Most high schools are lucky to end up with 1 guy who becomes a pro basketball player, but Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, PA, has had several. Their most famous alum is Kobe Bryant, but they also had BJ Johnson (currently in the G League) and Al Bonniwell (who played in the National Basketball League for Akron). 1 of the most successful off the court was Jim Brogan: after playing a couple of years for the San Diego Clippers, he became a coach/trainer and has worked with many famous athletes including Drew Brees/Cole Hamels. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Jim about Kobe’s untimely death and playing in the NBA. Today is Jim’s 64th birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!
You played high school basketball at Lower Merion: can we assume that you are the 2nd-best player in school history behind Kobe Bryant, and what was your reaction to his passing a couple of years ago? There have been some phenomenal players to come out of that school due to having some great coaches. Kobe is 1 of the best to ever play the game so when I heard of his death I was heartbroken. He was a wonderful friend/great person who always made time for other people. It is almost unspeakable and still leaves a pit in my stomach. He could really inspire people of all ages and we will never have that now.
You were born/raised in Pennsylvania: what made you choose West Virginia Wesleyan? I had a chance to go to a local school like Villanova/La Salle but it might have been 2-3 years before I saw the floor due to the many great players who were already there. I was ready to get out of Philly and Coach Gary Hess (a former baseball/basketball player) was good about letting me know where I stood as a freshman. They had a great accounting department with a 96% job placement so it was a great fit. It was a small college atmosphere with 17 students/1 professor: at the time I had no aspirations to be in the NBA. My coach became my mentor, which helped tremendously to this day. I never saw him get a technical foul: you do not see guys like that today.
Your scoring/rebounding increased during each of your 4 years at college: how were you able to keep improving every single season? 150 jumpers every day before school: if I had done it with more precision and worked on my mechanics like Kobe/Steph Curry then I would have been even better. I just tried to make shots but those guys tried to swish shots. It was worth it: my focus was to get my degree and get the most out of my time there.
After graduating in 1980 you went undrafted: how were you able to eventually make it onto an NBA roster? I was really fortunate because the East Coast had the Baker League at Temple. The guy who picked me said that he was unsure how much I was going to play but I was named ROY in their summer pro league. The guy said he did not know how I did it but enjoyed watching me play. That was the tipping point for NBA guys to see what I could do and Golden State coach Al Attles said he wanted to look at me.
In April of 1982 you scored a career-high 24 PTS/11-20 FG in a 5-PT loss at Utah: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I was getting better and starting to understand the speed of the game and where I was supposed to be positioned on offense. Most rookies have their production go up toward the end of their 1st season: I just needed the time to be on the court. I was told that my production/minute was among the top-15 for PGs. You just have to bide your time and hope that you are on the right team because there are a myriad of things involved.
You played in 121 games with the Clippers: what is your favorite memory from your time in the NBA? Imagine you are playing against the 76ers and standing at midcourt near Dr. J and you have hundreds of people clapping for you because it is your 1st pro game in Philly. He said congrats and welcome to the league…then elbowed me out of the way as he drove in to score a basket! I remember my 1st game vs. the Lakers: I was stretching on 1 end of the floor and saw Jerry West talking to Pat Riley on the other end of the floor. I looked up and saw Jerry walking my way so I introduced myself. He said that we were the only 2 people in the NBA connected to West Virginia. I was so impressed that he even knew that and we ended up talking for a few minutes. If I had a smartphone back then I would have taken a selfie: I still wish I did! I have seen him a couple of times since then and he chuckles whenever I tell the story.
Your coach was Paul Silas: I know that he was a 3-time NBA champ as a player but what was he like as a coach? You wish everyone on the team had an attitude of playing as relentlessly as possible, which I think was the biggest frustration for him. We had some games in the palm of our hand and just turned the ball over at the end. He was a great coach and demanded a lot out of his players: it was a big bridge for him to build with players who did not understand the importance of playing with intensity and taking care of themselves better. He was a very tough player, a real team player on some star-studded Celtics squad who held his own as a rebounder/scorer.
You also played in the CBA for Atlantic City/Mississippi: what was the biggest difference between the NBA and CBA? Guys in the CBA thought they deserved to be in the NBA but a lot of guys did not take it seriously and just made it about me-me-me. I told them that the best scorer on a losing team would not get the looks. It is a profession and you have to get results within a team concept.
Since retiring from basketball you have coached basketball players on their shooting form and other pro athletes on their balance: what advice do you have for people who want to improve their shot/coordination? I got an email from a woman who is the all-time leading 3-PT shooter in Idaho history and is now playing in Australia. I told her not to just work on her shot but to have a precise result: swish the ball and make it come back to you. You do not leave a spot on the floor until you swish 3 in a row, and once you have accomplished that you can move to the next spot. It is neurological: you need to know how to accomplish that and make it a “compound effect”. I have been privileged to work with a lot of pro athletes about how to compete at a high level. I have worked with Matt Ryan/Drew Brees about how to visualize things in advance. We teach “vuja de”: the brain works with a series of pictures and we want to speed the electricity up in the brain (especially in football) so you see it before it happens. I want them to swish basketballs with their eyes closed and make QB plays with their eyes closed: when you turn science into math you can measure it. I also worked with pitchers like Cole Hamels on focus/concentration and also worked with an executive on these protocols.
When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? The son of a bitch was relentless! He never gave up because good was not good enough for him.