Coaching Lessons from Jackson and Popovich

What does it take to turn tragedy into advocacy, and advocacy into lasting change? This week, Reid and Aria are talking to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Kris Brown, president of Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization. Together, they explore how sports, storytelling, and civic engagement can move the needle on one of America’s most polarizing issues: guns.

In the first part of this episode, Steve and Kris share the personal and political roots of their partnership. They also dive into the movement for safer gun storage, smart firearm technology, and the bipartisan momentum that’s possible when we lead with empathy over fear.

In the second part, the conversation turns to the future of basketball and leadership. Steve reflects on lessons from Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich, the power of authenticity and collaboration, and how AI, analytics, and even robotics are reshaping the NBA. 

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/ 

Topics:

01:14 - Hellos and intros

03:28 - Collaboration is the cornerstone of Steve’s leadership philosophy 

04:22 - Imposter syndrome, playing under Phil Jackson and Greg Popovich, and coaching Draymond Green 

06:02 - Steve’s personal experience with gun violence and using his platform to drive change

07:17 - Lessons Kris learned from working on the Brady Bill 

10:43 - Gemini explains the landmark Brady Bill and how it passed

11:48 - Origins of Steve and Brady’s partnership 

16:55 - Building bipartisan support for gun violence prevention, like the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

21:21 - Smart gun technology, gun safes, and other technological solutions

25:27 - “Shut up and dribble” comment and the pushback athletes receive when they speak up

27:29 - Social media as a tool to create cultural change 

29:39 - Kris answers the last rapid-fire question and says her goodbyes

32:33 - Midroll

32:38 - Steve digs deeper into Phil Jackson and Greg Popovich’s coaching styles

34:40 - Inspiration v. comparison

35:22 - Hiring staff who bring specific strengths helps form a stronger team

36:21 - Endgame instincts as a coach

39:37 - Helping players navigate modern-age attention and public opinions on social media

42:01 - Internal leadership from players is crucial and Steph Curry as an example

44:33 - How NBA analytics have evolved

46:52 - The Warriors are planning to implement AI-powered robots into their training

47:56 - Players wear monitors that analyze their performance data

49:17 - Discoveries from players’ performance data 

50:46 - Analyzing game footage with AI, facial recognition technology, and learning that Steph Curry logs the most miles ran per game in the league

52:56 - Using game footage data to learn opponents’ patterns and build game plans

54:05 - Correlating physical condition and shot success percentage for each player

56:19 - Rapid-fire questions 

Select mentions: 

Phil Jackson

Greg Popovich

Brady Bill

Uvalde school shooting

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

End Family Fire Campaign

Maxwell Frost

Matthew McConaughey

Dan Grunfeld

Lopez Twins

Maverick: More than a Game by Phil Jackson and Charley Rosen

Daryl Morey

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

March for Our Lives

Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.