“He truly cares about people,” Luke Walton, a former …
At the core of Bickerstaff’s coaching philosophy is his understanding of people. Bickerstaff’s emotional intelligence allows him to approach each new relationship differently, rather than coming into his position with a one-size-fits-all method. Since being at the helm in Detroit, Bickerstaff has cultivated relationships with his players and assistant coaches that help illuminate them.
“He truly cares about people,” Luke Walton, a former NBA player and head coach who is now an assistant in Detroit, told The Athletic during a January shootaround. “Players are extremely intelligent on when they’re being bullsh–ted or when people actually care. He truly does (care), and the players recognize that.
… He tells us every year going into the season, ‘Our job is to make these players feel invincible, and we’ve got to put them in the best position for them to succeed. ’ “Between taking the time to get to know them, talking to them, caring about them and then giving them the belief on the court to do what they’re capable of doing, it’s just a great combination. Especially for a young team that was trying to build something after a pretty rough year before we got here.
” New York Times This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “He truly cares about people,” Luke Walton, a former …