Former NBA Coach of the Year Byron Scott is leading Fil-Am Nation Select in their title defense at the 2025 SMART-NBTC National Finals.
At 64, the former NBA star admits that this is the youngest team he has ever coached.
Having served as both an assistant and head coach in the NBA since retiring in 1998, Scott is stepping into unfamiliar territory.
“Yeah, I’ve coached some young teams before, but this is definitely the youngest. That said, it’s a lot of fun,” said Scott, who is married to Fil-Am Cece Gutierrez.
“These kids are hungry to learn and improve.”
This year’s Fil-Am Nation squad is headlined by Rutgers commit Angelino Mark, UC Irvine commit Andrew Miller, and former Gilas pool member Caelum Harris, who is looking to return to Division I basketball after a year at Gulf Coast State College.
The youngest members of the team are 15-year-olds Kainoa Patton and Brian Stevenson.
Fil-Am Nation opened its title defense on a strong note, defeating Top Flight Sports 85-72 to secure the tournament’s top seed.
“The first game was good. Anytime you win, it’s a good thing. But we have a lot of things to clean up and improve on. I think we got all the jitters out today,” Scott said.
“We played against a very good basketball team, and we might face them again later in the tournament. So this was a great test for us,” he added.
“Our guys did a lot of good things, but like I said, there are still areas we need to refine.”
(C) NBTC
For Harris, this tournament is an opportunity to soak in knowledge from Scott.
“Everything. I want to learn everything I can,” he said.
Scott, for his part, wants to instill in his team the mindset of his late teammate, Kobe Bryant—the Mamba Mentality.
“I think Caelum said it best—every day, you have to aim to get better. That’s the key to being a professional. You have to wake up with the mindset that you’ll improve that day,” Scott said.
“The late, great Kobe Bryant once told me that when he changed his jersey number to 24, it symbolized 24 hours in a day—24 hours to get better. That’s the mentality I want these guys to embrace.”
In his final year of NBTC eligibility, Harris is determined to help Scott win the championship.
“Absolutely. Every team is different, and I can already tell that this year’s group has a lot of heart and determination,” said the 19-year-old winger.
“As one of the returning players, I know I have to step up as a leader, both on and off the court. It’s a role I’m ready for.”
With reports from JP Manahan
