Net Work

August 26, 2019
Basketball trainer McClanaghan has an impressive list of clients, including MVPs Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook, but in this debut memoir he misses an opportunity to translate his expertise into prose. Instead, he provides a chatty mix of anecdotes (like the time he briefly coached Michael Jordan’s son), concluding with banal lessons on how to succeed, and his own picks for the best players in certain categories (such as, for best defender, Dennis Rodman). Despite McClanaghan’s not being a great player himself, his hard work and sustained focus landed him a spot on the Syracuse roster as a walk-on, and those habits eventually led to a job with a major sports agency, as a trainer for clients hoping to be drafted by an NBA team. That step, in turn, resulted in his being hired by individual players such as Derrick Rose and John Wall. Impress-ively, McClanaghan not only gained the respect of extremely gifted athletes but became friends with many of those he worked with, including Memphis Grizzlies’ Kevin Love, who bravely went public with his emotional struggles. Despite his unquestioned credentials, his “Twelve Rules for Becoming a Baller” offer mostly platitudes (“Have fun”). NBA fans seeking an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at how the very best in the game prepare will be disappointed.

August 30, 2019

Contrary to popular opinion, NBA stars such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Russell Westbrook have not reached the pinnacle they now occupy on their talent alone. Rather, they as well as scores of players hoping to get into the league or just to hang on, spend hour after sweaty hour during the summer and often the season working under the tutelage of skills trainers. McClanaghan, today's top trainer, lets us into this world in this debut. McClanaghan, who has worked with all the aforementioned players (Curry wrote the foreword to this book), does not offer specifics to his methods but emphasizes that he eschews gimmicky drills such as dribbling tennis balls, preferring instead to focus on game-condition drills done at full bore to simulate the fatigue that sets in late in the fourth quarter. He also offers intimate but not "dishy" looks at many of his famous clients and provides lists of players whom he deems best at different facets of the game. VERDICT McClanaghan has given basketball fans a unique behind-the-scenes look at the game and perhaps some inspiration to budding players with his "you get out of it what you put in" philosophy.--Jim Burns, formerly with Jacksonville P.L., FL

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