Kaleb Canales, the pride of Laredo, Texas, finds himself in the limelight as the interim head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. (AP PHOTO)
I met Kaleb Canales in the summer of 2009. As sports editor of the Laredo Morning Times, a small daily newspaper on the border in Laredo, Texas, I had received word that Canales would be in town for the first of what would be his annual summer basketball camps in his hometown.
I was enthused. As an NBA aficionado, to know that someone affiliated with a team, in this case the Portland Trail Blazers, was coming to town was a story I craved, particularly in the ho-hum days of summer when storylines are few and wire reports are many. Still, I did not know what to expect. My experience dealing with pros has been fair. They answer a few questions, but almost always cut things short. After all, got things to do and people to see, right?
When I walked into the gym of Alexander High – Canales’ alma mater, where he finished his high school career after spending two years at United High – I waited in the bleachers. The turnout was respectable, maybe 100-125 kids in attendance, and instantly I spotted Canales, a human Red Bull sprinting around giving directions, clapping every 10-20 seconds it seemed, and a broad smile never once leaving his face. Eventually he came around to me, during the middle of the camp, apparently eyeing a new face. Before I could utter a word, he introduced himself. I introduced myself and we talked, spending 20-30 minutes on a variety of subjects, basically being given his life story. Throughout the entire time, his answers were short, yet spirited. Countless times, he boasted how his rise — as a 5-foot-11 graduate assistant coach at UT-Arlington, to assistant coach at Martin and United high schools in Laredo, and to becoming a video intern with the Blazers in 2004 and, at that time, now a video coordinator with Portland — was a “blessing.” He thanked God early and often, and you could tell he was genuine. It’s what I imagine it’s like talking to Tim Tebow, who is also joyful and authentic in his ways. This was who Canales was, someone eternally grateful for the opportunities thrown his way, and paying back that gratitude with the way he treated others, as if they were a part of his own family.
From that point, Kaleb and I exchanged contact information and we talked maybe once or twice every six months, though we talk a bit more often now. I always covered his camps when he came the following years, and eventually met other NBA folks – like current Minnesota scout Pat Zipfel, who worked with Kaleb when the latter was an intern in Portland – who sung Kaleb’s praises to no end. Whether it was Zipfel, LaMarcus Aldridge or Jerryd Bayless – all individuals Kaleb brought to Laredo to help assist his camps – there was never a bad word mentioned about him. Two things were always brought up in any conversation regarding Kaleb: His relentless work ethic (he often sleeps in the practice facility and hardly ever sees his apartment) and his uplifting attitude, which can inspire the most solemn of Debbie Downers, this I assure you.
It should surprise no one that, aside from his youth camps every summer, Canales also hosted private sessions with any local high school coach or player who wanted to attend, drilling the players and letting friends like Zipfel offer their knowledge to the coaches. The turnout for these particular camps was significant, probably 200-300 for an event that was not advertised or promoted (on Canales’ want) in order to not have distractions and so that he could work with the local talent on a one-on-one basis.
So to see Canales now as the head coach of the Blazers on an interim basis as of Thursday is not entirely surprising. Kaleb is an individual who has worked tirelessly to get to this point, never cutting corners and never making excuses. When he talks to the media, he speaks in cliche (and I will say he has improved drastically in that regard since I first talked to him that summer), but when I joked with him about that, we both acknowledged that cliches exist because they are true in some form, and many people abide by them. So when he talks about focusing on just that night’s game, or staying “in the moment”, he’s being honest. It’s not coachspeak, at least not in his instance. It’s Kaleb. Although, I did witness a sort of media breakthrough last summer when Canales allowed a photo shoot to be arranged for a feature story. He bounced into the gym (he does bounce, not walk), and said, “D, buddy, I don’t do this for anyone other than you … ” and we shared a handshake. Throughout the entire shoot, I told Kaleb, who later beat me by a letter in a game of H-O-R-S-E, how appreciative I was.
Kaleb is a man of integrity and honor. As a result, he is well-respected, having represented the NBA and its Basketball Beyond Borders program last summer in Brazil (which precious few are given the honor to go) and having been inducted into the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame last fall. The greatest thing you can say about him is that, in a profession of tireless, driven, obsessive individuals, Kaleb is regarded by his peers as the hardest worker of them all.
Over the years, I managed to write more than my fair share of stories while covering Kaleb, who is beloved and adored in Laredo, for obvious reasons. I’d like to share some of my favorites so that you get a better idea of the youngest head coach currently walking the sidelines in the NBA. Photos are courtesy of the Associated Press:
Making it big: Laredoan gives back to community
By DENNIS SILVA II
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Published: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 8:09 AM CDT
Kaleb Canales, an assistant coach/video coordinator for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, has more in common with Laredo youngsters than just a love for hoops.
He, too, was once one of them.
The former Alexander High grad, who was a member of the Bulldogs’ first ever graduation class and an assistant coach at Martin and United, has never forgotten his roots.
He returned home this summer to conduct his first series of basketball camps at Alexander and LBJ High. From Thursday through Monday of last week, Canales hosted approximately 100 kids a day, for eight hours each day, and taught his hometown’s youth the game he loves so deeply, hoping one day they end up just like him.
“For him to do this says a lot,” said Martin High head basketball coach Hecky Noyola, who played against Canales in high school and is one of his best friends.
“Guys in Kaleb’s position are busy throughout the whole year.
“For him to do this in his one or two weeks off a year means a lot to these kids and community.”
Gateway upbringing
Noyola and Canales met when Noyola was in high school, playing ball at Martin.
Canales was two grades older than Noyola.
He went to high school his first two years at United before moving to Alexander, when it first opened. He was a role player throughout his high school career, but he had his moments, such as a few 20-point outings, as well as a deadly go-to move.
“He had one signature move that nobody could stop … we called it the ‘Canales shuffle’,” Noyola said, laughing. “He’d get on the low block, turn, quick fake and everybody would fall for it. He’d take one dribble and score.
“He was always getting people with that move.”
Canales grins at the mention of the move.
“It was my only move in the post,” he said with a smile. “Guys were always so intent on blocking me, so I’d get them up and go in and score a layup.”
After graduating as part of the first senior class from Alexander, Canales went to Laredo Community College, but was still around high school basketball.
During Noyola’s senior year at Martin, Canales, whenever he had time, helped out as an unofficial team manager, washing uniforms and doing the scorebook, or whatever was necessary to stay involved in the game.
He went on to eventually graduate from the University of Texas-Arlington, where he spent one year as a manager while Noyola was a player, before serving on coach Bobby Cruz’s staff for one year at Martin.
From there, he moved to United with Cruz, now the athletic director for the United Independent School District, before returning to UTA for an assistant’s job for a year.
After that, Canales served as an intern with the Trail Blazers, and was promoted to video coordinator after head coach Maurice Cheeks was dismissed in March 2005.
Canales served in that capacity until the 2008-09 season, when he was named assistant coach/video coordinator.
He is primarily responsible for video work, scouting of opponents and player development.
“It’s incredible to see his dreams come true,” Noyola said. “I remember when he was younger, he used to always tell us he’d be on SportsCenter, as a sports anchor. He’d write letters to ESPN and ask how he could get a job.
“It’s just funny, because now he’s on SportsCenter, but as a coach.
“When they give highlights of the Blazers games, there’s Kaleb, coaching the NBA guys.”
Big-game star
It seems Canales’ career has been that of a dream.
“It’s like a book,” he said. “I’m extremely blessed. I think I’ve done it the right way, as far as pecking order.
“I’m just trying to learn and pay my dues right now so I can get where I want to be, a head coach in the NBA.”
The 31-year-old Canales has certainly put in the work to achieve that lofty goal.
This summer alone, he has spent time in Indiana (working out with Blazers center Greg Oden), Austin (with Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge), Oregon (with Roy) and Spain (with Blazers guard Rudy Fernandez).
“It’s like high school, it just blows by so quickly,” Canales said. “My career has been like that. I’ve just tried to stay humble, work hard and enjoy the process.”
Asked if he was still starry-eyed from the fact he’s a Laredoan working amongst the game’s best, Canales smiled.
“At the end of the day, those guys are kids and you just want to coach them,” he said.
“You just want them to get better. Initially, when I got to the league, I was taken aback, but the bottom line is coaching and teaching.
“You coach them just like you’d coach United and Martin kids.”
Canales did note, however, that the NBA is a whole different world in regard to pure basketball ability.
“It’s day and night,” he said. “First, these guys have God-given gifts. They’re so athletic, so strong, so fast. I mean, LaMarcus was here the past couple of days, and when we do our workouts, we work on 3-pointers … and he’s 6-foot-11! He’s 6-foot-11, shooting 3s, making 7 out of 10.
“The NBA is such where the big, huge guys can do what guards can do.”
Luis Valdez, an assistant coach during Canales’ time at Alexander and now the head coach of the Bulldogs, is not surprised at his former pupil’s success.
“His passion for the game was always evident,” Valdez said. “He has not changed a bit.
“He has grown to be a wonderful man and a wonderful ambassador for basketball.”
Staying grounded
If there’s one thing Canales has kept in his memory banks from his Laredo days, it’s the coaching he received.
“One thing I learned is that you appreciate the things they did for us at that age,” he said. “At that time, you may not agree with coaches and how they go about things, but as you grow up, you learn and start to understand why they did what they did.
“To this day, I keep up with all my coaches and the high school sports here in Laredo. I’m on lmtonline.com every day, all the time, because I still have a lot of love and appreciation for this city.”
Valdez said Canales’ story is one every Laredo hoopster with big dreams should abide by.
“Kids like Kaleb is what makes coaching worthwhile,” Valdez said. “It’s not about the money or championships. It’s about kids like Kaleb coming back and saying ‘Thank you.'”
The talented coaching in Laredo is why Canales has a lot of faith in the future of basketball in the Gateway City.
“As a city, we don’t have great height, but our kids are skilled, they’re good and they play so hard,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of skill here in Laredo, and Laredo basketball has a great future.”
Aside from being an exemplary basketball mind, Canales is also an affable and thoughtful person. It’s not uncommon for him to call Noyola before a big game, just to talk basketball. He never forgets birthdays, and he always calls Valdez for Father’s Day, or to speak with his daughter on her birthday.
“She calls him ‘Tío Kaleb’,” Valdez said with a laugh.
All around, Canales is a role model for Laredo in every aspect.
“He’s always been the hardest working guy and he does things 100 percent and the right way,” Noyola said. “It’s good to see someone from Laredo succeed like this; it’s good for kids to see that anything is possible.”
Canales inspires Laredo hoops
By Dennis Silva II
Gateway sports
Published: Sunday, August 15, 2010 3:17 AM CDT
They came by the hundreds. Kids from all over Laredo, San Antonio and the Valley all rushed to the Gateway City last week for Kaleb Canales’ Assist XIII basketball camps that were held at LBJ and Alexander high schools.
By now, everyone is aware of Canales’ story. The Laredo native was a graduate of Alexander, went to Laredo Community College for a year and then embarked on a fast and furious road that eventually led him to where he is today, as the assistant coach of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers.
Last week, during a lengthy stay in his hometown, Canales hugged, chatted, clapped, cheered, encouraged, motivated and excited a legion of supporters.
He brought in Blazers guard Jerryd Bayless, as well as high-ranking coaches and scouts from around the NBA.
Laredo’s ambassador
“Kaleb is an ambassador for Laredo,” said Houston Rockets advanced scout Patrick Zipfel.
And Zipfel should know. He worked with Canales when the two were with the Blazers a few years ago, and Canales was just a video intern.
Together, they shared 22-hour work days and grew a bond that is everlasting.
“Look at what he’s done,” Zipfel said, gesturing to the hundreds of kids and local high school coaches who listened under Canales. “Just look at what he’s done.”
If there is a more humble, kind and gentlemanly man in professional sports than Kaleb Canales, I have yet to meet him. He is a man of few words, but the few he speaks resonate strongly.
“I’m blessed,” he says whenever asked to talk about his unique situation from Laredoan to NBA coaching star. “I’ve been very blessed.”
Everywhere at once
Canales is a man in constant motion.
If he’s not mentoring kids on how to do a left-handed lay-up, he’s chatting with his “coaches” — who consist of Laredoans who desire to coach basketball one day — about the nuances of the game. If he’s not doing that, he’s talking with the media, doing video interviews, or merely just shooting the breeze.
This previous week was a tremendous opportunity for local basketball enthusiasts, and if Canales has his way, it will continue to be so every year in August whenever he takes a break from the grind of the NBA to make the trip back home.
Canales will be roaming the sidelines for the Blazers again this season, a year smarter after serving as the head coach of the Blazers’ summer league team in Las Vegas in early July (he won four games and lost one).
But Laredo will be there every step of the way with him. Already, the amount of Blazers paraphernalia seen around town is staggering, and that’s due to one man.
“I know everyone’s a Spurs fan,” Canales said with a grin, “but I’m seeing more red and black a lot lately.”
And that’s exactly how it should be.
Inducted: Laredo’s Canales enshrined
By DENNIS SILVA II
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Published: Friday, September 16, 2011 2:17 AM CDT
As Kaleb Canales’ career ascends, so does recognition of his talents.
On Thursday evening, Canales – a Laredo native and current assistant coach with the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers – was inducted into the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame at the organization’s 17th annual event in San Antonio.
“It’s extremely humbling,” Canales said early Thursday afternoon. “Talking to (founder) Mr. (Raul) Zuniga, who I’ve known for a couple of years, I do know he’d mentioned he was following me and keeping track of my career.
“To be in a hall of fame is a privilege and an honor.”
Canales was one of six honorees on Thursday, and one of four who were awarded for their accomplishments in athletics. The organization is run by the Latinos In Action Sports Association and its mission of providing opportunities for students in various high schools for college support.
Latinos In Action, according to a press release, “inducts individuals who have made a name and example for all the youths of our nation.”
“It’s really exciting for my family, just to see the smiles on their faces,” said Canales, who was joined by his father and mother at Thursday’s induction. “I love seeing that, more than anything else. They put as much sacrifice, just as much as I have.”
Canales said that, while being a Hispanic has not provided particular obstacles toward his career’s growth, he does have more than a mere chip on his shoulder
“It’s more like a brick,” he said with a laugh. “We all get motivated and we’re all competitive and I’ve definitely found things to make me work harder. I’m just like anybody else, man; I get motivated by different things.”
Canales, 33, graduated from Alexander High – where he played as a 5-foot-10 power forward and was part of its first graduating senior class – and quickly climbed the coaching ranks, rising from team manager after graduating at UT-Arlington, to assistant high school coach back in Laredo at Martin and United, to video intern with the Blazers.
He was promoted full-time with the Blazers in March 2005 and served in that capacity until 2008-09, when he was promoted again to assistant coach/video coordinator.
This summer, Canales was chosen by the NBA to be part of its distinguished “Basketball Without Borders” campaign, coaching young kids in Brazil.
“His passion for the game was always evident,” said Luis Valdez, now Alexander’s head boys’ basketball coach who was an assistant there when Canales played. “He has not changed a bit. He has grown to be a wonderful man and a wonderful ambassador for basketball.”
Latinos in Action has awarded more than $90,000 worth of scholarships since it was initially founded in 1989. Also inducted alongside Canales on Thursday were Natalie Gamez (St. Mary’s University All-American basketball player), Tony Moreno (two-time National Golden Gloves champion) and John Luna (former Southwest Texas all-conference pick and San Antonio Toros player).
Receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards for Community Service were Wal-Mart executive Robert Romo and the former Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez.
Canales will return to Portland on Saturday and get back to the weekly coaches’ meetings the Blazers are holding.
Finally game time for Kaleb and the NBA
By Dennis Silva II
Gateway sports
Published: Sunday, December 25, 2011 3:28 AM CST
A hurried and bustling 66th NBA season tips off today.
With that comes the annual reminder the past eight years that a Laredoan will once again roam the sidelines, overseeing the best of the best in an effort to take advantage of a compressed 66-game schedule.
Alexander High graduate and former Martin and United coach Kaleb Canales will once again ply his trade as an assistant coach for the remodeled Portland Trail Blazers, who lost franchise guard Brandon Roy to retirement but gained veteran pieces in Jamal Crawford, Kurt Thomas and Craig Smith after flaming out in the first round of last year’s playoffs to eventual champ Dallas.
This particularly lengthy offseason – obscured by the childish antics of the NBA and its players association during the league’s second lockout in the past 11 years – served as a chance to get back to the basics for Canales, who was inducted into the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame in September after serving as a league ambassador for its prestigious Basketball Without Borders program.
Broadening his horizons
More importantly, however, Canales was able to broaden his knowledge of the game. The boyish-faced 33-year-old visited the men’s basketball programs at Baylor, Oregon, Oregon State, University of Portland, Texas and TAMIU.
He met with coaches, sat in on practices and discussed new ideas and theories with some of the game’s best leaders.
“It was still very much a busy offseason,” Canales said late Thursday night as he prepped for Monday’s season opener against Philadelphia. “Getting the opportunity to go study different coaches and different programs in college basketball and going back and forth on ideas, philosophies and concepts … it was a great, great time and a blessing.”
Canales said it was a welcome time for his “personal growth and learning.” He also spent most of his offseason in Portland, meeting with coaches, developing game plans and basically doing whatever head coach Nate McMillan thought could help the team.
So when Canales got the call from McMillan 17 days ago that the lockout was officially done and over with, there was no panic. No rush. No heavy concern.
“We had prepared every day just like every other team,” Canales said. “We were ready to get back out there.”
Back to the game
The Blazers, and the rest of the league, rushed through a frenzied free agency period, though their biggest coup – the scoring dynamo Crawford – wasn’t secured until early last week during the team’s brief preseason schedule.
Fortunately, Canales said, the whole thing has been relatively smooth, which he credits Blazers veterans like LaMarcus Aldridge, Marcus Camby and Raymond Felton for.
At a time many thought would set teams back in regard to firmly setting a foundation for this season, the Blazers were perfectly fine.
“Just talking to Kurt, Jamal and Craig, they’ve said it feels seamless, as if they’ve been with us for awhile,” Canales said. “That’s a credit to the core of the team and it’s a credit to our training camp. We have veterans that know how to play and have been here awhile and they understand the challenges.
“We had a great training camp. Great collective spirit. Obviously the schedule will come fast and furious, but we’re prepared. Everything’s been going well. The guys have been wonderful about getting up to speed.”
The main difference in the shortened preseason was that the Blazers have gone with one long practice each day instead of McMillan’s preferred two-a-days.
It helps keep the Blazers rested and moving forward to win the battle of attrition and rest and recovery for a unique season that features the hated back-to-back-to-backs (three) and five games in one week.
“The schedule is always going to feel like it does. Games are always fast and furious,” Canales said. “It looks like a lot, but every team is faced with it. The one thing is being in basketball game-ready shape. That will be the biggest challenge, and the only way to do that is to play games.
“Everyone will be faced with that.”
Up in the air
Popular consensus is that the teams with an abundance of youth and depth stand the best chance to prevail this season.
Canales, however, doesn’t figure that to be necessarily the case.
“It’s hard to say,” he said. “I’ve been blessed enough to be in the NBA for eight years, and that’s why you play the games. You just never know. Every game presents a different challenge. I know for us, when we go on the road to the east coast, that first home game back is very much a challenge. You’re still on east coast time, and obviously stuff like that will come into effect pretty often this season.”
Headlines have fluttered this month as players have moved all over the place. Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler are now Los Angeles Clippers. Dwight Howard figures to not be an Orlando Magic much longer. Vince Carter and Lamar Odom are Dallas Mavericks.
It’s been a sea of change, particularly in the Western Conference, where the Mavs, Rockets, Spurs and Blazers reside.
“We’ve been so locked into camp and practice that it’s been difficult to keep up with everything,” Canales said. “But we see the stuff on SportsCenter and anytime it affects our conference we have interest in that. Like, for instance, adding someone like Chris Paul to a talented roster to a team that didn’t make the playoffs last year is something we’re aware of.
“We see what’s going on and when it’s the West, it does affect us.”
While some of the NBA gets started back up today, the Blazers, Rockets and Spurs won’t tip off until Monday. For fans, everything points to a season that’s very much up for grabs, with no true favorite, especially with the unpredictability of 66 games in 120 days.
For Canales and the rest of the league, however, it’s back to business as usual. And that is perhaps the best Christmas gift of all for NBA fans.
“It’s no different at all,” Canales said of a season beginning on Christmas Day. “The past couple of years we’ve actually played on Christmas, which is an honor. I remember always watching the NBA on Christmas when I was a kid and how big of a deal that was and I’m sure the teams playing this year are fired up.
“But we’re approaching this season no different from any other. It’s exciting.”
And some video work I’ve done of Kaleb:
August 11, 2010:
August 5, 2011:
Before I end this 4,400-word post, I want to specifically link to my favorite Kaleb story I wrote, the feature piece that I talked about in the introduction. It was more of a personal look into a man who shys from the spotlight, yet was gracious as we enjoyed a two-hour discussion from everything, mostly his life and not so much basketball.
Here’s the link: http://godzilla.lmtonline.com/lmthosted/LMT956Sports/magazine/archive/080911/
The story is on page 6-7 of the tabloid. Click on each page to enlarge it.
It’s such a great story. Inspiring, uplifting, magical, unbelievable … there’s not enough words to describe the gritty trek of a South Texas native up the ranks to the head coach of one of the NBA’s more prominent franchises. In fact, this blog likely does not do him justice. You have to meet him to understand how wonderful of an individual he is. I jokingly refer it to my wife as “The Kaleb Experience.” And what an experience it has been, all 34 years for the NBA’s freshest face.
Oh, by the way, Kaleb’s first game as head coach? A 100-89 win in Chicago over the Bulls on Friday. The story only gets better.
Silva On Sports 