International basketball royalty visited Mount Gambier last week, with an NBA assistant coach hosting two nights of training clinics.
Utah Jazz assistant coach Evan Bradds and NBA G-League assistant coach Liam Flynn conducted two training sessions for local junior players at the Icehouse.
Bradds has a wealth of experience in US basketball, having played four years of college ball at Belmont. Bradds joined the Maine Red Claws coaching staff in 2017, which is the Boston Celtics’ G-League affiliated team.
Four years later he was promoted to the Celtics coaching staff as was an assistant coach and a part of the player enhancement staff.
In 2022 Bradds moved across the country to Utah where he is currently an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz as well as the player development coach.
Last year Bradds had the opportunity to coach the Jazz in the NBA Summer League competition in Las Vegas.
Over his years in the league Bradds has worked with and coached some of the best players in the country including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown while working with up and coming youngsters at the Jazz such as Cody Williams and Isiah Collier.
The SE Voice spoke to Bradds during his visit, with the American admitting to being very observant and curious about the basketball culture Down Under.
“I have asked a lot of questions, I have probably asked Liam (Flynn) hundreds of questions just about basketball in Australia in general and he was telling me on the way up here how big it is and I understand that coming from a town similar to Mount Gambier, so I do understand being here one night they really do love it here,” Bradds said.
Bradds said basketball clinics were important to people of all ages.
“No matter what level you’re at basketball is basketball and the joy of the game is always going to be there no matter what level it is – and no matter what the talent level is – or the age level, so at the end of the day its basketball,” he said.
“Unfortunately I never got to do one of these types of things as a kid, so I know what these things are about and how big of a deal they can be so I’m going to give it all I have got.”
Bradds said he was enjoying coaching the next generation of players at the Jazz, which he believed had helped him grow as a coach.
“The biggest thing for me is that it’s very rewarding,” he said.
“There’s nothing better than seeing someone do something in practice or do something in a development session and then doing it in a game, it’s very rewarding.
“Just seeing people grow has always made me happy and it’s always been a fun part of my job.”
Bradds also reflected on biggest achievements so far in the NBA as a coach.
“This may sound cliche but probably the relationships I have made with people in both places,” he said.
“I had a little kid ask me about Boston and I got a lot of people that still I care about and love dearly in Boston, players, coaches and staff.
“I have been in Utah for two years now and it’s the same thing so just meeting people and building those relationships is probably the most rewarding part.”
