If you are not an avid basketball fan, chances are you have never heard of Mickey Moshashvili. He was a rising star all the back when he was playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth clubs, and after turning 16 he left for Canarias Basketball Academy's prestigious youth team. But his career did not take off, and he eventually decided to stop being an active player and relocated to Los Angeles.
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He has recently returned to basketball, this time as the coach. "After seven years in which I was involved in other fields, I came back to this sport and began providing private basketball coaching sessions with Dashletics, a senior personal trainer in California who became my mentor. Thanks to Dashletics I got to work with players such as Ryan Turell and Alfonzo McKinnie (who plays in the Chicago Bulls) and realized that being a basketball coach is my calling."
Video: Mickey Moshashvili
Q: What made you come back to this field after so many years?
"My love of the game. As a player, I felt that I had not realized my full potential. I had this dream upon arriving in the US that I would return to playing, but I knew that it was not a realistic goal because of my age and level. I tried every possible occupation, but basketball was always in the back of my mind."
When I was 24 I met Dashletics and Phil Handy, who was then assistant coach in the Toronto Raptors, and began working with them as a personal trainer and go to know through them many senior players such as Devin Booker and Chris Paul."
Q: In Israel, people talk a lot about Turell. How was it to work with him?
"Ryan is a very industrious person, very special and quiet who likes to work hard. Had he not been injured he would have been selected in the NBA draft a long time ago. He plays remarkably well in the developmental league and I hope he continues to represent the Jewish people with great honor."
Q: What are your personal goals in basketball and training? Where do you see yourself in five years?
Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Jon Spoelstra arrived in the US from the Philipines and started off like me as a video trainer. He is one of my role models and my dream is to become an NBA coach the same way he did. Of course, I would like to be a coach in Europe or in Israel."
Some three months ago, Moshashvili's career took a significant twist when he joined the training staff of the prestigious Sierra Canyon High School in California, which is considered to be one of the most distinguished institutions for developing players. Some of the most promising and talented players are enrolled there too, including Bronny and Bryce James, the sons of Lebron James, as well as Scotty Pippen Jr., the son of Scotty Pippen.
Q: What made you join Sierra Canyon?
"I had always had this dream to reach the best place in the US when it comes to high schools. Many scoffed at that and dismissed this as a fool's errand but I believe in pursuing my own way. One day I drove to the school and called the secretary's office. I asked to speak with the sports director and to my surprise, she transferred my call. After several minutes of conversation, I was already touring the facilities. I was overcome with emotion; I knew I would do anything to get hired, it was my dream. I gave him a good first impression and he told me that he would be happy to have me come back for a job interview so that I can start taking part in the upcoming season. We stayed in touch, and it happened."
Q: How was the first training session?
"I was sure I had arrived for a job interview and a meeting, but as soon as I got there, they told me to give a 12-minute personal training session to Lebron's boys and the Pippen's son. I was a bit stressed out and Bronny (Lebron's eldest) immediately picked this up. So he approached me and said, 'You have it in you, bro.' From that moment onwards, I had the best three minutes of my life. The energies were just sky-high and I showed them what I can do best. It suddenly dawned on me that I was training players that I had been regularly watching on television. After the end of the session, I was told that I made a positive impression. I was happy because I knew that I got in. I continued for more weeks on a temporary basis and then then got fully hired as a scouter, player development coach, and video editor in a 2.5-year contract.
Q: What is the routine like in the school?
"It invests heavily in sports. Players get three hours of training every day, not including the gym sessions. Sierra Canyon is a very prestigious institution. Many celebrities send their kids there, including Kim Kardashian, Kevin Hart, Chris Brown, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade, so everything is top-notch."
Q: How much is Lebron James involved in his children's careers?
Very involved. Not long ago we had an exhibition game of children and parents, and he was there. It's amazing that I can get to see him up close and shake his hand. He shows respect and calls me coach. This is something I will never forget."
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