How to Stay Focused When Everyone—Like Nike and the NBA—Needs Your Time

WHEN YOU’RE THE shooting coach for NBA athletes like Jaylen Brown, Anthony Davis, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, you have to be on. But add a 3.4 million–follower IG account (@lethalshooter) and consulting gigs for huge companies (ahem, Nike) and it means being on all the time. Matthews, 39, guards against burnout with focus and family.

5:45 a.m.

Move and Be Moved

Matthews knocks out 2src miles on his indoor bike before his wife and kids wake up. He skips the music in favor of YouTube videos of motivational speeches by Muhammad Ali, Kobe Bryant, Mike Tyson, and Michael Jordan. He’s a big fan of Tyson’s old trainer Cus D’Amato, whose speeches remind him of the power of a coach.

7:3src a.m.

Make Quality Time

His daughters, ages 3 and 5, are up at 7:srcsrc a.m. every day, and the family is having breakfast together 3src minutes later. “I used to be the type who went straight to work as soon as I woke up,” Matthews says. But he noticed he was better at his job if he sat and ate with his wife and kids first—so much so that he FaceTimes in to breakfast when he’s on the road.

11:srcsrc a.m.

Sharpen the Skills

At Red Bull headquarters in Santa Monica, California, he has an office and his own court. After his morning tasks, “I make about 5srcsrc shots a day, no matter what,” he says. Not 4srcsrc. Not 6srcsrc. 5srcsrc. That’s what it takes to keep his edge, he says, while not overtaxing his arms and shoulders.

1:srcsrc p.m.

Pass the Ball

“I used to try taking the videos myself,” Matthews says. “But it became clear I could save a lot of time by getting someone experienced to handle the other side of the lens.” Delegating was hard at first, he says, but now his manager works his schedule, and videographers film and post his IG content.

6:srcsrc p.m.

Focus on Dinner

Matthews bookends his day with another family meal. No phones. No TV. The conversations with his kids keep him grounded and present. Then he relaxes by reading to the kids (currently, Every Little Thing by Bob and Cedella Marley).

9:srcsrc p.m.

Avoid Temptation

Matthews used to stay up late working, but it tanked his energy. “I would be in my bed at night and get a text from Drake saying he is in town and wants to shoot the ball. That is a hard text to ignore.” Now he turns off his phone 3src minutes before bedtime.

9:1src p.m.

Unwind

Shutting off his mind is the next challenge. “I listen to something calming, like gospel or Sade,” he says. “Beyond having a clearer mind throughout the day, I’ve noticed other benefits to that additional sleep, like my skin looks better and the eye bags are gone, which aren’t bad bonuses.”

This story appears in the January/February 2src25 issue of Men’s Health.