NBA Shooting Coach Dave Love has booked flights to New Zealand next year and will share his expertise through a number of clinics across the country, in collaboration with Basketball New Zealand.
The Canadian native is set to travel up and down Aotearoa in late April 2022, where with the help of associations he will run participants through his shooting philosophy.
Love says he can’t wait to go through the Kiwi experience and engage with aspiring players and coaches on this side of the globe.
“Selfishly, the aim of my travels is to do something that I love in an area of the world I’ve never been to and interact with people.
“It’s fulfilling being able to share what I’m good at and see people apply the principles to where they then have a better understanding than they did before.
“I’ve been lucky to travel to a number of countries and experience different cultures thanks to the game of basketball and like all those other visits I’m sure I’ll thoroughly enjoy my time in New Zealand.”
Love’s coaching resume stretches back to his time at university where he worked with youth in his hometown of Calgary while studying towards a Diploma in Broadcasting. Some of his notable stints have been in the NBA.
The Phoenix Suns were the first team to acquire his services before spending time with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic. High-profile players such as Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton have written testimonials for the work he did with them as a coach.
Love says that despite working with some of the world’s most talented hoopers, his clinics are open to players of all levels.
“I don’t care about their [attendees] skill level. I want kids that want to learn and want to get better, so I don’t chase the most talented players. I welcome anyone who is willing to learn.
“I get just as much enjoyment helping out the 12-year-old girl who’s just picked up basketball as I do the 17-year-old boy who’s the best in his age group.”
Love also mentioned that his teachings are tailored more towards players than coaches.
“The goal for anyone who attends a clinic of mine is to have them become a better shooting coach to where they’re then able to assess and work on themselves.
“Coaches are welcome to attend and in the past I’ve had them act like assistant coaches within the clinic to help with the coordination of the kids. Should I be in a city for more than a day, I’m more than open to run a coaches clinic to give them the opportunity to ask more in-depth questions.”
Information regarding venues, dates and spot reservations for coach Love’s clinics are still being finalised and will be released at a later date.
