John Thomas on the Essence of Culture

The Highest Level Podcast with Evan Burk

John Thomas is an executive with the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, where oversees basketball development for both Minnesota's NBA and WNBA franchises. As a former NBA player, he played for the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, and his hometown Timberwolves, and was a part of the University of Minnesota's Final Four run in the 1997 NCAA Tournament his senior year in college.

In this conversation, Evan Burk talks with John about making the Final Four in college, his professional career in the NBA, playing overseas, and returning to the NBA, and the profound impact his basketball journey had on his own personal development.

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Topics Discussed:

• 2:00 | John's beginnings as an athlete

• 4:15 | Ending up at the University of Minnesota

• 6:00 | The essence of culture that was set by Coach Clem Haskins on the Minnesota basketball team

• 8:00 | Subtle ways the coaching staff built the culture

• 10:15 | University of Minnesota’s Final Four run his senior year

• 14:45 | Adjusting to the NBA and the approach of NBA coaches

• 22:45 | Playing overseas and his journey back to the NBA

• 33:45| John’s role as an NBA executive

• 38:45 | Where John focuses in his own personal growth