University of Minnesota Athletics
Where Are they Now: J.B. Bickerstaff
5/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | M Club
This feature was published in the January 2015 issue of Gopher Athletics' Ski-U-Mah magazine. To see this story as it appears in print (complete with fantastic photos) and to read the entire May issue of Ski-U-Mah click here.
Interview by Jeff Keiser
Former Gopher basketball star J.B. Bickerstaff is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets after stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Bobcats. When Bickerstaff joined the Bobcats staff in 2004, he was the youngest coach in the NBA at age 25, working for his father, Bernie. Now 34, Bickerstaff is on the staff of another Gopher great, Kevin McHale, and is eyeing his first head coaching job.
Do you still have time to follow Gopher basketball or any other Gopher sports?
Yes. I watch a lot. There's big bragging rights down here as to what your college team is so I keep up with the football team. I don't get a chance to watch that many games but I check all of the scores and do the same with the basketball team as well.
You had your beginnings in coaching at the U of M. How did that influence your desire to continue coaching?
I always wanted to be a coach because of the impact that coaches could have on young people's lives from a young age. Coach Haskins and Coach Monson reinforced that for me. Coach Monson gave me a chance to get in and get my feet wet and see what it was all about and my mindset has never changed. Helping you people, teaching them not just as a basketball player but how to be a man and develop good habits to be successful in life whether it was in basketball or off the court in life. That's something I am still lucky enough to be doing. People think that because these guys are pros that they have all figured it out. They need the same guidance and they have the same questions and eagerness to learn as the young kids do. For me, it's been a blessing to be able to do what I love and move up the coaching ranks.
What was it like growing up in such a basketball consumed family?
It was awesome. What every other kid's dream was, was my day-to-day reality. I got to be a ball boy. I got to see Dr. J. I got to talk to Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan. Those guys knew me on a first-name basis when I was seven years old. For me, it couldn't have been any better. I always tell the joke that while kids went to daycare, my brother and I went to basketball practice. You grow up in the locker room. You learn the good and the bad that comes with that. You understand what it means to be a good teammate. You understand the camaraderie. You understand what it's like to be unselfish and do what is right for the group, not just for yourself.
Who was your favorite player growing up?
At that age, guys like Dale Ellis and Shawn Kemp were my two favorites. I was probably seven years old when those guys were on the team and they took us under their wings. They treated us like we were little brothers. We would go to their houses, play video games and take us to the mall. Those were my guys.
What is the biggest difference between coaching in college and the pros?
The time. The way you divide your time. We dedicate all our time to strictly basketball. It's film. It's practice. It's games. It's travel. In college, you have to figure out how to divvy up your time between basketball, class, recruiting and all those other things. For us, it's just basketball.
Is it more stressful being a college or pro coach?
There's pressure and stress in both. In the NBA, there's 30 teams and the pressure to keep your job is significant. The first person to go and to blame is the coach up here. You have that stress every day. Your job is literally on the line every night. I don't think people think about it that way. There's a responsibility. If your guys don't look prepared and if they don't believe in your style or system, it shows on the court. The owner pays a player $20 million and the coach well less than that. It's a lot easier for that owner to get rid of the coach than the player making $20 million.
You spent some time behind the microphone as an analyst on the Timberwolves Radio Network. Was that something that you thought would end up being a full-time career for you?
At the time it was fun and it wasn't something that I really pursued. When I was in college, I did a weekly call-in show on KFAN and it kinda went from there. People from the Wolves heard me on the air, called me in for a screening and I got the job. It was probably the best team the Wolves had as well. They made it to the Western Conference Finals and I got a lot of exposure from that. There was ESPN and NBATV and things like that because the team was so good. My mind was always to be a coach but to have that opportunity to get that experience opens up doors and I would like to do that at some point in time when my coaching career is done or if I ever had to take a break.
You had some tough injuries during your college career. How hard was that to overcome? Do you think you would still be playing somewhere if you hadn't had the rash of bad injuries?
I think I would have played for someone, somewhere after college for sure. It was tough. You still have thoughts about it and the what ifs. However, my life has turned out pretty good so I have no complaints. Where I am now, close to reaching my dreams of becoming a head coach I hope. I got married and I have three kids. It could have turned out worse. If I would have held on to it and felt sorry for myself, I don't think I would be in this position. I was lucky growing up, my mom, she was a teacher and my dad always told me, you have to have a `Plan B.' I was fortunate to have a Plan B and the injuries didn't stop me from reaching my goal and that was to be in the NBA. This is my 11th season. Sometimes you have to take a different course to get there but, if you stick with it, you can get there.
You have traveled all over the place because of basketball. What is your favorite place to visit?
My favorite place to visit is San Diego and it has nothing to do with basketball. I love the beach. I love the weather. I love the city. If I ever had a choice of a place to live, I would probably choose there.
