Hoop Heads

On this episode Mike & Jason discuss Kawhi Leonard’s surprising $115 million extension with the Toronto Raptors and the fallout it leaves behind for the Clippers. They question whether Toronto can contend with Kawhi’s injury history and whether Los Angeles received enough in return for a franchise-altering star. The conversation then turns to Jalen Duren’s contract demands and whether Detroit’s core of Duren, Cade Cunningham, and Ausar Thompson can succeed in the playoffs. They also evaluate young players and rising teams, including Amen Thompson, Keyonte George, the Utah Jazz, and the NBA’s upcoming rookie class. The episode closes with thoughts on Doc Rivers’ retirement, the best basketball players from Illinois and Indiana, and the Cleveland Browns’ unexpected win.

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Michael Martinez is an overseas professional basketball player who currently competes  internationally in Columbia. Michael has also built a bilingual following of 275K+ across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat, posting training, game day, and everyday content in English and Spanish.

On this episode Mike and Michael discuss how disciplined training, careful shot tracking, and his father’s guidance helped him develop from a young basketball player into a professional athlete. He explains how making more than 150,000 shots during COVID, practicing with purpose, and maintaining a “next shot” mindset changed his trajectory. The conversation also explores the importance of AAU exposure, finding the right tournaments, embracing a specific role, and choosing opportunities where a player is genuinely wanted. Martinez discusses overcoming ankle reconstruction surgery, limited playing time, and the challenges of proving himself at each level of basketball. He also describes how bilingual content creation, social media strategy, and his Colombian heritage helped him build a platform, connect with fans, and create new basketball and business opportunities.

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Be prepared to take some notes as you listen to this episode with Michael Martinez, overseas professional basketball player.

Website - https://basketball.latinbasket.com/player/Michael-Martinez/

Email - [email protected]

Instagram - @michaelmartinez__

TikTok - @michaelmartinez

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@michael.martinez_

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Welcome to the 93rd edition of the Coach’s Corner Round Table on the Hoop Heads Podcast. Each episode of the Coach’s Corner Round Table will feature our All-Star lineup of guests answering a single basketball question.  A new Coach’s Corner Round Table will drop around the 15th of each month.

September’s Round Table question is:  What’s something about winning that you understand differently now than you did when you first became a coach?

Our Coaching Lineup this month:

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On this episode Mike & Jason discuss a slow NBA news week, including potential league expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas and which Western Conference team might move east. They criticize the confusing and expensive ways fans must access local NBA games, arguing that a reasonably priced League Pass-style package would be a better solution. The hosts examine Steve Ballmer’s decision not to challenge the NBA’s punishment of the Clippers and debate what the franchise’s future looks like without full ownership of its draft picks. They continue ranking the best NBA players from each state, selecting players such as Bill Russell, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, Walt Frazier, and Tracy McGrady while sharing plenty of humorous research mishaps. The episode closes with a bleak assessment of the Cleveland Browns, focusing on their quarterback problems, Deshaun Watson’s struggles, and the belief that the season may already be lost.

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Bill Taylor is the author of the book, Managing Sports Conflict, and the founder of the Sports Conflict Lab which helps sports professionals navigate conflict, elevate leadership, and build cultures that win with integrity.

Over a remarkable 28-year coaching career in track & field and cross country, including 22 years as a collegiate head coach and administrator,  Bill’s leadership has produced a National Championship (NAIA), 16 Conference Titles (12 NCAA Division I, 4 NAIA), and 28 Coach of the Year honors.

On this episode Mike & Bill discuss why conflict is unavoidable in sports and relationships. Taylor explains how a difficult conflict led him to study conflict management more deeply. He introduces five key tools: managing emotions, communicating effectively, looking below the surface of stated issues, seeking win-win solutions, and following through to build trust. The conversation applies these tools to common coaching challenges such as playing-time discussions, team accountability, emotional parents, and maintaining a strong culture. Taylor encourages coaches to stop avoiding or improvising through conflict and instead establish clear expectations and a deliberate conflict-resolution process.

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You will definitely want to grab your notebook to jot down some ideas as you listen to this episode with Bill Taylor, author of the book Managing Sports Conflict and the founder of the Sports Conflict Lab.

Website - https://www.sportsconflictlab.com/

Email - [email protected]

Twitter/X - @Sports_Conflict

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Nick Nichay is entering his first season at Dartmouth College as a Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach under Brett McConnell.  Nick previously served as the Head Coach at D3 Franklin & Marshall College for seven seasons where he led the Diplomats to consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2025 and 2026. Nichay was elevated to head coach in the spring of 2020. He served as the Interim Head Coach at the start of the 2019-20 season after spending the previous seven seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with Franklin & Marshall.

Prior to arriving at Franklin & Marshall, Nichay spent two years as an assistant coach at the Division II level with Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y.  and began his coaching career with one season as a Division III assistant at Hartwick College after graduating from Rutgers where he served as a manager for 3 seasons with the Men’s Basketball Program.

On this episode Mike & Nick discuss how his lifelong love of basketball developed from playing in his driveway and listening to Nets games on the radio. Nick explains how working as a manager at Rutgers and gaining experience in every aspect of college basketball helped him build the foundation for a coaching career. Nick reflects on the mentors and opportunities at Hartwick, Le Moyne, and Franklin & Marshall that shaped his coaching philosophy and taught him the value of preparation, relationships, and consistent improvement. He discusses taking over Franklin & Marshall after a legendary coach, rebuilding the program through challenges such as COVID, and eventually returning to an assistant role at Dartmouth alongside his former college roommate, Brett McConnell. Throughout the conversation, Nick emphasizes that success comes from embracing each opportunity, caring authentically about players, and focusing on getting one percent better every day.

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Make sure you’re subscribed to the Hoop Heads Pod on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and while you’re there please leave us a 5 star rating and review.  Your ratings help your friends and coaching colleagues find the show. If you really love what you’re hearing recommend the Hoop Heads Pod to someone and get them to join you as a part of Hoop Heads Nation.

Grab pen and paper before you listen to this episode with Nick Nichay, Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach at Dartmouth College.

Website – https://dartmouthsports.com/sports/mens-basketball

Email – [email protected]

Twitter/X - @NickNichay

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On this episode Mike & Jason discuss the Clippers/Kawhi Fiasco from every angle, but Kawhi escaping any real punishment is the most shocking aspect of the entire situation. Next, they discuss Ben Simmons signing with the Kings and how far his star has fallen from his early years in the league. Following that, Mike and Jason talk Rockets and the Amen Thompson Rookie Scale Contract extension. They wrap the episode with some quick Cleveland Browns predictions before choosing the best NBA players from Alabama and Alaska.

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Andre Jackson is the producer and director of the documentary Beyond Banners which follows sixty years of Gwynn Park High School basketball, a powerhouse public school program in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  The doc begins as the story of one basketball program and grows into an examination of  what is happening to high school sports on a national level. As school choice, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals, and unrestricted transfers change high school sports, the film asks what communities lose when the players who once carried their traditions leave and go elsewhere.

On this episode Mike & Andre discuss the making of Beyond Banners, a documentary about Gwynn Park High School’s historic basketball program and its impact on the surrounding community. Director Andre Jackson, a former Gwynn Park player, explains how a conversation in a barber shop inspired him to tell the story of the school’s championships, player development, and father-son coaching legacy. He discusses the challenges of becoming a first-time filmmaker, gathering archival footage, shaping the story in the editing room, building a professional crew, and recovering from a serious health scare during production. The conversation also examines how NIL, AAU basketball, private schools, and player transfers are changing the landscape of public-school basketball and weakening long-standing community connections. Beyond Banners is a reflection on legacy, loyalty, teamwork, and the importance of preserving the community-centered culture that helped generations of athletes thrive.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @hoopheadspod for the latest updates on episodes, guests, and events from the Hoop Heads Pod.

Make sure you’re subscribed to the Hoop Heads Pod on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and while you’re there please leave us a 5 star rating and review.  Your ratings help your friends and coaching colleagues find the show. If you really love what you’re hearing recommend the Hoop Heads Pod to someone and get them to join you as a part of Hoop Heads Nation.

Listen and learn on this episode with Andre Jackson, the producer and director of the documentary Beyond Banners.

Website - https://beyondbannersdocumentary.com/

Email - [email protected]

Instagram - @beyondbannersdocumentary

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The 26th edition of “The Triple Double” with Rob Brost, Bolingbrook (IL) High School Boys’ Basketball Head Coach. Rob, Mike, & Jason hit on three basketball topics in each episode of “The Triple Double”.

Website - https://schools.snap.app/bolingbrook/athletics/basketball/b/v

Email - [email protected]

Twitter - @BrookHoops

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On this episode Mike & Jason grade each Western Conference team's off-season moves and breakdown their current depth chart as the summer winds down.

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