Rick Mahorn
Big Man Skills Lead Coach
Rick Mahorn was a member of the legendary NBA Champions Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys.” An 18-year veteran of the NBA who also played two seasons in Italy, Rick is currently one-half of the Pistons’ radio broadcast team. You can check out Rick and the “Bad Boys” here.
“My goal is to get you to always be a student of the game. Hakeem was one of the most gifted post players, but guys like Kareem and Kevin McHale, once they developed a counter-move, became much harder to defend. You will leave the camp with a better understanding of the game, and of your game – that will help you become the best player you can be. Based on my many years as a player and coach, I would say, too, that the mental part of the game is holding too many players back today. Combine the mental component with the physical skills you have and you will become a much more complete player. This combination – the physical plus the mental – makes our camp truly one-of-a-kind.”
George Galiotos
Big Man Skills/ Player Development Coach
Now in his 6th season, Coach George is an invaluable part of the team! The 7-foot veteran of 13 years in the Greek Basketball League and a former member of the Greek National Team, holds a master’s degree in physical education and sport science, with special expertise in working with big men. As Rick notes: “George is a great teacher of the big man game with an exceptional eye to detail. He will correct your mistakes but still let you play your game.”
Mitch Smith
Mental Conditioning Coach
Dr. Mitch Smith has worked with hundreds of college and professional basketball players, coaches, and teams in both the U.S. and Europe helping them to develop the mental qualities to achieve greater competitive success. For ten years he served as Director of Sport Psychology Services at Florida Atlantic University.
“The true value of a camp is if it can help you become a more dominating player in critical game situations. That is where the mental part comes in. For over 20 years I have helped players become mentally tougher so that they can:
1. Maintain consistent focus and fend off distractions of all sorts
2. Keep their confidence high during a game (or a season)’s ups and down
3. Keep anger from getting in the way, and use it to their advantage
4. Become more resilient and more aggressive by accepting setbacks as challenges and opportunities rather than defeats”
Dalibor Bagaric
Big Man Skills Coach
The 7’1” Croatian/German was a first-round pick of the Chicago Bulls in the 2000 NBA draft. Following his tenure with the Bulls, Bagarić returned to Europe where he played on top clubs in Spain, Greece, Italy and Germany, until his 2016 retirement.
Bruno Sundov
Big Man Skills Coach
Another Croatian, 7’3” Sundov was drafted by the Mavs out of high school and played for 7 years in the NBA, going on to play an additional 13 years in Europe for legendary teams like Maccabi Tel Aviv and Cibona Zagreb. Sundov also regularly takes part in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program which works with the most gifted 16-year-old stars of Europe
MANOLO POVEA
Guard Skills Coach
from Malaga, Spain, brings a wealth of international coaching experience. The veteran Spanish League coach and educator will head up our guard camp together with Rick.