Episode 055: Learn how to get quicker on the basketball court from the LA Clippers’ Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, Daniel Shapiro.

Daniel is in his 3rd year as Head of Strength & Conditioning for the LA Clippers.  Before joining the Clippers, he spent 4 seasons at the University of Washington where he was Director of Basketball Athletic Performance for the Men’s Basketball team.

No stranger to the NBA, Shapiro served as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Sacramento Kings from 2005-2013.  Prior to working with the Kings, Shapiro spent two seasons at the University of Dayton as the head strength and conditioning coach for the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

His previous work experience includes a seven-year stint with the Seattle Supersonics (1996-2003) as the assistant strength and conditioning coach under Dwight Daub. During his stay with the Sonics, Shapiro doubled his duties with the organization and worked as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Seattle Storm of the WNBA (2000-03).

Shapiro is co-founder of the NBSCA (National Basketball Strength and Conditioning Association) and served as its inaugural president from 2009 to 2011. In May 2010, Shapiro was awarded the NBSCA Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year. Along with his NBA team responsibilities, Shapiro also continues to oversee all operations of the athletic performance testing at the annual NBA Pre-Draft Combine since 2010.

A native of Renton, Washington, Shapiro earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science (2000) and master’s degree in physical education (2005), both from Seattle Pacific University. He has his CSCS (Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is a Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).  Currently, Shapiro is working towards completing his fellowship with the Gray Institute of Functional Transformation (GIFT).

Shapiro enjoys working out, playing basketball and ran and completed his first marathon in the summer of 2009 in Seattle. When he isn’t working, traveling or getting a sweat he loves spending time with his friends and family, watching movies and getting out on the water as much as he can. He and his wife, Sina, reside in Los Angeles with their daughter Eliana (born in September 2016).

Daniel was kind enough to take time during the playoffs to chat about how to get quicker on the basketball court.  We discussed:

• Why players need to be shifty on the court
• How to use RARe Training
• Daniel’s favorite quickness exercises
• The importance of ball handling in speed & agility
• When to use low-level plyometrics in a program

You can find Daniel on social media @kingshapiro21

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