From player to mentor: Cory Carr helps power Maccabi Tel Aviv’s championship culture - interview

That person was Cory Carr.

Since retiring close to 10 years ago, Carr – who also holds Israeli citizenship – has been plying his trade as a coach with a number of clubs in the Holy Land but also working with players on an individual basis. That experience led him to Maccabi Tel Aviv this season as he was recruited to join the staff as the Player Development Head Coach, and he has been a very critical part of Oded Katash’s staff.

It has been very easy to see how much influence Carr has been able to have with the club just by arriving early at the arena and seeing him work with a number of players, many of whom are playing this first season overseas and in some cases also in Israel.

“It’s been a great experience so far. Obviously, being here [in Israel] many, many years and playing against [Maccabi] as a player and having the privilege to work for the organization and be inside. It’s a well-oiled machine, and every part of Maccabi, from coaches to trainers to fans, all have to do a job, and that’s why we’re here. We’re happy to be a part of that; I’m happy to be here and I’m happy to be a part of this first championship for the team this season.”

Maccabi has both successes and challenges along the way, but Carr sees how the team is growing together as a family and a unit.

“We didn’t start the season that well, but that’s also because we have a large number of new players on the roster and a lot of guys have never even been to Israel before. Coming back from war also had a lot to do with our process, but we stayed patient. We got some new faces inside the organization, like myself and a few others, to help kind of change the dynamics of the team, and I’m very, very happy to see where we are. We’re getting better and better. We still got some guys out, and we’ve still been succeeding, so it’s great to see how guys have stepped up and become closer together.”

Carr, who has been part of the fabric of the country for so many years, sees his role as being extremely important for the new players, as he has a tremendous impact on helping them get used to not just playing in Israel but living in the country as well.

“I think it’s very important for somebody like them to have a person who’s been here and who’s lived here many years, understands the culture, understands the people, understands the teams, the league, and just kind of help them in any difficulties that they have on and off the court. Obviously, on the court has been a real success in impacting each and every one of them in some way, it’s my job. But also off the court when they’re struggling and trying to find themselves, to be there for them in that way as well, so it’s been a good thing and a good transition for the guys.”

Oded Katash also spoke about how Carr has affected the culture of the team by being there for the players this season, a role that didn’t exist until now.

“Cory is amazing with his energy. He’s truly a special person, and his work with the players, I’d even say mainly with the younger players, he has the right language and the right mentality. He joined the staff later than the others, and over the past months we’ve learned how to use him more precisely, and we’ll need to refine that even further, but he’s a big addition for us.”

Carr, in turn, discussed what it’s like to work with Katash, his first season being together with the bench boss.

“It’s great working with Oded, I’ve known him for many, many years, didn’t get the pleasure to play against him because he was finishing his career when I was starting, but just a wonder to be around a guy who works hard all the time. He wants professionalism in the team. We’ve developed a great relationship between him and my player development department and my job, and we’re going in the same direction, and it’s getting better and better.”

One of the players who has really developed this season is Roman Sorkin, as he has become one of the top big men in the Euroleague.

“He’s a tremendous player, tremendous talent,” Carr enthusiastically began. “He can do a lot of things on the floor – inside, outside, very versatile and agile for a player that’s almost seven-feet tall, and his confidence is growing, his physical confidence is growing. He’s able to hold himself against bigger, stronger guys and also smaller, faster ones, so he’s one of the best players in Europe, definitely one of the best players in our league, and probably will be for years to come with his growth and his continued working hard and success.”

Carr continued discussing some of the various players who have been part of the club this season and are looking to reach their potential, as well as the club as a whole.

“We’ve got to get our guys back and become a full-strength team again. With Lonnie Walker being out as well as Iffe Lundberg, those are two experienced, very strong parts of our team. We’ve managed to win games without them because we had some guys to step up like Jimmy Clark, Jeff Dowtin, Jaylen Hoard, and others, so we’ve had different guys to fill that role, and we’ve done it nicely. But with those guys coming back in the right time, it’ll give us extra force and if we can do the right things, maybe we have a chance to meet our goals, and when we meet our playoff goals, anything can happen there.”

Dowtin, who is in his first season with Maccabi, is a player who has had plenty of ups and downs and after not having played significant minutes, when all of a sudden he was thrust into the starting lineup in the State Cup semifinals and final due to a number of injuries. The guard ended up being a huge part in defeating Hapoel Jerusalem and then Herzilya and he spoke about what Carr has brought to the table for the players.

“Cory’s been tremendous. Tremendous skills development coach, being able to get extra work in, especially for me, when I was injured and then coming back. We got a lot of one-on-one working drills, and he’s been great. He’s always coming to talk to me about things that he sees on the court. We might stay before practice or after practice to get some work in. He’s been amazing. He’s been tremendous. He’s a big part of our success, especially for this championship. Hopefully, throughout the rest of the year, we continue to build that relationship and continue to work.”

A player that Carr has been able to admire is Deni Avdija, who began his professional career with Maccabi and is not only carving out a great career in the NBA but is now coming off his first All-Star Game appearance.

“Well, he’s a tremendous talent, and he’s right in his prime at the right time. The thing I respect about Deni is that he did it the right way. He grew up as a baby in Washington, gained his experience, got stronger and better every year, and he’s entering his prime, and he deserves everything that he’s gotten, and he deserves more. My thing with him is, just to go to the next level, being that everyday guy, being that finisher that Portland needs, and he’s on his way to that role as well. But the things that he’s done in the last two years is probably a faster growth than any player in the NBA and we’re very proud of him. Obviously, the Israeli nation, basketball nation as a whole, is behind him 100%.”

As the season continues on, Carr will continue to grow in his role and be an integral part of Maccabi’s success, as he already has been. Working with the players hours on end and helping them is just part of the job, it’s also making them feel comfortable in their surroundings, which will be part and parcel of how they will hit their goals.

“There are things behind the scenes that can make a team really thrive and really go to another level. I think the player development part is a very important aspect of any team, and you have to be willing to have patience and commit to each player individually and try to get the best out of them that way. So that’s a real pleasure for me, a good challenge, and something that I’m looking forward to in the future as well.”