Phil Beckner: Coaching NBA All-Star Damian Lillard and the True Meaning of Be Better, Be Different

Growing up in a broken home, Phil Beckner watched his mom walk to work at a gas station, and later clean houses after long shifts at a truck stop. So when it came to putting in the effort to earn good grades or a basketball roster spot at Kansas Wesleyan University, he had a higher standard to aim for.  When he graduated, Phil applied his gift for getting the best out of others to coaching, with roles at Weber State, the Oklahoma City Blue (the Thunder's D-League affiliate), and Nebraska.

After two years as associate head coach at Boise State, Phil made the difficult decision to walk away from the college basketball sidelines. Several NBA teams came calling, but he chose to focus on two clients – Damian Lillard and Tim Frazier – and build his own coaching business instead. Betting on himself eventually paid off, with the likes of Mikal Bridges, Anfernee Simons, CJ McCollum, and Cam Johnson relying on Phil to develop their skills, mindset, and character. He also consults with the Philadelphia 76ers and other elite teams, athletes, and organizations.

In this episode, Phil shares:

• How his mom’s work ethic, two teachers’ examples, and several mentors imprinted on him
• Where the philosophy behind “Be better, be different” came from and how everyone can harness the success formula that made Damian Lillard an All-Star player and person
• Why he equips players to be better humans as he’s developing them on the court
• What led him to leave college coaching and build a coaching business from scratch instead of taking an NBA job
• Why “We don’t want anything from you – we want everything FOR you” guides his coaching
• Why a deep level of significance is more impactful than a surface level of success

Learn more from Phil @PhilBeckner on Twitter and at develop2compete.com