George Mumford, Mindset Coach to Michael Jordan & Kobe, ON: Finding Greatness, The Power of Adversity, Kobe's Jump Shot & Working With Prison Inmates

13 snips

Jun 9, 2024

Guest George Mumford, sports psychology pioneer, discusses working with NBA legends like Jordan & Kobe. He explores the power of adversity, Kobe's jump shot metaphor, and parallels between coaching prison inmates and championship teams. Insights on self-improvement, embracing challenges, and evolving athlete mentality over decades.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 2min

Navigating Family Dynamics and Overcoming Childhood Challenges

01:49 • 8min

Embracing Adversity for Growth and Success

09:30 • 15min

Exploring Freedom, Individual Expression, and Authenticity through Kobe's Jump Shot Metaphor

24:18 • 5min

Embracing Adversity and Self-Improvement

29:16 • 16min

44:59 • 4min

Evolution of Athletes and Mentality Over Decades

48:43 • 11min

Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field.

Today’s guest is George Mumford, a.k.a. The Performance Whisperer. George is a globally recognized speaker, teacher, and pioneer in sports psychology and performance. Since 1989, he’s been honing his groundbreaking performance and mindfulness techniques with people from locker rooms to board rooms, Yale to jail — as Phil Jackson’s ‘Secret Weapon’ to winning eight NBA Championships, helping Michael Jordan transform his leadership, and teaching Kobe Bryant to “just be.”

In this interview, George shares his experience working with the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant. He reveals why Kobe and MJ were some of his best meditation students and why MJ embraced the idea of “competing against one’s previous best self.” George also discusses the work he did with prison inmates and why they’re not so different from NBA players…

As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. And finally please remember: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take….

TIMESTAMPS

(01:41) 12 Siblings

(04:11) George's Childhood

(09:36) The Power of Adversity

(17:11) Self-Realization

(24:20) Kobe's Jump Shot and Freedom

(29:29) Working With Phil Jackson & The Bulls

(35:48) Meditation Experts: Kobe & Michael Jordan

(41:40) George's Improbable Journey

(45:17) Working With Prison Inmates

(49:03) How Social Media Has Impacted Athletes

(55:42) Advice From Athletes

(57:38) Life Advice

Connect with George:

Twitter: https://x.com/gtmumford

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/george.mumford/

Website: https://georgemumford.com/

Connect with Nik:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic