Life and basketball balance give and take. We celebrate givers. Takers? Seldom.
When I think of philanthropic sports figures, I think of Bobby Orr first. Orr is famous for his charity. But numerous NBA players have high profile charities, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Dwayne Wade. I'm sure there are many more.
Reciprocity is a core influencing strategy, investigated by Robert Cialdini in Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.
Top-rated Wharton professor Adam Grant argues in Give and Take that we develop a primary reciprocity style - giving, taking, or matching.
Anthony Hopkins' conversation with Jody Foster in Silence of the Lambs serves as a memorable matcher, quid pro quo. Some doctors distribute consultation requests on a quid pro quo basis (and make no bones about it). That's much less with the decline of private practice.
Among first-year medical students, engineers, and salespeople, givers were judged as less effective and less productive.
Yet Grant writes, "So if givers are most likely to land at the bottom of the success ladder - who's at the top, takers or matchers? Neither...it's the givers again." Givers are both the leaders and the laggards..."By operating as a giver, (David) Hornik created value for himself while maximizing opportunities for value to flow outward for the benefit of others." As medical students become upperclassmen and physicians, givers gain in success and stature, because support, service, and teamwork matter to patient care.
Givers rejects the label of doormat or sucker, favoring giving in a way where others recognize the contribution attached. Publicity-seeking giving with "look at me" intent doesn't foster admiration.
Kevin Eastman counsels coaches to say "yes," to career development activities like giving extra time at practice, speeches, clinics, and interviews.
Some players rep astronomy monikers - "black holes," if you pass them the ball, you'll never get it back.
Selfless teams "share the ball." Don Meyer preached servant leadership as a primary value. Dean Smith credited non-starters and non-scorers for their contributions to wins, and Phil Jackson summarized the game, "basketball is sharing."
Conversely, players shun labels of selfish, ball hogs, or Huns, hunting shots. Remind players, "there are no MY TURN shots."
Lagniappe: another form of misdirection
