Spurs Ex Engelland Inspiring Rockets Rival Coach

The coaching tree that Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs have created over the years has many branches, and now the most recent one has joined the division rival Houston Rockets.

In an interview with The Athletic's Kelly Iko, former Spurs assistant Ben Sullivan discusses how the things he learned in San Antonio are applying in his new job with Houston.

"I worked in San Antonio with Chip Engelland, one of the great teachers of shooting and the game," Sullivan said. "And he’s also, to me, one of the best coaches of coaches out there. He really taught me how to teach. And for that I’ll never be able to repay him fully. He’s one of the people I owe a lot to.

Engelland has been an assistant coach for four teams since 1999. His longest stint was with the San Antonio Spurs from 2005-2022, as he made the playoffs 14 times and won the NBA Finals twice. 

From 2012-14, the Spurs' two latest Finals appearances, Sullivan was an intern under Engelland after being recommended by Ime Udoka, who hired him in 2021 to be an assistant with him on the Boston Celtics' coaching staff. He was among the assistants who followed Udoka when the Rockets hired him in April.

Sullivan explained that Engelland taught him how to read a player's shooting form through biometrics, but also to understand their mentality and how they hold the ball itself. However, Sullivan quickly understood that every player is different.

"With each individual person, it’s kind of like a baseball swing or a golf swing or a snowflake," Sullivan said. "They’re all similar, but they’re all uniquely different. And each person’s shot is very specific to their own body, their own mind and how they’re made up."

Sullivan said that the best way to improve each individual player is by building a bond with them. He hopes to continue using what he's learned from Engelland but wants to bring his own expertise to Houston.