Episode 324: Joan Plaza, Modern Coaching: Instilling Confidence and Empowerment

Guest: Joan Plaza, Spanish Professional Basketball CoachIn this week's coaching conversation, Spanish professional basketball Joan Plaza joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on modern coaching: Instilling confidence and empowerment.Joan Plaza is a Spanish professional basketball coach with an impressive track record. His coaching journey spans across various European teams, where he has consistently achieved success at the highest levels of the game. Plaza most recently was head coach of AEK in the Greek League and in the Basketball Champions League.Plaza began his coaching career at the basketball school he co-founded, EB Betsaida, and worked with the women’s team EB Santísima Trinitat and the small club CB Sant Adriá. During the 2000–01 season, he led his team to victory in the Spanish Under-20 championship.A veteran of 194 coaching appearances in the EuroLeague, spread between Zenit, Unicaja, Zalgiris, and Real Madrid. His most notable coaching stint was with Real Madrid, where he initially served as an assistant coach under Božidar Maljković. When Maljković departed, Plaza stepped up as the head coach. Under his leadership, Real Madrid achieved remarkable milestones, including thirteen consecutive Liga ACB wins and winning the ULEB Cup (now known as EuroCup) in the same season. Plaza was named the AEEB Coach of the Year.Plaza’s coaching journey continued with other prominent teams including Cajasol Sevilla, Unicaja Malaga, where he secured his second EuroCup title in the 2016–17 season., Zenit Saint Petersburg, and Real Betis.Breakdown1:00 - Coaching Youth Basketball2:30 - Sharing Experiences7:30 - Modern vs Traditional Coaching Methods10:30 - Player Development and Communication17:00 - Assistance in Decision Making20:30 - Building Confidence27:00 - Creating Strategy and Goals31:00 - Time Management36:00 - Coaching Methods40:00 - Game Plan and Priorities48:00 - Coaching Philosophy and Passion55:00 - ConclusionJoan Plaza’s Bio:Bio/Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_PlazaTwitter: https://x.com/joanplazaduranChris Oliver / Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com