Basketball - There Is no Secret Sauce

"Share something great." Find a great recipe, quote, movie, book, life hack, or a great play. Share relentlessly. Don Meyer was a great coach and an amazing sharer. Answered questions online...

Coach Michael Neighbors is a sharer, including many "Things I Have Stolen." 

Here's an abbreviated list from Leadership Expert Jeff Janssen. 

1. Character - Based Credible Coaches are people with great character. 
2. Competent - know the strategies and skills of their sport
3. Caring - real passion for players and coaching 
4. Confidence Builder - their athletes feel good about themselves 
5. Communicator - talk and listen well 
6. Consistent - consistent philosophies and moods 

Seek to be a "better coach than I was yesterday." Strive to model excellence, "utilize strengths" and "attack weaknesses." 

When we find something that resonates for us, "steal it and make it ours." Become one of the "good guys" whose players celebrate "the team experience." 

Believe that we can teach players to defend the pick-and-roll and to defend teammates. Believe that we can teach players to excel on the court and off the court. Believe we can help players care about success in basketball and in the classroom. 

There's an "inside view" from people intimately familiar with a team's process - players, coaches, selected 'advisors'. There's also the "outside view" from fans, writers, and other "backseat drivers" - some of whom have considerable expertise but incomplete information. 

Outsiders identify what they see, what could be missing (e.g. hard to defend actions, disciplined spacing, on-court communication, etc.) and will be questioned about their intent or motivation. 

Lagniappe. Use better prompts to get better coaching input from AI, here Google Gemini. 

Prompt: Coaching is about relationships, including "hard conversations." Using principles from 'radical candor' share how a coach might tactfully respond to parental concerns about their child's playing time. For example, include three dos and don'ts and realize some will not be listening...

At its core, Radical Candor is the intersection of Caring Personally and Challenging Directly. When a parent approaches a coach about playing time, the "Radical" part is being honest about the child's current skill level, while the "Candor" part is doing so without being a jerk.

Here is how to navigate those high-tension conversations using these principles.

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The Radical Candor Approach

In this framework, silence or "sugar-coating" is considered Ruinous Empathy, which ultimately hurts the athlete because they never learn what to improve. Conversely, being blunt without empathy is Obnoxious Aggression.

Three Dos

• Do: Focus on the "Future State." Instead of justifying past benching, frame the conversation around the specific growth required to earn more time. This moves the conversation from a complaint to a roadmap.

• Do: Schedule a "Cooling Off" Window. Radical candor requires presence of mind. Implement a "24-hour rule" after games so that both parties can move out of an emotional state and into a collaborative one.

• Do: Provide Objective Benchmarks. Use data or specific technical milestones. "I care about your child’s development, and right now, their defensive rotation is at a level that limits their safety/efficacy in high-speed play."

Three Don'ts

• Don't: Discuss Other Athletes. Radical candor is about the individual relationship. Comparing a child to a teammate is a shortcut to "Obnoxious Aggression" and creates a toxic culture.

• Don't: Use the "Feedback Sandwich." (Positive-Negative-Positive). Parents often listen for the "bread" and ignore the "meat." Be direct about the performance gap immediately, then pivot to how you will support the child in closing it.

• Don't: Take it Personally. When a parent isn't "listening," they are often in a state of protective bias. Maintain your "Care Personally" stance by staying calm, even if they become confrontational.

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Navigating the "Non-Listener"

When a parent is too emotionally invested to hear the truth, the coach must shift from feedback to boundary setting.

If the parent refuses to acknowledge the performance gap, a tactful response looks like this:

"I hear how much you want [Child's Name] to be on the field; I want that for them, too. However, my responsibility to the team and to [Child's Name]’s safety is to play those who have mastered [Specific Skill]. I am happy to keep working with them on this, but my decision on playing time stands for now. Let's touch base in two weeks to see their progress."

Summary Table: Feedback Quadrants

Quadrant	Coach's Response Style	Outcome
Radical Candor	Clear, kind, and evidence-based.	Growth and trust.
Ruinous Empathy	Avoids the truth to keep the parent happy.	Stagnation and confusion.
Obnoxious Aggression	Blunt, dismissive, or insulting.	Resentment and conflict.
Manipulative Insincerity	Passive-aggressive or talking behind backs.	Total culture breakdown.

Basketball - Find Voices that Resonate

Basketball throws a firehose of information at coaches, players, and fans. NBA coaches filter that into lessons worth sharing and studying. 

Their insight often flows across sports and into daily life. Look for messages that harmonize and expand upon our own. Allow theirs to add value to players willing to buy in. 

"I liked our competitiveness."

Players and coaches value being considered competitors

Things to improve - turnovers, allowing offensive rebounding

When losing, see 'silver linings'. When winning, 'sliver linings'?

"Guys care about winning." 

Desired outcomes can drive the process.

"...made some plays"

As Mickey Mantle said, it's what you do when you're not striking out. 

"...communicated, kept them off the free throw line, out of transition"

"Distills to no easy baskets." 

"Anybody who doubts D. White doesn't care about winning..."

In addition to competing, be known as a winning player, giving the game what it needs.

"...impact winning in so many different ways."

Coaches look beyond the box score for contributions.

"Competitive character..." a lot goes into this 'ferocity'

• Focus
• Energy
• Resilience
• Optimism
• Consistency of communication
• Intensity
• Toughness
• YOU - making you (the other guy) better

"...be at our best as much as we can...be the best version of ourselves"

Only compare ourselves to whom we were yesterday.

"...great communication, great body language..."

Much of our communication is nonverbal. Do that better.

"Experience shows up in...poise on a day-to-day basis"

Honor the process. Progress is cumulative.

...tomorrow's a big day, we have to get better..."

Champions disallow complacency in search of better ways. 

"...physicality at the point of attack was good..."

"...a series is going to take on a life of its own..."

"This is what you sign up for..."

"do what we have to do for however long it takes..."

The best teams play harder for longer - Dave Smart

Lagniappe. Chuck Daly reminds us to find advantage - numbers, creating two on ones, forcing scramble. 

"Always play against a team that's in recovery"

- Chuck Daly pic.twitter.com/kWEjNufnix

— Coach Mac 🏀 (@BballCoachMac) April 27, 2026

Leadership, Keeping a Basketball Leadership Journal, and More

Leadership is like a muscle. When we don't exercise it, it atrophies. Develop a strategy to maintain and expand leadership. 

What Do Leaders Do?

• Facilitate execution within organizations.
• Coordinate people, strategy, and operations.
• Identify and solve problems. 
• Carry out missions assigned by higher authorities. 
• "Make future leaders."  

Basketball example: Coach Krzyzewski - five fingers become a fist, far stronger than any individual finger.  

Growing Leadership 

As coaches, how do we train leaders? Intentional and distributed leadership exposes players to leadership. 

• Model excellence
• Teach communication skills 
• Be positive
• Assign leadership opportunities (lead drills, explore short topics)
• Provide feedback  

Basketball example: Dean Smith taught principles with a quote of the day and concepts of the day. "A lion never roars after a kill." 

Leadership Culture

Everyone can lead. Cal rugby coach Jack Clark expects all players to lead with leadership traits - punctuality, hard work, no distractions. 

Create the expectation that leadership comes with the job. Remove the requirement that you need titles to lead. 

Basketball example: Teach servant leadership in the mold of Don Meyer and Dick Bennett. 

Leadership Journal 

Leadership journals don't have to be elaborate. Write down opportunities for leadership, how they carried out leadership, and the results. 

Adam Grant doesn't explicitly create a template for a leadership journal in his Organizational Psychology books. If he did, it might include:

• The leadership opportunity (situation)
• What did I do? (Take a timeout, let them figure it out)
• How did it turn out? 
• Would I do something different next time? 
• What's the NBA - "next best action?"  

Basketball example: Group reading and study... e.g. Jay Bilas's "Toughness," James Kerr's "Legacy" or Michael Useem's "The Leadership Moment" are examples. 

Share Examples and Outcomes

In a game against a strong opponent, a team had a solid lead (high teens) with about four minutes left. Opted to substitute in reserves and the lead rapidly dissipated although we still won. Decision intent - good, allow players to get experience against better players. Decision outcome - poor, resulted in confidence loss not growth. A more limited approach would be better. 

Basketball-adjacent: Jocko Willink shared the experiences of a SEAL Team leader in "Extreme Ownership." An operation in Iraq went FUBAR including deaths because of communications problems. Willink took full accountability and offered to resign. He was kept on. 

Study Excellence

The books below share experiences in sport and society based on leadership inputs. 

Key New Zealand All-Blacks rugby lessons:

• "Leave the jersey in a better place." Legacy ownership. 
• "Sweep the sheds." No job is below you. 
• "Old men plant trees in whose shade they will never sit." You have a responsibility to your community.
• "Better people make better All-Blacks." Character matters.

San Francisco 49ers under Bill Walsh:

• Be accountable to the "Standard of Performance" in all jobs.
• Coaches are expected to teach and monitor attention to detail. 
• Champions behave like champions before they are.
• "The process creates the outcome." Teach. 
• Leadership includes emotional discipline. Do it right all the time.

Presidential Leadership (Lincoln, the Roosevelts, Lyndon Johnson)

• Hard work accompanies leadership. 
• Personal challenges forge the best leaders. 
• Big themes (Preserve the Union, Preserve Democracy, the New Deal)
• Collaboration is necessary to achieve greatness

Reading List:

• Legacy by James Kerr
• The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh
• Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin  
• Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Lagniappe. Do the impossible with less than ideal conditions in the least time available to the satisfaction of everyone. 

This may be the best (most important 🤷‍♂️) paragraph I have written in 25 years. pic.twitter.com/YOAjw6Zi8S

— Brian McCormick, PhD (@brianmccormick) April 16, 2026

              

Basketball - The Udonis Haslem in the Room

Every team has talent. But the teams that endure, teams that stand up when things get hard, almost always have one other thing. They have a Udonis Haslem.

Udonis Haslem didn’t define himself by minutes or points. Late in his career, he barely played. 

He was the standard. Who is the archetype in our program, the institutional memory and unimpeachable character? Quiet. Ethical. 

Authority without titles

Haslem didn’t need a starting spot. Other "literary characters" played similar roles - Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, Watson in Sherlock Holmes, Samwise Gamgee in The Hobbit. 

They aren't attention seekers. They aren't the leads or primary drivers of action. They understand the room.

Standards over slogans

Culture grabs a lot of space nowadays. Some put it on a wall or print T-shirts. The Haslem-types enforce culture when it matters.

They keep everyone focused. They don't let the discipline of identity and performance stray.They make a difference without filling up the stat sheet. 

Timing matters

The loudest voice doesn't always carry the most weight. The quiet person who says the right things at the right moment changes the room. 

Haslem kept one message of "this is who we are and that is how we play" alive. That’s discipline and leadership.

Institutional memory

Teams evolve through ownership, coaches, and certainly players. Constants matter. "That's an interesting idea. We tried that. It was a disaster." 

Some voices connect the past to the present. They prevent repetitive mistakes already paid for. Ernie Adams, "Belichick's Belichick" was another 'voice' that stayed silent until it was needed. He kept a sign on his desk, "Stamp out bad football."

"Drive for show; putt for dough."

This archetype doesn’t chase credit. They're often nearly invisible in an analytical and technological world. 

But they show up where it counts:

• in practice
• in huddles
• in the moments when standards slip

They don’t need recognition. They need the process to be maintained, the "Standard of Performance" upheld. 

Coaching translation

Recruiting character and intangibles is 'slippery. Sometimes the voice belongs to a senior who grew up in the system. Sometimes it’s a role player with clarity and maturity. Sometimes it’s someone who can't stay silent when the ship needs stability. 

Empower that voice if we're fortunate enough to have it. 

Bottom line 

Exceptional teams need exceptional leaders. Even legendary programs can struggle during organizational change and style drift. People like Haslem make sure integrity stays when it matters. 

The best teams don’t rely solely on coaches to enforce standards. They have a voice inside the room that preserves them.

Lagniappe. Gordon Chiesa has a way of cutting to the essential.  

Transition game baskets are ignited by 1) poised ball decisions by passers/dribblers 2) wings sprinting wide 3) Bigs rim running or floor spacing 4) range shooters free flowing. Fast break scores are collective.

— Gordon Chiesa (@gchiesaohmy) April 24, 2026

Basketball - Stress Testing

"Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper." - Francis Bacon

Options and outcomes come with a variety of possibilities. "Stress testing" comes with different names and occurs in many fields to clarify "tolerances."

In basketball, hope gets you to tryouts. Stress testing decides who plays.

Stress Testing Examples

Stress testing reveals what holds and what doesn't under fatiguing conditions. 

In physiology, cardiopulmonary stress testing defines fitness (aerobic capacity), limiting factors (e.g. heart or lung), and may help define diseases (e.g. atherosclerotic heart disease, exercise-induced asthma). 

In engineering, testing turbines under conditions of temperature change (cold or heat) is called thermal stress testing. A metal could become unstable at varying temperatures and compromise engines. 

In banking, stress testing can project risk of bank failure under failing loan conditions and help set capital requirements.

Basketball Stress Testing

Stress testing occurs in different categories - physical, competitive, and cognitive loading. 

Strength, athleticism and conditioning are revealed in vertical jump, bench press, and running tests. The Celtics historically used "The Boston Marathon," full-court sprints over three minutes at the end of workouts to measure distance. They measure conditioning and resilience. 

Scrimmages assess basketball ability and IQ. Teams conduct them in a variety of setups including full-court and small sided games. 

Seeing "prospects" competing against established professionals or aspiring professionals (e.g. NBA Summer League) is another form of stress testing. 

Candidates undergo cognitive loading during film sessions as a proxy for basketball IQ. "Seeing earlier leads to deciding better." The more specificity players provide the better teams can assess them. 

High IQ players show certain traits:

• speak in principles, not guesses
• anticipate the next action (NBA = next best action)
• understand spacing, timing, and angles not just positioning
• admit mistakes 

Medical Evaluation

Medical evaluation will be limited at lower levels. Having a doctor's certification to play is usually enough. If the doctor suspects issues then players are triaged to specialists. 

In the NIL and Transfer Portal era, Medical Evaluation should be more extensive. Even the body gets stress tested, because availability is part of ability.

Everyone Performs Stress Testing

Everyone gets stress tested. How do we respond to  pressure? How do we prove ourselves?  Standardized testing in school is stress testing. 

SAT or ACT testing is a form of stress testing. "Fitting in" in many communities exerts a form of stress testing. In the 1970s we endured running testing in both high school and college sports. 

Testing doesn't create excellence. It reveals it. 

Lagniappe. "Coaching is a relationship business." 

The greatest compliment a coach can get isn't trophies or banners. 

It's when former players introduce you to their family and say,
This is Coach, the one who taught me how to be better on and off the court. That's the legacy that matters.

— Steve Collins (@TeachHoopsBBall) April 22, 2026

Basketball - "Via Negativa"

With The Power of Negative Thinking, Bobby Knight went back to the future...the philosophy of via negativa...dating to the times of classical Rome and Greece. 

Google Gemini describes via negativa:

Via negativa (Latin for "the negative way") is a method of description or evaluation that focuses on what something is not, rather than what it is.

By stripping away inaccurate traits or unnecessary elements, you arrive at a clearer understanding of the subject. It is essentially the art of "definition by exclusion."

Think and do better. Winning basketball becomes basketball with "negative elements" stripped away. Adopting the less is more approach is difficult. 

Practice Subtraction

Direct every practice activity toward winning                                    Be efficient - "No lines, no laps, no lectures" - Brian McCormick          Streamline our drill book, playbook, and teaching                              Limit video to 13 clips - reduce "video fatigue"                                  Eliminate the repetitions of anything less than game speed.   

 Attend practice of some respected coaches and see what they don't do

Offensive Subtraction

• Use shot charts to stress test shot selection
• Shots are not a democracy. Remember Knight's admonition, "Just because I want you on the floor doesn't mean I want you to shoot."
• Dribble with purpose. "You don't get paid by the dribble." 
• Eliminate lazy cutting, a prime cause for lack of separation
• Censure "Me, too" shots. "It's not your shot, it's our shot." - Bilas
• Reduce turnovers, the definition of "zero percent possessions." 

Use video to prioritize "musts, needs, and wants." Harken back to core Pete Newell, "More and better shots than our opponent." 

Defensive Subtraction

• Stamp out bad on-ball defense. No more straight line drives. No more "dead man's defense" - six feet under the ball handler.
• No more silence. Organization includes defensive talk. 
• No more uncontested shots. Contestedness relates to opponent EFG%
• "Fouling negates hustle." No fouling perimeter shots, threes, and bail out shots. As Kevin Sivils says, "Foul for profit." 
• There are no 50-50 balls. First to the floor becomes the standard.
• No more "ole" matador blockouts. Body 'em or "hit and get." 

Defense thrives on focus, will, and effort. Offense might improve with "try easier" but defense doesn't. 

Use the Socratic Method and quiz players not just what they're supposed to do but what they need to stop doing. 

Lagniappe. Every day is "prove it" day. 

I’m in love with this sentence:

“The most underrated skill in life is to keep showing up, even when you don't feel like it.”

— Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) April 18, 2026

Lagniappe 2. Coach Steed makes a great point. Our transition philosophy defines our offensive philosophy. 

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Basketball - All the Small Things

Tension exists between "attention to detail" and "don't sweat the small stuff." All competent coaches prefer the former.

1. Philosophy

• Attention to detail often separates excellent from very good talent
• Can you "do your job" without the intricacies of "know your job?"
• Make everything impact success 

Observation - Coaches without clear philosophy...fail. 

2. Continual Learning

• Teach video study
• Decision-making 

Observation - Excellent coaches create a learning culture. 

3. MBWA (Management by walking around)

• Subtle issues require more than casual observation
• Culture has to go beyond "skin deep"

Observation - Excellent coaches see what's there and what's not. 

4. Player Development

• Every day is player development day"
• Fundamentals every day of practice

Observation - If you can't develop talent, outsource the development.

5. Operations

• Offensive structure (spacing, player and ball movement)
• Special situations
• Winning close and late (offensive and defensive delay)
• Tracking choices (shot selection, turnovers, "foul utility") 

Observation - Talent without structure is limited. 

6. Personal Care

• Longitudinal strength and conditioning
• Sleep, nutrition, and hydration
• Active recovery
• Mental health

Observation - Great machines will fail without maintenance. 

Additional notes:

• 1. What gets and keeps you on the floor?
• 2. All fouls are not equal (taking away layup vs frustration)
• 3. "Fouling negates hustle"
• 4. "Turnovers kill dreams."
• 5. Assists create possession enders.
• 6. Verify players are on the same page. "Trust but verify."

Lagniappe. Constraints make the drill work...time and consistency. 

The Celtic Drill ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/9R2mA5YvVF

— Anthony Pugh (@Anthony_Pugh2) April 24, 2026

Basketball - Unwritten Rules

The end of the T-Wolves/Nuggets game ended with the Wolves' Jaden McDaniels taking a meaningless breakaway layup with 1.3 seconds left. This triggered a minor tussle between both teams.

Richard Jefferson mentioned that "unwritten rules" exist in every sport - football, baseball, and basketball. Of course, he's correct.

What are some of the unwritten rules? 

• Dangerous play - notably "submarining" players going up for layups
• Unsportsmanlike - "late game" scoring in games out of reach
• "Dirty" plays - Intentional tripping, pulldowns, "head shots"
• "Showing up" players such as 'standing over' or taunting
• Situational etiquette - late pressing or fastbreaking up big margins
• "Frontier justice" - some players/teams will retaliate after physical play
• Headhunting stars for competitive advantage
• "Gorilla ball" - over the top physical play instead of "basketball"

Legitimately ask: 

1. Does play compromise player safety?                                          2. Is it "legitimate" competition?                                                        3. Does it meet our 'standards'?

Each of us has to ask what reflects our ethical standards and sportsmanship. If we were applying for a position, would we want film of our actions during this game to reflect our standards? 

Lagniappe. Competition and compassion coexist. 

The lie sports culture keeps telling:

You can’t compete against your opponent and still have compassion for them.

You can be the hardest worker,
the fiercest competitor,
the one nobody wants to line up against
and still be humble, respectful,
and compassionate.… pic.twitter.com/hv3eehOexR

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) April 22, 2026

Basketball - Ten Actionable Quotes

Quotes can helps us if they deliver actionable messages. Above all, coaching is a relationship business and our words inform our character and competence. 

These quotes help define "origin stories." Make a difference. One of the great challenges in life is taking bold action amidst uncertainty. 

"Your actions speak so loudly, I cannot hear a word you say."

Model excellence. Greet every player by name every day. 

"Comparison is the thief of joy." - Teddy Roosevelt

Compare ourselves only to the person we were yesterday. 

"The director is the keeper of the story." - Ron Howard

Own the story. Own the experience we create. 

"I learn something from everyone, often what not to do." - Abraham Lincoln

Reducing or avoiding mistakes raises our floor but not always the ceiling.

"Sacrifice." 

Success follows shared vision, shared work, and shared sacrifice.

"Our habits are votes for the person we want to become." - James Clear

Better habits boost character and competence. Pick, stick with, and check them.

"Look for the helpers." - Mr. Rogers

All great accomplishments come from collaboration. 

"Mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence."

Find a mentor...and become one. I remember what Captain Tom Walsh told me, "I am your mentor and your tormentor."

"Surround yourself with great people." - Coach Mike Krzyzewski

You become the average of the five people closest to you. 

"Shout praise and whisper criticism." - Coach Don Meyer 

Catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. People will always remember inspiring words about them. 

Compile a portfolio of influential quotes. 

Lagniappe. Choose well.  

Jay Wright literally revealed the ONE thing you control when nothing goes your way. pic.twitter.com/Sewj9fGqRX

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) April 22, 2026

Basketball - Can Do Attitude

Rule number 4. "It can be done."  

Colin Powell's 13 Rules

"I try to be an optimist, but I try not to be stupid." - Colin Powell

"Stupid" is a harsh word and seldom reflects well on either the source or the target. Warren Buffett's late partner Charlie Munger explained that it's easier not to be stupid than to be a genius. Use these lessons to make a difference and to avoid regret. 

With rare exceptions (Russia in the 1972 Olympics) do-overs and unicorns travel together. 

All of us have seen and made sport decisions that we'd rather have back. I don't mean a missed free throw or well-intended errant pass. I mean in the Ron Howard sense, "What idiot directed that scene?" (He did.)

1. Looking for early momentum, I instructed our team to press. We were down 6-0 in a minute and the ref literally looked at me for the timeout. He wasn't disappointed. We fell behind by double digits, rallied within six late and lost. I apologized to the eighth graders. "I own this loss. I didn't put us in a position to succeed." 

Lesson - Don't rush to succeed. "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

2. Champion skier Lindsey Vonn injured her ACL two weeks ahead of the Olympics. She competed anyway and suffered a catastrophic injury. Author Nassim Taleb of The Black Swan might say that was neither unsurprising or shocking. Knee biomechanics don't permit microadjustments with underlying severe injury. 

Lesson - Don't confuse "want to" and "get to." 

3. Legendary coach Gregg Popovich faced massive criticism for sitting Tim Duncan late in a catastrophic Game 6 loss to the Heat in 2013. We can always rationalize our decisions. Here's his insight. 

Lesson - "Don't bring a gun to a gunfight; bring a tank." - Fergus Connolly in 59 Lessons

4. Games often come down to a "Gotta Have It" moment. Everyone needs to be aware of and understand the implications of a situation. The basketball gods corrected a missed call allowing the fateful Webber Timeout in 1993. Webber went on to a Hall of Fame NBA career.

Lesson - "Get everyone on the same page." 

5. Games and fortunes turn on a single moment - skill, luck, Act of God. Kawhi Leonard's prayer from the corner did not go unanswered. What's the likelihood of a heavily contested buzzer beater falling in that situation? Reality says it's either 100 percent or zero. 

Lesson - "Make them beat you with your best pitch."

Lagniappe. Strengthen our arguments with a logical framework:

• Claim
• Evidence
• Explanation

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Ego Defense or Good Ideas?

Grab good ideas such as many of Colin Powell's "13 Rules." 

"Don't become so attached to an argument that if fails, you ego goes with it." 

Ideas are currency. Ego is fool's gold. 

Public domain image of 'iron pyrite' known as "fool's gold." 

Once a cigarette ad boasted, "I'd rather fight than switch." Talk about being "dead right" as packages listed tobacco health warnings since the 1960s. 

As coaches, be successful and flexible instead of inflexible and occasionally bitten in the backside. We were playing the top team whose best player was scoring about 25 points a game (a lot for an eighth grader). I thought our best chance was to limit her, crowding her shooting and doubling drives. We were competitive for a half until a teammate we left uncovered made a fistful of threes. We held the 'star' to about eight points but lost. That seemed to enrage their coach (? the father). He should've been happy about a win instead of triggered. 

A coach told me about a late game situation, trailing by one, where he designed a play with multiple options to get an open shot. They got an open look and missed. The star player's father came out the stands and screamed at him because his son didn't get the ball. The coach explained that it was about getting a good shot not his son's shot. Needless to say, that didn't calm the father. The coach was wildly successful. I don't know about the others. 

The Spoelstra 2012-13 Heat had Chris Bosch but imperfect spacing. Moving Bosch to the 'stretch 5' opened up spacing and scoring for LeBron James and Dwayne Wade and earned a title. Bosch didn't let ego stop a winning role change. 

Steve Kerr's substitution of Andre Iguodala for Andrew Bogut in the 2015 Finals at the suggestion of video coordinator Nick U'Ren was a turning point in the Warriors defeat of the Cavs. Kerr didn't let "power imbalance" sabotage a good idea. 

Coach Nick Nurse made a "junk defense" idea (box-and-one) limit the Warriors and Steph Curry in the 2019 series. He could have shunned 'signal' and stuck with convention. Didn't win that game but won the series using the box-and-one selectively.   

Lagniappe. NBA BOBs. 

 

Basketball - Reality and Sports Parenting

View on Threadse 

Like Jamal Wallace in Finding Forrester, I often use others' words to start mine. Perspective on sports parenting never gets old. 

Advocacy

Irrational is believing that parents won't or shouldn't advocate for their children. The issue becomes "degree." Parents may want minutes, role, and recognition for their child even more than players. They've invested their lives, time, and treasure to support them. Coaches are transients along that journey. When disagreements arise, that doesn't mean parents have failed. 

Crazy Costs

In the 40 billion dollars youth sports industry, "tuition and fees" have become incendiary. Atop the sundae, the "cherry" of game admission prices has risen to unthinkable amounts. Pay full freight and then get taxed again to watch your child play...or sit. 

Accessorizing

In addition to participation fees (often thousands of dollars), uniforms, sneakers, and 'swag', a host of other expenses arise - travel, lodging, road trip meals, additional medical costs (injuries happen), sports club or gym costs, personal trainers, et cetera, et cetera. 

Truth Telling

There's always an "inside" and an "outside" view. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - scholarships, NIL money - greets a tiny percentage of athletes. Many athletes and parents hold unrealistic expectations of their talent and potential. I played against two future NBA first rounders in high school - Ron Lee and Bob Bigelow. Nobody on our team approached their level, especially I. My daughters played with a future WNBA player - Shey Peddy...and they weren't near her level. 

I coached two women who played in the A10 this year - Sam Dewey and Cecilia Kay - and they were far above their local teammates. "Many are called and few are chosen." Coaches have to be realistic, too. 

"It's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll." Build a positive experience for players and they'll have something good to remember. 

Lagniappe. Reducing injuries is a primary concern for both coaches and athletes. 

Powell's 13 Rules - Why The First Matters for Us

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell republishes his "Thirteen Rules" in It Worked for Me. He distills his experiences in the Army, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the National Security Advisor, and Secretary of State. 

Managing and leading people are not identical. 

The first is, "It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning." Life events happen that we can't control. Control our response better...both in the short and long term. 

The Other Moore's Law

General Hal Moore reminds us that "there is always something more that we can do." The Spartans remained steadfast at Thermopylae. "When told that Persian arrows would blot out the sun, Dienekes replied: “Then we will fight in the shade.” Choose better perspective as both leaders and followers. 

Losses Are Lessons

"Love our losses." Unfortunately, losses often dispense our best lessons. NFL Mondays are lessons in understanding victory and defeat. Be good at what we do a lot. Be easy to play with and hard to play against. Excel at handling and asserting pressure. Win in the half-court. Don't give games away by failing to manage tempo or through bad decisions. 

Find Mentors to Navigate Crises

CAPT Bill Baker told me early in my medical career, "Good judgment comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgment." He also said, "What's worse than heart disease is turning a heart problem into a brain problem." Avoid transforming one problem (e.g. a problem player) into a systemic problem (team disruption). Have a trusted voice to ask for help. 

Phil Jackson's Bulls couldn't progress in the playoffs. The Triangle Offense helped Michael Jordan et al. get over the hump by 'reframing the system'. With the Lakers, post-Shaq, Jackson challenged Kobe to lead and trust. That reframed ego into a unified system and the Lakers won consecutive titles in 2009 and 2010. 

Lose a Game Not Our Team 

Model excellence. Some coaches earn a reputation for "my coaching helped us win" and "the players own this loss." This reminds me of a scene late in North Dallas Forty when a player yells at the coach, "Every time I call it a game you call it a business, and every time I call it a business you call it a game." (Warning: The language is expletive-filled, unforgiving, and real.) The appeal of team sport is disparate people struggling together. 

Hold Fire

As above, emotion can overrule judgment after games. Abraham Lincoln was often angered by staff, subordinates, and generals. He wrote excoriating letters and then finished them at the bottom, "Never signed, never sent." Take advantage of a "cooling off" period to communicate better like Lincoln did with those "hot letters." 

Summary: Self-regulation is a skill.

• Find a better way. 
• Love our losses. 
• Mentors help our navigation.
• Never lose our teams. "The game is about the players." 
• Let the heat out slowly. 

Lagniappe. Cutting is an underrated skill. Chris Oliver illustrates.