#10: Steve Ledesma

On Opponent Scouting for the Lakers, Servant Leadership, and More

Stevie is currently the First Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Cal Tech University in California. Before his time at Cal Tech he was a coaching associate for the Los Angeles Lakers under Luke Walton. His role with the Lakers was focused on opponent scouting, strategic analytics, and on-court player development. Steve was an accomplished point guard in his day - he was a two year starter and team captain at Phoenix College in Arizona, and helped lead the team to its first ever final four appearance. Steve went on to play at Regis University, and then became an assistant coach at Regis, which is where we met. In this episode we speak about the following:

• Simplicity and clarity in scouting reports.

• Working for the Lakers under Luke Walton.

• The purity of Division III basketball.

• Mental training at the team level.

• What I think are the most important qualities in a coach.

• Holding players to a consistent standard.

• Finding positive incentives other than playing time.

• What players should look for in a school/program.

• Rapid fire questions.

If you like the podcast, please consider subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Sauce. Another way you can support the show is to give it a review on Apple Podcasts, which helps me reach new listeners. You can also share it on social media, or with those who you think might enjoy it. Thank you for your interest and support!