James Borrego Interview (5-6-20)

The Charlotte hornet James Borrego and everybody and their mother is reacting to the last dance documentary quoting somebody you're very familiar with Joe Wolf, the head coach of the Greensboro swarm. He has unique insight into Jordan because he actually was in the same dorm in the same sweet actually as Jordan. He told the story how Michael tried to jump on them from behind in his dorm room and it didn't really work out well for Michael because Joe Wolf was a big man and a lot bigger than slim MJ at the time coach Borrego. Thank you for making the time in the triad. Give me a sense for some of the things you learned about your ball so far. Watching the last dance well maybe motivated so you go different ways to get along his journey so special but I did not know about the Robin story having to go find Dennis Rodman or Mao to bring them back to practice about that was fascinating and a lot of fun to watch my kids didn't know a lot about him. I knew him. You know my time watching them on TV but watching this behind-the-scenes is been fascinating. Just the drama and a lot of fun that might be the one blind spot on Phil Jackson's coaching resume if you're going to send somebody to get Dennis Robin maybe don't send the leading scorer of your team and maybe the most prolific player we've ever seen. You never know you might not come back. You never know youare there so yeah, I thought you go to watch the Rodman thing you know, I realize you know when you look at a lot of the clips on film. Just like how to make sure she was defensively when you think about. I think we all remember the offense and one thing I talk to our guys a lot about is on the defense of abandoned it was just a straight through a guy he went after it and I just forgot how good he was on the floor as well you a lot of credit.

They were very good defensive team. I think a very underrated become 13 long, athletic, smart, they could rebound the ball so it's been a lot of fun watching my family, my kids are learning some new terms you know we were going for right now there they're hearing everything right now so I try to keep them away from it.

The first know Josh. The first episode on you know try to mutilated.

I have no control now, which is all out there we go for it.

We laugh we we enjoy ESPN2. It's the censored version yeah I heard that I heard that but you know at this point were in the world already.

Mao Summerall and James Laredo easement this year and I read the story that yes you had a few weeks ago where your using the time at home and also all these old games being broadcast of these vintage games to try and specifically get some your guys to watch motor players how how they may have moved up and down the floor. Specific things that they might need to work on and you were just talking about the defense that Michael played and how easy it is to forget about that when I watch these old guys. I think about Scottie Pippen. I think about Rodman. I think about Michael just how much ground defensively they are able to cover it. It's just an amazing thing to see. You don't see a lot of that in the league anymore how you use these vintage games, specifically to keep your team together but also engaged couple.

I mean more than anything it convicts us.

You know there's not a lot to watch on TV right now.

Maybe the last dance and a few other things but it's a way for someone to connect to Worldwatch and same thing watching who watching a playoff series. I wanted our group initially you know to watch the playoffs are electric. 2012 series between the Lakers and the Nuggets. I decided that our team know you're looking at the Nuggets. They really have an All-Star on that roster.

There were just punctured hard work in hard playing high pays energized they were an energized team play a very big couple Hall of Famer's and pelvis. All Kobe Bryant Andrew Bynum so I just wanted them to see the contrasting styles see a playoff series how it unfolded and one thing about players nowadays and I thought it was important for us to really watch a full series. Watch a full game because I think a lot of players being they fear our generation or more about the highlights. You know that you two very rarely do a lot of our players sit there watching entire basketball game from start to finish.

So the challenges I gave our guys for their watch and really see dissect what the matchups were like. What were the adjustments throughout the series start to think about basketball through the lens of a teacher or coach someone else curious at the word we use a lot in our program is been curious so that was one exercise we did Joshua really really help… That was good for us. We continue to watch some of those vintage games.

I keep feeding our guys a bunch of vintage games 2007 Spurs sun game 2005 Detroit spurs.

Some of these old games so anything fascinating for young guys who gave her the names of these players but they haven't really watch them and for myself going back to watch the 2007. Spurs sensors was fascinating for me. I was there I participated in the culture video coordinator, but I see it through a different lens now so it's a lot of fun. You know, and along the way of certain players. You know, I'll send Aponte, Graham, some Steve Nash clips you know just underside not the most athletic guy watches movement watches piece.

Watch a deficiency watches decision-making when he gets to the paint you know and sore point.

Most of those things for God is just to keep them engaged. Keep them think and keep growing. One of the young guys are talking about is the Aponte Graham is a North Carolina guy and he spent a lot of time with the swarm, and I wonder how much of a role did the G league and Greensboro play in his development. Specifically huge. You know I've been a big believer from day one in the Julie program things. I came in here commit to we did that with the Aponte in. I think it is a clear example of what our program in the Julie to do for choir wanted it gave him real-time reps at this level and nothing like reps see the star players a lot you know players are playing 1520 minutes tonight. I want to try to get the minutes of the Julie you know just for the amount of reps decision-making. You don't get that in a practice to the degree we needed. So the G league is vital for our program in our development.

Aponte as we watched him last year he was making threes newsmaking shots make employees. We just didn't know if he would translate to the NDA and we brought back from Greensboro is playing well and towards the end we brought him back and forth to our club and he did not shoot the ball as well. He did Greensboro.

We knew that good good data reps were saying she could become and be that type of player. If we could get it to translated the MBA level so it was a great test for us and I think you gave him a lot of confidence. You know throughout last season going into the summer, having learned under Kimball Walker Tony Parker. Now he had canceled reps in the Julie check confidence. He really felt like you to take a step the summer.

As an organization we do know what type of step to be honest, you know, for anyone out there that think that says they knew the Aponte Graham was due this I'm not too sure about that. You know, for even us as coaches are front office. Always we we didn't know it would translate but boy has it ever you know, and I think a lot of it. You give RGB program a lot of credit for that and Aponte's willingness to go there and invest time in that and he's one example, the Martin twins this this year have been great. They came out of Greensboro much better, more competent players. Jaelyn McDaniels is done that going bacon is done that. So I'm a big believer will continue with you next year when you have a couple more young guys and in the folder names you will place from there and develop a mission.

The grown know this but today's Chris Paul's birthday went to. He's from Winston-Salem. He went to Wake Forest. Of course, and I don't think a lot of people know today. I don't think I don't think a lot of people know that in between your stints with the spurs you spent times with time with what was the New Orleans Hornets at that point. What's the best story you can share being in the same building with CP three. Here the basketball junkie. Watch more basketball than anyone else. Step know in the evening. No Chris call he would watch every single game and I knew when he was up watching to be texting me know.

Did you see this play due to backlighting. You see that call wire we had in this play and he would just wear us out as coaches.

I mean, I would say that I think I was her third assistant though I was always where I sat on the bench. It was right next to the first player in line if you can imagine that so after no Chris came out of again. He would plop down right next to me and I'm getting fearful for until he went back to him again and you know Christmas is was to knock my dear too much I would just come onto the put back in again. I was tired so I'm all we gotta get this guy back in the game out to play in 40 minutes you noticed guys in my dear constantly, but that's what type of player is when I talk about curiosity. This guy you the basketball junkie knows every facet of every player, every official denotes tendencies and is an example for young guys. And no, I think Aponte got the staff I like to see someone like him take work. He understands the lead at an extremely high level. He studies his craft and Krista but boy did you mean your for every timeout, though one of the best competitors I've ever been around and I've been fortunate to be around Tim Duncan and Monte Ginobili, another Wake Forest grandson Duncan.

By one Wake Forest great. Absolutely. And I have a new coach that correct forces with us yesterday and he's already off Big Blue nation China recruited kid in that's all that's all going well is is trying to figure things out on your yeah noted a lot of great great coaching this area.

Great players out the importance of their own 10 and and Chris Paul to highly competitive individuals. So there are some really special for to go see MJ obviously is known for all the basketball purposes, but it seems like younger people, like how football fans don't know John Madden is a coach they know him, not even as a broadcast is known as the football videogame.

A lot of people just know that Michael Jordan is a shoe and are you a sneaker had an all are now not always know I probably had one. Jordan guy I grew up now.

Right now I've got.

I can't say a limited but I got a good I got a good stash that you have a guy I know somebody yeah I know I know somebody yeah I think your you're right on that you and I think my kids know they know him and as the brand they know you the shots to highlight don't contact thing is looking at showing a lot of the dunks, but what we all forget is player and really the struggle that Michael had to go through. I think we all think of his accomplishments. The six titles the little hiatus but you had a lot of years of struggle paying adversity. I don't think you want first title till he was 30 years old now. I believe that's correct. That is right and that's a lot of no doubt critics talk through it. That's one thing. My family and I know I will share with our players as we grow over the next few weeks is the journey wasn't easy for him no and a lot of critics even from the start the first. You know, when you listen to the interviews. Now a lot of those layers and GM's body was too small.

You can carry a franchise.

The games not built for someone like this again is turning down right you want to go to the syllabus into small boy today so yeah I think it's a great lesson for all of us know just keep counting, keep growing. You gotta understand or didn't he critics along the way. But even when you fall, get back up, be stronger for this is great to have your insight on this coach and we had a lot of really neat angles to the last dance Michael Jordan story. Whether it's Coach Wolf with the swarm yourself. Background Roy Williams a lot of people that just come out wanting to talk about Michael and share interesting ways that he's touched their lives. It is touched so many lives and you will of course draw a paycheck from coach or not from coach but from owner MJ as well. Thank you for spending time here, the swarm, obviously in our backyard. We love them over there in Greensboro and that means a lot that you come and talk on with us today.

Appreciate got it. That is the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets James Branco for those who are wondering, Robert, do you know Chris Paul's eight 3735 Chris Paul is 35. Born May 6, 1985 really the same birthday as my mom is your mom's birthday. Crap. It is my mom's birthday next why Olivier Saar is taking a big risk from a basketball standpoint, choosing to become a Kentucky Wildcats today. This is the drive