Interview with Gary Boren, Free-Throw Shooting Coach of the Dallas Mavericks

Gary Boren  ~ The Dallas Mavericks ~ Free Throw Shooting Coach

  Gary Boren is the only Free Throw Shooting Coach in the NBA league. Boren is highly respected on his knowledge and his remarkable Free Throwing Shooting team record. 

The Dallas Maverick’s free throw record in the past 15 years averaged 80% - 81% (visit ESPN.go.com for exact percentages), in regular season and playoffs games.  The Mavs in the playoffs set an NBA FTS record of 84.8%.  In 2003, the Mavs set another record of 49 consecutive free throw shots in one game (Mavericks Media Guide, 2013-1014).

Gary Boren has been with the Dallas Mavericks for 17 consecutive years as the Free Throw Shooting Coach.  Gary Boren started with the Golden State Warriors in 1994 where he met Don Nelson (the former Dallas Mavericks coach) and had been with coach Nelson for 17 years until his retirement in 2011.

According to the Dallas Mavericks Media Guide (2013-2014), Boren was the Free Throw Shooting Coach for the Gold Medal winner, “The Dream Team II”, in the 1994 World Championship.  The FTS Coach for the U.S. Paralympics team, Bronze Medal winner in the 1996 Paralympics.  Served as the FTS Coach for the Los Angeles Clippers, from 2004 thru 2006.

• The ESPN NBA website NBA Team Offense Per Game Statistics has Dallas Mavs ranked among the top #10 teams for the highest free throw averages in regular season games, since 1999-2014 mostly in the number 1, 2, or 3 positions. 

What changes are made, if any, in training that help a team to be one of the top contenders in the league in free throws? 

Early in season around the first month, while in training camp, we point out bad habits, make changes and have the athletes practice all year long.  Playoffs average is ~81%, go to http://www.basketballshootinginstruction.com/default.htm to view all free throw averages of regular season and playoffs games in the last 15 years.

• Free throws are not easy.  For example, there is 3 seconds left in the game, the other team is up by 1.  This free throw can either tie or win/lose the game.

Can you explain what goes on psychologically in a player’s mind in this high-pressured situation?  And how do you advise them to handle this situation? 

We recreate the high-pressure scenario in practice.  The pressure comes in when everyone is watching; we stop the practice, the whole team, including coaches, everyone stop and focus on this one player shooting the free throws.  If the player misses then he may be required to run laps or something of this nature. 

• Free throw shooting is very important to a game.  

Can you give an idea as to how valuable a free throw coach is to a team?  Can a team be successful without a free throw coach?

We have analytic coaches to quantify how important free throws are to a game. I posed the question, “what percentage of the games were decided by free throws in the playoffs last year?”  I was given the stats that last year 32% of the games were decided by free throws.

 I am the only free throw coach in the league.   Shooting coaches in the league work on other shots (i.e., outside shots, etc.), in additioon to free throws, whereas, I specifically focus on free throws.

• How much psychology goes into making a free throw? 

There is very little psychology involved; it is basically mechanics.  Practice the mechanics and the psychology will take care of itself.

• Is there an approach or a formula to being a great free throw shooter?

Mechanics is the key.  We film the athlete, analysis it, have the athlete watch the film and make the corrections.

• You are an All-Star Free-Throw Coach.  You began your coaching career with the Golden State Warriors in 1994. 

Were you a regular basketball coach prior the NBA?  If so, when did you decide to become a coach specific with free throws?  

I started my career 20 years ago.  I was in the stands one day and wondered why the players could not make the free throws.  It was not because they did not have the ability, they were great athletes.  That’s when I decided that I wanted to be a free throw coach. Don Nelson strongly believed in the importance of a free throw coach.

• You have been in the league for many years, since 1994.  Is there anything about the game, in terms of changes in the athleticism of the players, rules of the game, or the respect for the game by players that you have observed? 

I’ve noticed that the game has grown in popularity.  The popularity of the NBA is mainly because of David Stern, the former commissioner of the National Basketball Association, there are over 200 countries that are watching the NBA.  The over seas exhibitions and the increased number of foreign players contribute to the NBA’s popularity as well.

• Do you recall when Shaq struggled with free throws? What exactly were his struggles?

It was because of what I call a 2-piece shot; Shaq rose up on the balls of his feet and then used his upper body to shoot. There was no rhythm or coordination.  The correct way to shoot a free throw is to move the legs first, then add the arms in a rhythmic fashion.  If Shaq could not do this, then he should have just used the arms to shoot.

• How do you observe the kinesthetic of free throw shot?  Stance, posture, arm extension, wrist flexion, flexion of fingers and follow through. 

As you straighten your legs, the arms are going forward shooting the shot all in rhythm.  Shooting straight, the distance and other important factors come into play, but the first step of the legs and arms are the most important part of a free throw.

The 2-piece shot, is first moving and locking of the legs and then adding the arms to shoot, this is the incorrect way.

The 1-piece shot is movement of legs first; then adding the arms rhythmically, which is the correct way.  I have an instructional DVD if you want to learn more about the mechanics of a free throw, go to ChampionshipProductions.com and look for coaching free throw.

•  I read that you are involved with a nationwide free throw competition for boys and girls.
Can you comment more on this competition? 

The Elks lodge USA is a great organization.  They approached me after the Mavs won the championship in 2011 and ask if I would help with the competition.  The competition is titled, “Hoop Shoot”.  The competition is over 40 years old and there are over 3,000,000 boys and girls who participant annually. To learn more about the Elk’s shooting contest go http://www.elks.org.

http://www.championshipproductions.com/cgi-bin/champ/p/Basketball/How-to-Coach-Free-Throw-Shooting_BD-02096A.html

 ESPN NBA free throw stats in 1999-2000 during the beginning of Boren’s career with the MAVS and the most recent stats in 2013-2014

http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/team/_/stat/offense-per-game/sort/freeThrowPct

http://www.basketballshootinginstruction.com/default.htm

 

According to 82games blog, theoretically, a team who makes free throw shots greater or less than 78% can decide wins or losses for a team.

http://www.82games.com/random20.htm

 

My personal career aspirations in the sports management industry is to manage talent in terms of consulting, guidance, and exposure for the athletes who aspire to take their talent to a professional level.  I want to help them avoid pitfalls and assist them in making wise decisions to further their careers.

There are so many avenues in the world of sports to venture for opportunities.  For instance, in Gary Boren’s case, he saw a need and made the perfect opportunity become a reality.  The need was for players to become more accurate with free throw shooting.  Gary Boren then became a Free Throw Shooting Coach, helping teams win championships and setting NBA records. 

One opportunity that comes to mind with the overall popularity of the NBA is the rise of foreign players entering into the league; there are talent waiting to be discovered worldwide now, which is true for all sports, not just the NBA.

The future of sports in general seems promising, especially with the technological capabilities that allow viewers to watch from their personal computers and soon their smartphones.  The fans are connected, energized and more interested than ever before.

P.S.

Thank you Mr. Boren and Mr. Rakowski for the opportunity. 

References:

First Picture of Gary Boren

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fc.hub.aa.com%2Fissueimages%2Flarge%2F38501.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhub.aa.com%2Fen%2Faw%2Fmastering-the-easiest-shot&h=395&w=600&tbnid=_Ehs34e9bUIUM%3A&zoom=1&docid=vDb5QKoEDTrjSM&ei=RsDSU4LhOseXyATpjoDACw&tbm=isch&client=safari&ved=0CB4QMygAMAA&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=1638&page=1&start=0&ndsp=28

Wikipedia. (2 MAY 2014). David Stern. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Stern

2013-2014 Dallas Mavericks Media Guide. (2013). Retrieved from http://mavs.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/14_media-guide_DMavs.pdf

 (2005-2006). 82 Games. Retrieved from http://www.82games.com/random20.htm

Boren, G. (n.d.). Basketball free throw shooting instruction. Retrieved from http://www.basketballshootinginstruction.com/default.htm

ESPN NBA. (2014). NBA Team Offense Per Game Statistics – 2013-14. Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/team/_/stat/offense-per-game/sort/freeThrowPct

Legal Matters of Intellectual Properties in the Entertainment Industry

The entertainment industry is busy with a whole host of lawsuits stemming from plaintiffs seeking compensating for infringement of the following: Rights of Publicity, Copyright, Trademark, and Patent. In order to succeed in the courtroom, the plaintiffs have to meet the criteria for infringement:

The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

The nature of the copyrighted work;

The amount and the substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copy- righted work as a whole; and

The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. (17 USC 107)

Rights of Publicity

The Plaintiffs’ claim, violation of “Rights of Publicity”; defendants’ defense the “First Amendment”, Anti-SLAPP law of California.

Plaintiffs in the following case are of athletes whose images were used in basketball and football electronic games.  The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was heavily compensated and not the athletes.  The NCAA asserts that due to the “Amateurism” of college athletes, they are not to be paid and that the necessity of this rule is to uphold its educational mission and to protect the popularity of collegiate sports (Munson, 2014).

In the O’Bannon case and later the Keller case, are of athletes, Samuel Keller and Ed O’Bannon filed against the NCAA, EA Sports and the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) will change college athletics.  The decision made by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled in favor of the plaintiff, O’Bannon, to award former and current athletes $5,000 per season that can total up to $25,000 for an athlete’s college career.

I agree with her ruling, only because the award seems reasonable and isn’t that substantial.  The research revealed that the NCAA was investing portion of the money obtained from sales to invest in college athletics.  Sports Digest listed examples of areas of funding and expenses.  One example, Football has $16.1 million in expenses and $27 million in revenue. Men’s basketball had $7.4 million in expenses and $6.6 in revenue.  To NCAA’s point if they have to pay athletes, where will the shortage of funds come from?

Copyright

Copyright is a system for protecting the “original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium” (Copyright Act, 17 USC 102)

In the case Patrella v. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Inc., Patrella, the petitioner and the heir of a screenplay writer, sought compensation of the material being reproduced and distributed in violation of the Copyright Act.  The defense claimed the equitable defense of laches, which was granted and later overturned by the Supreme Court.  As the remedy, Patrella was awarded damages that occurred within the three-year limitations period (§ 507(b) of the Copyright Act).

I concur with the Copyright Act law that allows the three-year limitations period. This law appears reasonable and grants the petitioner some compensation; after all, the defendants did not try to seek permission from the heir.

Trademark

“Any word, name, symbol, or design or any combination thereof, ad- opted and used by a manufacturer or merchant to identify his goods, and distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others” (lanham Act, 15 USC 1052)

Hells Angels Motorcycle Corp. has been fighting trademark violations suits in the past 10 years, over the use of the winged death head and patch design trademarks.  More recently, the Hells Angels settled a dispute with the rapper/performer Young Jeezy, his clothing line “Young Jeezy 8732 Apparel LLC” and the clothing store Dillard’s based in Little Rock, Arkansas that sold the merchandise.

I totally agree with the settlement but what is confusing is to why the retail store Dillard's did not catch this.  I would assume that a large chain would have checks and balances in place to sift out trademark infringement pertaining to merchandise.

References:

O’Bannon V. National Collegiate Athletic Association, Electronic Arts INC., and Collegiate Licensing Company, U.S. Dist. Lexis 110036, (2014).

Keller v, Electronic Arts, NCAA, Collegiate Licensing Company, aff’d, 724 F.3d 1268 (9^th Cir. 2013).

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/11329099/why-ed-obannon-ruling-haunt-ncaa

http://thesportdigest.com/2014/06/ncaa-lawsuit-could-transform-college-athletics/

Edwards, C. (2013). EA settles with NCAA over use of images; College athletes object to video game inclusion. FINANCIAL POST; Pg.

014 U.S. LEXIS 3311 (May 19, 2014)

Clement, A. (2012). Law in Sport: Concepts and Cases [VitalSouce bookshelf version]. Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781935412472/page/208

National Post’s Financial Post & FP Investing (Canada). (July, 2014). FINANCIAL POST; Pg. FP10