Alvin Gentry Explains The Golden State Warriors’ ‘White Guy Wednesday’ Practice Playlist

Steph Curry’s MVP season, Klay Thompson’s elevation to an elite player, Andre Iguodala’s willingness to come off the bench and Draymond Green’s emergence keyed the Golden State Warriors’ championship run. But there was another crucial element that carried the Warriors to the very top of the league: fun. An emphasis of Steve Kerr’s coaching was that the Warriors never forget to have fun along the way. After all, basketball, after you strip away all the glitz and glamor, is still just a game.

This emphasis on fun extended beyond games and into practices as well, resulting in the creation of something called “White guy Wednesday.” As Alvin Gentry – former associate head coach of the Warriors, now head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans – explains to Ian Thomsen of NBA.com:

“We had music every single practice. The players could have their own playlists put out there, and we started having these things where the coaches could do it. And then we had this joking thing where the weight trainers and [Andrew] Bogut and all of those guys said,’Well,what about the white guys?’ So then we had White Guy Wednesday.”

I can only speculate as to what was on Andrew Bogut’s playlist, but something tells me it was either old time honky tonk country or hardcore metal. Or both. There was a lot to learn from the Warriors during this season – how they defended the pick and roll, how they employed Draymond Green as a small ball five, how you basically need to have a hand in Steph’s face as soon as he crosses half-court – but not every team is equipped to enact those basketball-specific lessons.

What every team can do, however, is remind themselves to have fun every now and again, and to reap the rewards that come as a result.

(NBA.com)

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