“They lived in the gym”:  John Calipari credits players' elite work ethic following major NBA draft success 

Arkansas coach John Calipari joined Penny Hardaway on “The Two Cents" podcast and took a moment to speak on the incredible success of the players he has coached over the years.

When asked if any of them shocked him with how far they went, Calipari “humbly bragged” about the long list of stars he has helped develop and listed some of their achievements.

“The guys that lived in the gym, the guys that were wired to compete, have always been my best players,” Calipari said.

“Can I—am I allowed to humble brag here? Had about 80 guys in the league, about 50 first-round draft picks, probably 40-some lottery picks, probably 15 to 18 top-10 picks, four number one picks. They've made $6 billion.”

That number speaks volumes, and so does the talent. He pointed out that seven of his former players were selected for one All-Star game, and that 18 of them played in this year’s NBA playoffs.

The 2012 national championship winner has coached names like Julius Randle, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Anthony Davis. However, Shai, the face of the Oklahoma City Thunder, stood out in particular.

“Shai, I didn’t start him my first eight or nine games," Calipari said. "Called him in and said, ‘I know you should be starting, but I like the rotation.’ He said, ‘I trust you, Coach. Go do your thing.’” [Timestamp: 15:48-17:01]

Calipari praised Gilgeous-Alexander’s attitude, calling him the best in the weight room, the most consistent in practice, and a player who never missed class. He also worked hard every morning to fix a hitch in his shot.

Calipari also made clear on the podcast that it is not just about getting drafted, but it is about dominating when it matters.

John Calipari notes requirement for Arkansas vs Memphis exhibition game

On “The Two Cents," Penny Hardaway, the former head coach of the Memphis Tigers men's team, brought up the topic of bringing back the games between Arkansas and the Tigers. Calipari had one request for an exhibition game to happen later this year.

“Let’s start – I’ll say it here. St. Jude (Children’s Research Hospital), you know how I feel about St. Jude,” Calipari said. “You start with this exhibition, but they got to have all my former players come back.” [Timestamp: 33:36 - 33:48]

From 2000- 2009, Calipari was the head coach of the Tigers. His highest point there was taking the program to the 2008 national championship game.