While speaking with PEOPLE at Netflix\u2019s Running Point season 2 premiere event<\/a> in Los Angeles on April 15, Romano revealed he modeled his character, Coach Norm Stinson<\/a>, after a legendary person in the NBA<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI got the offer and I had to come in next week,\u201d Romano says of joining the series. \u201cAnd I usually do a little bit of an actory thing and do a little backstory, but I didn\u2019t really have the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, Romano leaned on instinct \u2014 and a familiar face in the basketball world.<\/p>\n Ray Romano as Coach Norm and Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon on ‘Running Point’ \u201cI thought what NBA [should I look to] \u2026 Well, first of all, the script was explaining who the guy was,\u201d he explains. \u201cAnd then I like \u2026 Who can I emulate? And the guy I thought of was [Gregg] Popovich.\u201d<\/p>\n Romano adds, \u201cYeah. I think if I ever was a coach, I would be close to him. I\u2019m close to his age and I just like his demeanor and all that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the base,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd then we let it go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n In Running Point, Romano plays Norm Stinson, a basketball savant turned social recluse who teams up with Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson<\/a>) to rediscover his love for the game. The role blends comedy with more emotional depth, something Romano was eager to explore.<\/p>\n \u201cIt had a little tenderness to it,\u201d he says of the character.<\/p>\n Still, returning to a more comedic rhythm was a major highlight, especially with the freedom to improvise.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was fun to do the jokes they wrote, and it was fun that they let us do the jokes that they didn\u2019t write and improvise a little,\u201d Romano tells PEOPLE.<\/p>\n Gregg Popovich, the former Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs, seen in 2024 Romano adds that he\u2019s hoping to lean even further into that artistic liberty in the future. “If there is another season, I\u2019m looking forward to getting into that a little bit more,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Off-screen, the actor is also enjoying the perks of being close to the basketball world and his friendship with producer Jeanie Buss<\/a>, who is the CEO and controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> \u2014 including some enviable seats.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if it\u2019s in New York, it\u2019s very good. It\u2019s courtside,\u201d Romano says. \u201cOver here, it\u2019s different \u2026 because everybody wants to see here.\u201d<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n Running Point season 2 is streaming on Netflix.<\/p>\n![\"Ray](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/69b5025d255ee71ed34a5db2c7385a0a.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Courtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n![\"Gregg](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3513ebd527c68407495882aec3a21df1.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: David DowNBAE via Getty<\/p>\n