Mental Performance and NBA Coaching

In this episode of Blades & Behavior™️, Dr. Naser sits down with Scott Morrison, Assistant Coach for the Utah Jazz, to discuss maintaining peak performance behind the scenes in professional basketball. They explore the often overlooked role of support staff in high-performance environments and the mental and emotional skills required to consistently operate at an elite level.Scott shares insights from his coaching career, including how support staff build mental resilience, regulate emotions under pressure, and develop habits that support high-performing athletes. The conversation highlights psychological flexibility, learning from mistakes without self-criticism, and the balance between confidence and humility in high-performance roles.Dr. Naser and Scott also discuss how routines evolve throughout an NBA season, how professionals adapt mental preparation from training camp to regular season competition, and how emotional awareness helps staff support athletes while maintaining team dynamics. They also reflect on the unseen contributions of support professionals and the rewarding aspects of working within elite sports organizations.This episode provides a behind-the-scenes perspective on the people and processes that support excellence in professional sports. Whether you work with athletes or operate in another high-performance field, the discussion emphasizes resilience, self-trust, emotional intelligence, and adaptability.Key topics include mental health and habits for support staff, strategies for psychological flexibility and learning from mistakes, the role of confidence and humility in high-performance environments, emotional regulation for supporting athletes and managing team dynamics, evolving routines across an NBA season, and the often unseen impact of support staff.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction and the importance of support staff in basketball02:00 Scott Morrison’s background and role with the Utah Jazz03:50 Daily routines and balancing work with family life04:55 Mental health and developing good habits05:45 Psychological flexibility in high-pressure environments07:00 Learning from mistakes without self-criticism08:30 Mistakes vs. part of the game in basketball09:50 Confidence and humility in high performance11:05 Emotional regulation strategies for staff and athletes13:00 Building self-trust as a professional14:00 Self-awareness and trusting your abilities15:50 Challenges and rewards of the support role20:00 Evolving mental readiness strategies across NBA seasons22:00 Training camp vs regular season routines23:50 Understanding support staff contributions26:00 Lessons learned and rewarding aspects of the roleDr. Naser’s links:https://linktr.ee/alicianaserNewsletter:https://doctoralicianaser.beehiiv.com/Disclaimer: Guests appear on the Blades & Behavior™ podcast in their personal capacity and participation does not imply endorsement or affiliation with any team, league, employer, or organization. Content is for informational and discussion purposes only and is not medical, psychological, legal, or professional advice. Always seek guidance from qualified professionals for medical or behavioral health concerns. This podcast is produced by Alicia Naser LLC // The Naser Institute for Behavioral Sports Psychology™️ and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®). All materials are protected under U.S. and international copyright law.