Ideas are the currency of the future. Encourage players to give more, their personal best. Explain the Aristotelian essential nature of an item or activity. The discussion about the "fundamental nature" of things, whether flutes or golf, relates to basketball.
"We too rarely articulate and defend and argue about those big moral questions." We can apply the sacred to the profane, the day-to-day fundamentals. Aristotle said we sometimes have to reason about and sometimes argue about the purpose of the thing. Last night I heard parents calmly discussing distribution of shots, not selection but distribution. The "big moral question" is the justice of who shoots, how often, and when. For me, the argument centers on what is best for the team not the individual.
Focus the idea. “Excellent shooters develop proper and consistent form.”
Explain the importance. “Making shots is vital to team success.”
Construct the idea with familiar concepts and tools. “Shooting percentage difference is the first and highest correlation to success. That demands better technique, skill, and shot selection - and Jay Bilas’s ‘It’s not your shot, it’s our shot.’”
Add value. Kevin Eastman says, “you own your paycheck.” If you want more shots, create more separation, get more option shots, and make them.
If you were sharing your basketball philosophy in a TED talk, what ideas would emerge? Steve Kerr might begin with mindset, mentors, and culture. I’d argue for philosophy, culture, and identity.
“How you play or coach is how you live your life. How you connect with teammates defines who you are." How do you play? How do you relate?