In this episode, host Riley Sager sits down with Steve Jones Jr., SBC Instructor, Podcast Host, and former Player Development Assistant Coach for the Brooklyn Nets. Basketball has been a big part of Steve’s life between growing up around his father and basketball legend Steve “Snapper” Jones, playing college basketball, and working in the NBA.
In this episode, Riley and Steve discuss:
- Steve’s mindset when he didn’t get employed fresh out of college
- Being thrown into a role right before the NBA season
- Coaching for the Brooklyn Nets
- What he plans to bring to the table this summer at the SBC Business of Basketball Immersive Experience program
From 2005–2008, Steve played basketball at Arizona State and then transferred to the University of Nevada–Las Vegas, where he played until 2010. After his collegiate career, Steve spent over 5 years working in the NBA as a Video Coordinator with the Memphis Grizzlies, followed by a stint with the Brooklyn Nets as an Assistant Coach for Player Development and Video Operations Manager. Fast forward to today, Steve is now the host of The Dunker Spot Podcast alongside co-host and writer, Nekias Duncan, where they talk all things basketball.
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SHOW NOTES
- What sports was Steve attracted to growing up (2:10)
- What was captivating to Steve about basketball (3:19)
- Who was Steve’s favorite player when growing up (4:00)
- What did basketball teach Steve Jr (5:10)
- How did Steve know he wanted to play basketball in college? (6:20)
- How did Steve overcome his self-doubt he experienced in college (8:10)
- Why did Steve transfer colleges? (10:40)
- How did Steve’s purpose shift after graduating from UNLV? (12:45)
- Where was Steve’s mindset when he didn’t get employed fresh out of college? (14:09)
- What advice does Steve have for those who may be scared to chase their dream job (15:20)
- How was is being thrown into a role for Memphis right before the season (16:30)
- What was Steve’s day-to-day routine when he worked with the Memphis Grizz (18:20)
- Did organization come easy for Steven (19:48)
- Did Steve transition from Memphis to Brooklyn (21:50)
- What prompted his change to go into coaching for the Brooklyn Nets (22:35)
- What skills did Steve acquire in his past experiences that set him up to succeed in his new role? (23:30)
- How did Steve get into podcasting (25:05)
- What is Steve’s purpose for producing his podcast (26:33)
- What about podcasting was surprising to Steve (28:45)
- How did Steve’s podcast make him see the game of basketball differently? (30:05)
- Video coordinating, coaching, podcasting, what is he bringing to SBC? (31:30)
- What is the biggest challenge for people looking to get into the sports industry (33:00)
- If he had SBC how would this affect his journey (36:05)
- Looking back on his career what is Steve most proud of? (37:15)
