“When I received the news, it was a great moment for me. It was like coming full circle. Montrealer Kris Joseph, a former professional player who notably dabbled in the NBA, is more than ready to give back to Quebec basketball.
In early July, the former pro was named senior assistant coach of the McGill Redbirds, who play in the Quebec Student Sport Network (RSEQ). He is the first assistant to obtain a full-time position since the program’s inception in 1902.
For the past few weeks, it’s been a lot of paperwork and adaptation. Still acclimating to his new environment, the main interested party took the time to speak to La Presse from his office at the university’s sports center.
“There was a long list of applicants, but I decided to give it a try,” he smiles in an interview.
When confirmed that he would be the man for the job, Kris could hardly contain his joy. “I went to McGill camps when I played for Sun Youth [Jeunesse au Soleil, in French, a youth program in Montreal], he recalls. I came here to train daily. »
Between 2008 and 2012, the 6-foot-7 winger played 140 games with the Syracuse Orange in the NCAA, where he was named a Big East Conference All-Star twice.
Selected in the second round (51st overall) in the 2012 NBA draft, he briefly played for the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets before appearing in the D League (now G League). He then made a career in France, Italy, Portugal and Canada.
According to him, this decade of experience will be more than useful to establish a good bond with the young people who defend the colors of McGill.
“One of my best things is that I can really put myself in a player’s shoes. I’m not that far from when I’m done: it was 2021, it’s still fresh. I know what these players are going through…I can be the bridge, the person they trust. »
His brother Maurice Joseph, who is an assistant coach at Butler University in the NCAA first division, is also one of his mentors in this adventure behind the bench.
“He tells me to come in every day with the same attitude, to give it my all when I’m in the gym. Players can have bad practices, but a coach, you can’t. It’s something I took with me and will keep until I quit. »
“I never saw myself doing anything other than basketball. You know when people say they have a calling? I sincerely believe that my place is in basketball, whether it is to play or to develop it”, adds Kris Joseph.
It’s his credibility as a top-caliber player, sure, but it’s also his early success as a coach that makes Kris Joseph interesting.
In 2022-2023, in his first season as a coach, the Montrealer did very well. Under his leadership, the national team of the Institut de sport Dynastie, a private academy that recruits young hopefuls from several French-speaking African countries to play in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, ended the year with a record of 36 wins against 13 losses.
“I was preparing for my second year at Dynasty when I was told that McGill was looking for a full-time assistant. I thought about it, I talked about it with my wife and with my brother. We concluded that it was an excellent professional decision and a good way to learn. »
Ryan Thorne, head coach of the Redbirds, rightly hammered home during the announcement that Kris Joseph was coming to his team to become a pillar of professional development within the program.
“If there’s anything I’m capable of, it’s improving players,” Kris said. And I also want to prepare these young men for life after sports. »
At 34, does he see himself coaching long term? “100%,” he replies without wasting a second. No need for special physical attributes to do it, just a sharp mind, he jokes.
“This is my second career, and I want to make it even better than the first. I will work as hard as I can to become the best coach I can be. »
