(December 2014)
1.
How hard is it to walk around with (former BNB board member) Art Gremley wearing all that Indianapolis Colts’ stuff all the time? -‘Gremley has many faults one of which he is a Colts fan and even worse he is a Yankee fan. To be downright truthful it is embarrassing walking around with him with his Colts gear on. On the bright side people usually give me a pass as they assume that he is old and senile and I am just doing a good deed getting him out of the senior's home.’
2.
What would you rather do…teach tie flying or zone defence? - ‘I am not very good at either but have had more luck with zones than fish taking my flies. A man once told me play more man to man!’
3.
We think your new nickname should be Muddy. What do you think of that? – ‘I have had a few nicknames, none being very flattering so I am thinking muddy would fit right in. My current handle of T-bone is in honour of the T-bone awards which is presented annually to a coach on the Miramichi for coaching futility. Muddy is starting to sound better and better.’
4.
What’s your ideal day? - ‘Ideal day would be spent in a gym watching NCAA basketball live, especially the Wisconsin Badgers!’
5.
Lawnmowers or snowblowers? ‘Lawnmowers - rather deal with the flies than the snow and I can wear shorts while cutting the lawn.’
6.
What’s your favourite cheese? - ‘All of them. I was once told cheese and bacon make everything better and I have not been able disprove this theory as of yet.’
7.
Growing up, what was the best games to play with your buddies that weren’t organized? – ‘No doubt about it, the Turkey Bowl which was played annually on Thanksgiving Sunday. Guys just knew to show up there would be a game. No pads, no refs and everything went, lots of fun. Those days are long past, can only handle touch now.’
8.
Have you figured out the Smartboard yet at MVHS? – ‘We are or were the technology district with a smartboard in every room. I still have the original Smart Notebook on my computer. Other teachers laugh when they see this but I am not quite sure what is so funny because I have no trouble showing videos on my smartboard?’
9.
Any tattoos? - ‘No tats. Once was in a tattoo shop in Montreal in my younger days but had to make an executive decision tat or night on the town. Let's just say that Huskie would have been a nice tat covering my upper left arm but am now glad I chose night on the town.’
10.
What’s the last book you read? – ‘
Francona.’
11.
Favourite season? – ‘No question, I love the fall.’
12.
How many phones are in your house? – ‘Honestly, there’s six including cell phones. Crazy!’
13.
What’s your favourite sitcom? – ‘I am old school, can't get enough reruns of Seinfeld and Homer Simpson still holds a special place in my heart.’
(January 2015)
Shannon Fraser is the head coach of the Kennebecasis Valley Basketball Association Slammers, guiding its Under-14 Division I girls’ team this season. Known for her teaching and instructional skills and calm sideline demeanour, Ms. Fraser is one of the province’s up and coming coaches. She took some time to be our latest feature for 13 Odd Questions With…Shannon Fraser.
1. How many times have you drawn up a play on your coach’s board with a Sharpie? - Quite a few, glad there are two sides to use!
2. How often do you find yourself saying ‘I sure wish I was a referee?’ - At least once a game, if not more
3. What’s your favourite gymnasium to have your team play in? - Kennebecasis Valley High School, who doesn’t love that gym!
4. Hoody or just plain sweatshirt for relaxing days? - Hoody
5. You have to choose between orange, pink and red to paint your house. Which colour would you go with? - None of those for the house, but maybe a red door!
6. Do your players have any nicknames for you that we’re allowed to print? - Can’t give away any secrets
7. Do you find yourself watching other team’s basketball games and suddenly saying “I need to remember that play?” - Absolutely, doesn’t everyone?
8. What was the hardest part of getting into coaching for you? - Building up the library for the drills and practice plans
9. High tops or low cut sneakers? - Low cut
10. Favourite 1980s band or singer? - Madonna
11. What’s the one thing you have to have in your fridge? - Cheese, love any kind of cheese
12. Do you vote in on-line polls? - Not usually
13. Winter, spring, summer or fall, what’s the best season? - Fall
(February 2015)
Tough, talented and driven are just three words to describe how Amanda (Sharpe) Russell played and also describes how she coaches. The former Canadian Interuniversity Sport standout with the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds is now married, living and teaching on the beautiful island of Grand Manan. She leads the high school Breakers from the sidelines, will use any excuse to work out – including mowing the lawn – and can probably whip up the odd seafood recipe she couldn’t make six years ago! Enjoy 13 Odd Questions With…Amanda (Sharpe) Russell.
1. So, how many lobster traps have you learned to set since moving to Grand Manan? - Went fishing for two half days and that was enough for me. Fisherman make it look easy but it is anything but easy.
2. You were an incredibly competitive player. Has coaching replaced that fire? - Coaching has replaced it in some ways. I am still competitive with a lot of aspects in my life but nothing will replace the competiveness I felt when I played competitive ball.
3. What do you do to get away from the game of basketball? - Ummm, play more basketball, coach basketball do a basketball camp. But really I never thought I would get into running and now I love running with my dog - Z-bow - named after Zach Randolph.
4. When was the last time you bought basketball shoes? - Always wore Adidas boring All-Star shoes and now I wear Kobe's which I bought last year even though I am not a huge fan of his.
5. Where is your favourite place to visit on Grand Manan Island? - I love to hike anywhere on the island. My favourite spot is probably Seal Cove beach where I got married.
6. What did your Dad do with the flag he always sprinted the sidelines with? - Now he runs with a Grand Manan Breakers flag at our games :)
7. Is there something you do on a regular basis that you continually say ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this!’ - Probably coaching volleyball and having to take a ferry boat every time we have a game or I want to visit family/friends.
8. You can only watch one movie the rest of your life. What would it be? - Love and Basketball. No question. I use to watch it before every single basketball game in university.
9. What’s the biggest thing you ask your players to do each year? - I ask a lot of my players. They visit the nursing home, run basketball camps for younger grades, run practice once a week for our Mini-girls team, do boxes for operation Christmas child but the biggest event we do each year would be our Think Pink game where we raise money for breast cancer. This year our small community was able to raise over $7,000.
10. What other sports did you play growing up and did you have to make a decision on playing one of them over basketball? - Up until grade 9 I attempted to run track and cross-country (was never really a runner), played badminton, volleyball and basketball. I always knew I loved basketball the most so in grade 9 I made the decision to only focus on that sport all year.
11. Sit down mower or push lawnmower? - Push lawnmower. May as well get a workout in.
12. What’s your favourite sports team? - San Antonia Spurs! I am in love with Tim Duncan.
13. Who’s the comedian you would pay most to see live? - The funniest person I have ever got to meet is my husband. And he makes me laugh for free so I will stick with him :)
(February 2015)
David Shiels of Saint John is passionate about basketball, but even more passionate about engaging the youth in our province to get out and participate in anything to create a healthy lifestyle. A physical education instructor at Grand Bay-Westfield’s River Valley Middle School, Mr. Shiels is also chairperson of the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Final 12 championships at Saint John’s Harbour Station. He rarely has time to tan these days…as you will read in 13 Odd Questions With…David Shiels
1. How much rent does Harbour Station charge you to sleep during Final 12 Weekend? - I find it hard to sleep at Harbour Station. I usually stay up all night and shoot hoops and have a midnight pick up game with my close friends. Ball is life, Life is Ball!
2.You and your wife, Darlene, are huge into basketball. Have you ever surprised her with a basketball gift that she never expected? - Well, I gave her a Final 12 committee hoodie. She loves it!
3. What’s the single biggest skillset BNB players need to work on? - I would say shooting by far. Need more time on shooting mechanics and form and then build up to shooting at pace and place. Can't shoot, can't score. Ball doesn't lie as they say.
4. What hobby do you enjoy that would surprise people? - I love fishing as much or more than basketball. I don't fish for a living but live to fish!
5. Survivor or The Amazing Race? - I would pick The Amazing Race. It’s more team oriented.
6. What’s your favourite colour of erasable marker for drawing up plays? - Black of course but red and black if I have time..LOL
7. Favourite band from the 1980s? - Aerosmith
8. You could pick one beach in the world to hang out for a week. Which one is it? - Hate the beach...dirty, I don't tan and can't swim..LOL
9. Any idea what your high school year book said about you? - Something about working hard I think. "Hardwork beats talent when talent does't work hard". I am not very talented :)
10. Is it true you taught Fred Horgan everything he knows about the game? - Fred taught me to keep my mouth shut on the floor. It was a tough lessson
11. NBA, NCAA, CIS or CCAA? - NCAA by far and Duke Blue Devils! Where is Michigan, Neil Smith?
12. Why isn’t there a senior basketball league in BNB for former high school or post-secondary players? - Need someone to plan and organize it. When I get time I'll do it :)
13. Favourite gym in New Brunswick is where? - My gym at River Valley Middle School of course but high school gym it would have to be Leo Hayes and Currie Center for other.
(March 2015)
Dave MacMullin started coaching the Harvey High School men's basketball team in 1976 and hasn't missed a year since. A former teacher turner principal, Dave has spent thousands of hours around the game of basketball. He has been a member of the BNB board of directors since 1979 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Sport New Brunswick in 2013. Most recently, Dave lead the Harvey High Lakers to yet another NBIAA "A" Championship at Harbour Station.
1. You talk basketball 93 per cent of the day. What do you talk about for the other seven per cent? Food & beer
2. When was the last time you bought a new suit? Son's graduation in 2003
3. What’s the single biggest misconception out there about the sport of basketball? ...Shooting 500 shots a day will make you a great player!
4. Have you ever wanted to live anywhere else aside from Harvey? I've lived in SJ (up to age 13), F'ton (up to age 30), Quebec City (1 yr); I could live in Myrtle Beach!
5. Who was the best playmaker on the 1967 UNB team? Dave Nutbrown/Rod Cox - different skill sets - veteran & rookie/both guards
6. Doughnuts or muffins and why? Muffins - feels more healthy (but really isn't)
7. When you suit up for a BNB tournament this spring, will you be sporting leg compression socks? No, sticking with knee braces!
8. If you had to have your team play one game in front of a full house, what gym would it be, regardless of the size? LB Gym - the Pit...great memories and a great atmosphere.
9. What’s the best nickname you’ve got? DMac - that's all I have.
10. You’re leaving on a trip. What’s the one thing you absolutely need to pack? A great book (plus Sudoku puzzle book)
11. What book are you reading right now? The latest David Baldacci (The Escape).
12. Who’s your all-time favourite NBA player? Steve Nash (plays like me)/John Havicek (Celtics)
13. Would it ever be wise to challenge you to a game of H-O-R-S-E? Probably not - I hate to lose, don't do it well.
(April 2015)
When Allie Chalk was asked to be featured for this BNB segment she was quick to say “I can’t do anything with the number 13 in it.” Makes sense considering she doesn’t suffer from Triskaidekaphobia as the former No. 13 for University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds. A coach last summer with BNB under-17 girls’ and coach with the Northside Minor Basketball Association U14 D2 team in Fredericton this season, Ms. Chalk is heavily involved in politics, working in her community, volunteering at numerous posts and carrying a smile as wide as her home province of British Columbia. We’ll even forgive her for being a Canucks’ fan.
1. What’s more entertaining for you…a game 7 basketball championship or an election day somewhere in Canada? That's not really a fair question. That's like asking a parent to pick their favourite child. But not my parents, because it is easy for them (it's me).
2. What’s the one flavour of soup you will absolutely not eat? Tomato. I don't get it. Warm ketchup with milk?
3. How many charge cords for all your electronic devices do you own? Too many. In my car alone there are three, and they are all broken.
4. Favourite fictional politician? Josiah Bartlett (West Wing)
5. As a kid, did you keep all your basketball jerseys and do you still have most of them? Most of it was given away, but I kept some of the special stuff. Then at the university level there is a big tradition of handing down to rookies.
6. Your car gets a flat tire. Are you jumping right out and changing it yourself? Totally. Girl Power.
7. If someone sees you wearing a baseball hat, is that unusual? Only if it doesn't have a Canucks or Suns logo on it.
8. What’s your personal record for skipping a rock? One more than whatever my older brother, Simon's, record is.
9. You’ve played, you’ve coached. Do you see yourself ever officiating basketball? Absolutely not. My attention span isn't good enough.
10. Biggest adjustment moving to New Brunswick from BC? Winter. Snow. The Cold.
11. Favourite bird and why? Loons. VReds Mental Skills Coach, Barb Ramsay, used to tell me to be like a bird sitting on the water: looking calm on the surface but paddling furiously where no one could see. I like that. Plus, they sound cool.
12. You’ve had a full day, you don’t feel like cooking so what goes in the microwave? I don't have a microwave! But carrots and hummus straight from the fridge.
13. What’s the one nickname you won’t answer to? Sweetie. Just no, unless you're my mother.
(May 2015)
Paul McCarthy has spent his life in Grand Falls, rising up through John Caldwell High School as a multi-sport athlete, eventually teaching at the home of the Golden Knights and now guiding the bustling building as principal. He took time out of his busy schedule to be the latest featured BNB personality in 13 Odd Questions With….
1. Have you ever considered barreling over the Grand Falls’ falls and into the gorge? Yes. Not sure which Grand Falls resident hasn't? Usually the thoughts come in the wee hours of the morning though, so we don't tell anyone about them.
2. What’s your go to recipe that you think is wonderful, but most people secretly don’t want to eat? Probably Singapore Noodles. We think it's great but it's probably too hot for most.
3. Checkers or chess? Backgammon
4. Who do you cheer for the Roadrunner or Wile E Coyote? Roadrunner. Liked him as soon as I saw him. I did not jump the bandwagon!
5. How many times do you use a disposable razor? Doesn't disposable mean 'use once'?
6. Have you ever missed celebrating the Potato Festival in Grand Falls? Again, not something a Grand Fallser would admit. If I did it was because I was coaching something.
7. You were a multi-sport athlete growing up. How come you never took up curling? I tried. Back then the ice area was way too smokey.
8. First car you ever owned and what colour? Toyota Tercel. Maroon.
9. You’re leaving on a trip to Europe. What is the one thing you have to take to make sure you’re comfortable? Stuff with the Canadian flag clearly visible. It makes a huge difference in how you are treated.
10. Toughest basketball bad habit you try to correct with young players? Not making a read before catching and dribbling without a plan on the catch. That's kind of only 1 thing...
11. How much fun would we have if basketball players could change on the fly like hockey? It would be awesome in the second half when you have the short change. You could spend a lot of practice time perfecting that.
12. Do you sometimes not use your signal light and then feel guilty about it? Often don't use it. Never feel guilty.
13. Coffee or tea? Depends on the time of day, so, both.
(May 2015)
Originally from Woodstock, Bev Buckingham is now a mom on the go in Moncton. She has two basketball playing daughters, Karly and Chloe, and when not in a gym she enjoys relaxing by the pool. Bev is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Moncton Kiwanis Minor Basketball Association and is now an active member of the Basketball New Brunswick board!
1. Be honest, do you fold your sheets or stuff them in a closet? Depends on my mood! Who can fold a fitted sheet properly anyways????
2. Favourite summer relaxation method is what? Chillin in the backyard by the pool.
3. What’s your favourite breed of bird? Bald Eagle….the family loves to be the first one to spot one in our travels.
4. Road maps or GPS? Or gas station attendants for directions? My TomTom usually works for me…as long as it’s been updated.
5. Do you have any irrational fears that others don’t understand? Hmmmm….I have always been OCD about locking my house and car doors while I’m inside. Oh!….and I hate moose. They scare the living daylights out of me. Came across one on a back road once and I locked my truck doors. I know….it’s sad, isn’t it :(
6. What are your thoughts on a two-handle coffee mug? I don’t think I’d waste my money on them. They’d take up too much space in the kitchen cupboard.
7. Aside from your hometown, where’s your favourite gym to watch a basketball game? If my hometown now is considered Moncton, then my favorite gym would be my ole high school in Woodstock. I have great memories with super loud fans at the games against Carleton North. What a rivalry! :)
8. Flip flops or sandals? Flip flops usually , but my legs scream for Birkenstocks.
9. What’s the oldest piece of kitchen equipment you have in your house? I have a sunbeam handheld mixer that I received as a shower gift 22 years ago and it still works great!!
10. Favourite month of the year and why? July….and it better be warm!
11. Who was your favourite television star growing up? I remember hanging lots of magazine pictures of Shawn Cassidy and Leif Garrett in my bedroom. Oh my…
12. If you could go back in time what era would you live? Please don’t make me do that. I would not cope well.
13. Aren’t you glad this isn’t 15 Odd Questions? SO relieved this is finished!
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(June 2015)
If you're looking for Emily Thomas, your best bet is in a gym. Thomas spends the winter months coaching the River Valley Basketball Association Bantam (U14) Girls team based out of Grand Bay-Westfield, as well as the JV girls at Harbourview High School in Saint John. She then steps in during the "off season" to coach alongside her good friend, Madeline Belding, with the BNB U15 Development Girls Team. Belding and Thomas are in their second year as head and assistant coaches with the team and are the perfect combination of role models giving back to the sport they love. Despite her busy basketball schedule, Thomas found a few minutes to answer our latest set of 13 Odd Questions....
1. What’s your favourite kind of mustard? The only kind of mustard I like is honey mustard.
2. What’s the best form of exercise? Running or skipping rope.
3. In total, how many emails or texts do you respond to in a day? In total, probably around 50-70!
4. Growing up in Grand Bay-Westfield, surely you have visited Crystal Beach? Haven't been there in a few years but I have been there many times!
5. Any idea how many dry erase markers you own? In my bag I believe I have 8 dry erase markers. You never know when you might lose one!
6. If you could excel with a musical instrument, what would it be? Either the drums or the acoustic guitar. But I will stick to basketball instead ;)
7. The one subject you loved in school that hasn’t paid off in real life would be…? I loved my biology classes in grades 11 and 12, but it doesn't really feel like I've had to use anything I learned in them.
8. Have you ever been to a drive in movie theatre? I've always wanted to go but never have! It's on my to-do list.
9. Favourite Hollywood actor/actress? Right now I would have to say Melissa McCarthy, she cracks me up.
10. How many pair of sneakers do you own? Five.
11. Fan of pro or college basketball? I love watching college basketball, the games are so much more fast paced. It's fun to watch how hard they work. But I have to say I watch almost every Toronto Raptors game!
12. What’s one show you love to binge watch? One Tree Hill and Grey's Anatomy. And I watch the Bachelorette/the Bachelor every week!
13. When was the last time you used a payphone? Hmm... I don't think I've ever used a payphone!
(October 2015)
We've turned the table on our 13 Odd Questions guru! After spending multiple decades in hockey rinks, one could argue Brad Janes has gradually made the transition to now being called "a hockey basketball guy". In his professional life, Janes went from hockey player turned journalist turned marketing/communications specialist. He also wears the hat of past-president with Fredericton's Northside Minor Basketball Association, is currently the vice-president of BNB and also sits on the sidelines as an assistant coach of the Leo Hayes Lady Lions Varsity girls team. Despite coming up with the feature, he's actually the perfect candidate for something cheeky like 13 odd questions....
1. When the Bruins have a night off, who do you cheer for? I actually watch DVDs of past Bruin seasons and when it's a very special night, I break out VHS tapes of the 1970 and 1972 Bruins.
2. Favourite colour/flavour of Gatorade? Ryan Chase cannot or will not understand this, but lime all the way. The rest is just coloured water.
3. When it's 40+ degrees outside, where are you/what are you doing? Remembering how cool it is on the wharf back home in Dipper Harbour. We used to tan when it was between10 and 15 degrees and foggy.
4. Prefer to mow the lawn or shovel the driveway? Mow the lawn only because I get to hit the pool 18 seconds after I'm done.
5. Reliving your hockey days, what was your favourite city to play in and why? Halifax was fun for many reasons but for sheer nastiness and tremendous heckling, it would be a toss up between Edmundston and Black's Harbour. Wearing white skates tends to up the ante a bit.
6. Plaid or stripes? Considering Herb Tarlak was a role model...
7. Ever been skiing at Crabbe Mountain? Learned to ski there. Or at least learned to stand on skis. Sort of.
8. How long does it take you to solve a rubix cube? (Without just changing the stickers!) I prefer reading Shakespeare and trying to solve that man's puzzles.
9. Chewing gum or TicTacs? Voracious gum chewer. When I coached hockey, the equipment manager always had five packs of Juicy Fruit on the bench. It's apparently frowned upon to toss your gum when coaching basketball.
10. You're stuck in an elevator with a celebrity... Who is it and what do you talk about? Robert Gordon Orr. And we talk about the fact we are losing multi-sport athletes.
11. Who would win a fight between Spider-Man and Batman? That would be an excellent Pay Per View bout but my spider senses tell me the winged menace would prevail. Any super hero that can contain Rhino Man has to be tough.
12. Favourite 90's jam? Honestly, I missed the 1990s. Worst decade of music in my lifetime. Outside of John Mellencamp's brilliance, of course.
13. If you had to take part in an eating contest, what food would you choose? Is soup a meal?
Bonus Q: What did you have for breakfast today? Granola mixed with strawberry yogurt and seven Wheat Thins. Seven in honour of Phil Esposito.
(December 2015)
Sports has been a part of Jeff Speedy’s repertoire since he was tube socks high to a grasshopper, growing up in Carleton County where hardwood hustle was the order of the day, but so was CBS where he learned about the Giants and other remote cable stations for the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics.
Notice the Patriots are missing?
It’s basketball where Coach Speedy has cut his teeth the most. Veteran head coach of University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, Canada Basketball coach at the international level and a basketball mad family all lead him to drink a lot of…Pepsi.
Thanks to Coach for doing our Holiday version of 13 Odd Questions…!
1. The perfect Christmas would be…? Red Sox sign a great free agent, a stud recruit commits to UNB, Celtics - Bruins - Giants all win a game that matters and I am at home drinking a Pepsi hanging out with Brett, Kylee and Linda.
2. Be honest, do you sing Christmas tunes in your truck? Only Snoopy vs The Red Baron.
3. Giants, Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics. You could only watch one team for the rest of your life. Which one would it be? Red Sox for sure. 162 regular season games vs 16 or 80 in other sports.
4. Have you ever requested a window for your UNB office? Ha! No but I am going to buy a huge digital frame and have a picture on it the whole time of the ocean ... or Fenway Park. It will be like my own little Fireplace Channel but something better to look at.
5. When you played for Carleton North, how high were your tube socks? All the way up to my knees! Started first ever AA Provincial Final in the Aitken Centre. We lost.
6. Candy canes or chocolates this time of year? Chocolate all the way. Candy Canes take to long to finish.
7. What’s the latest addition to your Man Cave? Silver Medal from 2014 FISU Games. Lost to the USA in the final. Have asked for a framed picture of the latest fantastic catch by OBJ from the New York Football Giants for Christmas.
8. The most influential person you’ve been associated with is…? Wow. Tough one. Tie. Kathy Shields, the best CIS Women's Basketball Coach we have ever had and a true mentor and friend, or my wife Linda. She excels at everything she does and also challenges me to be better at everything I do.
9. How many times has your family hosted a team supper or even brought an individual over for a homecooked meal? And do you cook it? We host the team 2 or 3 times per year. And I rarely prepare the food. We want them to actually come back.
10. Are you a better storyteller or joke teller? Story teller for sure. My grade 3 teacher said on my report card "we love to hear Jeff's stories when we have time". Not much has changed. I talk way too much.
11. You have one day to do one thing. What would it be? I would love more than anything to sit in the stands and watch my daughter Kylee or son Brett play in a university basketball game. But since I have no control over that, I would say Heli-ski in BC. Bucket list item for sure.
12. Who picks out your game day ties? Linda ... until we lose a game and then I take over. Until we lose a game and then well ... you get the picture.
13. The one thing we would be surprised to learn about Jeff Speedy is what? I have two tattoos.
(Photo: Canadian NBA Player, Tristan Thompson & NBA Shooting Coach, Dave Love)
(March 2016)
Coach Love is the shooting coach for the Orlando Magic and has worked with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns in the NBA. In addition, he was a CIS shooting coach for 9 seasons. Coach Love has worked with several NBA players including Magic players Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton and Dewayne Dedmon, Canadians Tristan Thompson and Anthony Bennett, and Louis Amundson.
Dave has been running shooting clinics for several years in New Brunswick and is back again this month touring around the province in Florenceville, Fredericton, Miramichi, Moncton and Sussex.
1. What's the most free throws (or shots in general) you've ever seen a player make in a row? I rebounded for Steve Nash before a Suns practice once while he was shooting free throws. He didn’t miss. I don’t know how many shots it was but it was a good number and it was called to an end before he did miss.
2. Are kids playing too much basketball these days? I don’t think they are playing TOO MUCH basketball, but they do need to understand that eventually there needs to be some time away from the game, and a time for development. Players can’t keep saying “I can’t work on my shot now because I’m in season” all year long.
3. With all the travel that you do, which airport is your favorite/least favorite? I just got access to the Air Canada Lounges, so any airport that has an Air Canada lounge is good by me! I’m not a fan of Denver though. I always seem to be delayed out of Denver and there is nothing to do. The city is 45min away.
4. Who is the funniest NBA player you've ever worked with? Dewayne Dedmon is one of the most likable people on earth, but he gets in to business mode in workouts. Aaron Gordon can laugh at me without being mean about it, so we have a good time. But Tristan Thompson and I could sometimes both be in silly moods and spend a few minutes just laughing without accomplishing too much. We’d have a make a point to get back to work.
5. Do you have any superstitions? Superstitions… not that I can think of. But I have routines that probably come off as superstitions. I love to eat Chipotle on the road. I’ll go there every day. I like to start workouts the same way, not because I think it’s lucky. More so that I think it’s the right thing to do.
6. If you weren't a shooting coach, what would be your dream job? I’d love to be a music producer. I’m fascinated by it, but have no talent in it myself.
7. If you had to be stuck in an elevator with someone for an afternoon, who would it be? Larry Bird is my all-time favorite athlete. To be able to listen to his stories for an afternoon would be so amazing I probably wouldn’t even notice I was sitting on the floor. George Clooney too, for the same reason.
8. Do you remember the first basket you had in your own back yard? Was it a stand alone or nailed to a barn? When I was about 14 we moved into a house and I was allowed to get a basketball hoop on a stand on the side of the driveway. That thing got used a lot. I’d even steal my Mom’s light knit gloves in the winter to shoot in the snow.
9. Best basketball movie ever made? Hoosiers. I could recite it and I haven’t seen it in 10 plus years. Even as a kid I watched it once keeping track of their shooting percentages in the games. I don’t think more than 10 shots are missed in the whole movie, if I remember correctly.
10. What's your second favorite sport? I would have said golf a couple of years ago, but I’m getting into tennis a little bit now. Wish the season wasn’t so short in Canada.
11. What do you do to get away from the game? Spend time with my family and friends. The nice thing is that they don’t care about basketball at all, so I don’t have to be thinking about work.
12. Favourite Canadian basketball personality? I’m not sure if he’s actually Canadian, I don’t think he is, but I always have a great time talking with Paul Jones, the Raptors Play by Play man. He has great stories, is always interested in things I’m doing, and we both have a love for golf.
13. What's your favourite thing about coming to New Brunswick? New Brunswick and BNB have been great to me. The province is so different from Alberta, so it’s fun to come and see a different lifestyle. In addition, I’ve made some great friends, like Carolyn with BNB and Matt Robertson with Longshots Basketball in Moncton.
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