Join Ads Marketplace to earn through podcast sponsorships.
Manage your ads with dynamic ad insertion capability.
Monetize with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions via Podbean.
Earn rewards and recurring income from Fan Club membership.
Get the answers and support you need.
Resources and guides to launch, grow, and monetize podcast.
Stay updated with the latest podcasting tips and trends.
Check out our newest and recently released features!
Podcast interviews, best practices, and helpful tips.
The step-by-step guide to start your own podcast.
Create the best live podcast and engage your audience.
Tips on making the decision to monetize your podcast.
The best ways to get more eyes and ears on your podcast.
Everything you need to know about podcast advertising.
The ultimate guide to recording a podcast on your phone.
Steps to set up and use group recording in the Podbean app.
Join Ads Marketplace to earn through podcast sponsorships.
Manage your ads with dynamic ad insertion capability.
Monetize with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions via Podbean.
Earn rewards and recurring income from Fan Club membership.
Get the answers and support you need.
Resources and guides to launch, grow, and monetize podcast.
Stay updated with the latest podcasting tips and trends.
Check out our newest and recently released features!
Podcast interviews, best practices, and helpful tips.
The step-by-step guide to start your own podcast.
Create the best live podcast and engage your audience.
Tips on making the decision to monetize your podcast.
The best ways to get more eyes and ears on your podcast.
Everything you need to know about podcast advertising.
The ultimate guide to recording a podcast on your phone.
Steps to set up and use group recording in the Podbean app.
Ben Kaplan and Danny Parkins, "Pipeline to the Pros: How D3 Small-College Nobodies Rose to Rule the NBA" (Triumph Books, 2024)
Today I talked to Ben Kaplan about his new book (co-authored with Danny Parkins) Pipeline to the Pros: How D3 Small-College Nobodies Rose to Rule the NBA (Triumph Books, 2024).
Jeff Van Gundy. Brad Stevens. Frank Vogel. Mike Budenholzer. Tom Thibodeau. Sam Presti. Leon Rose. Before you knew his name, before he drafted your favorite player, before he guided your team to a championship, he had a playing career of his own at an NCAA Division III college. He didn’t play for fortune – the NBA was out of reach, and his school didn’t even give athletic scholarships. He didn’t play for fame – his games weren’t televised, and the stands were rarely full. Whatever the motivation, he simply couldn’t give up the game of basketball. And that didn’t change after graduation, when it was time to pick a career path.
For the first time in league history, NBA coaches and general managers are just as likely to have played Division III basketball as they are to have played in the NBA. While the number of former D3 players working in the NBA is higher than ever, small college alums have served in leadership positions since the league’s founding. They shaped the NBA into what it is today, playing integral roles in the Lakers’ initial success in Los Angeles, the inception of several expansion franchises, the creation of the popular All-Star Weekend dunk contest, the globalization of the league, and more.
Their improbable and inspiring journeys tell a bigger story – the history of small college athletics, the evolution of coaching and management in the NBA, and the hiring practices in the most competitive fields. Their alma maters were small, but their impact on the game, and the implications of their success, loom large.
Paul Knepper covered the New York Knicks for Bleacher Report. His first book, The Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All was published in 2020. You can reach Paul at paulknepper@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @paulieknep.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sports
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free