A Hoops Journey

Episode 65 - Jacob Thom

Episode 65 of A Hoops Journey features two-time CCAA All-Canadian and Basketball BC most Outstanding College Player of the Year, Jacob Thom. A member of the Kitkatla band and raised in Prince Rupert, he sits down with us to chat about his experience growing up in Prince Rupert, the level of basketball in northern BC and how he worked his way to VIU (then Malaspina College) to have a decorated PACWEST career. We chat about Mel Bishop, being an Indigenous basketball player, the All-Native Tournament, and a frank conversation about the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and the recent revelations of the horrid Residential School system. A unique story with tons of takeaways, Episode 65 is a treat!

Episode 64 - Teresa Gabriele

We have a special guest with us today - former Olympian and Heritage Park great Teresa Gabriele (Kleindienst) joins us for Episode 64 of A Hoops Journey. An SFU Hall of Fame inductee, she was a two-time CIS All-Canadian, NAIA All-American and NAIA 1st-Team All-Star and Tournament MVP, she was a member of the Canadian National team from 1998 to 2012 and had a short stint as a pro overseas. She sits down with us to outline her career starting at Heritage Park, her relationships with Allison and Mike McNeill, choosing SFU over American schools, her Olympic experiences and much, much more! Another legend of the Canadian Women's Team, her story is a great one and a must listen!

Episode 63 - Howard Tsumura

Current Varsity Letters founder and writer Howard Tsumura joins us for Episode 63 to outline a storied career. Howard is a former writer for The Province, beat writer for the late Vancouver Grizzlies, and a multi-sport writer for all of BC High School Sports, and frequent play-by-play broadcaster for high school and university sports. he talks about how he got into the journalism industry, dealing with adversity at a young age, how he found his voice in his writing, his foray into the NBA, the magic of high school sports and kids' stories, and so much more. One of THE best to ever do it in our province - this is a great episode for all!

Episode 62 - Casey Archibald

After a brief break, we are back to share more incredible hoops stories with you! Episode 62 features another Salmon Arm great, former UBC T-Bird, National Team player and professional in Casey Archibald. One of the best players in UBC history as a two-time first-team ALL-Canadian, five-time all-star and five-time Canada West All-Star, he sits down with us to recap a storied career. Humble beginnings starting in East Van, to Salmon Arm, to West Vancouver and to Austria/Germany, he shares some stories along the way, how he got to be one of the best players from British Columbia and so much more!
 

Episode 61 - Kevin Keeler

Episode 61 features former St. Mary's Husky and UBC Thunderbird player, and current middle school teacher and Freak Show member, Kevin Keeler. We touch on his amazing art (check out @keelerart on Instagram) but also his basketball journey from being a young boy in Halifax, to settling down in Vancouver and the ups and downs of his great basketball career. We chat about the St. Mary's program, Bruce Enns, a thorough Top 5 Rappers discussion, finding your own place in basketball and in life, and so much more. From the Wu-Tang Clan to The Tragically Hip, and from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, another great guest for A Hoops Journey!

Episode 60 - Steve Sir

We have reached Episode 60 of A Hoops Journey! Today we sit down with former Northern Arizona Lumberjack, Canadian 3X3 Player, and a professional bucket-getter, Steve Sir. Another incredible journey with both an American and Canadian perspective, playing at the renowned Ross Sheppard School in Edmonton, to playing with Joe Mauer in Minnesota, the recruiting process for D1 prospects, the FIBA 3X3 experience and so much more! Incredible advice and insight on how to become a great player, and loving the process of improving, plus great stories about some incredible people - you do NOT want to miss this episode!

Episode 59 - Steve Konchalski

The longtime St. Francis Xavier University Men's Basketball Coach; an icon in North American coaching circles, multiple-time AUS Coach of the Year, CIS Coach of the Year, Canadian National Team Coach and Nova Scotia Hall of Fame inductee (and probably more to come) Steve Konchalski sits down with us for a second time. So many great stories from the coaching legend, from his New York upbringing, the passing of legendary scout and brother Tom, his time at Acadia University, becoming a lifer in the game and so much more. If you've played any level of post-secondary basketball, you know the name and face, but do you know his story? Episode 59 will show you!

Episode 58 - Chris Oliver

We travel down to California to sit down with current founder of Basketball Immersion and host of The Basketball Podcast - Chris Oliver. Another example of "A Hoops Journey", he chats with Aaron about his time growing up in Ontario, his growth mindset in developing his coaching during his years at Queens and Windsor, the jump to create Basketball Immersion and so much more. A McMaster graduate with a Masters from Brock University, the famous podcaster/consultant shares insight on parenting, the ketchup debate, honing your craft, and so, so much more. You do NOT want to miss this episode!

Episode 57 - Aislinn Konig

For Episode 57, we travel down to Tampa to chat with phenom baller Aislinn “Ace” Konig. The former 3-time provincial MVP, 3-time Provincial champ, NC State Wolfpack alum sits down with us just after landing in Florida to reflect on an already storied career. We talk about her family’s infamous pickup games, her time with Neil Brown at Brookswood, NCAA recruiting, WNBA tryouts and the role of women in important social issues. Coaches, get your young ballers, male or female, to listen to an incredibly confident, fiery and gifted young woman talk about what it took to play D1, ABBA and so much more!

Episode 56 - Bill Disbrow

We sit down with another legendary coach for Episode 56. Longtime Richmond High, St. George's, Vancouver College and current David Thompson coach Bill Disbrow sits down with us for what we can call "coaching church". What else can we say; an episode filled with amazing insight, fantastic stories about DeMatha High, Michael Jordan, and Coach K. If you don't know the name, you are about to find out why he's a legendary coach. He talks about his early days of coaching at Burnaby Central, building the Richmond program to the powerhouse it became, and so, so much more. Pen. Notebook. Disbrow. Episode 56, lets get it!