209: Brendan Suhr Podcast

On this episode of ‘Finding your Summit’ podcast, host Mark Pattison, former NFL Player, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Mountaineer & S.I. Executive has now climbed the Seven Summits. He talks with guest Brendan Suhr, longtime NBA, CBA & coach for the Olympic Dream Team. They talk about Brendan’s experience as a Coach and discuss his early life of how he got into this profession.
Listen to “EP 209: NBA coach Brendan Suhr” on Spreaker.

Episode Highlights:

• 02.25: – Brendan says, we all value when we have real good friends.
• 03.30: – Mark states, one of the things which Coach John Wooden talks about is, to improve our life and surround ourselves with five people who are going to make us a better person.
• 05.35: – As per Mark, it doesn’t matter how successful we are, we’re going to live a life of a nomad.
• 08.55: – Brendan states that he feels really blessed to have the career in that in which he has been able to coach, all over the world.
• 10.45: – He talks about his early life as a young kid when he decided to be a coach.
• 13.50: – Brendan recalls what Coach Wooden had said to him.
• 15.20: – According to Mark, leadership is always the weakest link that provides the strongest team.
• 17.25: – “As coaches we have the most influence we can ever have over a player”, says Brendan.
• 19.50: – In Brendan’s opinion, if we get any platform, it would be silly if we don’t take advantage of it.
• 22.05: – Brendon discusses about, what he took away from all those influences and those impactful leaders like Tom Flick, Chuck Daly, John Gordon and many more.
• 26.05: – Brendon reveals that they won because they were mentally and physically tougher than the other teams.
• 29.30: – Brendon mentions that it wasn’t about being on time however it was about respect.
• 31.55: – He states that one thing David Stern knew as Head of FIBA that this would change the world of basketball and it did.
• 34.14: – Brendon talks about those people to whom he has taken to, where they haven’t actually been or where they don’t know they want to go.
• 36.25: – He shares that they were trying to figure out ways to keep growing the game, and they’ve done the same thing in business.
• 39.15: – He also discusses about an incident related to Tom Flick.
• 41.35 – Brendon says, now he doesn’t really care that much about basketball.
• 44.16 – As per Brendon, if we lost our job, went through a divorce, or had some really bad stuff happening, it will be reflective in that score.
• 45.30 –Brendon states that we can always measure how high we could jump, how fast we could run.

Three Key Points:

1. When we think we know a lot, and we keep learning that growth mindset, that’s when it’s going to take off.
2. We have to understand two things: Number One, we have to commit ourselves that we’re going over there. We have to win the gold medal or we’re not going to be allowed back in this country, that’s division. Number Two, we have to be on time.
3. We should not need to worry about how many minutes we play, how much, and how many shots we get. All we need to focus on is winning a gold medal.

Tweetable Quotes:

“We’re gonna make the best of it no matter what.” – Brendan Ahearn Suhr

“I just said, I want to be who that is. My mom said to me, we’re gonna send you to college—not to be a coach— we’re sending you to get an education. And I said, Mom, that’s what I want to do.” – Brendan Ahearn Suhr

“This always plays into things, which is one preparation meets opportunity, and then there’s a little bit of luck in there right because you happen to be in the right place at the right time, and with the right guys.” – Mark Pattison

“If your coach is the only one leading you’re not, you’re in trouble.” – Brendan Ahearn Suhr

“If you want to have great teams I’ve been on some great teams. You got to have that top down, you know where everybody’s rowing in the same direction.” – Mark Pattison

“Tom told me years ago he said coaching is about taking people where they can’t take themselves.” – Brendan Ahearn Suhr

“We were not the best players in the league. We played the hardest in league, we were the most physical.” – Brendan Ahearn Suhr

“You, in my opinion have the greatest collection of NBA talent, ever assembled on one floor Larry Bird Magic Johnson Michael Jordan Scottie Pippen John’s Donath Karl Malone, I mean, the list is insane.” – Mark Pattison

“You know my whole thing is based on your mindset, I think nowadays. I think it’s our greatest area to try to improve coaching and life is through your mental skills.” – Brendan Ahearn Suhr

“So, I just think, you know, mindset and your skills, it’s not like your personality which will be the same all the time, these things change based on circumstances that happen in life.” – Brendan Ahearn Suhr

 

Resources/ Links:
Brendan Ahearn Suhr – Twitter | Website