Net Work

Training the NBA's Best and Finding the Keys to Greatness

By: Rob McClanaghan, Stephen Curry - introduction

Narrated by: Tim Paige

From the NBA’s most sought-after trainer and skills coach comes a “backstage pass to a part of the NBA that most fans never see” (Pete Thamel, Yahoo Sports)—how superstars like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Love work to excel at the game.

When Rob McClanaghan failed to make the Syracuse basketball team as a walk-on freshman, he asked the coaches what he needed to do to achieve his goal the following year. They all agreed: get stronger. So that’s what he did. For months, Rob traded fraternity parties and hanging out with buddies for hours in the gym lifting weights and shooting baskets. He was single-minded; the only thing that mattered was defying the odds. He returned to Syracuse for his sophomore year thirty pounds heavier and caught the coach’s eye.

In Net Work, McClanaghan’s “experience, knowledge, and keen understanding of the sport jumps off the pages” (Bob Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company) and he delivers what he brings to each of his training sessions: the same grit and spirit that got him into the college game. He calls it “the grind,” and he knows that without it, even the most talented players will come up short. McClanaghan pushes his clients hard; he does whatever he can to drive his players to the edge and to simulate fourth quarter, at-the-buzzer adrenaline and fatigue.

An all-access pass to the practice courts of the NBA, Net Work combines McClanaghan’s hard-earned wisdom—both on and off the court—with rare glimpses into the dues-paying life of professional athletes determined to stay at the top. McClanaghan shares stories of working one-on-one with some of basketball’s greatest names, explaining how each athlete works to shore up his offensive and defensive weaknesses; perfect his nutrition; treat injuries; build mental toughness; and find occasional refuge from the glare of the spotlight. This book is life inside the NBA as you’ve never seen it, where players differentiate themselves by their willingness to put in relentless “net work.”

great backstories about nba elite players

i really enjoyed listeing to the backstories this trainer shared with elite nba players. MEMORABLE!

Very Insightful and Interesting Book!

Rob McClanaghan was my gym teacher in High school and it is amazing to see the success he has had training the best players in the NBA. He’s always been a great guy but to see him follow his dreams and have the success he has reached is very inspirational. The book is very insightful on how to keep working to reach your goals and I found it very Interesting on how the best of the best train in the off-season.

Very Disappointing

What a let down. I had expected this book to be s out what Rob has uncovered about becoming great at something through his work with NBA players. Instead it was simply hours of name dropping. Each chapter is 3 min of some philosophy followed by a recap of a player, how amazing they are, how close he is with them, how awesome he is. Couldn’t wait for it to end.

Also, there is no doubt people have improved their game bc of Rob but the amount of people he mentioned working with who have suffered major injuries while his client really discredits some of what he is talking about. KD, DRose, John Wall, Kevin Love ....