Pooh Jeter is many issues: a Los Angeles native, a mid-major product and an abroad hoop legend, to call just a few. And now you possibly can add NBA participant improvement coach and G League assistant GM to the listing. However there’s one identifier that’s the muse of Pooh’s complete existence. Above all the things else, Pooh is a person of religion.
He’s made it abundantly clear that he finds his life’s goal in serving to serve others and offering gentle in instances of darkness. After a spectacular profession on the College of Portland, the undersized level guard went undrafted within the 2006 NBA Draft. However his religion didn’t permit that to discourage him from his aim of turning into an expert basketball participant.
He’d find yourself having a 17-year professional profession that spanned a handful of nations and a quick stint within the NBA with the Sacramento Kings in 2010-11. Final 12 months, he introduced his retirement as a participant after spending his final two seasons as a participant/mentor with the NBA G League Ignite.
He adopted up his retirement with information that he’d be becoming a member of the Portland Path Blazers as a participant improvement coach and their G League affiliate, the Rip Metropolis Remix, as an assistant GM.
Pooh pulled as much as the SLAM workplace and chopped it up about all the things: his new twin position with the Path Blazers, his transition from participant to educate, founding the Black Coaches Affiliation, what neighborhood means to him and extra.
This interview has been barely edited for readability and conciseness.
SLAM: I recognize you for being right here, first issues first. We’ll get into just a few issues, however I need to begin along with your newest accomplishment, turning into a coach within the League. How’d that come about?
Pooh Jeter: First, reward God that we’re in a position to have this dialog and communicate on the SLAM platform. That is enormous. , me being on this new position–I wasn’t anticipating it. I used to be actually anticipating to nonetheless be enjoying with Ignite, till I bought this chance from Mike Schmitz, the assistant GM [for the Portland Trail Blazers] and a longtime good friend of mine. He had an concept of this twin position, within the entrance workplace and training. As soon as Chauncey Billups—who I’ve been understanding since ’05—came upon, he was like, I want him too! So it simply made sense to have this position of being a participant improvement coach [for the Trail Blazers], and likewise being assistant GM of our NBA G League [Rip City] Remix crew.
SLAM: So, what’s Coach Pooh like?
PJ: Coach Pooh is—I’m nonetheless a hooper. However I’m in a position to share my experiences. One factor I learn about participant improvement is individuals don’t take into consideration the improvement half. That’s not simply basketball. Me being on this position, I’m nonetheless like a teammate since I only recently made this transition. For me to have the ability to faucet in so that you can convey out your finest don’t actually gotta do with basketball; we’re human beings as effectively. I feel the belief that gamers have with me, they’re in a position to actually let me know what’s happening with them. As a result of, the basketball stuff is—I’ll be capable to assist with that, for certain.
SLAM: How’s that transition from participant to educate/entrance workplace government been for you since saying your retirement final 12 months?
PJ: The transition has been wonderful, man. The final two years I performed with G League Ignite actually helped me make my transition even higher. I nonetheless get down and follow, which is cool. I’m one of many solely individuals within the League with this position. It’s a tremendous steadiness; I’m in a position to actually speak to each side. I’ve skilled a lot and it’s not meant for me to carry it, it’s for me to share. My complete mission is refreshing others; that’s what I’m about.
SLAM: In one other interview, you talked about how vital it’s so that you can share info along with your neighborhood first. Are you able to communicate to this a bit extra? What does neighborhood imply to you?
PJ: Neighborhood is all the things to me, wherever I’m at. We gotta repair inside if we need to do issues on the surface. When you give attention to that half, all the things is gonna handle itself. That comes with info, that comes with love. Coming from the inside metropolis, you actually must faucet into that to actually change narratives. That’s the entire level of me being a messenger and servant. I gotta serve. As soon as I’m ready to try this, [the younger generation] is gonna do the identical. It begins with neighborhood.
SLAM: I need to contact on the Black Coaches Affiliation (BCA). How did that come about and what are you attempting to do with it?
PJ: BCA actually began with coaches John Thompson, Nolan Richardson, George Raveling and John Chaney across the late ’80s. Then it simply went away. I had a dialog with Coach Jason Hart—he’s anyone I actually look as much as for lots of various causes. He was venting to me, as a result of at the moment (and now) the Pac-12 didn’t have a Black head coach. That’s bizarre for a Energy 5 convention—like, why?! Effectively, I’m actually into emblems and as soon as I noticed Black Coaches Affiliation/BCA was out there, I bought on it. So then, with the relationships that I do have, right here comes [a long list of Black coaches] that turned members of the affiliation. I used to be nonetheless a participant on the time, and there was a lot happening on this planet. I simply needed to ensure these coaches have been alright psychological health-wise. Everyone began making their calls and it bought large! We most likely have 2,500 Black coaches in our database.
Now that I’m on the sidelines, I’m taking a look at different professional gamers who need to get into teaching. Once more, it’s about who we’re getting our info from. I’m simply tryna do one thing to ensure the neighborhood—my neighborhood—is ready for the chance. Black Coaches Affiliation is my child. It’s an actual ardour and precedence of mine.
SLAM: What’s left for Pooh to do within the recreation of basketball?
PJ: I’m gonna go to this scripture within the Bible: “despite the fact that I’ve plans in my coronary heart, God directs my steps.” I’ve to proceed to wish and simply be aligned with the steps we’re on and hopefully, these steps are main someplace. , I wasn’t anticipating to be a coach and within the entrance workplace; that wasn’t my plan. I simply pray that my steps are being directed in the correct method, with God. One of many necessities is to stroll humbly; I’m simply attempting to stroll humbly and ensure God’s will is finished.
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Images by Marcus Stevens.
