight line either. It was you know,
going from Saint Mary's and struggling a little bit and
being on teams or he didn't play much in Portland
and so it wasn't It wasn't an overnight success for
him either, despite his prowess against you on the basketball
(27:39):
court there what could you? But But eventually though he's
risen to a point and what he's done for the
national team. I mean, what is Patty Mills been for Australia,
not let alone the Australian national team in basketball, but
for Australia. Uh, tough question because.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
It's really hard to quantify. It's his influence stretches, you know,
well beyond the sort of basketball sporting landscape. Such an
important figure, give so much back, pour so much time
into so make an Australia a better place for all
(28:23):
young people and really inspiring that way. His IBA and
Indigenous Basketball League just one great example of the many
things he does. That that moment, you know, I get
to be a small part of when we won our
first international men senior medals, who went bronze medal at
(28:43):
the Olympics. You know, I'll never forget look on his face,
some of the other players and Matthew Delibant overs just
to have that be so close and have that sort
of moment together and then be able to I think
one of the things I realized is is that having
that opportunity to inspire other young people in Australia was
(29:04):
really meaningful for Patty, and he's used that platform to
make a real difference.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
That's it's incredible, especially you know, being indigenous the way
he is and coming from such a remote area and
what that's done for people, just as an example, it's
just extraordinary. It's it's do you remember at the time
when you first met him and you're going up against him,
(29:29):
of what of what sort of he represented at that moment.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Not at that moment, he always had a great charisma
and just personality and great sort of qualities that I
think drew people to him. He always had that, including
his confidence. He always had that and you know that's
the quality that draws people to you and inspires people too.
(29:58):
So that was obvious from stuff.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
You you end up going back. You mentioned that the
stretch you had in developing your coaching and getting into
coaching and in the professional leagues there in Australia, and
then you go to Saint Mary's again, you spend some
time there, your Australia calls you back. Now, you you
end up going back with one of the development the
(30:22):
academy there in Australia, and you spent a number of
years there before you'd eventually get to the NBA. What
was it that called you back home? And what was
that transition? I think it's about seven years right where
you're you're coaching at the academy there in Australia. What
what was How would you describe that part of your life?
Speaker 2 (30:43):
It was a it was a big decision. I was
really I've seen enjoying my time at Saint Mary's and
had a great coaching job, vision on basketball, a great program.
I sort of I remember this discussion with coach Bennett
and just thinking through my own journey that sort of
the career growth was, you know, elite college assistant and
(31:07):
high major assistant potentially, it's sort of one of the
progressions people went or they could go to a lower
level and be a head coach. And I saw that
more as my sort of pathway. Thought I could get
better quicker, it fit my skill set or what I
wanted my skill set to be, and that sort of
timing just aligned with that job opening and the you know,
(31:29):
the program reached out, it's what I what I played at,
I mean an assistant coach at was very passionate about
and it was a turbulent time the program was changing.
So also the coach running overseeing the program our Olympic
now seeing your national team head coach Andrea Lamanas at
the time kind of also guilted me a little bit
(31:50):
like we need to and I was very passionate about it,
and that I just met my future wife like at
that sort of similar timeframe. So proposed and we went
to Australia.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Then the Tokyo Olympics get pushed up because of COVID,
and uh, what was the So how did it come
come about the Nets? Because you end up that's you.
You leave Australia and you were you were and you're
coaching there and you're running the academy and then you come,
uh to come to Brooklyn and then Long Island to
be the Long Island NETS head coach. So what was
(32:27):
that recruiting process like to get you back here? Obviously
your you're the idea was sparked, you wanted to do
something different? How did that become Long Island in Brooklyn?
Speaker 2 (32:40):
As I started, uh to be really honest, I don't
exactly know how the NETS part happened. We had some
guys that were future NBA, like Josh Kitty and others,
so we had some executives coming through and looking at
players and the national team get some exposure. But I
remember at some stage in a tournament we were playing
(33:03):
at an Intraviso our team I was coaching a former
NETS scout. Jean Luca said to me, you should think
about trying to get in the G League as a
head coach. That would make sense for you, And just
the way he said it, I got in my head.
I started asking about it. So that sort of got
the ball rolling of just that idea, I guess, and
(33:26):
when I thought it through and the sort of the
journey for our family, the kids were of an age
that you know, they're not in high school, they're in
the sort of age it's just starting sort of elementary school.
This would be a great adventure similar idea. I think
I'd really improve and I'd like to try and pursue that.
And so it was really fortunate the NETS one sort
(33:47):
of came up and interviewed and get off of the position.
It was really excited for it.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Well, there is definitely when you're around the nets, your
accent is not particularly unique. There are a lot of
you know, the developmental the staff, the medical staff, there's
a lot of Australians around, and you know we have
Sean Marx of course in New Zealand right there, little
(34:15):
island off the coast of Australia.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Does that.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
I guess it's I have a couple of prongs there
is what's so impressive? What's the secret sauce in Australia
when it comes to development, both skills and the medical
part of it as well, Because it seems to be
there on the cutting edge, and I think that's why
(34:41):
you're seeing a lot of your countrymen in the NBA.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
My opinion. But it's not I don't know if this
is correct. There's probably other parts to it. But part
of it is we have the Australian Institute of Sport
sort of national academy. It's not just passports basically all
Olympic sports, let's say. And so when I got to
play there, you were just interacting with other elite athletes
and you were learning things from them, sometimes by picking
(35:10):
their brain, watching them sometimes just obviously innocuously well, the
coaching part and when I went there as an assistant,
was quite intense in a really good way. You were
given a coaching mentor he was a swimming coach. For me,
you were put through a coach education program, may speak
in front of people. It was really challenging, demanding, had
to study homework like you name it, across different sports.
(35:36):
I had to run a practice for a water apollo team.
It was really fun and so that was also encompassing.
You know, a coach that's managing a staff and so
there on that campus is world class performance physiotherapist, strength
and conditioning coaches and so you are working with those
(35:58):
departments consistently. We're trying to be a world leader, innovative
and so that place I think is a driving force.
And I think the Australian Football League as it rules
is such a demanding physical game that that sport is
big in Australia, big budgets. It was another thing that
(36:18):
sort of drove the physical informance side of things, and
the fact that it's you know, it's an island nation
down they're just doing its own thing. It just sort
of that's how it happened. It's really demanding physical sport
and we're trying to find it, find an edge.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Those two things I think now, and I think that
the NETS is an organization and probably because Sean Marx is,
you know, part of it being from that area of
the world. You know, you're you're you want to know
the best. You want to see what's on the cutting edge,
whether it comes from Indiana or it comes from Perth.
It's just you want to do that and you want
(36:57):
to accumulate the people who are on the cutting edge
of what you're trying to do. Does it with having
a lot of your countrymen and people who are such
an international flavor around the NETS, does it? Did it
make it a little more comfortable for you, you know,
coming into an organization that has so many people that
have similar stories to you.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Yeah, I think so. I don't think it was so
much that there are other Australians. I think that first
of all, the NETS to a fantastic job welcoming you,
helping with the transition and looking after your family. Really,
the family part of it is it couldn't be better. Yeah,
and so important. Obviously, it's more the I think people
(37:43):
from all sorts of different backgrounds, countries experiences in a
really professional, innovative environment that values family. That whole sort
of mix of things is just, in my opinion, delivered
and executed to an elite level here and so I've
(38:04):
enjoyed every second of it. It was easy in a
sense to fit in, let's say, but you feel the
demands and pressure in a good way of delivering. That's
what I really enjoy about this place, the combination of
those things.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
Well, one thing that that when people talk about you
they bring up is your competitiveness. I could just picture
when you first met your wife and how you know,
she's an All American athlete and you guys are probably
you know, maybe go for a run and see who
can go faster. I would imagine that that it does.
(38:44):
It extend to every part of your life.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
I've learned to turn it off because I was losing
so much at home that I had to I had
to adjust. You know, the great I was in a
golfer at all. She was a very good golfer, and
her whole family are essentially so is that that experience
I think has been really good for my coaching, because
I'm an awful golfer. During COVID started trying to learn
(39:11):
and play with the family, and now you know, in
the summers, I'll try and play with the dad and
it's just embarrassing. But here you are, it's great trying
to execute an athletic act. Feeling pressure, anxiety. That's a
good thing for a coach to go through again. And
the good thing is that I'm no chance of challenging
(39:32):
anyone in the family. So the competitive side is different.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
Let's say, yeah, yeah, when it comes to your philosophy
of developing young players. You know, you go out there
to start your coaching career coming back from Moscowia. You're
in the G League, and obviously this is a developmental league.
I think developing young players is probably more important than
(39:57):
even the wins and losses at that level. What do
you what do you kind of is your overall philosophy
when it comes to player development.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
So great question, and that's totally right about the G
League and the program I was in Australia. The sort
of let's say that the number one goal is helping
everyone get better is development, and that when you don't
have whe everyone wants to win. But when you don't
have the same pressure, it is really liberating. And enables.
(40:29):
One of the key things is an environment that allows
a little trial and error. We know that learning and
development where a player is or an athlete or any
learner is in a safe environment, can make mistakes, can
intrinsically learn, is ask questions, is challenged, is figuring things
out for themselves in a sense in the right environment
(40:54):
is just very, very powerful. And so that was one
of the really fun things about the G League and
things we're trying to do better here and the NBA
has got different challenges, but that's key. My overall philosophy
is really that you just you want to take a
holistic approach, You want a high quality learning environment, and
(41:14):
you just want really effective feedback. And that sounds super simple.
I think the challenges of learning and development are that
the things that seem really obvious aren't. Like you think
that if you just tell someone how to do something,
that's a good way to learn, and as you dive
into it, that's probably the worst way to learn. And
(41:37):
unpacking all of that and helping players do it in
a holistic way they have to execute under great pressure
is something I really enjoy.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
When people think holistic, I think they think some kind
of crystals or you know, meditation. It's more the whole self.
It's knowing what's going on in their lives. It's knowing
what how to what motivates people. It's just different for
everybody else. You know, for other people, the istemates have
(42:06):
to get out of yourself and what would motivate you
and try and learn about what would motivate others.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
I guess that's exactly right. So I just like to
say our program in Australia in particular development works really
hard because it's challenging daily work, which you know sort
of everyone has in their lives, but you can get
(42:31):
lost and a lot of things going on. In the end,
the only thing you can control is the work you
do today and then when you take a step back
from that. We have a vision as a team, as
an organization, we have goals, we have things we need
to achieve well that each player and each individual, you know,
they have their own challenges going on in their life,
but their own vision as well, and I think you
need to help an individual align their vision with the
(42:53):
group and with the team. It's not going to be perfect,
but you need to find some individual goals and help
them understand landscape and things like that that give them
genuine motivation, help them see them see where they're going
and get excited about work because all we can do
is the work today, and without the vision of how
to get there, I think it could be really challenging
(43:17):
and a lot of what you know, I think as
a coach you're trying to do is make each day
a little bit different in a way that you're executing
fundamental things. But the athlete has challenge. When they're bored,
they're not learning. When they're not challenged, not learning. That's
part of the reason it's so difficult. If they're an autopilot,
they're not learning, and so you're trying to just push
those edges, you know, help align it with the team,
(43:41):
within the team vision and the things they want to
achieve and get after it each day.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
And what is how has Jacques Vaughan set the tone
for that, especially since taking over this year. He's been
around with the organization so long as an assistant coach.
Where he was you know, he was he was in
try of developing some young, good young talent with the NATS.
How what have you learned and gleaned from Jhark and
(44:06):
the way he's kind of set the tone with your staff.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
I think when I first when I first came into
the nets, one of the things that was really exciting
was that it would really advanced in a play development sense,
not just getting on the court and the drills they
do with the players, but use that word holistically again,
really care about the player. The work on the court
was really exciting and you could see it. And one
(44:33):
of the things just obvious about Jack is his energy
on the court and the intent and sort of presence
he gives that player he is working with in that moment.
That was something that just was obvious from the start.
And you know, one of my first thoughts was either
I need to do better with that. And all the
coaches had these these great talents and said across the
(44:57):
organization analytics were bringing interesting ideas to development and things
like that. But one of the things I thought that
that intensity that Jacques gives and the things that I
found really exciting are that the work is quite progressive.
I think one of the ways that we've evolved in
coaching and sports is we know that the work needs
(45:19):
to be, like I said, some trial and error, more
what I would say is open drills, not closed and blocked,
not repetitive autopilot drills. And so the first practice I remember, workouts,
I remember coming into I could see Jacques and other
coaches challenging players and really creative ways. The passion and
(45:39):
energy in the gym was great. The players were into it.
Those boxes were really getting ticked at a high level,
and we're just trying to keep find ways to make
it a little better.
Speaker 1 (45:48):
Yeah, and you know, he was different in his first
kind of coaching. And you learn from your experiences everywhere
right now, and you grow as coaches as much as
you're trying to develop players. You know, you grow and
you learn more throughout all your experiences that you take
with you. And I'm sure you're learning as you go
here with the.
Speaker 2 (46:08):
NETS totally, you're constantly stealing, studying, asking questions. That's what
I mentioned about the off season is that's what helps
the transition and the pain of losing is well, we
have to get better, and it's really enjoyable to get
better and put some time into that. And you're exactly right.
(46:29):
One of the things I've loved about the Nets there's
so many great talented people and I'm learning from them
every day.
Speaker 1 (46:35):
Well, it was great getting to know you a little
bit more on a personal level. Let people introduce you, know,
you know, see and get to learn about the people
they see there on the bench and the people that
are behind the scenes. So before I let you go, though,
put you on the spot like I do all of
my all of my guests here. There was a great
(46:56):
American basketball coach, so I'm sure you're familiar with Jim Valvano,
who is an inspiring person up until the very end.
He has that great sub speech about never give up
something that's always been an important important in my life.
Looking back on that and in his message, but he
said that to have a full life, everyone should do
(47:18):
three things every day. They should laugh, cry, think. So
I ask you, from trying to get to know you
a little more on a personal level, what is something
or something recently that makes Adam Kporn laugh.
Speaker 2 (47:33):
My son just will not stop asking questions. And he
rides his bike around park slope and he's pretty good
on it, and he will just talk the whole time,
asking questions, a million questions about everything, and he will
He'll ride his bike ahead, so he'll get to the
corner and wait for me, and when I arrive on
the corner, he is talking to a stranger and he
is just foring them with a million questions, you know,
(47:57):
and I've had to say, you know, don't say my
dad coaches a bit and this person's looking around this kid.
Speaker 1 (48:05):
He's six a six.
Speaker 2 (48:07):
It's just a funny little scenario that happens often.
Speaker 1 (48:10):
Future podcast host. All right, So now the other aspect
of not not necessarily what makes you cry because it's sad,
but just what is something maybe recently or in general,
that that moves your emotions. I feel like it's important
to experience things that that make you emotional with something
(48:31):
that would do that for you.
Speaker 2 (48:33):
Yeah. So you know, when you get into the off season,
we just talked a little bit about coaching philosophy, you
start trying to redefine and get a little better with
your your philosophy is and your understanding of things. And
inevitably that for me, as you bore down into it
comes from a lot of things my dad taught me
growing up and he's passed. But these are like the
(48:56):
moments when you start thinking about, you know, the lessons
and what you really value and how you're using them,
and the thing that makes me sad is that he
doesn't get to see me try to execute that with
my kids. And I wish you got to see that,
of course, but lots of people experience these sorts of things.
The thing that it's, you know, the great thing for
(49:17):
me is that the driving force for me really is
to execute those things the best I can see my
kids witness it. That's what motivates me.
Speaker 1 (49:26):
That's excellent if you The final thing is think and
you know I always say outside Barkley Center has the Oculus,
the video circular video board that so many people see
every day coming through the subway, coming into the arena,
walking around that neighborhood. If you could put something up
there that you would want everyone, the millions that would
(49:49):
see it, to think about, is there something a philosophy
of life, something that you just like people to understand?
What would it be?
Speaker 2 (50:00):
Did try hard? Have fun?
Speaker 1 (50:02):
Be great toea mate, Adam k. Porn. Really appreciate you
joining us, and it's great getting to know you a
little bit better. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (50:10):
Thanks for having me. Chris enjoyed it.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
All right. My thanks to Adam K. Porn for joining us.
We're having this beautiful weather here in the Northeast. I
don't know about you where you are, but in the
Northeast we're having an actual spring and it's been absolutely gorgeous.
So I hope maybe you went out to take a
walk while you were listening to this, or maybe you're
having a drive out in this wonderful weather and tuning
(50:36):
into the Voice of the Nets podcast. In honor of
that and the Australian Adam k Porn, I leave you
with a lyric from the song weather with You by
the great Australian band Crowded House. Yes, Neil Finn and
his brother were from New Zealand, but the rest of
the band is from Australia. They're known as an Australian band.
The song weather with You and the quote Julius Caesar
(51:01):
and the Roman Empire couldn't conquer the blue sky. Everywhere
you go, always take the weather with you. My thanks
for producer Steve Goldberg, engineer Isaac Lee. Thanks for subscribing
and tuning in and sharing. Reach Out to me on
social media at Chris Carino on Instagram or Twitter and
(51:24):
let me know what you think of the show. I
always appreciate you listening. Thank you so much. For tuning in.
This has been the voice of the next
Host
Chris Carrino
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