About this episode

LaPhonso Ellis discusses his journey in basketball and the coaching insights he has gained.

On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by LaPhonso Ellis, former NBA veteran, current basketball analyst, and head coach of Team Heartfire in The Basketball Tournament (TBT). In this first part of a two-part conversation, Ellis reflects on his journey through the game and the coaches who helped shape his understanding of leadership and winning at every level. In this episode we discuss what made Coach Digger Phelps such an effective leader and how he earned buy-in from his players, the key coaching traits he’s picked up from some of the best minds he’s been around, and what elite coaches consistently do behind the scenes that most fans never get to see.

People in this episode

Host: Rising Coaches

Guest: LaPhonso Ellis

Topics covered

• NBA
• basketball analysis
• coaching leadership
• Team Heartfire
• Digger Phelps
• winning strategies

Keywords

• LaPhonso Ellis
• NBA veteran
• basketball analyst
• coaching traits
• leadership
• Team Heartfire
• Digger Phelps

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Team Heartfire, The Basketball Tournament

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• Episode 296: Paul Mulcahy, Former D1 Hooper and Founder of Share the Game · September 3, 2026 · 39 min
• Episode 295: Pat Martinelli, Head Coach, Mount Aloysius · August 31, 2026 · 38 min
• Episode 294: Mark Richmond, Assistant Coach, Youngstown State University · August 27, 2026 · 39 min
• Episode 293: Dan Ritter, Assistant Coach, Garden City Community College · August 24, 2026 · 35 min
• Episode 292: Doug and Alan, Recruiting Over Rankings: A Dive Into Recruiting Philosophies · August 20, 2026 · 42 min

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