BET NBA AT LETSBETMD<\/a><\/p>\nEditor’s note: The following one-on-one interview has been edited and condensed.<\/p>\n
Trae has had quite an offseason. He’s coming off some injuries. He has a huge contract extension for the Wizards. And he’s been getting acclimated with a new team. What has this offseason been like for him?<\/p>\n
Gaines: “For us, it has been business as usual. Trae is the ultimate professional. We’ve been together for his whole NBA career. We have a pretty great rapport and a pretty great routine that consists of, for the most part, being between Norman, Oklahoma and back home in Calabasas, California. So it has been business as usual. Trae is very excited and eager to get the season started. He’s ready to go. He’s ready to lead. He’s put in the work this offseason. He’s really excited about being in D.C. and doing what he can to make the team successful.”<\/p>\n
What did Trae’s offseason work entail?<\/p>\n
Gaines: “Trae works for me with his performance training. So that’s everything from his conditioning program, speed program, agility and plyometrics, injury prevention, recovery and strength training. He lifts four days a week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Saturdays when he’s in L.A., we’ll do the Malibu ‘sand dunes.’ That’s something that he loves to have on his program. Then he’s on the court twice a day with his skills coach, Brandon Payne. That’s Steph’s guy. But he has worked with Trae. They have touched base throughout his career, and they have a great relationship. He was able to work with him more this offseason. That’s a blessing.”<\/p>\n
How does Trae handle the challenge of Malibu’s sand dunes?<\/p>\n
Gaines: “Every year, I’m like, ‘I can’t believe this guy is doing it again.’ He wants to do it again. But it is a very tough workout. We started that when he was getting ready for the NBA draft back in 2018. They are very tough. There is a sandhill that goes straight up. He runs up there a few times. Then we do a lot of agility rolls, plyometrics and change-of-direction. It’s a very, very brutal workout. But he’s committed to doing that every Saturday. That has stayed in his program. This is part of Trae. He is such a mentally tough kid. He’s really unshakable and unbreakable. I think that’s part of his makeup. I think his dad did such a great job with instilling in him his personality.<\/p>\n
Trae is always up for any challenge. He’s someone that doesn’t back down from competition. He is someone that welcomes the competition.<\/p>\n
He welcomes things that are challenging. Every year, he does those sand dunes. He’s invited friends, teammates and celebrities to it. A lot of people have seen him do it. It’s such a big part of his offseason program. He does a great job with it. It’s a very tough workout, but he does a very good job with it. We’re out there for about an hour. We’re moving nonstop. But it’s just part of his DNA. Trae’s goal every year is to be healthy and be in the best shape possible. That will definitely let you know what kind of shape that you’re in.”<\/p>\n
What does Trae have to do in that workout?<\/p>\n
Gaines: “I’m not sure of the exact distance. But he runs up to the top of the sand dune to start the workout. Then we’ll do a different speed technique and dynamic style warmup. He’ll do a bunch of change-of-direction moves. He’ll work on lateral, shifting and shuffle moves for defense. Then he’ll do a ton of plyometrics with jumping up the hills, jumping vertically, jumping horizontally and jumping laterally. There are different ways to jump and land while being in control of his body on unstable ground. It’s a really tough workout. But he gets through it. He keeps coming back every week for more.”<\/p>\n
I’ve read in other interviews that you try to put him in a lot of uncomfortable positions. What other examples come to mind?<\/p>\n
Gaines: “The goal every year is to keep making Trae stronger. The NBA is a very physical game. We have to make sure that he’s able to get to his spots and stay on track with what he’s doing. He has to have single-leg strength, core strength and rotational strength. Change of direction and body control is something that I’m always trying to do with him. So I’m making sure that he can handle the pounding of playing 82 games and the playoffs. So getting him in uncomfortable situations where he can be vulnerable will make him strong. That’s the goal every year. I really focus on his body, strength training and his athletic ability.”<\/p>\n
He had various injuries last season, which wasn’t something he usually dealt with during his career. Given the work you all did, what’s your outlook on Trae being durable next season?<\/p>\n
Gaines: “That’s a great question. Going into last season, Trae was the healthiest point guard from 2018 on and played the second most amount of games behind Mikal Bridges in his draft class. So it was a freak accident. He got injured when a player was pushed and slid into his knee. Because Trae is so agile and his reaction time is great, the injury could have been a lot worse. But because of Trae’s body and how much work he puts in, the impact was a little reduced. But we’ve never really talked about it. Trae is not a guy that is a ‘woe-is-me’ and is looking for any sympathy or empathy, at least not from me.<\/p>\n
It was more, ‘Let’s do what we always do and let’s get prepared.’ We did our best to make sure that he’s in the best shape possible and is as strong as possible. But I don’t think there is anything in particular that has been done that is outside what we’re normally doing. His injury was a freak accident. So there is nothing you can do to prevent that. You can’t train for a player getting pushed and then sliding across the court into your knee when you’re not looking. There is not a workout for that.”<\/p>\n
But to your earlier point, you never saw Trae having a woe-is-me reaction to his injuries. What examples stood out?<\/p>\n
Gaines: “I never heard him complain. He was always just saying, ‘I’ll be ready to get back on the court.’ Trae is always positive, man. Trae is a very, very positive kid. He’s great with the rookies and has shown great maturity. Trae is only 27 years old, but it’s his ninth year in the NBA. People have to keep that in mind. He’s still fairly young for somebody that has played more than 500 NBA games. But Trae is always positive. I have never heard him at any point ever complain about anything. Never. I’m only speaking from our relationship. I’ve never heard Trae ever complain. He wants to put in the work. He’s the ultimate professional. He understands that hard work will get him to where he wants to go. From my aspect, it’s about how can Trae be in the best shape possible to play 82 games and help his team win?<\/p>\n
Trae has never come to me and said, ‘I want to lead the league in scoring’ or ‘I want to lead the league in assists’ or ‘I want to be this or that.’ It has never been an individual thing for Trae. It’s always been, ‘I want to be playing in June. I want to win a championship. I want to do everything I can to help my team win a championship.’ That’s always his mindset every year.”<\/p>\n
You talked in the Uninterrupted series about the importance of mental health. How did you see him deal with this past year with the injuries, Atlanta trading him and the criticism about his leadership?<\/p>\n
Gaines: “What’s funny. I’ve seen the commentary. I think a lot of it is a bit unfair. I think a lot of it is that Trae was just 18 years old when he entered the NBA. He was a kid. He was a top pick trying to figure it out. You have to understand Trae’s personality. Trae is a great person. But he also is a homebody. He’s not hanging out and having his buddies with him. He’s not that guy. Trae is a great family man. He loves his family. He loves Norman, Oklahoma. He loves Calabasas, California. Other than that, Trae doesn’t do much. Trae pretty much works out all day and then hangs out with his family. He’s more of a lead-by-example than a vocal guy. Over the years, that has changed where he has become more vocal. Now he wants to put his arms around the younger players. That’s where the maturity level changes. He cares about his teammates. He really, really does.”<\/p>\n
Dyson Daniels once told me that Trae’s leadership is very authentic. What have you seen?<\/p>\n
Gaines: “That’s what I was about to say. As somebody that has been around Trae for his whole career, I have never heard any of his teammates be mad at him or talk badly about him. If you talk to Dyson Daniels or Zaccharie Risacher, those guys love Trae. Trae is not the guy that is posting on social media or trying to do stuff to get clicks and attention. He is just trying to be a solid veteran leader for those players by example and being there for him. He’s not a guy that needs the validation from others. He just wants to go out, work and do his job.”<\/p>\n
Trae said he does a lot of yoga and meditation. Do you work directly with him on that?<\/p>\n
Gaines: “No. A lot of his breathing exercises that he does, yoga and meditation, that’s stuff that he picked up over the years. I think it just comes from maturity. He understands how to handle the pressure in big moments. So he works on his breathing and takes a second. I know he takes five deep breaths every time he comes off the court during a timeout. That’s just to focus and stay calm before he does anything. He is very thoughtful. He has been a pleasure to work with. I met him as a teenager. Now he’s a grown man and an adult. He’s on his third contract. But to me, he is still the same person. He talks the same. He looks the same. He’s got the same haircut and dresses the same. He’s the same guy.<\/p>\n
It’s funny regarding his contract. I wouldn’t know if Trae is a rookie or on his third deal. He has acted exactly the same.<\/p>\n
Trae has never brought up money to me ever. He doesn’t talk about money. He doesn’t brag about money. He’s just a very great guy. He’s a hooper, man. He loves basketball.”<\/p>\n
Trae also praised you for bringing a lot of energy. What are those workouts like with all the positive energy that you and Trae have?<\/p>\n
Gaines: “I try to be positive, man, because Trae is always in a positive mood. I’ve never seen Trae in a bad mood. So I always try to make sure that I have positive energy around Trae and around everybody. Overall, I’m a very positive person. So I try to have that impact on everybody that I’m around. I try to make the weight room fun. A lot of people try to make the weight room a punishment. I try to make the weight room really fun. We get our work in. Trae is strong. He’ll lift 100-pound dumbbells with multiple reps. That’s nothing. So it’s about trying to keep up the energy and bring positive vibes to him every time that I’m around him.<\/p>\n
I always try to be positive. Everything is okay. I’m trying to explain things and constantly give a reminder that we have to put in the work every day. But I don’t really have to remind him because he’s initiating everything. But I’m always positive. I’m never negative. I never try to make anybody feel bad. I always try to have a teachable moment. I’m somebody that you can always count on when I’m in the weight room with Trae.”<\/p>\n
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