NBA D-League trainer in the Philippines

A former trainer with the NBA Developmental League has been flying back and forth between the Philippines and China, imparting his knowledge and experience on players from children to professionals. He has been so amazed by Filipinos’ love for hoops that he is planning on making the country his base of operations.

Erick Butler, a trainer and game day operations organizer for the Idaho Stampede from 2007 to 2011, also worked as an assistant coach during the 2014-2015 D-League Showcase. He set up practices, put the players through their drills, did individualized training, trained players on the road, set up training camps and organized free agent camps. He first came to the Philippines in 2014, and later became an independent trainer with the local franchisee of an international chain of gyms. He was surprised by the level of passion and knowledge of the game he found.

“Filipinos really love the game of basketball,” said Butler, who was also an assistant coach for the Stampede right before moving to Asia. “And it’s not just an appreciation, it’s a deep understanding of how the game works. And it’s everywhere.”

Butler, who created the “Hard2Guard” basketball training program earlier on his career, also wrote “Erick Butler Basketball: Shooting 101” which is a training guide to improving shooting ability. The book is available online.

“It focuses on several key aspects that every player must master to be successful,” Butler told The STAR. “In this book, I strive to bring a stronger culture of basketball knowledge for the beginner, the average fan, and those looking to learn all they can about the game.”

In 2012 Butler, an experienced AAU coach, was an assistant at Treasure Valley Community College, where he helped Ryan Zimmerman turn a losing program into one with a respectable record, even getting road wins against nationally ranked competition. Since 2013, Butler has been traveling and teaching basketball, including a seven-month sojourn in China, where he has helped many schools develop credible basketball programs. One of his plans for 2017 is to bring Chinese school teams to the Philippines to join short tournaments, and bring Philippine varsity teams to China for the same.

“One of the things that come out from the intensity of our training is a player’s ability to recognize different situations on the basketball court,” Butler explains. “There is a lot of talent in the Philippines, no doubt. What I would like to contribute is bringing out their wisdom in deciding what to do in actual game situations.” 

Butler also recognizes the need to develop women’s basketball in the country. Though there are major opportunities for women now in the PBA three-on-three tournaments, there still needs to be a grassroots program to show young girls the possibilities. Butler has recruited several former women’s national team and UAAP and NCAA players for this project. One of the reasons it is difficult to encourage girls’ participation in the provinces is that almost all the coaches are men, and little girls sometimes get intimidated.

One of the things Butler learned in years of experience with up and coming players in the NBA D-League is the amount of preparation needed to become successful. Players reach a point wherein their talent is not enough to get them to the next level. This is where training and preparing for actual competitive scenarios helps, and attention to detail in consistent practice is key. Erick Butler is hoping that he will find the fulfillment of developing international superstars from the Philippines, his new home.