sports
THE REMARKER • MAY 10, 2019
NBA COACH
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An unexpected journey Starting as a player on the courts of 10600 Preston Road, Taylor Jenkins ’03 now finds himself at Fiserv Forum and leading one of the NBA’s best squads.
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aylor Jenkins’ ’03 basketball playing career ended here. He never played in college, and he certainly didn’t play professionally. He hardly had any exposure to basketball past the high school level. et 16 years later, he finds himself in a seat next to a top candidate for Coach of The Year –– Mike Budenholzer –– surrounded in a huddle by MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star Khris Middleton. Although Jenkins doesn’t have the typical basketball background of professional coaches, the connections he’s made and the passion he’s developed for the game of basketball have landed him a dream job in the professional sports world. Jenkins is an assistant coach for the team with the best record in the NBA in the 2018-2019 season, the Milwaukee Bucks. ••• While earning a business degree at the University of Pennsylvania, Jenkins was still undecided about what he wanted to do with his life post-graduation. After exploring various fields, Jenkins quickly realized his passion was in sports management. Subsequently, in the summer of his junior year at Penn, he lucked out in earning an internship with the San Antonio Spurs, which changed his life forever. “Without this internship, I probably would never have gotten the opportunities in the beginning that have led to me to this point,” Jenkins said. “I just couldn’t have been in a better situation with the Spurs, one of the top organizations in all of sports.”
RUNNING A DRILL On the courts at the Milwaukee Bucks’ practice facility, Taylor Jenkins ’03 directs players in a drill during practice.
the ‘call up to the NBA’, bringing Jenkins along with him to be his assistant coach and right-hand man. “It was such an amazing experience, getting my opportunity to go from the D- eague to the BA, having that blessing,” Jenkins said. “[I realized] that all the time I put in to the D- eague and the investment in my development has led to that moment, knowing that my career could be over if I don’t make the most of it.” After a five-year tenure in Atlanta as an assistant coach from 2013 to 2018, Jenkins was brought to Milwaukee this season to be an assistant under Budenhol-
After a second internship with the Spurs following his graduation from Penn, Jenkins was presented with an assistant coaching opportunity in the NBA D-League (now the G-League). When he got this chance, Jenkins learned the value of taking advantage I want to have the highest challenge, of opportunities, unexpected as they may be. I want to have to go tackle something “ ou never know what opportunity comes, and it and better myself. That’s what St. may be the direction that you were hoping,” Jenkins Mark’s presented every single day. It said. “ r it may be that you weren’t really thinking about going this direction, maybe the minor leagues challenged me to be the best student is a different role than I was expecting, but if this is I could be. — Taylor Jenkins ’03, assistant coach going to give me an opportunity to learn and grow, Milwaukee Bucks and you never know what it might lead to, take it.” Jenkins worked as an assistant coach for the Auszer, who took the Bucks’ head coaching job. tin Toros now the Austin Spurs , the Spurs’ D- eague It’s been a long journey for Jenkins, but if he could affiliate, for four seasons. In his last season as an highlight any one word from his journey, he would assistant coach in 2011-2012, he helped lead the team say it’s being ‘blessed.’ to their first ever D- eague championship, which was “I’ve been fortunate because the stars aligned in a fulfilling experience for Jenkins. a lot of different ways,” Jenkins said. “ very day I’m “All the sacrifice, year after year, you put so much learning something new about what it means to be an sweat and tears each and every day,” Jenkins said. NBA coach. One thing that you don’t want to take for “As a collective unit just to have that bond with the granted is someone [Budenholzer] that has been in coaches and the players, for the rest of our lives we are your shoes, values your role as an assistant coach and saying we were champions.” wants to grow you to one day be a head coach and After the 2012 championship campaign, Jenkins have that ultimate responsibility.” was promoted to lead the Toros as their head coach the For Jenkins, having the opportunity to work with following season, his first ever experience as a head MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo is a one-ofcoach. a-kind experience. He believes Antetokounmpo’s best During his time in the Spurs organization, Jenkins attribute is the fact that he’s a humble superstar who had developed a strong relationship with coach Mike is in touch with life outside of basketball, which is Budenholzer. When Budenholzer was appointed as uncommon in today’s game. the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, he gave Jenkins “When you work with someone that truly wants
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to be the best that they can be and realizes that they can’t do it by themselves, it makes it that much easier to build a relationship,” Jenkins said. “There’s a caring nature to [Antetokounmpo], where there’s still that competitiveness and that fire, but he also has the balance of realizing there’s a different side to the journey, there’s something beyond basketball.” Through his six years as an NBA assistant coach, Jenkins attributes several of the qualities that have made him successful in his career to his time here. “In basketball, we try to do things the right way,” Jenkins said. “It’s how you treat people and how you go about your daily ethics, that stuff was embedded in me when I started in third grade at St. Mark’s. St. Mark’s is a place that has a competitive environment but also at the same time, a place that wanted to foster the true development of a young man, and that stuff really spoke to me.” ven though Jenkins’ everyday life is centered around a professional sport, he makes sure to not lose sight of the fact that life is bigger than basketball. “Realizing that we’re all a part of this journey together and the relationships, at the end of day, matter the most,” Jenkins said. “The results will be the results, but we need to be able to have fun and enjoy this blessing that we have, coaching a sport that we love. It’s going to make you want to work that much harder, because you realize how fortunate you are in the career that you have.” For Jenkins, his present circumstances in consideration, being a coach at the NBA level is everything he could have dreamed of and more. “I’m getting to teach a sport that I love amongst the some of the brightest minds and most talented athletes in the world and compete at the highest level,” Jenkins said. “There are thousands of people that want our jobs and want this opportunity, so having that mentality of anything that’s thrown my way, I’m going to tackle it and give it my best and continue to grow. I don’t know where it will lead, but it’ll lead to something good because this is what I love to do.”
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When you get players to buy in and recognize that you care about them and you really do have the intentions on helping them be the best player that they can be, that takes it to another level.” Taylor Jenkins ’03, assistant coach Milwaukee Bucks
STORY William Aniol, Aaron Thorne PHOTO Courtesy Taylor Jenkins
Marksmen say: ‘Thank you, Dirk’ — recognizing a legend for his grit, talent and humanity by William Aniol here’s a reason every boy at 10600 Preston Road who’s a Mavs Fan For Life wears the 41 across his back. umber 41. Twenty one seasons in the league. nly one team, one city, one fan base. Thank you, Dirk. Thank you for your unparalleled loyalty, perseverance and grit in a time where these qualities are scarce in today’s BA. But you were uncommon, the full package, a one-of-a-kind talent and human being. Along with being the greatest uropean player of all time, your 21 seasons in Dallas set the record for longest tenure with one BA team. ou left your mark on the game, forever changing and revolutionizing the way we view the power forward position in the Association. You popularized your signature shot, the one-legged fadeaway, which players
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all over today’s BA now try to mimic. And Mark Cuban, we better see a 41-foot statue of the fadeaway in front of the American Airlines Center soon. Although there have been the highest of highs –– and the lowest of lows, highlighted by the frustrating 2006 Finals –– you stayed. You stayed true to your fan base, city and teamWilliam Aniol mates. Sports editor You only cared about bringing a championship to the city of Dallas and nowhere else. I wish there was a way for us as a city to give back to you, but nothing could match what you gave to us. Coming over to the states from W rzburg, Germany as a raw seven-foot-tall 20-year-old, you had to adjust not only
to the challenge of the NBA, but also to living in an entirely different culture. Throughout your 21 seasons, you became your best self and responded in the face of adversity, never backing down from whatever challenges presented themselves, before ultimately climbing the mountaintop in 2011. This city owed that championship to you for everything you did for us. You proved everybody wrong. They said, “He’s too soft,” and “The Mavs can’t win a championship with Dirk as their go-to guy,” but you pulled off the unthinkable. ou took down the super team of super teams, the Big Three’ of eBron, Wade and Bosh. Just as every little boy has their sports icon growing up, I am proud to say you were mine. Being born and raised in Dallas, I grew into a Mavs Fan For Life solely because of you. I vividly remember the moment you
hoisted that golden Larry O’Brien trophy the moment my die-hard Mavs fandom was born almost as if you were lifting up the city of Dallas as a whole. I was only eight, but I remember it like it was yesterday. ou didn’t even have to form a super team to hoist the trophy. ou won the right way. The way that means much more, with veterans who gelled together seamlessly and knew their roles. A different breed, an uncommon humble superstar in today’s game thank you again for everything you’ve done on and off the court, changing the lives of countless people in our city and the league. There’s a reason every boy at 10600 Preston Road who’s a Mavs Fan For Life wears the 41 across his back. Dirk, we look up to you as our hero –– because as special you were as a player, you are even a better person. Which is why we play.