Alex Sarama from Basketball Immersion to the WNBA (EP429)
About this episode
Alex Sarama discusses coaching philosophies and practices with Chris Oliver, reflecting on his journey from Basketball Immersion to becoming a WNBA head coach.
Before becoming the head coach of the Portland Fire, Alex Sarama was a Basketball Immersion member learning, questioning, and exploring a games approach to coaching with Basketball Immersion founder Chris Oliver. In this revisited 2018 episode of The Basketball Podcast, Alex asks Chris deep questions about: Constraint-led coaching Ecological dynamics Small-sided games Decision-making in basketball Why “1-on-0” drills often fail to transfer How to create more game-like practices Why “if you don’t have a defender, you don’t have a decision” At the time, Alex Sarama was working with NBA Basketball Operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa while studying progressive player development systems around the world. Years later, many of the concepts explored in this conversation would become foundational to the coaching philosophy Alex now applies as a WNBA head coach. This episode is a testament to the power of mentorship, coaching curiosity, and the Basketball Immersion community led by Chris Oliver.
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- Kim Barnes Arico on The Hardest Working Team in America (EP431)
- Bryan Roony on Playing Complementary Basketball (EP430)
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