8timechamps
5/4/2012, 02:55 PM
I can say that none of us are big fans of Capel, but this was an interesting read:
With the NBA playoffs going on, our communications coordinator suggested I write about my favorite player in the league to start my blog off. I was fortunate to coach Blake Griffin in college for two years and he remains a good friend. I think talking about Blake and sharing some of his journey will help you guys understand what it takes to be a great player.
The first thing I’ll say is I am not surprised by Blake’s success. Seeing him on TV commercials, at the All-Star Game dunking over a car, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year, helping the Clippers make the playoffs — none of it ever comes as a shock to me. I remember when I got the job at Oklahoma and started recruiting Blake, I hadn’t seen him play. I had just heard about him. In our first conversation, I talked to him about his goals. About a week later, I saw him play in person for the first time. It was at the Kingwood Classic down in Houston. After watching him play on that Saturday, I texted him Sunday evening. Back then, we could still text kids so I texted him and told him he needed to call me. He called back and I told him right away, “You need to change your goals. You have no idea how good you can be. You need to think bigger. With your talent and work ethic and how hard you play, you can become one of the greats.” That was after seeing him one time.
At the start of his freshman year, we took a team trip to Canada. During the first half of the first game, I turned to my staff and told them Blake would have a decision to make at the end of the year because he would be good enough to enter the NBA Draft. Ever since that first time seeing him at the Kingwood Classic, I knew how good he was and told him how much I believed in him. His combination of talent and ambition was rare from the first time I saw him.
Our first conference game that year was against Michael Beasley so it was a huge matchup against Kansas State. After that game, his whole world changed. I spoke to his parents about it right after because we needed to figure out a way protect him. I spoke to Blake about staying focused. We moved forward from there and eventually lost in the second round of the tournament to Louisville. That night when we got back, I sent him a text and told him we should meet. There were a lot of rumors about both of us. I was rumored to be leaving for another job and obviously everyone was wondering what he was going to do. We agreed to meet the next Wednesday to let some of the sting from the loss wear off.
I remember he came in my office and the first thing I said after some small talk was, “You and I have to be connected. I know how this thing works. People will tell you not to trust me. People are gonna say to you that I am going to get you to try to stay.” At that time, OU had offered me a new contract which I actually had on my desk. I highlighted what my salary was and told him that I was staying. I said, “You need to do what is best for you and your family. Whatever you decide, I am behind you 100 percent. If you want to go pro, let’s do it. If you want to stay, let’s do it. You have done more than enough for the Capel family. This is what you helped do — you and your brother and everyone else.” I showed him the contract again and said I was fine.
In the days following, we went through the process and I called all the teams in the lottery. I took detailed notes and shared all the information with Blake and his family. He made the decision that he felt like it was best for him to come back and asked me what I thought. I said, “Physically right now you are ready for the NBA. You can go in and be an elite-level rebounder right now. When you are a high draft pick, people look at you as a face of a team and a city. That’s the part if you come back you will be more prepared for because you will be the face of college basketball next year.”
One of the things we talked about in the recruiting process and when he was setting his goals was him being National Player of the Year and a potential No. 1 pick. We came back with those two goals and collectively as a group we wanted to win a national championship. Two of those three came true. He was National Player of the Year and the No. 1 pick and he helped us get to the Elite Eight. The process worked for Blake because he trusted me and believed in us and what we were doing. He had a magnificent sophomore year and has made a huge impact in the NBA right away in LA.
Since I started recruiting Blake, we’ve talked just about every day and still do now. To see his development and how he’s handled adversity with injury and continued to improve, it’s been very rewarding for me. Watching the Clippers comeback in the opening game at Memphis was incredible. It was weird. I was nervous watching on TV. I felt like I was on the sideline. My heart was pounding. I was excited. The comeback was the best I’ve ever seen. But again, nothing Blake ever is involved in really surprises me because he is so focused, driven and talented.
One of the lessons that you can take away from Blake is that he is constantly trying to get better. As a freshman in college, you saw how explosive he was with the plays he had around the rim and the dunks and the rebounds in traffic. He could have easily gone to the NBA and been a top five pick but it was bigger than that to him. He wanted to make sure his game was more complete. I remember when we were getting ready for his sophomore season, I told people he had become even more athletic. He was a kid who completely changed his body which was already great. He changed how he worked out, he changed how he ate. His dedication to improve is what I talk to our guys about all the time.
You see Blake with his crazy athleticism and dunks on YouTube but what really defines him to me is his work ethic and character. He respects the game, earns everything, stays humble and embraces the process of getting better. He’s never satisfied. Young players all over the country have posters up of Blake dunking on people, but the best reason to emulate him is his work ethic.
Thanks for reading. Hit me on Twitter with ideas for my next blog @jeffcapel.
Coach Capel
With the NBA playoffs going on, our communications coordinator suggested I write about my favorite player in the league to start my blog off. I was fortunate to coach Blake Griffin in college for two years and he remains a good friend. I think talking about Blake and sharing some of his journey will help you guys understand what it takes to be a great player.
The first thing I’ll say is I am not surprised by Blake’s success. Seeing him on TV commercials, at the All-Star Game dunking over a car, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year, helping the Clippers make the playoffs — none of it ever comes as a shock to me. I remember when I got the job at Oklahoma and started recruiting Blake, I hadn’t seen him play. I had just heard about him. In our first conversation, I talked to him about his goals. About a week later, I saw him play in person for the first time. It was at the Kingwood Classic down in Houston. After watching him play on that Saturday, I texted him Sunday evening. Back then, we could still text kids so I texted him and told him he needed to call me. He called back and I told him right away, “You need to change your goals. You have no idea how good you can be. You need to think bigger. With your talent and work ethic and how hard you play, you can become one of the greats.” That was after seeing him one time.
At the start of his freshman year, we took a team trip to Canada. During the first half of the first game, I turned to my staff and told them Blake would have a decision to make at the end of the year because he would be good enough to enter the NBA Draft. Ever since that first time seeing him at the Kingwood Classic, I knew how good he was and told him how much I believed in him. His combination of talent and ambition was rare from the first time I saw him.
Our first conference game that year was against Michael Beasley so it was a huge matchup against Kansas State. After that game, his whole world changed. I spoke to his parents about it right after because we needed to figure out a way protect him. I spoke to Blake about staying focused. We moved forward from there and eventually lost in the second round of the tournament to Louisville. That night when we got back, I sent him a text and told him we should meet. There were a lot of rumors about both of us. I was rumored to be leaving for another job and obviously everyone was wondering what he was going to do. We agreed to meet the next Wednesday to let some of the sting from the loss wear off.
I remember he came in my office and the first thing I said after some small talk was, “You and I have to be connected. I know how this thing works. People will tell you not to trust me. People are gonna say to you that I am going to get you to try to stay.” At that time, OU had offered me a new contract which I actually had on my desk. I highlighted what my salary was and told him that I was staying. I said, “You need to do what is best for you and your family. Whatever you decide, I am behind you 100 percent. If you want to go pro, let’s do it. If you want to stay, let’s do it. You have done more than enough for the Capel family. This is what you helped do — you and your brother and everyone else.” I showed him the contract again and said I was fine.
In the days following, we went through the process and I called all the teams in the lottery. I took detailed notes and shared all the information with Blake and his family. He made the decision that he felt like it was best for him to come back and asked me what I thought. I said, “Physically right now you are ready for the NBA. You can go in and be an elite-level rebounder right now. When you are a high draft pick, people look at you as a face of a team and a city. That’s the part if you come back you will be more prepared for because you will be the face of college basketball next year.”
One of the things we talked about in the recruiting process and when he was setting his goals was him being National Player of the Year and a potential No. 1 pick. We came back with those two goals and collectively as a group we wanted to win a national championship. Two of those three came true. He was National Player of the Year and the No. 1 pick and he helped us get to the Elite Eight. The process worked for Blake because he trusted me and believed in us and what we were doing. He had a magnificent sophomore year and has made a huge impact in the NBA right away in LA.
Since I started recruiting Blake, we’ve talked just about every day and still do now. To see his development and how he’s handled adversity with injury and continued to improve, it’s been very rewarding for me. Watching the Clippers comeback in the opening game at Memphis was incredible. It was weird. I was nervous watching on TV. I felt like I was on the sideline. My heart was pounding. I was excited. The comeback was the best I’ve ever seen. But again, nothing Blake ever is involved in really surprises me because he is so focused, driven and talented.
One of the lessons that you can take away from Blake is that he is constantly trying to get better. As a freshman in college, you saw how explosive he was with the plays he had around the rim and the dunks and the rebounds in traffic. He could have easily gone to the NBA and been a top five pick but it was bigger than that to him. He wanted to make sure his game was more complete. I remember when we were getting ready for his sophomore season, I told people he had become even more athletic. He was a kid who completely changed his body which was already great. He changed how he worked out, he changed how he ate. His dedication to improve is what I talk to our guys about all the time.
You see Blake with his crazy athleticism and dunks on YouTube but what really defines him to me is his work ethic and character. He respects the game, earns everything, stays humble and embraces the process of getting better. He’s never satisfied. Young players all over the country have posters up of Blake dunking on people, but the best reason to emulate him is his work ethic.
Thanks for reading. Hit me on Twitter with ideas for my next blog @jeffcapel.
Coach Capel