http://www.nba.com/rockets/video/2011/06/03/McHaleFriedmanInterviewwmv-1724535/index.html Jason Friedman interviews McHale...Please lock if posted
I think I'm already all McHale'd out. It's repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition -Cant apologize for those championships -I believe in what I believe in. Gotta be team first. Effort huge. Much rather lose with 5 guys playing hard than win occasionally with guys that dont play hard. Very honest with the guys. No beating around the bush. They ask me a question, I tell them. I tell them it may not be what you want to hear but its how I feel. I think the game should be played a certain way. No compromise in that in me as to how the game I think should be played. -Thats your job --your job is to make them feel that they cant be beat. Make them feel they're prepared, that they're ready to go out there and willing to sacrifice everything for their teammates and willing to give it all and thats what its all about. I talk to them quite a bit and tell them what I expect out of them all the time. When they do it, I'm complimentary of them. Its communication with the guys. I believe you play your best when confident. Only way you get confident is when you put the work in. Once you do all the work, you can just go out and play. If your thinking is(AND?) slow, you cant be thinking. Gotta be reacting and playing. How you get to that reaction point is repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition. The guys will get tired of the drills and a lot of stuff but you keep harping away --this will make you better, give me the time and effort now, and this will pay off in tomorrow nights game. YOu keep pushing them and helping them. My job is to make them the best players they can be and in turn, turn those great players into a team and make the team the best it can be. -You gotta work enough with the guys to know what they do well and dont do well. Gotta put them in positions to succeed. You dont put them in situations to fail, especially young players. Young guys are searching for confidence. Its working with them and figuring out what moves they can work on.(Jump hook, pump fake, footwork) A lot of stuff is footwork in the NBA. Takes a long time but isnt complicated. Its repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition. I know I can help the big guys get better. My job to put them in situations to succeed. -I always knew I wanted to get back into coaching but I was selective. I sat down in thought and prayer. Said this feels right. Became a feeling like I wanted to coach in Houston. Talked to my wife. Loved the TV work. I wanted to coach. Like they have players who are young, middle aged, and some vets. A nice blend. Wanted to get in a situation where I could start with a team and work with it year after year and get better. Its a challenge. I wanna see how good we can be. Wanna see how good I can be. Thats how I lived my whole life. I challenged myself. Looking forward to it. -Had a hard time putting on the red Rockets blazer.
I don't know how tongue in cheek your response is, but he's right. You want to not think so much. Ideally all the coaching should become part of your nature, through repetition. And if you're commenting on McHale's competition... well he's practicing what he preaches.