Depending on who you ask, you may get some different responses regarding Liberty head coach Bill Laimbeer. The two-time NBA Champion and four-time All-Star is known worldwide as a key part of those Detroit Pistons teams that won Championships in the late ’80s.

But Bill Laimbeer, the player’s coach? That’s one side many don’t know about.

SLAM had the chance to speak to Coach Laimbeer following the Liberty’s practice in front of season ticket holders this month.

SLAM: How is everything, coach?

Bill Laimbeer: We’re making progress and installing some new stuff. It can be tough on the players, but so far it’s been good and we’re making progress.

SLAM: As the Liberty currently have 18 wins, what is this team’s focus for the remainder of the season?

BL: Execution, since we work on it every day and try to focus on it. We need to grind out as many wins as possible. We know there’s a couple of magic numbers, that we need to hit in order to secure certain seeding, so that’s our goal.

SLAM: How has your experience of transitioning from player to coach been this entire time?

BL: It’s been a lot of fun and I’m enjoying it. The players work very hard and on this level, you can really play five-on-five, team basketball. This is a very fundamental game on offense and defense. The players want to be coached so that makes my job easier.

SLAM: Did you take any ideas from your NBA playing career into your WNBA coaching career?

BL: Yes, and that’s this (the WNBA) is professional basketball, not just women’s professional basketball. That means you treat them accordingly and that’s as the top players in the world. In terms of play, it’s about schemes and/or being able to target certain players. Rebounding is key. If you’re a rebounding team, you will always be able to give yourself a chance. For the Liberty, defense is our hallmark. It helps us steal a couple of games. Not to mention we have a workhorse in Tina Charles, who gets us key buckets when we need them.

SLAM: What is the biggest difference between your era of basketball and today’s era, for both men’s and women’s?

BL: The players are certainly bigger, stronger and faster. Especially on the men’s side. They shrunk the court so much, that it’s difficult to get a lot of offensive opportunities. For the women, it’s the depth in talent. When I was first got started in 2003 (with the WNBA), it was very hard to find talented rosters across the league. Now everybody has a talented roster and it’s even harder to find a job, as a player or coach.