Basketball: What Belongs in Your Last Lecture?

Randy Pausch from Carnegie Mellon was dying of pancreatic cancer. He gave The Last Lecture, sharing life lessons. "It's not about how to achieve your dreams, it's about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself, the dreams will come to you.”

When we leave our audience with our last basketball podcast or lecture, what absolutes belong? Think about sharing powerful messages that can resonate with our audience every day. David Brooks differentiates creating resume' values versus eulogy values. 

Be a person of substance...gravitas. Add meaning and share truths to the lives of others. Effective coaches take players where they cannot go alone.  

Know what's important. Finance guru Todd Harrison informs, "never confuse net worth with self-worth." Fame is not value. 

Energize. We energize with actions, appearance, and words. Strive to master verbal and non-verbal communication. Be positive but authentic. Instill energy to ourselves and for others. Create a better version of our community. 

Tell better stories. Stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. David Mamet explains...1) what was the last thing George Washington said to his men before crossing the Delaware? 2) Pause. 3) Get in the boat. Give players the tools to tell better stories individually (technique) and collectively (tactics). 

Leave an impression. Bring your best self to the arena. I start tryouts with new groups by saying, "I need a volunteer." Be out of your seat like someone fired you from a cannon. 

Make a difference. "Excel in your role." "Be aggressive." Know the difference between aggressive and dirty. Not many coaches want dirty players. That disrespects the game, disrespects your team, and your community. 

Say "yes" as often as possible. Find reasons to say "I will" not "I can't." 

Add value. "Are we building a program or a statue?" Advance the story. Players and teams need the tools of technique, tactics, and time. Constantly edit by adding better approaches and deleting (or shelving) inferior ones. Ron Howard says, "the movie is made in the editing room." 

Seek balance. Courage finds middle ground between fear and recognition. Confidence overcomes doubt and arrogance. Devote time to personal growth without sacrificing family on the altar of self-actualization. 

Learn. Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's sidekick, says, "be a learning machine." Basketball's Kevin Eastman reminds us, "don't be a know-it-all be a learn-it-all." Carve out protected time for learning. 

Harness time. Nick Saban asks, "are we spending our time or investing it?" Be on time and ready to go. Don't waste other people's time as it disrespects them. 

Don't be a jerk. Power resides in knowing what not to do. "Be demanding without being demeaning" and "never be a child's last coach." Don't force others to make excuses for us. 

What does this have to with basketball? Everything.