Episode 138: Sergio Scariolo, The Euroleague, NBA, Spanish Development, Coaching, and the Spain Pick and Roll

Guest: Sergio Scariolo, Spanish National Team Head Coach and Toronto Raptors Assistant Coach

In this week’s basketball coaching conversation, Spanish National Team head coach and Toronto Raptors assistant coach Sergio Scariolo joins the Basketball Podcast to discuss the EuroLeague, NBA, Spanish development, coaching, and Spain pick and roll.

Scariolo started his coaching career in the early 1980s, as the assistant head coach of Brescia, and then Pesaro In 1990, after returning to Pesaro, Scariolo won the Italian national league title, at age 29. In the following year, he moved to the Italian 2nd Division with Desio. In 1993, he was again in the Italian 1st Division, as the head coach of Fortitudo Bologna, where he remained until 1997. In that year, he moved to Spain, to TAU Vitoria, where he won the Spanish King's Cup and made it to the final of the Spanish national league. In 1999, Scariolo was hired by Real Madrid, which he immediately led to winning the Spanish national league title.

From 2003 to 2007, Scariolo was the head coach of the Spanish club Unicaja. In five seasons with the club, he was able to win the Spanish League championship, the Spanish King's Cup, and made it to the 2007 EuroLeague Final Four.

From 2008 to 2010, Scariolo was the head coach of the Russian club Khimki Moscow Region. Starting with the 2011-12 season, he became the head coach of the Italian League club EA7 Milan. In June, he became the head coach of Laboral Kutxa.

He was fired after the end of the 2013–14 season, and then dedicated all of his time to coaching just the senior Spanish national team. While the head coach of the senior Spanish national team, Scariolo won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 2009, EuroBasket 2011 and EuroBasket 2015, and the bronze medal at EuroBasket 2017. He also won the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He also coached Spain at the 2010 FIBA World Championship. In 2019, Scariolo led Spain to victory in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

In July 2018, he was hired by the Toronto Raptors as an assistant coach, aiding them to win their first NBA championship.

Breakdown

1:00 - Euroleague National Team Experience

3:00 - Coaching in the NBA

7:00 - Comparing Euroleague and the NBA

11:00 - Different Sets in NBA and Euroleague

14:00 - Spanish Basketball Success

18:00 - Technical, Tactical Philosophy

22:30 - A,B, and C Plan

27:00 - Game Day Adjustments

29:00 - Allowing Players having Freedom

33:30 - Process of Stopping to craft