My coach's priority was "the ball is gold." Get the ball and do not give it away. Good things happen with possession. Timeless message.
Today I expect our first full summer workout. Certain basketball lessons resonate:
"Listening is a skill." We learn by listening not speaking.
"Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson The best players make the team and their teammates better. Be 'over yourself.'
"This is who we are and this is how we play." When you played a John Thompson, Nolan Richardson, or Jerry Tarkanian team, there wasn't any mystery about what you were going to get. Knowing leads to doing.
"Basketball is a game meant to be played fast." - John Wooden We have no choice. We lack the artillery or the infantry to win those styles. We are the cavalry.
"You succeed by finding a way to wear down the other team." Successful teams can play different styles but the key is doing well what you do a lot.
"Be performance-focused and feedback-rich." Create process expectations and let the results take care of themselves. When we work hard and consistently at doing what is necessary to do well, we can live with the results.
1:15 paraphrased "Nobody ever won a war by dying for his country...he won it by making the other...die for his country." "Americans love a winner...Americans play to win..."
"Basketball is a game of mistakes." - Bob Knight Teams that succeed the most excel at efficiency at both ends. Pete Newell said it another way, "get more and better quality shots than your opponent." Minimize mistakes.
"You don't play for the city, the school, your class, your family, or me. You play for each other." Shared accountability for teammates is a high priority. Teams that care most about each other and for each other are always winners.