After a long day at the scouting combine in March, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur found himself in a conversation about what was next in his career. The free agency was about to start. The offseason workouts were supposed to start in a few weeks, and the draft a few days later. LaFleur mentioned that he was going on a road trip with the Milwaukee Bucks. It was suggested that it would be fun, but LaFleur said it was actually a business trip. Despite winning 13 games in each of his first three NFL seasons, LaFleur has not won a Super Bowl or been to one. Even if it meant traveling with a team from a different sport, he would do it. Jon said he thought he had a good time. There is no question that this was a professional developmentopportunity. A month before the trip, LaFleur and his wife, Bre, were at the Phoenician resort in Arizona to attend a benefit for Childhelp, an organization that helps abused and at-risk children. I introduced myself and asked what they were doing here. LaFleur spoke. The Bucks were in town to play the Suns. They met up in the hotel bar after LaFleur sent a text to Horst, who was a mutual friend. Are you ready for the start of the game? If you want to play with your friends and family, sign up now. It's time to get started. It quickly turned into an evening of talking with coach Mike Budenholzer and his staff, as well as assistant coaches Darvin Ham and Charles Lee. LaFleur said that they were chopping up with Jon and some of the other guys. He said you should join us on the road trip. I asked if he was serious. I want to see how they work. It was just a random chance. He shot me a lot of dates and we made it work. They decided on a trip to the west coast. In order to get to San Francisco for a game against the Warriors and then to Utah for a game against the Jazz, LaFleur would have to drive from Green Bay to Milwaukee. LaFleur would fly home on his own before the game against the Kings to be back in Green Bay for the start of free agency on March 16. LaFleur didn't know if there was anything strategic that would transfer from basketball to football. What is the same thing as deciding whether or not to foul when up three points with less than 10 seconds to go? Budenholzer said that he wanted to. He would like to discuss that. Budenholzer said that one of the things that stood out to him about Matt was his desire to be his best. It's a huge statement on who he is as a coach and a person if he takes that time and goes outside the box. He and Budenholzer shared a lot of the same things. The sons of the coaches were also sons. The coach teams are expected to compete. Both of them are in a niche profession that requires them to deal with a lot of different entities. Meet the coaches who helped shape Arthur Smith.
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‘High school buddy, meet college buddy’
Budenholzer said it was nice to have someone with the same experience. A friendship and trust are developed quickly with Matt. It's rare, and it's nice with someone who walks in the same shoes.
They understand the blessings and challenges that come with coaching superstars in their sport, as well as the fact that they both coach superstars in their sport.
Rodgers, who has a minority share of ownership in the team, said he liked the idea of his coach spending time with him since the team had just won the NBA Championship.
Rodgers said he loved it for Matt that he was always trying to grow. Bud and his staff are doing a good job. It was a fun week for him to be around a different group of guys to see how they travel, to see how they work together and if there is anything he can pick from the things Bud says to the guys on a daily basis.
Rodgers has an ownership stake in the Packers and LaFleur has an ownership stake in the Bucks. LaFleur was an 8- or 9-points-a-game guy at Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where he played high school basketball, and he went on to play at Rochester University in Michigan.
On the day Matt got hired, Justin put Matt and I on a group text and said, "Hey high school buddy, meet college buddy"
Several members of his staff went to training camp with the Packers. He sat in on some of LaFleur's team meetings, as well as standing with the Packers general manager during much of the practices.
It is different when there is less than a month left in the regular season compared to when there is more than a month left.
LaFleur didn't want to be in the way of the important trip for the Bucks He sat in the stands with a friend. He sat courtside at shoot arounds. He sat in on meetings at the hotel.
From top to bottom, how aligned everybody is, how they communicate, and there's a genuine care for one another was the biggest lesson I learned. Bud and his staff are familiar with it. The staff and players see it. I can see it when I'm on the field. The guys on the plane are interacting with each other. You have to have good people and talented players in order to have a good team. It's much easier when their best players are also their best people.
Giannis is an unbelievable dude, but you can see it with everyone. All those guys are legit, right?
LaFleur felt something else hit him.
If they were traveling, they would have a dinner with all the players, the coaches, their wives and players families at a restaurant. When you face a little bit of adversity, it is important for you to build that team chemistry that is imperative to help.
The NBA and NFL travel differently. The players had a lot more freedom on that trip. The teams leave the day before the game and come back the next day. Since that trip, Rodgers has seen LaFleur let loose more.
He seems to be more comfortable letting go of some of the control and trusting the leadership of the football team, his assistant coaches and the older guys. They are not on the same schedule in basketball. You have to say, "Hey, whatever happens be at shootaround at 11," because they have nights off on the road. They can't control what's happening. There is something to be said for that. Are you going to opt in or are you going to walk away?
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 122-109. On the same night, they lost forward DeANDRE' Bembry to a knee injury.
He was able to see a lot in the Golden State. During the game, we had a huge injury that happened during the course of the game, so Matt was able to see the in-game chaos that happened with all that and then experience a loss on the road. Everything he had access to.
Every week, pick props for the football players. If you rack up more wins than Mike, you can win $20K. Pick your favorites.
He has a lot of questions. I think curiosity is an amazing trait of a leader.
Budenholzer told it and he got very nervous.
Budenholzer said that he felt a lot of pressure. If we lost he would be the reason. When we lost to Golden State, we were giving him s--- because we were on a good run.
I think for him to see that game and then the locker before and after, just the routines that the guys have on a game day, I think he dove into that.
The Utah Jazz were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was going back to Green Bay.
They finished their road trip with a win over the Kings and it was cool to see how they do everything. Sometimes they let someone come on a trip like that.
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