Kevin Eastman Coaching U Basketball Coaching Clinic Notes

These basketball coaching clinic notes are from when Kevin Eastman spoke at the Coaching U Clinic in 2014. Coach Eastman is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers and has been a part of Doc Rivers’s coaching staff for years. He is also one of the co-founders of Coaching U. The notes were taken by Jacob Collins.

Basketball Coaching Clinic Notes

• Concept of money and coaching.
  • “The money will find you if you are good.”
  • “It’s not how much; it’s who.”
• Networking vs. Relationships.
  • Networking is just a number.
  • Relationships are built over time.
    • He spends one-year giving information to someone before asking for something in return.
• Players that challenge something.
  • “It’s not about you being right all the time; it’s about us getting it right all the time.”—Doc
• 3 sets for development.
  • Skillset.
  • Mindset.
  • Reset—self-evaluation.
• Jim Rohn.
  • “Success is a few simple disciplines practiced every day.”
  • “Failure is a few errors repeated every day.”
  • “Earn your leadership every day.”

  
  

• “When times are tough, leadership is about responsibility, not invisibility.”— Keven Eastman
• 3 things you will have.
  • Setbacks.
  • Obstacles.
  • Failures.
• 3 things you will be.
  • Challenged from the inside and out.
  • Critiqued from the inside and out.
  • Criticized from the inside and out.
• Is your basketball coaching philosophy strong enough to withstand failure? Pressure?
• Roles.
  • What we are asking you to do.
  • Value of its (the role) place on the team.
    • Be an All-Star in your role.
    • It’s so important it’s what we need you to do for us to win the Championship.
    • The value you bring.
• Body language—the only window to what we think you’re thinking.
• Ask your players—“How come you get pissed when you miss a shot, but not when your guy scores on you?”—Doc
• “Your reputation is at stake: are you a competitor or a showman?”—Doc
• Don’t let the tone of the message keep you from getting the meaning of the message.
• The best team sees the game the way the coach sees the game.
• Leadership is a battle for “mind space.”
  • Also, a battle for the heart.
  • The best way to the mind is through the heart.
• 3 musts of coaching.
  • Put out fires.
  • Put gas in their tank.
  • Refocus their lens.
• There are no longer problems—there are challenges and competitions
• Docism’s.
  • “Winning teams are clutter-free.”
  • “Guys, we will not win until you drop the wall and let me in.”
  • “He who angers you; owns you.”
• Do things for each other, not to each other.
• Must enforce the emphasis.
• “Each game I only have so many bullets.”—Doc
• If players feel you’re only interested in wins, they won’t fight for you.
• In your system, can you break the rhythm of the other team?
• Immature players—deal with them or constantly be pissed.
  • Can you coach the talented player?
• Confidence is contagious.
• Weakness is exposed by the top 6 teams.
• Each new season is about the players you have, not the ones you lose.
• “Champions get punched too.”—Doc
• Never compromise your team’s culture.
  • Must confront a breach in your culture immediately.
• How many “tell the truth,” guys do you have on your team?
• Assistants—90% evaluation, 10% emotion.
• The basketball drills you do in practice should show up in the game.
• Players want to win on their terms.

Clipper Situation

• Got through it because of Doc.
  • Great coaches start before they start.
• The truth will only be heard if a relationship has been built.
• 4 key relationships on a championship team.
  • Players have to like, trust, and respect players.
  • Players have to like, trust, and respect coaches.
  • Coaches have to like, trust, and respect players.
  • Coaches have to like, trust, and respect coaches.
    • Some guys don’t buy-in they give-in.
      • It has to be ALL buy-in.

The Power of Words

• 7 critical statements made in a 72 hour period of the Clipper situation.
  • Value of words chosen wisely.
• 1st thing he said to the workers when he took VP, “My title does not mean that I know it all.”
  • No more turfs; there is just one turf.
    • One-shoulder—piss poor organization.
    • Open shoulders—inviting.
• Change.
  • Have to make it work while you see if it works.
  • Not about me; it’s about us.
• Trust needs 3 things.
  • Time.
  • Consistency.
  • Proof.
• 3 things of truth.
  • Live it.
  • Tell it.
  • Take it.
• 3 things to improve right away—CEO.
  • Communication.
  • Efficiency.
  • Organization.
• Communication.
  • Keep people in the loop.
  • Never put someone in a situation that they look dumb.
  • Talk to people, not at them.
  • No whisperers (kills team).
• 4 C’s of culture.
  • Character.
  • Class.
  • Commitment.
  • Communication.
• Not fear we should worry about, it’s danger. Danger is real; fear is a choice.
  • If you fear failure, put equal fear to never trying.
• Made seven index cards and gave them to Clippers staffers and said put these in order of importance
  • Group of 4—order = Players, staff, employees, fans.
  • Group of 3—order = championships, 1st class reputation, revenue.
  • Most important things = players and championships.
    • About PLAYERS and winning CHAMPIONSHIPS.
• Team = visible ingredient of success.
• Coaches = invisible ingredient of success.
• Once he took over as VP of Clippers, he did these things.
  • Not spending money on average.
  • Not restricting new ideas.
  • Not living in fear.
• When it hits the fan, the first thing you have to do is turn the fan off.
• 4 core beliefs.
  • Every decision is based on right vs. wrong.
  • Care and concern for others.
  • Total honesty.
  • Do your job.
• The truth never allows us to question what we said.
• Truth stands the test of time and inquiry.