George Mumford: “The Mindful Athlete” | Talks at Google

About this talk:
“Being in the Zone” or “Flow” is enhanced by the regular practice of being in the present moment, whether on or off the court.
George Mumford has been teaching the NBA’s biggest stars about flow and mindfulness for years, including Michael. Jordan and Kobe Bryant, as well as Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and forward Harrison Barnes.
George will discuss his experiences teaching athletes and other high performers the power of flow. Biography: George’s story is unforgettable.
A basketball player at the University of Massachusetts (where he roomed with Dr. J, Julius Erving), injuries forced George out of the game he loved. The medications that relieved the pain of his injuries also numbed him to the emptiness he felt without the game and eventually led him to drugs. After years of making meditation on and off the cushion the center of his life and getting clean, he found new meaning to his life as a sports psychologist.
When Michael Jordan left the Chicago Bulls to play baseball in 1993, the team was in crisis. Coach Phil Jackson, a long-time mindfulness practitioner, needed someone who could teach mindfulness techniques to the struggling team— someone who would have credibility and could speak the language of his players. This led Jackson to George and their decades of partnership began.
Mumford has worked with Jackson and many of the teams he coached to become NBA champions including the Bulls and Lakers. His roster of champion clients has since blossomed way beyond basketball to include corporate executives, Olympians, and college athletes in many different sports.
He currently works with Jackson’s New York Knicks and his first book The Mindful Athlete was published in May 2015.
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