Opening The Books, Basketball Legend Lester Conner Gets New Shot As TBL Head Coach

Following a tenured career in the NBA as a player and a coach, Virginia Valley Vipers new head coach Lester Conner finally gets deserved moment to shine.

Winchester, Virginia — It’s not every day that you get to talk to a childhood hero. When that time comes you hold tight to it. 

You never know if the opportunity will present itself again or if the good-bye is a final one. What’s left is the lingering wonder if you said everything there was to say and the distant memories you hold tight to along the way. 

In early March after The Basketball League opened the 2024 regular season with a thrilling weekend of hoops, Virginia Valley Vipers first year head coach Lester Conner received unfortunate news that the man responsible for recruiting Conner to play basketball at Oregon State – assistant coach Jimmy Anderson under the legendary Ralph Miller – had passed away. Coach Anderson was 86 years old, but he remained timeless; an iconic figure at Oregon State and a coach who passionately co-conducted the “Orange Express”.

“He did such a great job in recruiting me as a kid out of junior college to go play college basketball at Oregon State,” said Lester as he reflected on his glory road from 1982 Pac-10 Player of the Year, to a long career in the NBA as a player and coach, to now developing young players in TBL. 

“I feel like I am all of my coaches. I have been fortunate in my basketball career that all of my coaches have been the same by coaching disciplined and fundamental basketball. That’s what I do.”

At 64 years old, Lester — who previously coached with fellow ex-Beaver Gary Payton back in Oakland at Lincoln University — still has a lot of game left.

Recently, Coach Conner spoke exclusively to ATBL about fending off retirement plans to coach in Virginia, the new opportunity with the second-year Vipers, being “more than a basketball coach”, teaching from his NBA coaching books, drawing self comparisons to Devin Booker, his favorite Ralph Miller stories, and having a target on his back during his first season in The Basketball League. 

Hey Coach, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. How are you doing and how are things in Virginia now with the regular season underway?

No problem at all. I am doing fine and things here are going well. I have lived here for about five years now, so I am a little bit acclimated. Working with these young guys has been good. They like that they are receiving a pro experience. 

They have not been through a pro workout, a training camp, a practice, or just a pro environment. That’s what I have been bringing to them and they have loved what is going on with defensive schemes and offensive sets. I have given all of the players play books and I add some things as I see fit. As I have been told, this is a big change from last year. 

I know these games can be a small sample size, but what have you seen from the guys now that you’re standing at 4-1?

I like what we are doing and I see the potential. But there have been times we haven’t played up to our potential. I told them, there are times where you are going to get beat, but you have to bring it every single night. Particularly us. There are three teams this year who have bullseyes on their backs: the team who won it last year, Cliff Levingston (with the Santa Ana Thunder) because he won NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, and us. We are the other team because I played in the NBA for 12 years, coached in the NBA for 18 years and was a pro scout. Then you have guys like Baron Davis giving us a shout out and Paul Pierce mentioning me in his Hall of Fame speech, so we are going to have access to some things that other teams don’t have. 

How do you approach this season as a head coach – just by focusing on the court, or off of the court as well? 

When I was playing, I was an assist guy and played defensive, while being an opportunity scorer. So I do that same thing now – I am going to help however I can. So recently I went to a town chamber event and met some of our sponsors and was able to shake some hands and talk to people. I have also helped bring some sponsorships to the table. This is something I have always wanted to do, but when you are playing and coaching you don’t always have the time. But again, it’s just some of the ways I can help the team like by bringing in my brother-in-law, Ralph Sampson, to work and talk with the guys. 

This is actually my second opportunity as a head coach. I assembled a team one time when I was growing up in Oakland to play in the San Francisco Summer Pro-League. I would put together practice plans and plays, sort of like what I am doing here, so this is a good opportunity for me and it’s a good opportunity for the guys as well. This season alone because of TBL TV, guys will be seen in over 145 countries. They will have eyes on them. And I am not just talking about on the court, but off of the court too. Or on the bench. I am not just a basketball coach. I talk to them about nutrition, their clothes, grooming habits, and how to greet people for example. I don’t just stick to the X’s and O’s. I always check in with them about their families too – dads, moms, and grandparents. I am a people person like that. 

What did you know about The Basketball League before becoming a part of it?

I didn’t know anything about this league. I actually heard about it through one of the players – Maleke Jones – that the Vipers were looking for a head coach. I sent my bio and my resume to the team, but I didn’t hear back until about four-and-a-half months and had completely forgotten about it. We ended up having some talks and some meetings. The next thing you know, I am head coach of the Vipers. 

The TBL is known for being a short-season league but also a competitive league. The offseason can also be a long waiting game. How did you go about preparing for your first year in the league? 

When we finally reached an agreement for being hired as head coach, it took a lot to convince me because I was retired. My biggest decision every morning when I woke up was trying to figure out when I was going to start taking my social security. When we first brought the team together, I knew there would be some new guys and guys also from last year. And that’s ok, but I want to see guys play for me during tryouts. That way when it came time for training camp, they knew my approach. I started putting in offensive and defensive schemes because we only had two training camp days and then got into practices. I have my books – defensive books and offensive books from my time coaching in the NBA. It’s just a matter of time for them learning certain terminology and just knowing what I want out of them as players. I am not expecting anything out of them that they shouldn’t expect out of me. Things like being on time, being professional, and being ready to work. We need to bring it every night. 

Tell me about “the books”. What’s in “the books”?

I have books from Boston (with Rick Pitino), Milwaukee (with Terry Stotts) Indiana (with Jim O’Brien) , Atlanta (with Larry Drew), Denver (with Brian Shaw). Those are offensive and defensive books and play calls, some play sheets. The guys have some of those, but I can’t overwhelm them. I can’t give them all of my stuff because it’s predicated on an 82-game season and possibly the playoffs. We have about three to four sets that we run, some sideline out of bound plays, and in case teams try to go zone on us. We are well prepared. It’s just taking what I am teaching them and applying it to the court. 

I don’t want to make either of us feel too old right now, but I grew up in Corvallis and followed Oregon State Basketball religiously…

What!?

Yes, I would ride my bike as a kid from across town to campus and sneak into Gill Coliseum to sit up in the rafters and watch Ralph Miller and Gary Payton run practice. But your teams with Steve Johnson, Charlie Sitton, A.C. Green, Ray Blume, Mark Radford, and others helped pave the way and left a legacy. Did you guys know at the time how special it was for OSU basketball?

My Junior year we were ranked No. 1 in the country and we were on the cover of Sports Illustrated, so we knew that was special. And then my Senior year, because some guys left critics were picking us to finish last in the Pac-10. We had a meeting amongst ourselves and decided we were going to show everybody. We ended up finishing No. 4 in the country, won the Pac-10, and then we got to the final eight teams before we lost to Georgetown. Oregon State is always special to me and I have stayed in touch since I left. They are like another family to me. We knew we were good and the whole state of Oregon embraced us. (make sure to check out full game film from OSU and Lester from 1982).

I think I fell in love with the game of basketball just from watching Ralph Miller coach in practice and on the sidelines during games. He was such a legend in so many ways. Looking back, do you have a favorite Coach Miller story?

I have two funny Ralph Miller stories I can share with you. While playing in junior college, I wanted Ralph to see me play in person. But they told me he doesn’t go and watch guys play in person. He trusts his assistant coaches. I was thinking, ‘if he wants me, he needs to come and see me’. So Ralph comes down and watches me in the junior college championship. Coach Miller came in and watched the game and we talked afterward. He may have been smoking a More cigarette. He said in his gravelly voice, ‘You had me come down here? You were exactly who my assistant coaches said you were. I didn’t need to come down here!’. I said, ‘sorry coach but you had to see me play if you want me to come to your program’. Man, he’d never left the state of Oregon to go see a guy play. 

The other Ralph Miller story is from when we were playing up in Pullman, Washington against Washington State and Coach Miller split his pants during the middle of the game. So, he has these old skinny legs and is wrapped in a towel as someone is fixing up his pants, while he’s trying to coach us during halftime. Ralph is a legend, so if you can imagine him just in a towel talking to us. It was pretty funny. 

Are you like Coach Miller anyway as a coach?

I feel like I am all of my coaches. I have been fortunate in my basketball career that all of my coaches have been the same by coaching disciplined and fundamental basketball. Each level of the game I went to, I was able to slide right in and pick up things from the coaches. 

We hear a lot about mental mindset for rookies. Where was your head at after being the Pac-10 Player of the Year,  drafted into the NBA in 1982, and then heading home to play for the Golden State Warriors?

You know, my senior year I wasn’t trying to win Pac-10 Player of the Year. I was just trying to do everything I could to help my team win because that’s how I was taught growing up in Oakland. I had no idea I was going to lead OSU in scoring, rebounds, steals, and assists. I never thought the NBA was a realization for me. I was just planning on playing until my career stopped. But then Coach Miller said I was getting offers from law firms wanting to represent me, and that’s when the chatter started going into the conference tournament and the NCAA tournament. Being drafted by Golden State, that was the most pressure that I faced in my life as far as basketball. I thought Oregon State would be tough but being drafted by the hometown team where you grew up, went to school, high school, and then coming back as a first round pick, that was pressure. Everywhere you went, people knew you anyway and then people had certain expectations, so it was very hard to focus. It was an immense amount of pressure. 

How did you get through that time? He was there for you to lean on? 

I leaned on my junior college coach and my mom. Mothers know best. My first year in the NBA, I still stayed in the same house that I grew up in. I didn’t move out until my second year.

You played a long time in the league, Lester – from the Warriors, to the Rockets, New Jersey, Milwaukee, the LA Clippers, Indiana, and finally the LA Lakers. And then you had a stint  in the CBA where you won a championship with the Rapid City Thrillers. Can you share about your decision to play in the CBA versus the NBA at the time?

I thought I could still play so Bill Musselman at the time was the head coach, and he called my agent. He said they could really use my help in trying to win a CBA championship. There was a chance for me to play with the Indiana Pacers but at the time I was having too much fun in Rapid City , so I declined initially but the league said I couldn’t do that and I signed with the Pacers in 1994. That Thrillers team also had Sam Mitchell on it and we later played together in Indiana. Playing in the CBA, I really didn’t know what to expect and the next thing you know we won the whole thing. I don’t even know where my ring is. 

You were known for your defense, but you could really play on both ends of the court. Do you feel there are guys today who remind you of yourself?

That’s funny, I was just talking to someone about this the other day. When you look at Devin Booker, you are looking at me. I could flat out score the basketball, but when I got to Oregon State, Ralph started messing around with my shot and got into my head a little bit. I started focusing on defense instead of offense at that point. I really don’t see a lot of guys, however, that remind me of me because these guys are just so gifted now with their speed and athleticism. 

Who did you look up to growing up to model your game from?

My idol coming up was Dennis Johnson. I liked him because he played both ends of the floor and he also went to junior college, so we had that in common. DJ is someone I patterned my game after. 

From your time working as an assistant coach and in player development with guys, who were you fond of working with? What makes those relationships so concrete?

There are a lot of guys I developed relationships with, but I would say Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson. Paul Pierce and I are still close. It comes down to respect. I have their respect and they have my respect. But if I had to say one person, I would probably pick another coach – Dick Harder. We coached a lot together in Indiana, Philadelphia, and Boston.

He saw some promise in me and said I would make a fine head coach one day. I really owe it all to him and just became a sponge to soak it all up.

*Photos 1 & 2 credit: Cassandra Lynn Photography/Virginia Valley Vipers

Wendell Maxey is the author of Around The Basketball League and has written about professional basketball and sports for 20 years. He’s been featured on NBA.com, ESPN.com, USA Today, FOX Sports, and SLAM Magazine among other publications and media outlets. You can connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn or read through his archive on Linktree. This 2024 season, Wendell will also be a featured writer with the Basketball Super League.