On this episode of the Rising Coaches Podcast, we’re joined by LaPhonso Ellis, former NBA veteran, current basketball analyst, and head coach of Team Heartfire in The Basketball Tournament (TBT). In this first part of a two-part conversation, Ellis reflects on his journey through the game and the coaches who helped shape his understanding of leadership and winning at every level. In this episode we discuss what made Coach Digger Phelps such an effective leader and how he earned buy-in from his players, the key coaching traits he’s picked up from some of the best minds he’s been around, and what elite coaches consistently do behind the scenes that most fans never get to see.