stand up make some noise for the best
recruiter in the n-c-double-a best coach
Chan hooray
so we got good breakfast today huh it
was a good time you didn’t tell me I was
walking into this so we’re back there he
walks in here’s Jason screaming and
hollering and you know it who is this
guy I said that’s Jason Graz and he says
oh he’s Italian I like I wanted to meet
that Italian guy then he saw Vargas and
stopped Pelayo but hey first of all guys
you got to understand it you know you
got a lot of places you can be man thank
you for taking the time for coming out
here spending time with us really can I
just say this is I walk in Patrick and
we met this morning people helping
people and I wanted to hear his story
and the story of this room this is about
living the American dream it’s about
having an opportunity to do things for
your family we were we were just talking
about you know my thing was I just want
to take care of my mother then it’s okay
what’s moving you what is it what’s
driving you what doors are in the way
what’s slowing you down what’s trying to
hold you back but having a group like
this that’s like let’s go for this every
one of you let’s go for it and let’s
live this dream like everyone else and
let’s have the opportunity it’s great
when I walk in and I see all these young
people just starting out with life I’m a
little older than you guys it’s a great
I love it being around 17 18 19 year
olds walking in a home that I look
around and I say if we do right it’s not
gonna be like this long to see what they
do for their mothers and their families
the first thing they do is take I had a
call from you talked about DeMarcus
Cousins if you don’t mind me no no go
away go ahead DeMarcus Cousins how many
of you know him
guy he’s crazy okay
but let me say this he would give a
kidney for me
he was my wife’s favorite player my wife
I would get all over him and I’d walk in
the house and she’d say quit yelling at
DeMarcus and I would say what are you
talking about you’re yelling at him all
the time I said are you watching are you
watching what he’s doing
she says well no one else does anything
yell at somebody else you’re always
yelling at him when he was drafted his
mother called me two weeks later and she
was crying and I said misko’s what what
happened because his grandmother was
getting older I thought something
happened no everything’s good I mean I’m
in my new home and and you know I the
furniture coach I’m just looking and
you’re in your new home yeah it’s
unbelievable
I’m looking at the ninth green you’re on
a golf course yes I’m on a golf course
and it’s you know three-car garage
because I said women do you play golf no
I don’t play golf why would you because
I can and that is a true story my day
when I see these kids make it 70% of the
kids that I’ve coached at Kentucky get
your after 70% when when I see their
families you’re going to understand this
breathe for the first time because they
have enough they don’t have to worry
anymore that’s a great feeling for me my
grandparents I know Patrick story my
grandparents came through Ellis Island
did not speak English
my parents are high school educated my
mother worked at the cafeteria in the
school that I went to
so I saw her ever
in her white uniform selling ice cream
my sisters in either the goal for my
family was my parents their children are
going to be college educated all three
of us are college educated because of
our families who worked to make a better
life for us guess what my oldest
daughter is doctor Calipari the first
doctor that’s how this is supposed to
work and that’s how it’s supposed to
work for you what I love about this
because I asked a question
give me the age give me that I want to
know and then you know 33 I’m like well
how many of them have kids because
basically what you’re doing in this this
isn’t just four thousand of you this is
gonna be multiplying and and and I’ll
just say this and I don’t mean to make
this a talk all of you here you’re so
young
I’m jealous you’re so young you’ve got
to have a Y at some point because it’s
not gonna be how much money you can
gather it’s not gonna be how many toys
cars houses at some point it’s got to be
a wide I just heard a why I had to take
care of my mother I just wanted to make
twenty five hundred dollars a month so
that I could give that to my mother I’ve
heard that but then it comes back to you
get to that some of you in this room are
gonna be so special but it’s not because
of what you made it’s how many people
you’ve helped your why you gotta come up
with what is my wife when I make it big
not if I make it big I hurt you I hope
you heard me when I make it big what is
my why what do I want to be doing with
my life you know what
write it down put it on your bathroom
mirror look to that when I make it what
do I want to be about how do I want to
be perceived just a gatherer or maybe a
gatherer or a people how many people can
I help
just one thing because I see many taken
notes some people climb that ladder of
success that you’re on Patrick climbed
some people climb that ladder they turn
around and they pick up the ladder
special people who have a why climb that
same ladder of success and they turn
around and pick up the next person and
the next person and the next person and
that’s what you should be about the next
time Patrick asked me to come here
there should be 8,000 people in this
room not 4000 people before you want to
play for me now
there you go we got some guys that are
six six they should be looking out for
talking to so so you know what I want to
know is this I mean obviously now you’re
at Kentucky right I mean everybody wants
to play for you everybody wants to play
for you
not everybody ninety-nine percent of
players would like what what I do is not
for everybody can I tell you what you do
is not for everybody
it is not or they’d be in this room too
so most players want to play if not
everybody if they want to be coached
hard they have any challenge they have
to be challenged you know they want to
play for somebody like you one of the
things you said in your book is you said
I like people that want to be coached by
me if they want it that’s a whole
different thing
what I want to know about is now your
coach you know Calipari you’re doing
what you’re doing but take us back I
mean how did this start when you were in
high school coming out you’re playing
ball you know you start off the system
Kansas pit some of this stuff and then
you mask but tell me about high school
part well again my through basketball I
learned self-discipline I learned
self-confidence I became a gym rat so I
had a grind to do what you’re doing
folks you have to have a grind how many
times do you have to be willing to hear
no and it not affect you what what and
you can’t walk out of the room with your
head and know you’re gonna hear no a
thousand times more than you’re here and
yes that’s part of what we all do for
me I just didn’t want to be in my dad’s
basement I needed to figure out what I
wanted to do and as I got into playing I
wanted to coach but I didn’t know what
it meant
say I thought it was X and O’s I start
at umass try to build a program X and
O’s coach basketball drills as I get
older it’s about helping families and if
I help them they fight like hell for me
you watch the games and you say why do
his guys play so hard how about this one
that kid it could have gone anywhere in
the country and top took 30 shots a game
but he goes with him and he shoots 12
shots a game because they know me and my
staff are about them we’re gonna love on
them they need to learn to love on each
other we’re gonna be there for you you
got to be there for each other if
someone’s really doing well you got to
teach the others if someone is
struggling and you see it you pick them
up do you guys know what servant
leadership is the whole goal for every
one of you in this room – it should be
be a servant leader I want to teach
every one of my players to lead be a
servant leader when they come to me at
17 and everything they had as a high
school player was given to him
they were the best they were this they
were stroked they were told they were
then they come with me and I got to be
the first guy to say no I got to be the
first guy to say you won’t believe this
this world is not about you at what
point do you say that to them how early
on do you say that there’s a pretty
early once they get to you
well obviously after they’re committed
to the program and well here my my what
I do in recruiting is a little different
I like what you and I talked about where
I’m gonna my handshake you ready my
handshake is not like that my handshake
is like that
I’m not to my the relationship isn’t to
take it’s to give and so if I can create
trust and it’s hard when you walk in a
room and you’re trying to create trust
in the first two minutes you better
listen instead of talk you better when I
go into recruit I’m asking questions
like you know tell me where you want to
be in five years what do you want to get
from this game what kind of coach do you
want to play for how do you want to play
did it you know I asked you guys
remember Marcus candy 611 he was 6-3
guard and grew to 611 Anthony Davis did
the same yeah that’s what I was thinking
about Anthony Davis went six three I get
to coach both of those guys when I
recruited Marcus he told me I said what
position do you want to play before you
tell them you what what are you looking
for how can I help you what can I do I
want to be a shooting guard you’re 611
you want to be a shooting guard okay I’m
not gonna lie you got to be honest you
got to tell the truth so I told them
okay you could be a shooting guard and I
said to them you do know we post up our
shooting guards a lot right we kind of
put them near the basket all you young
people out there two genders do you get
that one but here’s what I tell them if
you’re gonna drink smoke club or chase
you ain’t coming with us because you’re
not going to school for the right
reasons if you want that go somewhere
else because if you get in trouble with
me many of you don’t raise your hand
make me humble again raise your hand
that you never heard of me before raise
your hand put your hands down I was
teasing but if you do something on my
campus they’re going to do a movie about
it
it’s gonna be on the ticker on ESPN and
CNN for three straight days if it
happens on another campus they’re not
gonna worry about it it happens it you
cannot come drinking smoking clubbing
chasin you have to understand we have to
sit down and say you have to come here
for it’s not for everybody you ready are
you ready to share you’re gonna go in
your office and close the door and be
about you I don’t think you can be in
people helping people I don’t believe so
well you can’t be on my team if you’re
about yourself can’t be on this team you
know why we’re all trying to eat
everybody’s trying to eat it’s not one
guy trying to eat we’re all trying to
eat so you say to me how did you get
five guys drafted in the first round in
one season never been done before how
did you get the one you bet raise your
hand if you’ve never heard of me before
raise your hand again all right you
better Google this and read it
after I leave how the world tentative on
slides me how in the world did you get
the number one and the number two pick
in a draft in the same year it’s never
been done before how did you get four
lottery picks three different times how
did you get for number one picks John
Wall Derrick Rose Anthony Davis Karl
towns how because they shared
they shared you ready for this Karl
towns took the fifth most shots on my
team my team and was the number one pick
Pat Riley said the best thing about your
guys are great teammates wouldn’t you
want that to be one of the things that
was said about you when you’re gone and
someone’s up there talking about you
and they say he was one of the great
teammates you know how many people he
helped how good he made people feel can
I ask you this question how about all of
us in the room just try to make one
person a day feel special it’s hard when
you’re thinking of yourself all day it’s
hard when you’re dreaming about yourself
at night it’s hard when you’re looking
in the mirror at yourself all day to say
I’m gonna make this about somebody else
one time a day taking about a minute
if I have time coach I’ll think about
that how about this one
anybody in here write personal notes
anymore raise your hand if you write a
personal note yeah about eight of you
okay
now do yourself a favor one day a week
spend time have your personal card and
hand write a note if you send me a
letter I hand write a card back I’ve
done it my whole career and you know
what I still get I got the owner of the
Washington Wizards called me and said at
a meeting he showed it and told people
who does this anymore you want to stand
out write some personal notes spend one
day you cannot create and relate I love
what my man said about getting in the
field getting into fits the same thing
get in the field you want to get in the
field you got to create a relationship
guess what hard to do through emails and
texts you better have face to face and
you better hand write some notes and if
you hand write some notes yours is gonna
be the only one on the desk there’s no
one does it anymore
anyway what are we talking about this is
exactly what we’re talking about so wait
just a recruiting part so you see
everybody everybody’s trying to recruit
some of these talents that are coming
out maybe not everybody but there are
certain people that people want to pick
up what would you say makes for a great
recruiter of talent because you know you
say
a guy that everybody wants I don’t
sometimes go after that guy go after
this guy he’s got desire all this other
stuff one what do you look for about two
what makes a great recruiter a great
recruiter yeah the biggest thing we were
just talking about recruiting young
people here and the results
how many success stories of guys that
came in here at 22 23 24 how many
success stories can you guys do a book
on where another 23 year old can see
we’re not just talking here there’s
results now we can’t do it for you
did you guys there’s no mate there’s no
magic wand but the opportunity obviously
is here because for these hundred and
seventy who are now making a million
dollars a year they started like you but
they decided when a door was closed they
opened up another when they were pushed
back they tried so part of recruiting
for me you have to again I’m gonna use a
term I under sell and I over deliver and
then the people that played for me now
become ambassadors for me and they sell
and even if they don’t speak powerful
their actions and what they’re
accomplishing speaks for me current
contracts in the NBA current are 1.2
billion it may be a little bit more I
may be off at you know 100 million
something like that but he didn’t tell
you that doesn’t include their
endorsements or their shoot contracts or
any other things that they do or the
money that they use from there that they
invested in to make more money in six
years my guess would be three billion
dollars of or nubs of not shoe contracts
all that stuff my goal would be before I
retire from this game I want 12 guys in
the NBA all-star game out of 24 I want
to coached I want to be able to say I
coached half the guy
in the all-star game what so when you
ask me about what went early on when I
was at UMass you in this room I was like
you you’re not out working me you can
beat on me you can say what you want but
I’m coming in one step and every time
you swing I come one more step to you do
you say what you want about me you’re
not affecting me I’m moving forward I
have nowhere to go I cannot go to my
dad’s basement my dad is a laborer and
told me going to Marines you’re not
staying here I had nowhere to go but
here’s what I would say all of that
energy and all of that that you’re gonna
bring please remember this day it’ll
start shifting to your why and when your
life becomes more about other people
than yourself
please listen life becomes easier you
become happier
it becomes a downhill run and you know
what every day they see you got a smile
on your face right now you’re fighting
like hell to survive I’ve been there I
had this why had people come after me
safe stuff that wasn’t true and I could
wallow in it then they won they were not
winning no say what you want I’m moving
forward if you’re about other people and
you’re doing right that stuff runs off
your back like rain water and let me say
this some of you in this room are gonna
really start moving and you’re gonna
think everybody’s happy for you ain’t
happy for you but you know what you keep
smiling I said today to Patrick because
he’s read some stuff you kind of know I
like to poke the bear at times
can’t help myself but what I learned
when I was about 3035 if someone is
obsessed please listen
right this one if you’re obsessed with
anything you lose you’re gonna lose so
my thought was it could be obsessed with
money it could be obsessed with things
you you really don’t need some things in
your life that you know you shouldn’t be
living a certain way you’re obsessed if
you’re obsessed with anything if you
don’t have that balance you need you
lose so then I said well does that mean
if someone is obsessed with me they lose
yeah so I poke the bear every once in a
while which I don’t there are things I
do I’m flawed in many ways so you don’t
want to do all the things I do but my
whole point is let them be obsessed with
me I am NOT obsessed with anything I’m
happy for anybody success I know where I
came from I know where my grandparents
came from my grandfather started in the
coal mines where the Italians went when
they came to this country died of black
lung at age 58 because he was into
coltan his brother was crushed in the
coal mines and died but they came over
to give their family a better shot and
you know what I never forget that as I
go forward and I remind my own children
my son plays for me now he’s on my team
there’s a big problem it is great I love
it because my older girls got cheated I
got two daughters and a son they got
cheated because my oldest daughter I was
so into what I was doing
missed a lot of stuff stuff that I
didn’t need to miss that I regret that I
miss I apologized to her to this day my
middle daughter I was a little bit
better my son is with me the problem is
that means when he doesn’t play enough
do you understand I got to walk in and
see it last thing I want to tell you
about recruiting there’s always a
decision maker when you sit down
especially when you sit down with the
family if you don’t know who that
decision maker is you’re wasting your
time somebody could be telling you all
the right things and the other person
sitting there staring and you don’t
understand that is the decision maker
you’re talking to the wrong person when
I go in to recruit who do you think the
decision maker is who ladies no ladies
no fathers I don’t spend a minute with
the father
I wouldn’t taste the mom to another room
let’s go over here and talk yeah tell
the deck can you get me some water
something please who is that decision
maker and then let me tell you tell the
truth don’t lie don’t embellish don’t
make it better than is because when
you’re talking to a mother I’m not
talking to one mother talking to 15
mothers a year do they ever forget
anything oh my gosh they can remember
where they were sitting what was in
front of them what you said how you said
it don’t say that you told me tell
the truth if you don’t lie you don’t
have to worry about it if you lie you
forget what you lied about then you got
to lie some more recruiting story and
give us one of them to give us a
recruiting story well
I walk in to a home and and I I met
UMass at the time and the kid kind of
was disrespectful to his mother so I
kind of caught it but I wasn’t sure I
thought maybe I didn’t see it right and
then he was disrespectful again and I
looked was right in front of me to his
mother folks that got up and left I
literally said you know what this has
really been good you know our plane is
leaving and and I got to get back so
we’re gonna come back and do this and
then that killed my assistant outside
the door what the hell you doing you
didn’t know this kid was like this why
you wasting my time he’s not gonna be on
my team if he doesn’t respect his mom he
ain’t respecting anybody ain’t
respecting me let me let me say this cuz
there’s a bunch of good people in this
room friend of mine gave me this advice
and I and I before I took the job at
UMass and that story reminds me of this
is my write this down please you can
have a bad deal with good people
but you can never have a good deal with
bad people never if you walk in a room
and you recognize these are not good
people get up and leave doesn’t matter
how much they’re talking doesn’t matter
what it smells like it doesn’t matter
what your future there is no future with
bad people if I think a kid is a bad kid
or his family is or they’re asking for
stuff I’m out this is about me helping
your son me doing everything I can for
your son but he’s gonna have to share
he’s gonna have to grow up do you know
no no no boys allowed you better be a
man if you want to go in that league and
if it takes you a year to become a man
or two years or three years you better
be a man no boys allowed you’re in a
business you’re gonna get eaten up if
you’re a boy you better be a man you
better be a grown woman they’re sitting
for the soft of heart this is we’re in a
dogfight listen there’s one bone that’s
being thrown in that pen and there are
12 of you in there
somebody’s eating somebody’s not eating
I know this I was eating so here’s
another question for you let’s
transition to coaching one of the things
you talked about in your book is yuvan
you don’t miss practice so it doesn’t
matter what it is if you’re on the road
if you are doing what you’re doing we
have trainings twice a week so that’s
kind of our practice that we have is
well tell me about some of the
commitments you made on coaching
different kids that you’ve developed
them into leaders what are some things
you think about that makes for a good
coach well the stuff about being there
if you’re not there present and then you
have to be present you ready how many of
you it there yeah you’re not there
you’re not present turn the phone how
about if we have no phone Friday that’s
when we write letters no coach oh go
crazy look you got to be present you got
to be there you got I love the
enthusiasm in this room it better not
end when you’re in this room and you
walk out this has better be what you are
because if this is what you are you’re
gonna have success as long as you look
after each other if someone’s struggling
pick them up if someone’s really doing
well you are responsible to teach
everyone else that’s being
servant leader can I can I give you this
I want to know this thing will quadruple
we’ll have 16,000 if we have guys and
ladies in this room like this you ready
have you heard of Michael kidd-gilchrist
have you heard of him plays for the
Charlotte and the NBA was the number two
pick in the draft plate for me he was 17
years old when he played for me
he started with two two other freshmen
was a year we won the national title
we’re in the championship game of our
conference tournament which means after
this game we have six games to win the
national title no one has ever done it
with freshmen they said we couldn’t do
it
you’ll never do it you can’t do this
what he’s doing he doesn’t care about
winning he don’t care about basketball
he only cares about getting that guys in
the NBA all right not a bad deal to
throw at me I mean if you want to say
that’s the downside of me I’m okay with
that but it wasn’t true
we’re in that 30 minutes before the game
Michael comes into me 17 years old
youngest freshman in the country he says
I want you to start Darius Miller in my
place 30 minutes before at that time we
were probably 30 and 1 he had started
every one of those games he’s walking
into me saying let Darius start in my
place what would you do if you were
coaching like what what are you sick are
you hurt what are you talking about the
backdrop Darius Miller was a senior
Darius Miller the year before in the
tournament before Michael and Anthony
Davis got there was the MVP of the
conference tournament which we won he
was coming off the bench in two games
start him in my place coach we need them
you’re all over him let him start in my
place I said you know what he said it’s
you’re the head coach you make the
decision right before the game I said
we’re gonna start Darius in Michaels
place
Darius took 17 shots that game I think
he made six we lost that game
Michael got in foul trouble it started
every game he was so anxious to get in
he filed everybody he filed a
cheerleader he filed an official filed
everybody he had like two points he’d
never come off the bench he was so jet
his feet were moving he was going my god
you knocked the bow Matt’s a foul
you know we lose the game by five points
but because of him Darius Miller played
out of his mind the rest of the NCAA
tournament
and we won the national title Anthony
was the one pick he was the two pick we
had the 14th pick the 18th pick and two
kids in the second round got drafted
because we won the national title I’m
gonna ask you who in this room would
give up something that they burned they
worked for and they deserved and give it
up to someone because you knew they
really needed it more than you did I got
to move in my seat because I’m telling
you if we had a room full of guys and
ladies that would say that we got 16,000
in the next couple years who were in a
room somewhere now hold on
why would I say you’d have 16,000 who
wouldn’t want to work in that
it would be like let’s all do this
together let’s be about each other we
can all we we all got a share but I’m
gonna tell you it’s hard I was it hard
to share do you know what it’s really
hard to share when you don’t have much
then it’s really hard to share hard to
give out your shirt when you only got
two and one got a hole in it which one
do you give you know you’re giving up
the one with the hole I mean which one
are you gonna get but I’m telling you at
some point in your life at some point in
your life you’re gonna switch and you’re
gonna remember this moment and say man
did life become easier more rewarding
let me tell you for me when I made that
shift and I could almost remember when
it was think I was overwhelmed with what
I was trying to do I was overwhelmed
with everything over I had the weight of
the world on my shoulder I had employees
that I had to do well so that they could
eat and their children could go I had to
the kid I was on edge a little bit when
I shifted it became easier I became
friendlier and you know what else we one
way more games and then they just kept
giving me more money and I’m like it’s
one point I’m like you gotta stop now
come on keep coming I mean but it’s
funny how when you’re not concerned
about you maybe everybody else becomes
concerned about you I don’t know how it
works I can just tell you from my
experience hard when you’re your age cuz
you’re trying to survive yeah I know the
feeling when I grew up we got my dad got
paid every Friday the mortgage was 63
dollars a month I’m not that old please
don’t act like I was born in 1915 the
$13,500 that mortgage was 63 dollars a
month Friday Thursday and Wednesday were
the tough days why were Thursday and
Wednesday the tough days there were no
cookies ice cream Yury spam you
were eating cereal for dinner come on
now Thursday was a tough day Wednesday
was shaky
Friday was beautiful Saturday was
beautiful but we all have bad eating
habits because of that if it’s there
better eat it especially if you have
siblings because someone’s gonna eat
this and it might as well be me than any
of you have the cans that were Jeanette
you guys are so young you don’t remember
the generic cans the white cans that
would have green beans pork and beans
applesauce do you remember that has
anybody here there’s no way anybody here
has ever eaten spam anybody eating spam
here hi you live my life then you
understood all right this is what I’m
gonna know what happens to Bologna when
you fry it I just need to know if you
know I think some of you were BSN you
went to private schools we got some Yale
graduates in here it’s you
never fried bologna we’re having for
dinner tonight by the way hey you better
have Bologna everyone should I remind
yourself here’s one thing because you’re
going through this and it is not gonna
be like life’s not on your terms you
want it to be but fate intervenes
happens some of it good there are some
of you in this room that don’t
appreciate the good blessings that you
been given for no reason but you always
remember the crap that happens to you
for no reason me so my dad used to say I
grew up in Pittsburgh anybody Pittsburgh
here I heard one person okay my debt
when you grew up in Pittsburgh
everybody’s name ended in a why my I was
Johnny
I was never John I was Johnny Johnny
Billy Ronnie
everything was so my dad would say
Johnny it’s never quite as good as it
seems and it’s never quite as bad as it
seems
keep things in perspective so as you go
through life look at us my mother’s
lying and it was she was a dreamer her
thing was dream beyond your surroundings
this should not hold you back because
you were born in this you dream beyond
your surroundings but my dad’s story
about keeping the things in perspective
I mean he used to say this to us over
and over keep things in perspective so
my sister goes away to college she goes
to Penn State we have any Penn State
graduates I have yet to meet a Penn
State graduate how about that she goes
away to Penn State it’s the happy
Valley’s what they call it so we hadn’t
heard from her in a month and a half
letter comes to the house my mother says
Vince there’s a letter from your
daughter you want to read it so my dad
starts reading it and it says dear mom
dad Lee and John everything here in the
happy valley is wonderful I’m loving and
socially the academics my friends my
dorm did burn to the ground
I lost all my belongings books and
clothes but don’t you worry I went to
Goodwill I got some clothes I’m
borrowing books I’m all caught up I
moved into an off-campus apartment
my dad puts the thing he and he keeps
my dad my Italian dad had that vein
my new roommate Jim who’s quite a fellow
and I you know he’s been out of rehab
six months and I think you’re gonna grow
to love them as I do and and mom and dad
and I want to apologize to all of you
for not inviting you to the wedding that
happened rather quickly so now this vein
is like shooting right and I’m like and
it goes on but mom and dad I want to
congratulate you two on becoming
grandparents and I think you will be the
greatest grandparents ever then the
bottom of the letter says your loving
daughter Terry PS dad all of the above
is a lie
I failed chemistry and I wanted you to
keep things in perspective I was
expecting a true story right some people
have that story in here by the way so
some were saying oh there’s another
story like that so okay we got 15 more
minutes before these guys in my ear tell
me we got to wrap up the interview all
drokken listen I don’t listen to anybody
every every once in a while we have to
man we got a schedule here so okay so we
got some people running this country to
the least nobody in anybody anyway
[Applause]
we’re not talking politics stop not
talking politics today we’re having too
much fun so what do you think about
Trump’s no I’m just kidding but tell me
this stuff honest Tammy we got we got 15
more minutes for these guys to learn
from you here what would you say see you
got all these guys you’ve seen they’ve
gone from whatever whatever level
they’re at and some of the guys you see
say this guy can’t get into the NBA but
his work ethic sucks
what does it’s truly like if you’ve
coached wall if you’ve coached towns
which I believe towns is gonna be a top
number one guy in the NB a– next three
years
I really believe towns I am David what
what is the what is the difference for a
guy that goes to that level with the
work ethic the discipline the
willingness to go out and do what things
the other guys don’t want to do the
first thing when you make a decision to
go to Kentucky you look in the pen and
there are seven other dogs in there and
they want to eat too and you’re willing
to jump in the pen that’s the first
thing are you willing to jump in the pen
do you honestly think you’re the only
one trying to eat you’re not even the
only one trying to eat in this company
but you won’t believe this you’re not
the only company you got to be willing
to jump in and go then the second thing
is are you looking for excuses or
solutions you want an excuse you know
what I tell my guys when they come
because I’m coaching them hard now and
I’m holding them accountable they want
to leave in a year you know what my line
is we can do transfer you can’t transfer
you got to get this right you’re trying
to leave in a year if you’re looking for
excuses you’ll find them
oh yeah you’ll find them I have an
excuse board so I have ten excuses
number one my girlfriend’s been a pain
number two
I have a cold number three my back hurts
I go I have ten of them and then for the
sake of time just give me the number
don’t give me the whole sentence you can
give me combinations you can give me one
five what the hell is going on it’s a
one than a five all right I got you
put it in your office’s put an excuse
for it up put them up and start writing
them down so you can laugh what the
hell’s your Excuse number six so the
guys that have made it for me look for
solutions are you ready for this one
your boss here likes to read I can tell
you had some other people up here that
want to read they want to get new
thoughts new ideas you know what that
means
they have curious minds the best players
that I’ve coached have curious minds
they have curious minds spend time
reading every night before you go to bed
even if it’s a paragraph I don’t care
what you read read something to make
your mind move you get stuck in a rut
you’re not talking yourself out of it
you’ve got to have something that you’re
reading that moves you and I’m gonna say
this educate yourself please become more
educated please listen if there’s I
don’t know one dumb person that’s worth
250 million I don’t know any I’m not
meaning like I’m look at my test scores
I was like 900 on the SAT I wasn’t that
smart curious mind wanted to keep
learning I keep reading now because I
want that to be able to pass it along to
my players and that third thing you
cannot have anybody enable you
there’s someone around you enabling you
you gotta kind of either push them or
tell them don’t enable me encourage me
give me ideas the players that I have
that are enabled not making it the
players that I have that don’t want to
go in the pen and think they can fold
their way to success you’re crazy
I called them delusional you are
delusional my man if you’re the last one
to come into gym every day and you don’t
ever want to mix it up but you’re gonna
make it really think about what you’re
saying and then they get enabled by
someone else who says you’re right just
shoot more balls you don’t have to mix
it up you don’t have to be competitive
just shoot more that kids been enabled
you can make it but my guys like I said
curious thinkers the best guys I had
smart kids that way didn’t mean in a
book sense that they were straight-a
students that’s not what I’m saying but
they had a curious mind that they wanted
to expand that would be mine what would
you say what did you do to get the best
out of people
you got players that play for different
people you got three different coaches
you played what one guy gets the best
out of you how do you pull that out of
them
one everything you’re gonna do is about
relationships folks that’s all
relationships how do you create a good
relationship trust you don’t
you tell the truth if you
you’re gonna have no trust do you want
to work for somebody or be around
somebody you can’t trust if he’s at the
water cooler
will you go to the water cooler no
you’ll go the other way till he leaves
or she leaves trust it all starts there
second thing is if these guys know I’m
more about them than I am about me and
their success I can coach them I can be
aggressive just like your own family
your mother who could say things and do
things to you that no one else could and
you know what you still loved her and if
anybody else said the things that your
mother said to you you’d want to punch
them
but your mother says him and you know
you have to take stock in what she’s
saying cuz she loves you so if you’re
gonna get something out of somebody that
relationship has to start with trust
undersell over-deliver be about them let
them know they care do you know the
people you work with how many sisters or
brothers they have everybody’s head wet
down do you know if they have children
what their birthdate is their children’s
birthday how do you really care about
one another if you really don’t know
some of those important things in the
other person’s life if something is
happening how do you there’s got to be a
trust in a caring and it can’t be it’s
gonna be sincere we all know when
someone’s trying to be SS for me my
players say the thing they like about me
is I keep it real unless I keep it real
with them then they don’t like it so
keep it real well I’m gonna keep it red
not with me with him but I would say to
get it out of people and then as a
leader my players are gonna listen to
what I say they’re gonna do what I ask
him to do cuz they know him about them
you know what I worry about every year
I’m worried about this season am i
telling them the right things I’m not
talking morally I’m not talking
ethically am i telling them my team
every year could you imagine your team
changing every year like the group your
group and all of a sudden there’s nine
new people and then next year there’s
eight new people and next year there’s
nine new people that’s what I deal with
so well we’re gonna go at this this way
what if that’s not the best way with
this group what if there’s another way
of doing it it’s better I got to figure
that out on the run so my thing is
whatever we’re telling them let’s hope
we’re right and if we’re wrong
pivot right away fail fast and run to
something else I’m not stuck on one way
of doing something I don’t care it’s not
about Cal ball you got to play a certain
way I don’t care how we play this one a
win so however we got to play we’re
playing if they say well he just has
really good players that’s the only
reason they win he can’t coach why am i
okay when they say that we win most of
the games because basically you’re
saying your players are really good and
that’s the only reason you win then I
did my job
I’m promoting my players and they’re
really good and I agree with you and
here’s the other thing if anybody’s
saying anything about some of you guys
in here let me give you the one I use
all the time they’re saying you’re not
this you’re not that you’re not this
your dad this guy that whatever you say
I am I agree can we move on
whatever you want to say I am all right
I am let’s move on ah that drives him
[Applause]
final boss final thoughts you live in
here what would you want everybody to
hear be thinking about as leaving this
event – for them you know there
everybody’s having their own challenges
some are married kids some are single
summer here at their first event some
have been here for a while some are
making money some are comfortable
some made 70 grand last couple of weeks
and you know they’re sitting there
saying this is exciting stuff how can I
get somebody to be thinking bigger but
what final thoughts would you give to
some people start thinking about how
they can take their minds to hold the
phone level to be thinking bigger than
what they currently have right now in
their lives there’s I want to finish
I’ll say this but I want to finish with
one other thing here’s what I tell you
don’t you ever be embarrassed about
taking what you’ve been given what God
has given you and taking that thing to
another level because that’s what you’re
supposed to do now the question becomes
what your why is so there’s an end of it
that you become this everything you’re
supposed to be and we’re all different
there are some of you that can come up
here and speak and do stuff there are
others that your strength is in another
area run with that strength some of you
are gonna be more reserved there’s
nothing we’re all different I sit up
here and do it this way you know what
there are other coaches that are totally
different with than I am and they can’t
beat me but they’re totally different
what what happened what happened but
they’re totally different and have just
as not just almost as much success as I
have but they’re totally different so
don’t be embarrassed about wanting to be
special don’t be embarrassed about
saying I don’t want to be a millionaire
someday
don’t be embarrassed about saying you
know what I want to take care of my
whole family and I want to take care of
my family’s family I’m trying to take
care of my family’s family’s family
that’s what I’m trying to do so I’m not
embarrassed about it I know I’m not
taking it with me
I’m never turning it down when they try
to give me more I’m not selfish with it
I share but I’m gonna try to keep doing
what I’m doing because the more I do the
more people I can help and the more
impact I can have that’s what I’m gonna
do and I would challenge you to do the
same don’t let anybody like oh you know
who does he think he is or who does she
think she is and she whatever you think
I am
I agree can we move on
lastly look I’ve done I probably do 25
of these 30 of these a year okay I was
so excited when Patrick said we’re gonna
have a sit-down so much easier and so
much more fun I don’t know why people
don’t do more of these because he gets
for me exactly what he wants to give to
you versus me saying it and maybe it
hits maybe it doesn’t but I walked in
the room first of all I heard you
outside all the doors were locked like
you can’t leave when you come in here
just so you know know there they’re like
chained on the other side so I’m like
when you come in you’re here okay I
couldn’t get in I heard everything I’m
hearing the screaming I finally come in
and this is what the American Dream is
about you if you’re really about this
country an opportunity you grow your
business you grow your own business you
grow your team’s business you grow this
company’s business so that more people
can share in the American dream that’s
what this is look if you try to take
away from a business the success you’re
not getting it they’ve got to have
success so that we can all have success
and then you’ve got to count on people
that are running these organizations
that are about people giving people an
opportunity and hope that it’s not about
what they can gather and take these are
the robber barons from 1920s this is
about how do we do this and do this
together we are in the greatest country
in the world and clothes you my friend
were born at the right time if you were
born 40 years ago life would be much
different for you think about what I’m
saying and however you want this world
and country to be you make it and you
start with you so whatever you’re gonna
do you start with you and you know what
there are no excuses there are only
solutions there are all setbacks I just
I just finished a book
forgetting the name adversity I will get
you the name and you get it to your
people it talks about adversity it’s
good it’s the only thing you it makes
you understand you’re growing there’s
things gonna come at you you’re gonna
have some of the worst things happen in
your life I have he it’s just its life
but at the end of the day it’s the next
step forward the next step forward how
many people can I help if I’m climbing
the ladder now I’m telling you when
you’re in the first rung it’s really
hard to pick up the next person you got
to climb the ladder man you got to have
some success you’ve got to bring some
things in you got to bring it to the
table you’re gonna be at the top rung
and you’re gonna say hurry up get up
here next come on let’s go and you know
what you have a smile on your face
you’ll have a bounce to your step you’re
gonna have a long life you’re gonna have
enjoyment and you know what when we’re
all said and done and we’re done in this
earth it’s the impact you’ve had on
other people but you got to impact
yourself first
then you worry about who am i helping
get it right I’m so I’m telling you I
learned this was a great experience for
me our breakfast and our talk this
morning because all I wanted to know is
tell me about this give me and I want to
meet some of the young people he’s
telling me there’s some the talented
young people I met some of the other
guys he was giving me names and how did
you get this going you guys are a part
of something special
take advantage no excuse I don’t want to
hear what your excuse you want mine I
have a board I’ll give you ten you can
use any of just give me the number don’t
give me the whole sentence I don’t have
time but I appreciate being here
give it up top Calipari [Music]
recruiter in the n-c-double-a best coach
Chan hooray
so we got good breakfast today huh it
was a good time you didn’t tell me I was
walking into this so we’re back there he
walks in here’s Jason screaming and
hollering and you know it who is this
guy I said that’s Jason Graz and he says
oh he’s Italian I like I wanted to meet
that Italian guy then he saw Vargas and
stopped Pelayo but hey first of all guys
you got to understand it you know you
got a lot of places you can be man thank
you for taking the time for coming out
here spending time with us really can I
just say this is I walk in Patrick and
we met this morning people helping
people and I wanted to hear his story
and the story of this room this is about
living the American dream it’s about
having an opportunity to do things for
your family we were we were just talking
about you know my thing was I just want
to take care of my mother then it’s okay
what’s moving you what is it what’s
driving you what doors are in the way
what’s slowing you down what’s trying to
hold you back but having a group like
this that’s like let’s go for this every
one of you let’s go for it and let’s
live this dream like everyone else and
let’s have the opportunity it’s great
when I walk in and I see all these young
people just starting out with life I’m a
little older than you guys it’s a great
I love it being around 17 18 19 year
olds walking in a home that I look
around and I say if we do right it’s not
gonna be like this long to see what they
do for their mothers and their families
the first thing they do is take I had a
call from you talked about DeMarcus
Cousins if you don’t mind me no no go
away go ahead DeMarcus Cousins how many
of you know him
guy he’s crazy okay
but let me say this he would give a
kidney for me
he was my wife’s favorite player my wife
I would get all over him and I’d walk in
the house and she’d say quit yelling at
DeMarcus and I would say what are you
talking about you’re yelling at him all
the time I said are you watching are you
watching what he’s doing
she says well no one else does anything
yell at somebody else you’re always
yelling at him when he was drafted his
mother called me two weeks later and she
was crying and I said misko’s what what
happened because his grandmother was
getting older I thought something
happened no everything’s good I mean I’m
in my new home and and you know I the
furniture coach I’m just looking and
you’re in your new home yeah it’s
unbelievable
I’m looking at the ninth green you’re on
a golf course yes I’m on a golf course
and it’s you know three-car garage
because I said women do you play golf no
I don’t play golf why would you because
I can and that is a true story my day
when I see these kids make it 70% of the
kids that I’ve coached at Kentucky get
your after 70% when when I see their
families you’re going to understand this
breathe for the first time because they
have enough they don’t have to worry
anymore that’s a great feeling for me my
grandparents I know Patrick story my
grandparents came through Ellis Island
did not speak English
my parents are high school educated my
mother worked at the cafeteria in the
school that I went to
so I saw her ever
in her white uniform selling ice cream
my sisters in either the goal for my
family was my parents their children are
going to be college educated all three
of us are college educated because of
our families who worked to make a better
life for us guess what my oldest
daughter is doctor Calipari the first
doctor that’s how this is supposed to
work and that’s how it’s supposed to
work for you what I love about this
because I asked a question
give me the age give me that I want to
know and then you know 33 I’m like well
how many of them have kids because
basically what you’re doing in this this
isn’t just four thousand of you this is
gonna be multiplying and and and I’ll
just say this and I don’t mean to make
this a talk all of you here you’re so
young
I’m jealous you’re so young you’ve got
to have a Y at some point because it’s
not gonna be how much money you can
gather it’s not gonna be how many toys
cars houses at some point it’s got to be
a wide I just heard a why I had to take
care of my mother I just wanted to make
twenty five hundred dollars a month so
that I could give that to my mother I’ve
heard that but then it comes back to you
get to that some of you in this room are
gonna be so special but it’s not because
of what you made it’s how many people
you’ve helped your why you gotta come up
with what is my wife when I make it big
not if I make it big I hurt you I hope
you heard me when I make it big what is
my why what do I want to be doing with
my life you know what
write it down put it on your bathroom
mirror look to that when I make it what
do I want to be about how do I want to
be perceived just a gatherer or maybe a
gatherer or a people how many people can
I help
just one thing because I see many taken
notes some people climb that ladder of
success that you’re on Patrick climbed
some people climb that ladder they turn
around and they pick up the ladder
special people who have a why climb that
same ladder of success and they turn
around and pick up the next person and
the next person and the next person and
that’s what you should be about the next
time Patrick asked me to come here
there should be 8,000 people in this
room not 4000 people before you want to
play for me now
there you go we got some guys that are
six six they should be looking out for
talking to so so you know what I want to
know is this I mean obviously now you’re
at Kentucky right I mean everybody wants
to play for you everybody wants to play
for you
not everybody ninety-nine percent of
players would like what what I do is not
for everybody can I tell you what you do
is not for everybody
it is not or they’d be in this room too
so most players want to play if not
everybody if they want to be coached
hard they have any challenge they have
to be challenged you know they want to
play for somebody like you one of the
things you said in your book is you said
I like people that want to be coached by
me if they want it that’s a whole
different thing
what I want to know about is now your
coach you know Calipari you’re doing
what you’re doing but take us back I
mean how did this start when you were in
high school coming out you’re playing
ball you know you start off the system
Kansas pit some of this stuff and then
you mask but tell me about high school
part well again my through basketball I
learned self-discipline I learned
self-confidence I became a gym rat so I
had a grind to do what you’re doing
folks you have to have a grind how many
times do you have to be willing to hear
no and it not affect you what what and
you can’t walk out of the room with your
head and know you’re gonna hear no a
thousand times more than you’re here and
yes that’s part of what we all do for
me I just didn’t want to be in my dad’s
basement I needed to figure out what I
wanted to do and as I got into playing I
wanted to coach but I didn’t know what
it meant
say I thought it was X and O’s I start
at umass try to build a program X and
O’s coach basketball drills as I get
older it’s about helping families and if
I help them they fight like hell for me
you watch the games and you say why do
his guys play so hard how about this one
that kid it could have gone anywhere in
the country and top took 30 shots a game
but he goes with him and he shoots 12
shots a game because they know me and my
staff are about them we’re gonna love on
them they need to learn to love on each
other we’re gonna be there for you you
got to be there for each other if
someone’s really doing well you got to
teach the others if someone is
struggling and you see it you pick them
up do you guys know what servant
leadership is the whole goal for every
one of you in this room – it should be
be a servant leader I want to teach
every one of my players to lead be a
servant leader when they come to me at
17 and everything they had as a high
school player was given to him
they were the best they were this they
were stroked they were told they were
then they come with me and I got to be
the first guy to say no I got to be the
first guy to say you won’t believe this
this world is not about you at what
point do you say that to them how early
on do you say that there’s a pretty
early once they get to you
well obviously after they’re committed
to the program and well here my my what
I do in recruiting is a little different
I like what you and I talked about where
I’m gonna my handshake you ready my
handshake is not like that my handshake
is like that
I’m not to my the relationship isn’t to
take it’s to give and so if I can create
trust and it’s hard when you walk in a
room and you’re trying to create trust
in the first two minutes you better
listen instead of talk you better when I
go into recruit I’m asking questions
like you know tell me where you want to
be in five years what do you want to get
from this game what kind of coach do you
want to play for how do you want to play
did it you know I asked you guys
remember Marcus candy 611 he was 6-3
guard and grew to 611 Anthony Davis did
the same yeah that’s what I was thinking
about Anthony Davis went six three I get
to coach both of those guys when I
recruited Marcus he told me I said what
position do you want to play before you
tell them you what what are you looking
for how can I help you what can I do I
want to be a shooting guard you’re 611
you want to be a shooting guard okay I’m
not gonna lie you got to be honest you
got to tell the truth so I told them
okay you could be a shooting guard and I
said to them you do know we post up our
shooting guards a lot right we kind of
put them near the basket all you young
people out there two genders do you get
that one but here’s what I tell them if
you’re gonna drink smoke club or chase
you ain’t coming with us because you’re
not going to school for the right
reasons if you want that go somewhere
else because if you get in trouble with
me many of you don’t raise your hand
make me humble again raise your hand
that you never heard of me before raise
your hand put your hands down I was
teasing but if you do something on my
campus they’re going to do a movie about
it
it’s gonna be on the ticker on ESPN and
CNN for three straight days if it
happens on another campus they’re not
gonna worry about it it happens it you
cannot come drinking smoking clubbing
chasin you have to understand we have to
sit down and say you have to come here
for it’s not for everybody you ready are
you ready to share you’re gonna go in
your office and close the door and be
about you I don’t think you can be in
people helping people I don’t believe so
well you can’t be on my team if you’re
about yourself can’t be on this team you
know why we’re all trying to eat
everybody’s trying to eat it’s not one
guy trying to eat we’re all trying to
eat so you say to me how did you get
five guys drafted in the first round in
one season never been done before how
did you get the one you bet raise your
hand if you’ve never heard of me before
raise your hand again all right you
better Google this and read it
after I leave how the world tentative on
slides me how in the world did you get
the number one and the number two pick
in a draft in the same year it’s never
been done before how did you get four
lottery picks three different times how
did you get for number one picks John
Wall Derrick Rose Anthony Davis Karl
towns how because they shared
they shared you ready for this Karl
towns took the fifth most shots on my
team my team and was the number one pick
Pat Riley said the best thing about your
guys are great teammates wouldn’t you
want that to be one of the things that
was said about you when you’re gone and
someone’s up there talking about you
and they say he was one of the great
teammates you know how many people he
helped how good he made people feel can
I ask you this question how about all of
us in the room just try to make one
person a day feel special it’s hard when
you’re thinking of yourself all day it’s
hard when you’re dreaming about yourself
at night it’s hard when you’re looking
in the mirror at yourself all day to say
I’m gonna make this about somebody else
one time a day taking about a minute
if I have time coach I’ll think about
that how about this one
anybody in here write personal notes
anymore raise your hand if you write a
personal note yeah about eight of you
okay
now do yourself a favor one day a week
spend time have your personal card and
hand write a note if you send me a
letter I hand write a card back I’ve
done it my whole career and you know
what I still get I got the owner of the
Washington Wizards called me and said at
a meeting he showed it and told people
who does this anymore you want to stand
out write some personal notes spend one
day you cannot create and relate I love
what my man said about getting in the
field getting into fits the same thing
get in the field you want to get in the
field you got to create a relationship
guess what hard to do through emails and
texts you better have face to face and
you better hand write some notes and if
you hand write some notes yours is gonna
be the only one on the desk there’s no
one does it anymore
anyway what are we talking about this is
exactly what we’re talking about so wait
just a recruiting part so you see
everybody everybody’s trying to recruit
some of these talents that are coming
out maybe not everybody but there are
certain people that people want to pick
up what would you say makes for a great
recruiter of talent because you know you
say
a guy that everybody wants I don’t
sometimes go after that guy go after
this guy he’s got desire all this other
stuff one what do you look for about two
what makes a great recruiter a great
recruiter yeah the biggest thing we were
just talking about recruiting young
people here and the results
how many success stories of guys that
came in here at 22 23 24 how many
success stories can you guys do a book
on where another 23 year old can see
we’re not just talking here there’s
results now we can’t do it for you
did you guys there’s no mate there’s no
magic wand but the opportunity obviously
is here because for these hundred and
seventy who are now making a million
dollars a year they started like you but
they decided when a door was closed they
opened up another when they were pushed
back they tried so part of recruiting
for me you have to again I’m gonna use a
term I under sell and I over deliver and
then the people that played for me now
become ambassadors for me and they sell
and even if they don’t speak powerful
their actions and what they’re
accomplishing speaks for me current
contracts in the NBA current are 1.2
billion it may be a little bit more I
may be off at you know 100 million
something like that but he didn’t tell
you that doesn’t include their
endorsements or their shoot contracts or
any other things that they do or the
money that they use from there that they
invested in to make more money in six
years my guess would be three billion
dollars of or nubs of not shoe contracts
all that stuff my goal would be before I
retire from this game I want 12 guys in
the NBA all-star game out of 24 I want
to coached I want to be able to say I
coached half the guy
in the all-star game what so when you
ask me about what went early on when I
was at UMass you in this room I was like
you you’re not out working me you can
beat on me you can say what you want but
I’m coming in one step and every time
you swing I come one more step to you do
you say what you want about me you’re
not affecting me I’m moving forward I
have nowhere to go I cannot go to my
dad’s basement my dad is a laborer and
told me going to Marines you’re not
staying here I had nowhere to go but
here’s what I would say all of that
energy and all of that that you’re gonna
bring please remember this day it’ll
start shifting to your why and when your
life becomes more about other people
than yourself
please listen life becomes easier you
become happier
it becomes a downhill run and you know
what every day they see you got a smile
on your face right now you’re fighting
like hell to survive I’ve been there I
had this why had people come after me
safe stuff that wasn’t true and I could
wallow in it then they won they were not
winning no say what you want I’m moving
forward if you’re about other people and
you’re doing right that stuff runs off
your back like rain water and let me say
this some of you in this room are gonna
really start moving and you’re gonna
think everybody’s happy for you ain’t
happy for you but you know what you keep
smiling I said today to Patrick because
he’s read some stuff you kind of know I
like to poke the bear at times
can’t help myself but what I learned
when I was about 3035 if someone is
obsessed please listen
right this one if you’re obsessed with
anything you lose you’re gonna lose so
my thought was it could be obsessed with
money it could be obsessed with things
you you really don’t need some things in
your life that you know you shouldn’t be
living a certain way you’re obsessed if
you’re obsessed with anything if you
don’t have that balance you need you
lose so then I said well does that mean
if someone is obsessed with me they lose
yeah so I poke the bear every once in a
while which I don’t there are things I
do I’m flawed in many ways so you don’t
want to do all the things I do but my
whole point is let them be obsessed with
me I am NOT obsessed with anything I’m
happy for anybody success I know where I
came from I know where my grandparents
came from my grandfather started in the
coal mines where the Italians went when
they came to this country died of black
lung at age 58 because he was into
coltan his brother was crushed in the
coal mines and died but they came over
to give their family a better shot and
you know what I never forget that as I
go forward and I remind my own children
my son plays for me now he’s on my team
there’s a big problem it is great I love
it because my older girls got cheated I
got two daughters and a son they got
cheated because my oldest daughter I was
so into what I was doing
missed a lot of stuff stuff that I
didn’t need to miss that I regret that I
miss I apologized to her to this day my
middle daughter I was a little bit
better my son is with me the problem is
that means when he doesn’t play enough
do you understand I got to walk in and
see it last thing I want to tell you
about recruiting there’s always a
decision maker when you sit down
especially when you sit down with the
family if you don’t know who that
decision maker is you’re wasting your
time somebody could be telling you all
the right things and the other person
sitting there staring and you don’t
understand that is the decision maker
you’re talking to the wrong person when
I go in to recruit who do you think the
decision maker is who ladies no ladies
no fathers I don’t spend a minute with
the father
I wouldn’t taste the mom to another room
let’s go over here and talk yeah tell
the deck can you get me some water
something please who is that decision
maker and then let me tell you tell the
truth don’t lie don’t embellish don’t
make it better than is because when
you’re talking to a mother I’m not
talking to one mother talking to 15
mothers a year do they ever forget
anything oh my gosh they can remember
where they were sitting what was in
front of them what you said how you said
it don’t say that you told me tell
the truth if you don’t lie you don’t
have to worry about it if you lie you
forget what you lied about then you got
to lie some more recruiting story and
give us one of them to give us a
recruiting story well
I walk in to a home and and I I met
UMass at the time and the kid kind of
was disrespectful to his mother so I
kind of caught it but I wasn’t sure I
thought maybe I didn’t see it right and
then he was disrespectful again and I
looked was right in front of me to his
mother folks that got up and left I
literally said you know what this has
really been good you know our plane is
leaving and and I got to get back so
we’re gonna come back and do this and
then that killed my assistant outside
the door what the hell you doing you
didn’t know this kid was like this why
you wasting my time he’s not gonna be on
my team if he doesn’t respect his mom he
ain’t respecting anybody ain’t
respecting me let me let me say this cuz
there’s a bunch of good people in this
room friend of mine gave me this advice
and I and I before I took the job at
UMass and that story reminds me of this
is my write this down please you can
have a bad deal with good people
but you can never have a good deal with
bad people never if you walk in a room
and you recognize these are not good
people get up and leave doesn’t matter
how much they’re talking doesn’t matter
what it smells like it doesn’t matter
what your future there is no future with
bad people if I think a kid is a bad kid
or his family is or they’re asking for
stuff I’m out this is about me helping
your son me doing everything I can for
your son but he’s gonna have to share
he’s gonna have to grow up do you know
no no no boys allowed you better be a
man if you want to go in that league and
if it takes you a year to become a man
or two years or three years you better
be a man no boys allowed you’re in a
business you’re gonna get eaten up if
you’re a boy you better be a man you
better be a grown woman they’re sitting
for the soft of heart this is we’re in a
dogfight listen there’s one bone that’s
being thrown in that pen and there are
12 of you in there
somebody’s eating somebody’s not eating
I know this I was eating so here’s
another question for you let’s
transition to coaching one of the things
you talked about in your book is yuvan
you don’t miss practice so it doesn’t
matter what it is if you’re on the road
if you are doing what you’re doing we
have trainings twice a week so that’s
kind of our practice that we have is
well tell me about some of the
commitments you made on coaching
different kids that you’ve developed
them into leaders what are some things
you think about that makes for a good
coach well the stuff about being there
if you’re not there present and then you
have to be present you ready how many of
you it there yeah you’re not there
you’re not present turn the phone how
about if we have no phone Friday that’s
when we write letters no coach oh go
crazy look you got to be present you got
to be there you got I love the
enthusiasm in this room it better not
end when you’re in this room and you
walk out this has better be what you are
because if this is what you are you’re
gonna have success as long as you look
after each other if someone’s struggling
pick them up if someone’s really doing
well you are responsible to teach
everyone else that’s being
servant leader can I can I give you this
I want to know this thing will quadruple
we’ll have 16,000 if we have guys and
ladies in this room like this you ready
have you heard of Michael kidd-gilchrist
have you heard of him plays for the
Charlotte and the NBA was the number two
pick in the draft plate for me he was 17
years old when he played for me
he started with two two other freshmen
was a year we won the national title
we’re in the championship game of our
conference tournament which means after
this game we have six games to win the
national title no one has ever done it
with freshmen they said we couldn’t do
it
you’ll never do it you can’t do this
what he’s doing he doesn’t care about
winning he don’t care about basketball
he only cares about getting that guys in
the NBA all right not a bad deal to
throw at me I mean if you want to say
that’s the downside of me I’m okay with
that but it wasn’t true
we’re in that 30 minutes before the game
Michael comes into me 17 years old
youngest freshman in the country he says
I want you to start Darius Miller in my
place 30 minutes before at that time we
were probably 30 and 1 he had started
every one of those games he’s walking
into me saying let Darius start in my
place what would you do if you were
coaching like what what are you sick are
you hurt what are you talking about the
backdrop Darius Miller was a senior
Darius Miller the year before in the
tournament before Michael and Anthony
Davis got there was the MVP of the
conference tournament which we won he
was coming off the bench in two games
start him in my place coach we need them
you’re all over him let him start in my
place I said you know what he said it’s
you’re the head coach you make the
decision right before the game I said
we’re gonna start Darius in Michaels
place
Darius took 17 shots that game I think
he made six we lost that game
Michael got in foul trouble it started
every game he was so anxious to get in
he filed everybody he filed a
cheerleader he filed an official filed
everybody he had like two points he’d
never come off the bench he was so jet
his feet were moving he was going my god
you knocked the bow Matt’s a foul
you know we lose the game by five points
but because of him Darius Miller played
out of his mind the rest of the NCAA
tournament
and we won the national title Anthony
was the one pick he was the two pick we
had the 14th pick the 18th pick and two
kids in the second round got drafted
because we won the national title I’m
gonna ask you who in this room would
give up something that they burned they
worked for and they deserved and give it
up to someone because you knew they
really needed it more than you did I got
to move in my seat because I’m telling
you if we had a room full of guys and
ladies that would say that we got 16,000
in the next couple years who were in a
room somewhere now hold on
why would I say you’d have 16,000 who
wouldn’t want to work in that
it would be like let’s all do this
together let’s be about each other we
can all we we all got a share but I’m
gonna tell you it’s hard I was it hard
to share do you know what it’s really
hard to share when you don’t have much
then it’s really hard to share hard to
give out your shirt when you only got
two and one got a hole in it which one
do you give you know you’re giving up
the one with the hole I mean which one
are you gonna get but I’m telling you at
some point in your life at some point in
your life you’re gonna switch and you’re
gonna remember this moment and say man
did life become easier more rewarding
let me tell you for me when I made that
shift and I could almost remember when
it was think I was overwhelmed with what
I was trying to do I was overwhelmed
with everything over I had the weight of
the world on my shoulder I had employees
that I had to do well so that they could
eat and their children could go I had to
the kid I was on edge a little bit when
I shifted it became easier I became
friendlier and you know what else we one
way more games and then they just kept
giving me more money and I’m like it’s
one point I’m like you gotta stop now
come on keep coming I mean but it’s
funny how when you’re not concerned
about you maybe everybody else becomes
concerned about you I don’t know how it
works I can just tell you from my
experience hard when you’re your age cuz
you’re trying to survive yeah I know the
feeling when I grew up we got my dad got
paid every Friday the mortgage was 63
dollars a month I’m not that old please
don’t act like I was born in 1915 the
$13,500 that mortgage was 63 dollars a
month Friday Thursday and Wednesday were
the tough days why were Thursday and
Wednesday the tough days there were no
cookies ice cream Yury spam you
were eating cereal for dinner come on
now Thursday was a tough day Wednesday
was shaky
Friday was beautiful Saturday was
beautiful but we all have bad eating
habits because of that if it’s there
better eat it especially if you have
siblings because someone’s gonna eat
this and it might as well be me than any
of you have the cans that were Jeanette
you guys are so young you don’t remember
the generic cans the white cans that
would have green beans pork and beans
applesauce do you remember that has
anybody here there’s no way anybody here
has ever eaten spam anybody eating spam
here hi you live my life then you
understood all right this is what I’m
gonna know what happens to Bologna when
you fry it I just need to know if you
know I think some of you were BSN you
went to private schools we got some Yale
graduates in here it’s you
never fried bologna we’re having for
dinner tonight by the way hey you better
have Bologna everyone should I remind
yourself here’s one thing because you’re
going through this and it is not gonna
be like life’s not on your terms you
want it to be but fate intervenes
happens some of it good there are some
of you in this room that don’t
appreciate the good blessings that you
been given for no reason but you always
remember the crap that happens to you
for no reason me so my dad used to say I
grew up in Pittsburgh anybody Pittsburgh
here I heard one person okay my debt
when you grew up in Pittsburgh
everybody’s name ended in a why my I was
Johnny
I was never John I was Johnny Johnny
Billy Ronnie
everything was so my dad would say
Johnny it’s never quite as good as it
seems and it’s never quite as bad as it
seems
keep things in perspective so as you go
through life look at us my mother’s
lying and it was she was a dreamer her
thing was dream beyond your surroundings
this should not hold you back because
you were born in this you dream beyond
your surroundings but my dad’s story
about keeping the things in perspective
I mean he used to say this to us over
and over keep things in perspective so
my sister goes away to college she goes
to Penn State we have any Penn State
graduates I have yet to meet a Penn
State graduate how about that she goes
away to Penn State it’s the happy
Valley’s what they call it so we hadn’t
heard from her in a month and a half
letter comes to the house my mother says
Vince there’s a letter from your
daughter you want to read it so my dad
starts reading it and it says dear mom
dad Lee and John everything here in the
happy valley is wonderful I’m loving and
socially the academics my friends my
dorm did burn to the ground
I lost all my belongings books and
clothes but don’t you worry I went to
Goodwill I got some clothes I’m
borrowing books I’m all caught up I
moved into an off-campus apartment
my dad puts the thing he and he keeps
my dad my Italian dad had that vein
my new roommate Jim who’s quite a fellow
and I you know he’s been out of rehab
six months and I think you’re gonna grow
to love them as I do and and mom and dad
and I want to apologize to all of you
for not inviting you to the wedding that
happened rather quickly so now this vein
is like shooting right and I’m like and
it goes on but mom and dad I want to
congratulate you two on becoming
grandparents and I think you will be the
greatest grandparents ever then the
bottom of the letter says your loving
daughter Terry PS dad all of the above
is a lie
I failed chemistry and I wanted you to
keep things in perspective I was
expecting a true story right some people
have that story in here by the way so
some were saying oh there’s another
story like that so okay we got 15 more
minutes before these guys in my ear tell
me we got to wrap up the interview all
drokken listen I don’t listen to anybody
every every once in a while we have to
man we got a schedule here so okay so we
got some people running this country to
the least nobody in anybody anyway
[Applause]
we’re not talking politics stop not
talking politics today we’re having too
much fun so what do you think about
Trump’s no I’m just kidding but tell me
this stuff honest Tammy we got we got 15
more minutes for these guys to learn
from you here what would you say see you
got all these guys you’ve seen they’ve
gone from whatever whatever level
they’re at and some of the guys you see
say this guy can’t get into the NBA but
his work ethic sucks
what does it’s truly like if you’ve
coached wall if you’ve coached towns
which I believe towns is gonna be a top
number one guy in the NB a– next three
years
I really believe towns I am David what
what is the what is the difference for a
guy that goes to that level with the
work ethic the discipline the
willingness to go out and do what things
the other guys don’t want to do the
first thing when you make a decision to
go to Kentucky you look in the pen and
there are seven other dogs in there and
they want to eat too and you’re willing
to jump in the pen that’s the first
thing are you willing to jump in the pen
do you honestly think you’re the only
one trying to eat you’re not even the
only one trying to eat in this company
but you won’t believe this you’re not
the only company you got to be willing
to jump in and go then the second thing
is are you looking for excuses or
solutions you want an excuse you know
what I tell my guys when they come
because I’m coaching them hard now and
I’m holding them accountable they want
to leave in a year you know what my line
is we can do transfer you can’t transfer
you got to get this right you’re trying
to leave in a year if you’re looking for
excuses you’ll find them
oh yeah you’ll find them I have an
excuse board so I have ten excuses
number one my girlfriend’s been a pain
number two
I have a cold number three my back hurts
I go I have ten of them and then for the
sake of time just give me the number
don’t give me the whole sentence you can
give me combinations you can give me one
five what the hell is going on it’s a
one than a five all right I got you
put it in your office’s put an excuse
for it up put them up and start writing
them down so you can laugh what the
hell’s your Excuse number six so the
guys that have made it for me look for
solutions are you ready for this one
your boss here likes to read I can tell
you had some other people up here that
want to read they want to get new
thoughts new ideas you know what that
means
they have curious minds the best players
that I’ve coached have curious minds
they have curious minds spend time
reading every night before you go to bed
even if it’s a paragraph I don’t care
what you read read something to make
your mind move you get stuck in a rut
you’re not talking yourself out of it
you’ve got to have something that you’re
reading that moves you and I’m gonna say
this educate yourself please become more
educated please listen if there’s I
don’t know one dumb person that’s worth
250 million I don’t know any I’m not
meaning like I’m look at my test scores
I was like 900 on the SAT I wasn’t that
smart curious mind wanted to keep
learning I keep reading now because I
want that to be able to pass it along to
my players and that third thing you
cannot have anybody enable you
there’s someone around you enabling you
you gotta kind of either push them or
tell them don’t enable me encourage me
give me ideas the players that I have
that are enabled not making it the
players that I have that don’t want to
go in the pen and think they can fold
their way to success you’re crazy
I called them delusional you are
delusional my man if you’re the last one
to come into gym every day and you don’t
ever want to mix it up but you’re gonna
make it really think about what you’re
saying and then they get enabled by
someone else who says you’re right just
shoot more balls you don’t have to mix
it up you don’t have to be competitive
just shoot more that kids been enabled
you can make it but my guys like I said
curious thinkers the best guys I had
smart kids that way didn’t mean in a
book sense that they were straight-a
students that’s not what I’m saying but
they had a curious mind that they wanted
to expand that would be mine what would
you say what did you do to get the best
out of people
you got players that play for different
people you got three different coaches
you played what one guy gets the best
out of you how do you pull that out of
them
one everything you’re gonna do is about
relationships folks that’s all
relationships how do you create a good
relationship trust you don’t
you tell the truth if you
you’re gonna have no trust do you want
to work for somebody or be around
somebody you can’t trust if he’s at the
water cooler
will you go to the water cooler no
you’ll go the other way till he leaves
or she leaves trust it all starts there
second thing is if these guys know I’m
more about them than I am about me and
their success I can coach them I can be
aggressive just like your own family
your mother who could say things and do
things to you that no one else could and
you know what you still loved her and if
anybody else said the things that your
mother said to you you’d want to punch
them
but your mother says him and you know
you have to take stock in what she’s
saying cuz she loves you so if you’re
gonna get something out of somebody that
relationship has to start with trust
undersell over-deliver be about them let
them know they care do you know the
people you work with how many sisters or
brothers they have everybody’s head wet
down do you know if they have children
what their birthdate is their children’s
birthday how do you really care about
one another if you really don’t know
some of those important things in the
other person’s life if something is
happening how do you there’s got to be a
trust in a caring and it can’t be it’s
gonna be sincere we all know when
someone’s trying to be SS for me my
players say the thing they like about me
is I keep it real unless I keep it real
with them then they don’t like it so
keep it real well I’m gonna keep it red
not with me with him but I would say to
get it out of people and then as a
leader my players are gonna listen to
what I say they’re gonna do what I ask
him to do cuz they know him about them
you know what I worry about every year
I’m worried about this season am i
telling them the right things I’m not
talking morally I’m not talking
ethically am i telling them my team
every year could you imagine your team
changing every year like the group your
group and all of a sudden there’s nine
new people and then next year there’s
eight new people and next year there’s
nine new people that’s what I deal with
so well we’re gonna go at this this way
what if that’s not the best way with
this group what if there’s another way
of doing it it’s better I got to figure
that out on the run so my thing is
whatever we’re telling them let’s hope
we’re right and if we’re wrong
pivot right away fail fast and run to
something else I’m not stuck on one way
of doing something I don’t care it’s not
about Cal ball you got to play a certain
way I don’t care how we play this one a
win so however we got to play we’re
playing if they say well he just has
really good players that’s the only
reason they win he can’t coach why am i
okay when they say that we win most of
the games because basically you’re
saying your players are really good and
that’s the only reason you win then I
did my job
I’m promoting my players and they’re
really good and I agree with you and
here’s the other thing if anybody’s
saying anything about some of you guys
in here let me give you the one I use
all the time they’re saying you’re not
this you’re not that you’re not this
your dad this guy that whatever you say
I am I agree can we move on
whatever you want to say I am all right
I am let’s move on ah that drives him
[Applause]
final boss final thoughts you live in
here what would you want everybody to
hear be thinking about as leaving this
event – for them you know there
everybody’s having their own challenges
some are married kids some are single
summer here at their first event some
have been here for a while some are
making money some are comfortable
some made 70 grand last couple of weeks
and you know they’re sitting there
saying this is exciting stuff how can I
get somebody to be thinking bigger but
what final thoughts would you give to
some people start thinking about how
they can take their minds to hold the
phone level to be thinking bigger than
what they currently have right now in
their lives there’s I want to finish
I’ll say this but I want to finish with
one other thing here’s what I tell you
don’t you ever be embarrassed about
taking what you’ve been given what God
has given you and taking that thing to
another level because that’s what you’re
supposed to do now the question becomes
what your why is so there’s an end of it
that you become this everything you’re
supposed to be and we’re all different
there are some of you that can come up
here and speak and do stuff there are
others that your strength is in another
area run with that strength some of you
are gonna be more reserved there’s
nothing we’re all different I sit up
here and do it this way you know what
there are other coaches that are totally
different with than I am and they can’t
beat me but they’re totally different
what what happened what happened but
they’re totally different and have just
as not just almost as much success as I
have but they’re totally different so
don’t be embarrassed about wanting to be
special don’t be embarrassed about
saying I don’t want to be a millionaire
someday
don’t be embarrassed about saying you
know what I want to take care of my
whole family and I want to take care of
my family’s family I’m trying to take
care of my family’s family’s family
that’s what I’m trying to do so I’m not
embarrassed about it I know I’m not
taking it with me
I’m never turning it down when they try
to give me more I’m not selfish with it
I share but I’m gonna try to keep doing
what I’m doing because the more I do the
more people I can help and the more
impact I can have that’s what I’m gonna
do and I would challenge you to do the
same don’t let anybody like oh you know
who does he think he is or who does she
think she is and she whatever you think
I am
I agree can we move on
lastly look I’ve done I probably do 25
of these 30 of these a year okay I was
so excited when Patrick said we’re gonna
have a sit-down so much easier and so
much more fun I don’t know why people
don’t do more of these because he gets
for me exactly what he wants to give to
you versus me saying it and maybe it
hits maybe it doesn’t but I walked in
the room first of all I heard you
outside all the doors were locked like
you can’t leave when you come in here
just so you know know there they’re like
chained on the other side so I’m like
when you come in you’re here okay I
couldn’t get in I heard everything I’m
hearing the screaming I finally come in
and this is what the American Dream is
about you if you’re really about this
country an opportunity you grow your
business you grow your own business you
grow your team’s business you grow this
company’s business so that more people
can share in the American dream that’s
what this is look if you try to take
away from a business the success you’re
not getting it they’ve got to have
success so that we can all have success
and then you’ve got to count on people
that are running these organizations
that are about people giving people an
opportunity and hope that it’s not about
what they can gather and take these are
the robber barons from 1920s this is
about how do we do this and do this
together we are in the greatest country
in the world and clothes you my friend
were born at the right time if you were
born 40 years ago life would be much
different for you think about what I’m
saying and however you want this world
and country to be you make it and you
start with you so whatever you’re gonna
do you start with you and you know what
there are no excuses there are only
solutions there are all setbacks I just
I just finished a book
forgetting the name adversity I will get
you the name and you get it to your
people it talks about adversity it’s
good it’s the only thing you it makes
you understand you’re growing there’s
things gonna come at you you’re gonna
have some of the worst things happen in
your life I have he it’s just its life
but at the end of the day it’s the next
step forward the next step forward how
many people can I help if I’m climbing
the ladder now I’m telling you when
you’re in the first rung it’s really
hard to pick up the next person you got
to climb the ladder man you got to have
some success you’ve got to bring some
things in you got to bring it to the
table you’re gonna be at the top rung
and you’re gonna say hurry up get up
here next come on let’s go and you know
what you have a smile on your face
you’ll have a bounce to your step you’re
gonna have a long life you’re gonna have
enjoyment and you know what when we’re
all said and done and we’re done in this
earth it’s the impact you’ve had on
other people but you got to impact
yourself first
then you worry about who am i helping
get it right I’m so I’m telling you I
learned this was a great experience for
me our breakfast and our talk this
morning because all I wanted to know is
tell me about this give me and I want to
meet some of the young people he’s
telling me there’s some the talented
young people I met some of the other
guys he was giving me names and how did
you get this going you guys are a part
of something special
take advantage no excuse I don’t want to
hear what your excuse you want mine I
have a board I’ll give you ten you can
use any of just give me the number don’t
give me the whole sentence I don’t have
time but I appreciate being here
give it up top Calipari [Music]
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