Brooks Q&A
Aug 20 2009 4:44PM
Thunder Head Coach Scott Brooks considers himself a horrible surfer. But put a mountain of Legos in front of him, and he might be able to build something out of this world. His biggest hobby outside of work, though, is spending time with his wife and two children, whether it’s going golfing (yes, they all play), attending his daughter’s recital, taking his son to an open gym for pickup basketball or simply shuttling them to and from school each day.
Brooks is as down to earth as they come. He’s a family man. A California boy at heart. And a former point guard who says he’s still got game. But with the Thunder players gone for the summer, he said it’s been awfully hard for him to find some decent competition at the workplace. In an interview this week, Brooks touched on a wide range of topics, from the NBA Playoffs and how he’ll spend his summer gearing up for his first training camp as head coach, to the various golf courses he’s played in Oklahoma and what he watches on the tube.
How have you spent your time since you met with the media for exit interviews?
“I took some time off, connected with the family, wife and two kids. Played a lot of basketball with my son. He was 13 (on Monday). I've brought him back to the practice site quite a few times. I've played golf. I've done a lot of reflecting on this past season – what I could have done better, how I can get our team better, our players better. We're getting a lot of things done, when and where we’re going to meet our guys this summer. We're getting that lined up with our assistant coaches.”
Has any of that been determined?
“Yes. Brian Keefe is headed out to Miami to visit with Shaun (Livingston), spend some days there. Dr. Donnie Strack (Director, Medical Services) is going to be with them. They’ll put him through some workouts. Then we’re going to visit KD. We’re going to visit all of our guys – Russell, KD, every guy this summer will get in touch by either myself or one of the assistants.”
Have you been in touch with the players?
“I gave them some time off. I’m going to start texting them and calling them this week and next week. You know where all the guys are. Most of our guys are already playing. They took some time off. Some guys took two days off. Some guys are back at it already. I believe it’s whatever your body needs, you need to take the time off. You need some rest. As a player I never took a lot of time off. I took a couple of days here and there. But this is what you do, it’s what you love to do. What else are you going to do? People go out and have fun, they figure out things they want to do. Basketball players, this is what they like to do. This is fun for them, for our guys. But other than that it’s just been going back on our season, watching film and getting my thoughts together and getting our staff’s opinions on what could have been done better. We’re always looking for ways to get better. And our players have to get better. Myself, I have to get better. We can find different ways of doing things. I haven’t come to any conclusion on ways, but I’m just brainstorming right now and figuring it out, throwing different ideas on the table and seeing which ones will best fit with our team.”
What’s a typical day like for you in the off-season? Do you have a certain routine?
“There’s not a real routine, but I think as a coach or as an assistant or a head coach, you work throughout the day. You’re always thinking about the team. Watching games last night, I don’t watch games like I’m a fan of the Rockets or I want Kobe to go for 40. I watch what the coaches are doing, how teams are playing, how they’re guarding pick and rolls, how they’re guarding pindowns, what plays they’re running, what’s working, what’s not working. That’s how I watch games now. As a kid I wanted Philadelphia to win every game. I don’t watch games that way. I’m not saying I’m in here everyday, every hour but I’m always thinking about the team we have.”
What have been your impressions about the playoffs so far?
“Well, it’s obviously stated that Boston-Chicago has been an incredible matchup in the way that they competed and laid it on the line. That was fun to watch. There were a lot of great plays on both sides of the ball. Both teams have had great stops, great offensive performances. Coaches did a great job of making adjustments. I think the playoffs are great. I think they’re fun to watch. And it’s a time when the fans really get in it. The intensity level is higher. The philosophy of the playoffs is just a great format, four out of seven games. There’s so many different emotions that go through a different series. You win the game and you feel like you’re the best team on the court. And when you lose you feel like you can’t beat anybody. And it’s fun to watch coaches and how they manage that rollercoaster ride.”
Are you taking mental notes during the playoffs?
“I take notes. Like if I see a good play, a last-second play, a side out-of-bounds play, or just a pick-and-roll. Just if I see something. And the great thing about TV now is you can TiVo it or DVR it, so you can tape it and rewind it, pause it or go slow motion as the game is going on live. It’s so much nicer watching a game now because you can catch the game 40 minutes late and still watch it from the beginning.”
What have been your impressions of George Karl and the Nuggets?
“It was great to see. Obviously, I have some emotional ties there. It was great to see that coach and that team get out of the first round because they worked hard to come where they were six years ago as basically one of the worst basketball teams in the NBA to the playoffs a couple of years later, and now to get the monkey off their back, it was great. Coach Karl is a great coach that works the psyche of his team better than I’ve been around any coach. He has a feel of the team’s pulls as good as any coach I’ve been around. He has a great feel. He doesn’t let the season’s ups and downs affect his swagger. He’s very confident. He has a cockiness about him. He believes in himself. He’s believes in his guys.”
Being a former point guard, has anything surprised you about the way point guards have been at the forefront of a majority of the playoff series, especially Chauncey Billups, Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose?
“Point guards have changed. When I played, point guards didn’t do the things they’re doing now. That just wasn’t part of the fabric of point guards back then, especially backup point guards. Your job was one thing: pass the ball and defend. Now, you have to be able to score, you have to be able to attack the basket. You have to be able to get to the free throw line. The good point guards are able to do that. There’s some great ones. There’s a lot of them that did not make the playoffs that are great point guards. What Rondo’s doing, that’s what you want to see young players do – get better every year. And he has done that. But as he’s gotten better, his team has gotten better. So they’re not playing well just because of Rondo. They have some good players around him who have also added a lot to his game.”
What’s been the biggest difference for you from being an assistant to a head coach?
“I enjoy and embrace the responsibilities now that I know I’m going to be here. When I took over, my focus was our guys each day. We’ve got to get them better today. Tomorrow, we’ve got to get them better. I never thought about the long term. That’s what I wasn’t doing. Now, it’s more long term, as in the summer I have five months to figure out ways to get our guys better individually, whether in their cities or here working out, and then figuring out ways after you see all this development, bringing it all together, meshing it together, working on the same things together. That’s the biggest difference. As an interim coach it’s focusing on each day. You still do that as a head coach now. But it’s more ownership now. It’s a great opportunity for myself and my staff to get the group of guys we have moving forward. Our fan support is phenomenal. Just going around the city, everybody loves what the team is about. Sam Presti brings in high character guys. You go to these functions and these appearances, you can see the impact these guys are having in basically eight, nine months now. And that’s pretty remarkable. You don’t have time to reflect on it during the year because you’re thinking about the next game, you’re thinking about the next quarter. You’re just thinking. These last three weeks, going out around town doing appearances or just having lunch, you do get recognized now. As an assistant you never got recognized, which was never a problem. But the impact that our guys have had in the community is pretty fun to see.”
Do you still plan to visit other coaches this summer?
“Yes, we’ll visit other coaches throughout the summer. We’re compiling lists right now and hopefully get together with most of them this summer. We'll talk about game strategies, drills, practice, planning. Just a variety of different ways to go over how they do things in their programs – college, pro, high schools.”
What other subtleties or different responsibilities do you have with being a head coach?
“Well, a lot of things. Sam and I are in constant communication on all the decisions of the team. I’m involved in those decisions but with Sam and I, we have a good partnership. We go through things together as far as what’s important and what’s the best way, moving forward, we want to take our team. Those are responsibilities now. As the job moves forward I realize there’s more to it than just coaching the game for 48 minutes. There’s decisions on booking the right hotels, staying in a city or leaving right after the game. But I have a good relationship with Sam and we will cover everything.”
How important is it for you to be out in the community in the off-season?
“I think it’s important for all of our guys to have an awareness and to giving back to the community. It’s who I am, it’s how I was raised, it’s what I believe in. We all have an incredible obligation to fulfill. We have to play hard and play for each other on the court. Those are obviously very important to what we do. But off the court you have to represent yourself and our organization and our city in a way that we can all be proud of. Sam brings in guys who have incredible high character.”
How did you get involved in what you’re doing tonight (guest bartender)?
“Actually, my daughter’s classmate’s dad came up to me as I was picking my daughter up from school. He said, ‘hey, we’re having a function on Cinco de Mayo, raising money for the fire victims of Oklahoma. Are you interested?’ And I said yes, right there in the pickup zone.”
Have you been able to make a lot of family time since the season ended?
“I try to take my kids to school when I’m in town, regardless of how late we get back from a road trip. I think it’s important. Obviously, my family, my wife and kids, are extremely important. And the time off that I’ve had, I value the time I have to spend with my family, to take them to school, playing golf with my kids. This is a good community for families. It’s a very family-friendly community. There’s things to do. Two things that I really found living here is family is important and sports are important. It’s good that my kids enjoy sports, and this is a good place to raise them because it has a lot of great qualities on how I live my life and how the people are real down to earth people that care about their families.”
You mentioned golf. Do you have any favorite courses out here?
“I’ve played at three of them. I played at Gallardia, I’ve played at Rose Creek and I’ve played at Oak Tree. They’re all terrific courses and I loved every one of them. I love to golf. I love the competitive nature of it. You’re fighting against the course. It’s a fun way to relax. I love my kids. I love to play with them. Both my children love to golf.”
Any other hobbies outside of golf, basketball and family?
“You know, not a lot. I love the ocean. I wouldn’t call myself a good surfer. Really, I’d actually call myself a horrible surfer. But that’s part of the fun. I like to get out there and get thrashed by the waves. That’s part of the fun. But hobbies … just being with my kids. My son doesn’t do it often now, but occasionally we’ll build Legos. We’ve built some incredible pieces – 3,000- to 3,500-piece Lego sets. And we’re talking about taking weeks to finish. He built a Star Wars spaceship that’s pretty cool. When I was growing up, you just had big blocks. Put eight blocks together and mom thought I was a genius.”
Last question. Do you like to read books, magazines, anything?
“I like to read about other coaches. I mean, I love John Wooden books. They’re great. The guy, he’s still ahead of his time. That guy was a genius in getting players to think in simplistic terms and focusing on their team and proving yourself. John Wooden, he’s one of the greatest coaches who ever coached. I’m not a big reader but my wife gives me books. I will skim through it and pick it apart. But I can never sit down and spend a week reading a book. I don’t watch TV. Occasionally I watch Oprah. I’m not like a big TV guy. I like to golf. I like to play basketball still. I love to play. I wish I could get some guys at work here who can play a little bit. No, I don’t have a lot of hobbies. My family’s important to me. It’s all about my kids. I love going to all their events or their recitals.
Brooks is as down to earth as they come. He’s a family man. A California boy at heart. And a former point guard who says he’s still got game. But with the Thunder players gone for the summer, he said it’s been awfully hard for him to find some decent competition at the workplace. In an interview this week, Brooks touched on a wide range of topics, from the NBA Playoffs and how he’ll spend his summer gearing up for his first training camp as head coach, to the various golf courses he’s played in Oklahoma and what he watches on the tube.
How have you spent your time since you met with the media for exit interviews?
“I took some time off, connected with the family, wife and two kids. Played a lot of basketball with my son. He was 13 (on Monday). I've brought him back to the practice site quite a few times. I've played golf. I've done a lot of reflecting on this past season – what I could have done better, how I can get our team better, our players better. We're getting a lot of things done, when and where we’re going to meet our guys this summer. We're getting that lined up with our assistant coaches.”
Has any of that been determined?
“Yes. Brian Keefe is headed out to Miami to visit with Shaun (Livingston), spend some days there. Dr. Donnie Strack (Director, Medical Services) is going to be with them. They’ll put him through some workouts. Then we’re going to visit KD. We’re going to visit all of our guys – Russell, KD, every guy this summer will get in touch by either myself or one of the assistants.”
Have you been in touch with the players?
“I gave them some time off. I’m going to start texting them and calling them this week and next week. You know where all the guys are. Most of our guys are already playing. They took some time off. Some guys took two days off. Some guys are back at it already. I believe it’s whatever your body needs, you need to take the time off. You need some rest. As a player I never took a lot of time off. I took a couple of days here and there. But this is what you do, it’s what you love to do. What else are you going to do? People go out and have fun, they figure out things they want to do. Basketball players, this is what they like to do. This is fun for them, for our guys. But other than that it’s just been going back on our season, watching film and getting my thoughts together and getting our staff’s opinions on what could have been done better. We’re always looking for ways to get better. And our players have to get better. Myself, I have to get better. We can find different ways of doing things. I haven’t come to any conclusion on ways, but I’m just brainstorming right now and figuring it out, throwing different ideas on the table and seeing which ones will best fit with our team.”
What’s a typical day like for you in the off-season? Do you have a certain routine?
“There’s not a real routine, but I think as a coach or as an assistant or a head coach, you work throughout the day. You’re always thinking about the team. Watching games last night, I don’t watch games like I’m a fan of the Rockets or I want Kobe to go for 40. I watch what the coaches are doing, how teams are playing, how they’re guarding pick and rolls, how they’re guarding pindowns, what plays they’re running, what’s working, what’s not working. That’s how I watch games now. As a kid I wanted Philadelphia to win every game. I don’t watch games that way. I’m not saying I’m in here everyday, every hour but I’m always thinking about the team we have.”
What have been your impressions about the playoffs so far?
“Well, it’s obviously stated that Boston-Chicago has been an incredible matchup in the way that they competed and laid it on the line. That was fun to watch. There were a lot of great plays on both sides of the ball. Both teams have had great stops, great offensive performances. Coaches did a great job of making adjustments. I think the playoffs are great. I think they’re fun to watch. And it’s a time when the fans really get in it. The intensity level is higher. The philosophy of the playoffs is just a great format, four out of seven games. There’s so many different emotions that go through a different series. You win the game and you feel like you’re the best team on the court. And when you lose you feel like you can’t beat anybody. And it’s fun to watch coaches and how they manage that rollercoaster ride.”
Are you taking mental notes during the playoffs?
“I take notes. Like if I see a good play, a last-second play, a side out-of-bounds play, or just a pick-and-roll. Just if I see something. And the great thing about TV now is you can TiVo it or DVR it, so you can tape it and rewind it, pause it or go slow motion as the game is going on live. It’s so much nicer watching a game now because you can catch the game 40 minutes late and still watch it from the beginning.”
What have been your impressions of George Karl and the Nuggets?
“It was great to see. Obviously, I have some emotional ties there. It was great to see that coach and that team get out of the first round because they worked hard to come where they were six years ago as basically one of the worst basketball teams in the NBA to the playoffs a couple of years later, and now to get the monkey off their back, it was great. Coach Karl is a great coach that works the psyche of his team better than I’ve been around any coach. He has a feel of the team’s pulls as good as any coach I’ve been around. He has a great feel. He doesn’t let the season’s ups and downs affect his swagger. He’s very confident. He has a cockiness about him. He believes in himself. He’s believes in his guys.”
Being a former point guard, has anything surprised you about the way point guards have been at the forefront of a majority of the playoff series, especially Chauncey Billups, Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose?
“Point guards have changed. When I played, point guards didn’t do the things they’re doing now. That just wasn’t part of the fabric of point guards back then, especially backup point guards. Your job was one thing: pass the ball and defend. Now, you have to be able to score, you have to be able to attack the basket. You have to be able to get to the free throw line. The good point guards are able to do that. There’s some great ones. There’s a lot of them that did not make the playoffs that are great point guards. What Rondo’s doing, that’s what you want to see young players do – get better every year. And he has done that. But as he’s gotten better, his team has gotten better. So they’re not playing well just because of Rondo. They have some good players around him who have also added a lot to his game.”
What’s been the biggest difference for you from being an assistant to a head coach?
“I enjoy and embrace the responsibilities now that I know I’m going to be here. When I took over, my focus was our guys each day. We’ve got to get them better today. Tomorrow, we’ve got to get them better. I never thought about the long term. That’s what I wasn’t doing. Now, it’s more long term, as in the summer I have five months to figure out ways to get our guys better individually, whether in their cities or here working out, and then figuring out ways after you see all this development, bringing it all together, meshing it together, working on the same things together. That’s the biggest difference. As an interim coach it’s focusing on each day. You still do that as a head coach now. But it’s more ownership now. It’s a great opportunity for myself and my staff to get the group of guys we have moving forward. Our fan support is phenomenal. Just going around the city, everybody loves what the team is about. Sam Presti brings in high character guys. You go to these functions and these appearances, you can see the impact these guys are having in basically eight, nine months now. And that’s pretty remarkable. You don’t have time to reflect on it during the year because you’re thinking about the next game, you’re thinking about the next quarter. You’re just thinking. These last three weeks, going out around town doing appearances or just having lunch, you do get recognized now. As an assistant you never got recognized, which was never a problem. But the impact that our guys have had in the community is pretty fun to see.”
Do you still plan to visit other coaches this summer?
“Yes, we’ll visit other coaches throughout the summer. We’re compiling lists right now and hopefully get together with most of them this summer. We'll talk about game strategies, drills, practice, planning. Just a variety of different ways to go over how they do things in their programs – college, pro, high schools.”
What other subtleties or different responsibilities do you have with being a head coach?
“Well, a lot of things. Sam and I are in constant communication on all the decisions of the team. I’m involved in those decisions but with Sam and I, we have a good partnership. We go through things together as far as what’s important and what’s the best way, moving forward, we want to take our team. Those are responsibilities now. As the job moves forward I realize there’s more to it than just coaching the game for 48 minutes. There’s decisions on booking the right hotels, staying in a city or leaving right after the game. But I have a good relationship with Sam and we will cover everything.”
How important is it for you to be out in the community in the off-season?
“I think it’s important for all of our guys to have an awareness and to giving back to the community. It’s who I am, it’s how I was raised, it’s what I believe in. We all have an incredible obligation to fulfill. We have to play hard and play for each other on the court. Those are obviously very important to what we do. But off the court you have to represent yourself and our organization and our city in a way that we can all be proud of. Sam brings in guys who have incredible high character.”
How did you get involved in what you’re doing tonight (guest bartender)?
“Actually, my daughter’s classmate’s dad came up to me as I was picking my daughter up from school. He said, ‘hey, we’re having a function on Cinco de Mayo, raising money for the fire victims of Oklahoma. Are you interested?’ And I said yes, right there in the pickup zone.”
Have you been able to make a lot of family time since the season ended?
“I try to take my kids to school when I’m in town, regardless of how late we get back from a road trip. I think it’s important. Obviously, my family, my wife and kids, are extremely important. And the time off that I’ve had, I value the time I have to spend with my family, to take them to school, playing golf with my kids. This is a good community for families. It’s a very family-friendly community. There’s things to do. Two things that I really found living here is family is important and sports are important. It’s good that my kids enjoy sports, and this is a good place to raise them because it has a lot of great qualities on how I live my life and how the people are real down to earth people that care about their families.”
You mentioned golf. Do you have any favorite courses out here?
“I’ve played at three of them. I played at Gallardia, I’ve played at Rose Creek and I’ve played at Oak Tree. They’re all terrific courses and I loved every one of them. I love to golf. I love the competitive nature of it. You’re fighting against the course. It’s a fun way to relax. I love my kids. I love to play with them. Both my children love to golf.”
Any other hobbies outside of golf, basketball and family?
“You know, not a lot. I love the ocean. I wouldn’t call myself a good surfer. Really, I’d actually call myself a horrible surfer. But that’s part of the fun. I like to get out there and get thrashed by the waves. That’s part of the fun. But hobbies … just being with my kids. My son doesn’t do it often now, but occasionally we’ll build Legos. We’ve built some incredible pieces – 3,000- to 3,500-piece Lego sets. And we’re talking about taking weeks to finish. He built a Star Wars spaceship that’s pretty cool. When I was growing up, you just had big blocks. Put eight blocks together and mom thought I was a genius.”
Last question. Do you like to read books, magazines, anything?
“I like to read about other coaches. I mean, I love John Wooden books. They’re great. The guy, he’s still ahead of his time. That guy was a genius in getting players to think in simplistic terms and focusing on their team and proving yourself. John Wooden, he’s one of the greatest coaches who ever coached. I’m not a big reader but my wife gives me books. I will skim through it and pick it apart. But I can never sit down and spend a week reading a book. I don’t watch TV. Occasionally I watch Oprah. I’m not like a big TV guy. I like to golf. I like to play basketball still. I love to play. I wish I could get some guys at work here who can play a little bit. No, I don’t have a lot of hobbies. My family’s important to me. It’s all about my kids. I love going to all their events or their recitals.
