Josh McRoberts: Rejoins the CHS Pack as an Assistant Coach

January 2021

We are proud to feature on the first cover of the new year former Carmel High School (CHS) Greyhound and NBA player Josh McRoberts. Upon his retirement from the NBA, McRoberts decided to move back to his previous stomping grounds and return to the CHS basketball program that he evolved in, as a volunteer assistant coach.

Building Upon a Strong Foundation

We spoke with McRoberts about his experiences as a youth with Carmel athletics and the Carmel Dads’ Club. We also asked McRoberts about how his experiences as a power forward in the NBA may be beneficial to the current generation of Greyhounds Basketball players he’s working with as an assistant coach.

“From a career perspective, I think that the coaching that I received through the [Carmel] Dads’ Club throughout growing up and in middle and high school helped me a lot,” McRoberts shared. “The help from my coaches in high school and having a support system that included my family and the Carmel community as a whole was a big thing for me.”

McRoberts graduated from CHS in 2005 and led the Greyhounds in both scoring and rebounding during his senior year. McRoberts was considered the No. 1 power forward prospect out of high school. He grew up in a basketball-centric family—his father graduated from CHS and had played on the basketball team as well. Another influential mentor to McRoberts throughout his youth, was the late Mr. Eric Clark—a beloved CHS administrator, teacher and head coach for football, basketball, and track while at CHS. The CHS athletic facilities were named the Eric Clark Activity Center upon his retirement in 1997.

With Experience Comes Knowledge

McRoberts played for a total of seven NBA teams, including the Indiana Pacers. Out of college, he was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 37th overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. He also played with the Charlotte Bobcats, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Dallas Mavericks.

“I think it would’ve been cool to play the Pacers or with one team my entire career, but I will always be grateful for the opportunity to experience and play in different cities with different teams and coaches,” McRoberts expressed. “I got to play with some of the best players—some of the best of all time. It was an invaluable experience to be able to see the things that I was able to see throughout my career.”

Having been drafted into the NBA at age 20, McRoberts shared that he had done a lot of growing up throughout those years.

“My career gave me a good perspective on things,” McRoberts said. “I really grew up throughout my career, and what I learned has helped me a lot. I’ll take those experiences and lessons with me wherever I go in life.”

Back Home Again With His Pack

With strong roots in Carmel and to be with his family, McRoberts moved back to reestablish himself and start the next chapter of his story. He shared that having been part of a team for as long as he had, McRoberts felt the absence of that kind of inclusion and purpose.

“During the 2011 NBA lockout, there was a month that we weren’t playing,” McRoberts said. “At that time, my brother was a sophomore playing on the CHS basketball team. Coach [Scott] Heady was the head coach, and Coach [Ryan] Osborn was the assistant coach at that time. Coach Heady let me hang around the team and help out for a month during the lockout. I built relationships and stayed in touch with now head coach Osborn. He was gracious enough to let me come help out and get a little more involved.”

McRoberts tends to enjoy working behind the scenes and emphasized that he enjoys helping the team with the other coaches and working with the student-athletes.

“I love working with the kids and am lucky to be learning from them,” McRoberts said. “I’ve never been in a coaching position, so I’m learning as I go and am getting to experience things for a first time from this side of things. I’ve been having a great time and have so much respect for the kids given what they are going through. It’s difficult enough as adults going through this. I can’t imagine being 16, 17 or 18 years old and having to go through something like [COVID-19]. You can’t repeat your high school years—you only get one chance.”

McRoberts continued, “These kids are learning on and off the court right now. They’ll be able to deal with adversity as they go forward and not just in basketball but throughout their lives.”

When asked for his best advice to give any young athlete as they continue to work hard and push through the obstacles that the pandemic continues to present them, McRoberts stated, “First, I would tell the kids, ‘Keep the masks on.’ Then, I’d tell them that their hard work is absolutely worth it. It’s not going to be fun every day necessarily, but their hard work and fortitude will be worth it in the end.”

McRoberts concluded, “I think it’s important to remember to be the best that you can be. Nobody could have predicted the situation that the world is in right now, and there’s a lot of things that are out of our control. But if you work hard, control what you can and stay on a positive path moving forward, it’s going to pay off.”

Writer:

Janelle Morrison

Photography:

Laura Arick and submitted