Mental game: 'Pick your poison'

In this episode, we sit down with one of Spain’s most respected basketball minds, Jota Cuspinera, widely regarded as a master of spacing and offensive structure. With experience ranging from youth national teams to the ACB League and serving as an assistant coach with Real Madrid, Jota brings a rare blend of high-level tactical knowledge and deeply thoughtful teaching methodology. But what makes him truly unique isn’t just what he teaches, it’s how he teaches it.

Jota breaks down the three foundational spacing principles that shape all of his offensive philosophy and explains how simplifying language, not the game,  unlocks clarity and freedom for players. We dive into his question-based coaching method, how to build decision-makers instead of rule-followers, why the goal of offense is to create and enjoy advantage, and how true freedom comes from understanding what the ball wants to do. This conversation is a masterclass in offensive clarity, teaching, and the art of making complex basketball ideas simple.

00:00 The closing gap between NBA and international basketball
 06:41 Jota’s background and coaching journey in Spain
 08:05 The origin story behind his three spacing principles
 10:00 Principle #1 — Don’t allow one defender to guard two offensive players
 11:18 Principle #2 — Avoid being in the same passing lane (and extending it to defenders)
 13:42 Principle #3 — Staying in the viewing angles of the ball on penetration
 15:30 Learning the rules like a master so you can break them like a genius
 16:49 Teaching spacing through questions instead of commands
 19:06 “What did you do? What happened?” — Developing player awareness
 24:19 Simplifying the explanation without simplifying the game
 29:21 The true goal of offense — Creating and enjoying advantage
 31:51 Teaching players to read what the ball wants to do
 35:21 Playing a mental game — “Pick your poison”
 41:03 Introducing tactics after spacing foundations are built
 42:52 You cannot see what you don’t understand
 44:14 Recognizing patterns and teaching players to see the game

Coaching Resources: https://byanymeanscoaches.com/
BAM Blueprint Book: https://byanymeanscoaches.com/blueprint-book

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a coach who’s looking to simplify their teaching and elevate their offensive clarity. Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and let us know what stood out most from Jota’s approach to spacing and freedom in offense.