A Coach Can Be a Beach... Perspective At It's Finest

… staring at an ocean can give one perspective. A reminder of how vast life can be. It’s human nature to get caught in the moment. It’s also human nature to lose your way at times.

Sports at its essence is a microcosm of life. The peaks and valleys of the game very clearly illustrate a metaphor of the ever changing flow of life itself. While in the midst of the game a player can get lost in a particular moment… in steps a coach to help ground the player and offer up perspective of unique situations. 

I met Rodney Billups, Head Coach of Denver University Men’s Basketball, on a beach. We had a conversation about basketball, but not what happens on the court. We discussed what it’s like to be a coach and the value of teaching young athletes there is more to the game then what happens on the court (*cough* Beyond Buckets *cough*).

Although the setting was unique, it was pretty cool to have a one on one with a D1 Head Coach and really get a viewpoint on what it’s like to lead a team in the NCAA. Mind you, we didn’t get that deep… remember we were on a beach with friends and family getting ready to celebrate a marriage ceremony. 

Keeping that in mind I asked Coach Billups to join us on the Beyond Buckets Podcast as a featured guest. I wanted to continue our conversation and really dig into what it’s like to be a coach and all the things that come with it. 

Offering young basketball players who have been stars players their whole life constructive criticism is not always glamorous! Tune into the show for a discussion on the ups and down’s of a coaches life. We also get into his journey towards being the one of the youngest D1 head coaches and how recruiting has changed over the last 20 years.  

To wrap up the show, I ask Rodney to name his top point guards of all time. Find out if he lists his brother Chauncey on his list… Tune in below!

002: Rodney Billups - Head Coach of the Denver University Pioneers

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Head Coach of the Denver Pioneers, Rodney Billups, is our second guest

Rodney discusses the ups and downs of a Division 1 Mens Basketball coaches' life, and how he applies those situations to his coaching to better teach and connect with his players.

We get into his journey towards being the 4th youngest D1 head coach and 2nd youngest Native Black coach in the NCAA. He lets us know what style of coaching he applies and some of his in game strategies.

Then we jump into how recruiting of athletes has changed over the last 20 years.

To wrap up the show I ask Rodney to name his top point guards of all time. Tune in to find out if he lists his brother Chauncey Billups on his list.

From the Black Protege to the NBA

… my first car was a 2000 all black Mazda Protégé. My parents bought it for me my junior year in high school and I’m not gonna lie, it was a big deal. At least to my teammates and I it was. We were now mobile and a new world of freedom had opened up for us. Every day before school and after practice during our ride home in the Protégé we would have some of the most off the wall, deep, funny, ridiculous, enlightening, random, and whatever else you want to call it conversations.

Statements were made, jokes delivered, and life long bonds were forged in that small 4-door car with 2 12-inch subwoofers in the trunk. 

One off the wall, ridiculous, random, and at the time funny statement was made by Bryson Graham. Bryson would often be the youngest person in the car that I would give a ride home from school. It was his freshman year and he made it a point to let 3 juniors in the car know that after summer break when we come back to school he would be dunking a basketball. He was barely slapping glass at the time, so we let some jokes fly and laughed it off. 

That was the last time I underestimated Bryson. When we came back from summer break, not only was he dunking the ball, but he was doing it with ease! Over the next 3 years we watched Bryson blossom into a basketball star in San Antonio. He once looked me in the eye and flat out told me he would be in the NBA. We all had hoop dreams at one point or another, but it was Bryson who deep down we had a feeling could take that dream and make it a reality.

When I went off to college I made sure to stay in contact with Bryson. I followed his collegiate career from a far. It was a disappointing to hear that Bryson suffered injuries while playing at Texas A&M that derailed his goal of playing in the NBA. However those injuries did nothing to stop his perseverance and (as Stephen A Smith would say) unmitigated gall to make it into the ranks of the NBA. 

Tune into the Beyond Buckets Podcast for the rest of this story and more about Bryson Graham… 

001: Bryson Graham - Assistant General Manager of the New Orleans Pelicans

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Assistant General Manager of the New Orleans Pelicans Bryson Graham is our first guest.

Bryson is a San Antonio native who received a basketball scholarship and graduated from Texas A&M University.

Hear about his journey into the NBA, and how enduring pain and life challenges can propel you towards your goals.

Learn about a chance meeting after a workout that changed Bryson’s situation and got him to the Big Easy.

Bryson also discusses Zion Williamson, this year’s crazy Free Agency, his Top 5 Not Named Jordan, Lebron, or Kobe…