AAU basketball has long been a pipeline to the pros, but not everyone is impressed with how it’s shaping young talent. Former NBA players and current AAU dads, Matt Barnes and Cuttino Mobley, are watching their sons chase the dream, yet they’re not blind to the system’s flaws. Like many pros, they believe fundamentals are being sacrificed for glory. Critics say NBA vets are partly to blame, but Mobley isn’t having it. In fact, he’s calling for a drastic overhaul that might rattle the entire grassroots game.
Speaking about the AAU parent life on All the Smoke, Barnes and Mobley detailed very identical experiences. Barnes has twin sons, Isaiah and Carter Barnes, at Crespi High School and is part of the 2027 draft class. Mobley also has two teen sons, Cuttino Jr. and Myles. At least the Mobley boys admitted they didn’t take up basketball until high school. That shows that Cuttino wasn’t pushing his sport on them, but that can’t be said about a lot of AAU parents.
The former NBA pros have seen parents at games put unreasonable pressure on the kids to perform to expectations that can only be considered at the NBA level. Barnes called parents “delusional” for their expectations. “Is that an organized practice on your strengths? And then when the weekend comes, you’re going to let your son, daughter shoot or dribble in a game like this when during the week, they didn’t even practice that? That to me is mind-boggling,” Barnes described, according to what he’s seen.
Mobley claims that these expectations have become sky-high since professional trainers who’ve worked in the NBA are also in the AAU and he wants to curb that. “I forget who I was talking to, and I was I was saying that they should ban kids from training with so-called pro trainers because a sense of entitlement,” He told Barnes who could relate. “Like, you think because Matt Barnes, Cuttino Mobley, whoever it is that were a pro and they’re training with this person, all of a sudden when you’re training, you do the same?”
July 6, 2018 – Oakland, California, United States – Power Cuttino Mobley (5) and Chris Bird Man Andersen (11) on the court during Week 3 of the BIG3 3-on-3 basketball league at Oracle Arena. BIG3 Basketball 2018: Week 3 – Oakland – ZUMAw109 20180706_zap_w109_076 Copyright: xDebbyxWongx
Yes, Mobley is asking for a ban on professional trainers in the AAU. Not because of anything they’re doing wrong, but because of the way the parents manage it. Those in favor of AAU argue that the kids deserve an expert trainer to bring out their best. To them, Mobley says, “First of all, you shouldn’t even be doing pro moves because grade school, high school, even in college, you don’t have that much spacing. So you should learn to master the fundamentals as fast as possible.”
Cuttino feels there aren’t many solid reasons to do those triple-step-back crossovers, because at this age and space, they are not even going to get the ball that much. To be fair, trainers won’t be out of a job if the AAU barred them. He just wants parents to realize professional trainers don’t automatically create a Juju Watkins. Mobley’s feelings are strong about this and definitely not off the mark.
Matt Barnes and the AAU don’t mesh
To put it in perspective, one can look at Chris Johnson. He’s one of the more decorated skills development trainers in the business. He’s worked with NBA pros like Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, Andrew Wiggins, and Ben Simmons. He’s even trained Rondo’s son, Pierre Rondo according to his Instagram.
He’s an AAU dad himself with his son Isaiah recently graduating and heading to the University of Colorado to play college basketball. Chris is recognizable as a co-host on Dwyane Wade’s The Wy podcast where the AAU subject is explored. And even Chris has revealed many times that AAU parents need to manage their expectations.
Matt Barnes has been critical of the current state of youth sports a lot. But he’s fallen into the rabbit hole as well. Similar to the parents yelling at coaches and referees he described, Barnes yelled at a student broadcaster at his twin sons’ game in January 2024. Barnes lost his NBC job as a Sacramento Kings analyst because of the outburst. It wasn’t his only sour experience within the AAU.
Nov 27, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Former Golden State Warriors player Matt Barnes receives his championship ring before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
But the past incidents emerged from his bitter relationship with ex-teammate, Derek Fisher, who’s now married to his ex-wife. Barnes recently revealed he’s banned from his sons’ games because of his behavior. But at least he got to join them at the NBA 100 camp. Do you think Mobley’s solution will help Barnes’ concerns for his sons?
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