This following interview is a very special one for me. So, I hope you will read it to the very end and I promise it will encourage you to never give up on your dreams.
I was introduced to Jermaine on January 15, 2024, shortly before tip-off, while I was covering the Raptors vs Celtics Game in Toronto.
To be honest, I had heard his name before, but didn’t really know that much about him. That’s one of the main reasons I want to tell his story.
Why do we know all the details about the best players in the NBA, but not the details about the people who make all this happen?! An individual player is nothing without the team; a team is nothing without the coaching staff; the players and the coaches are nothing without all the people who make a game day possible.
Jermaine is developing a unique coaching career, which began in Germany and very quickly transitioned to where he joined the coaching staff of the Boston Celtics 2023/24. He had one of the most inspiring player careers, where he never gave up fighting for his childhood dreams. Even though it didn’t always look like it would, it is becoming what he always dreamed of.
Always keep on fighting for your goals, even when it doesn’t look like you can ever reach them. This is where many people give up. Luckily, Jermaine never gave up and this is his story.
04/14/2024 – the NBA Finals – the day of Game 4 – Dallas Ritz Carlton
Aurelia Rieke (AR): First of all, thank you so much for taking the time, because we are actually just a few hours away from Game 4, which is potentially a close-out game. We will get to what that means for you later, to be right here in your first coaching year for the Boston Celtics in a position to win it all.
But I want to start at the very beginning. Your journey is one-of-a-kind and needs to be told. To get the bigger picture, I would love to know how everything started.
What was the first moment you remember as a kid, how your journey started with basketball?
Jermaine Bucknor (JB): I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, which is actually a hockey town. Basketball wasn’t nearly as big as it is now in Canada. I loved watching my dad play basketball and just being around the game. Watching the Chicago Bulls back in the day.
Fun fact: I actually started first playing soccer before I started playing basketball. I was a goalkeeper, quite tall. That was my actually my first love, I still love the sport. I played soccer from the age of 9 till 12 on a very competitive team.
AR: When did you switch to basketball?
JB: I started to grow. I started to get taller. There was a local coach who asked me to play on a team at the age of 12. That’s how I transitioned into basketball. This is around the time where Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson were coming into the league. Jordan was still playing. He was at his prime and winning these back-to-back championships.
One day in my middle school, our teacher asked us on long term and short-term goals. My long-term goal was to be a professional basketball player. So, I wrote that down. My teacher gave it back to me and said, “This is not realistic, this is not something you can do. I want you to redo it.” I was 14 years old. Oh my goddess, I was crushed. It was the dream that I had, to play with the Canadian National Team and to become a professional basketball player.
Funnily, what happened shortly after this, the Canadian National Team were scouting across Canada and stopped in Edmonton. They had heard about me and wanted to see me. Jay Triano the head coach at that time, came up to me, shook my hand and said: “I just want to let you know. If you keep working, you have a chance.”
AR: That’s beautiful.
JB: Yes, oh my God. This was like a month after this happened with my teacher. In this moment I realized wow, Jay Triano told me these words! I actually have a chance.
AR: How was it back then? Did you know what to do, to develop your skills?
JB: At this age, I had no idea. We didn’t have social media or YouTube, where you could just go look up how to train. All I knew how to get better was, play as much as possible. Be on the court and work on dribbling, shooting, and passing.
AR: What did your next steps look like, and did the coach of the national team reach out to you?
JB: I didn’t go into National Team Camp until the age of 17. The training camp was in Toronto. This is the time Steve Nash was still playing for the Canadian National Team. This was Steve Nash’s last year playing. It was pretty amazing. Just being in the same gym. Watching them train and being able to train with them. Just amazing!
I didn’t make the team that year, but this was my first training camp. It was eye-opening for me. Steve Nash would always do a workout at the end of practice, where he would work on
different finishings. Like stuff you see Kyrie doing. Being able to finish with different angles with the right and the left hand. Nash and Kyrie are two of the best to ever do that. I remember just sitting after practice and watching Steve working out. Beautiful.
AR: When did that moment come, that they asked you to play for your country?
JB: That to me was probably the biggest honor of my career. The moment I made the Canadian National Team the first time, was a dream come true. Especially because of this situation with my teacher. This 14-year-old boy who got told this is not possible. Realizing it’s happening, this big dream of mine had come true. It was always in the back of my head what my teacher said, and I proved him wrong. My dream became reality.
The moment I got called the first time to the National Team, was at the age of 21. It was such an honor to be able to play for your country and represent your country.
AR: But not just that you played for Canada, you also ended up coaching the German national team. How did that come about?
JB: I only worked with the German National Team before the Tokyo Olympics. We had a training camp in Trier and we were there for like three weeks. Henrik Rödl was one of the coaches, we had a great relationship; I think he knew my work ethic as a player. We spoke a lot and then he asked me to help them out.
It was awesome to be a part of it. The trust from Henrik and the National Team. Being a part of their group and spending time with them every day. Being with the players on the court. The trust to work with Isaac Bonga and Mo Wagner. It was an honor to help them out.
AR: That’s amazing. At the time when they asked you to join the Canadian National Team camp when you were 17 years of age. Did you think that you could make it into the NBA?
JB: Yeah, in my heart and my mind, I believed I could get drafted. I knew there was an opportunity. I had a workout in Toronto, which was great. I also played the summer league with Toronto. They said there was a very good opportunity they would draft me as their 48th pick. In the end, they ended up drafting PJ Tucker.
PJ and I played together at the Summer League and we knew the draft pick was going to be between either him or me. I didn’t know until that night, when they called his name. I was at home with family and friends. This must have been one of the wildest hours of my life. I remember that level of disappointment because you waited so long for this and you really believe that this could be your opportunity.
PJ and I had a good relationship. Still, I was very disappointed. The Raptors actually invited me into training camp and potentially play the preseason with them. But I had a great opportunity that took place in France. My agent advised me to take that spot in France. That’s where my overseas journey started.
AR: How was the relationship back then with your agent? For me it is always very interesting to hear some inside details, because naturally this is a big decision to take.
JB: That’s a great question. Earlier during this time when I took the job in France, I was so young and overseas basketball wasn’t as it is now. At least we didn’t have as much information about it. I was a young kid, 21 years old. I didn’t know a lot about it. So, I really just had to go with trusting my agent.
When I look back to it now, I definitely wouldn’t have done that. I would have chosen the route with Toronto. I mean, they wanted me to come to play preseason with them. If it doesn’t work with Toronto, I still can go and play overseas, right? But his advice to me was, the opportunity in France. It was for a good amount of money for a rookie.
When I look at it now, it was more beneficial for him. For me as a young player in my career, the best opportunity would have been to get my foot into the NBA. I should have taken that opportunity.
AR: When you came over to Europe, it’s a totally different lifestyle. The same when it comes to the style of playing basketball. How was the transition for you?
JB: At the age of 17, I went to University in the States. I spent five years in America. before going overseas. Playing with the NCAA rules, then jumping into FIBA was a completely
different sport. I had been spending my summer with the Canadian National Team. So, I was able to play with these FIBA rules and get more accustomed to them and get a little used to
them. But still, going overseas for me was a big change, especially the language barrier. I think the first year was tough. I remember being homesick and asking myself, is this something for you?
AR: Were you questioning whether you wanted to be a pro basketball player at all?
JB: Absolutely. My first year was really tough. So many things that happened. I could talk about that time for hours. Luckily, I ended up playing with my childhood friends. Jermaine Anderson, Kevin Hamilton, and Harding Nana. The four of us played on this team in Poland and really grew close, and also all of us played later in Germany. That experience with those guys really helped me to recreate this image of basketball in Europe.
AR: You’re now working for the Boston Celtics. Is there anything specific that you teach some of the players you work with, that you took from the time playing overseas?
JB: Yeah absolutely. I think part of being a coach is not just coaching basketball. A lot of players in the NBA, don’t really know about basketball overseas. Some of them ask questions. It’s good to talk about it. How different the travel is, the infrastructure. Having your own practice facility access 24/7. Having chefs who cook for you. The beautiful weight rooms. An infrastructure that’s built to win a championship. 99% of the places overseas don’t have that.
AR: Going back to Germany. You built yourself a very impressive legacy in Trier. Take us through the time when you got there the first time.
JB: Henrik Rödl played a huge role in my level of comfort, because I came to the team about a month later for an injury replacement. Henrik is such a great coach and a great man. We share a lot of the same beliefs and mindset. Playing for him was great because he understood my game.
Trier felt like home almost right away. On top of that, one of my former Canadian national teammates who I played with, for like six years, played prior to me in Trier for six years. So, before I went to Trier, I called him and told him I’m thinking about signing a contract with Trier. He said, “I loved it. It was like home for me, you’ll be good.”
AR: You played in Trier for three years the first time. How was it for you when it ended, especially the way it ended?
JB: The way it ended was crazy, the team went insolvent and couldn’t stay in the BBL. So, I had to drop out of the league because at that time I was still playing at a really high level. I was leading the league in three-point shooting. I really wanted to stay but you also want to
play on the highest possible level. That part was hard, to leave during that time. But I decided to leave and take an opportunity in Belgium. It really was a difficult leaving, because Trier became home for me.
AR: How excited were you coming back to Trier after your time in Belgium, also knowing you got injured in the meantime and maybe wouldn’t be at 100% anymore?
JB: Yeah, coming back, I think I was very excited. The way I left was quick and unexpected. AR: Did you have any fear of people being angry with you because of how things ended?
JB: I didn’t have fear about it. When I left, I left reluctantly, I didn’t want to leave. But I think the fans understood that. When I came back, I knew this is the place where I can see myself finishing my career. I was very comfortable there. Henrik was still here. We were playing good basketball. The team was getting better every year. I said, you know what? I’m going to sign an extension. I decided to signing a three-year extension, which is almost unheard of in Europe for foreigners.
AR: This is very special in Germany, signing an overseas player for such a long time. And because your whole career in Trier was so unique, you earned yourself this honor, that Trier decided to retire your jersey. Was this unexpected for you and what did It mean to you?
JB: It was very unexpected. I didn’t know about it at all. Nobody told me about it. It’s was a huge surprise. It was an honor and a very special moment. I felt very privileged. It just showed me what I meant to the club, the city and the people. The appreciation for the way I played, the way I handled myself, and the relationships I built with this city.
AR: What was going through your head during the jersey retirement ceremony?
JB: It was so special. I was able to bring one of my former teammates, Simone Schmitz onto the court with me for the ceremony. We both finished our active player career in the Covid year. For him it ended so quickly. We didn’t have an opportunity to say goodbye to the fans because of Covid. So, it was nice to bring him out there, to have an opportunity to say goodbye.
You’re thinking about all the different moments you had in this arena. At the time I hadn’t shared any information about Boston with anybody. Nobody knew about this. It was just myself. I still hadn’t decided if I was going to leave the club. You’re just trying to enjoy this moment. Oh my Goddess! I spent so many years here. I just came into the position to coach them, this meant everything to me. A lot of emotions. Just a privilege and an honor.
AR: So inspiring, the whole story in Trier: First, playing there for such a long time; then becoming their co-assistant coach, and ending up being their head coach. And now even realizing all this led you into the NBA. Your one-of-a-kind work ethic and love for the game.
When did you decide you would grab the opportunity to work for the Boston Celtics? How did this even come about? Who reached out to you and told you they would like to have you with the Celtics?
JB: Thank you. One of the assistant coaches from the Boston Celtics is somebody who I’ve known for years. He was coaching the Celtics at the summer league, last summer. He called me and asked me to be one of his assistants for the summer league. When I came in, it was almost like a job interview.
I was there on the ground, working with all the players and the coaches, Joe and Brad. Joe was great, he was very welcoming to me. I was there with the team everyday for almost a month straight. They asked me to do different assignments: scouting and player development workouts, just being on the court. At the end of this, Joe Mazzula and Brad approached me and said: “Hey, this was pretty much a job interview. You killed it and we want you to be a part of our staff.”
AR: This must have been a crazy, amazing moment. You are in the finals right now; the season is almost over. How was your first season? Do you still have these moments where you feel like, oh my Goddess, is this really happening?
JB: Yeah, when you’re here working with these athletes and you’re around the best players in the world, I get to feel this every day. This level of enjoyment, of gratitude, thankfulness to be working with the top athletes and coaches every day.
It’s just a year ago I was in Trier. A year later, it’s the day that we maybe will win an NBA title. We’re sitting here shortly before tip-off for Game 4 in the finals: June 14th, 2024. I’m sitting here with you. A year ago, I was in Germany and now I have a chance today to be an NBA champion.
Even when I say it out loud, it sounds crazy. It shows you to never give up working on your dreams. You never know what can happen, you just have to keep on working hard.
Keep your head straight forward and not be too disappointed by things when they don’t go your way, because sometimes they don’t or at least you think they’re not going your way but it might be setting you up for something in the future.
AR: Thinking of it, we’re having this interview shortly before you may later be an NBA champion. This is just too crazy.
JB: It’s so crazy to think about and if not, if it doesn’t happen today, we will end it at home in Boston in 3 days.
AR: What will your next step look like. Do you know already what will come after this?
JB: I don’t know yet, what I’ll do but those conversations will happen in the next couple weeks after the season is done.
AR: I hope this interview will continue, so we can talk about what’s up next. Thank you so much, Jermaine. Thank you for sharing all these details. Listening to what you went through in life, everything you accomplished already, is just so inspiring to me. I can’t wait to see and hear what’s up next.
JB: Thank you, for sure. Thank you, you took the time to listen. It was a pleasure. I hope that my story can inspire at least one person out there that may need to hear it.
Today is October 19th, 2024, three days before the start of the 2024-25 NBA season.
Jermaine decided to take on a new challenge and joined the Charlotte Hornets to be part of the new coaching team around Charles Lee, where he will have an even bigger role, than the one he had with the Boston Celtics, to help creating a new and strong culture in Charlotte.
I will try to cover a Charlotte Hornets game as soon as possible, so I can talk in person with Jermaine and give you details about the decision process and the vision he has for the team.
The Charlotte Hornets are a team to watch for the upcoming season. Brandon Miller, last year’s second overall draft pick who already played a strong first season, is looking even stronger now. LaMelo Ball is back and healthy. Also, the trade midway through last season, which included Tre Mann, is turning out to be a great fit.
I wish Jermaine and the whole coaching staff in Charlotte a great start to the new season.
