"We are most interested in young men who are basketball players rather than someone who views himself as a "point guard" or a "two guard." - Jay Wright, Attitude
Intangibles separate better from good. In his podcast with Chris Oliver, Etorre Messina says, "character is skill number one."
Be good at things that don't require talent. We've all seen the lists. They're hard to measure and don't always earn appreciation. You know them when you see them. Which intangibles press your positive buttons?
Sacrifice. My coach, Sonny Lane, preached sacrifice. Sacrifice comes in many forms - time, money, attention, energy, your body (setting hard screens, taking charges, going to the floor). A fellow intern, Jim Storey, who recently retired, took call for me when my son was born. Being on call means that you're awake and working nearly continuously for up to thirty-six hours. Medical training is a grind. Basketball excellence comes from grinding. Jay Bilas' Toughness encompasses sacrifice. It's magnified when lived without expectation of thanks or reciprocity. But it's great to appreciate sacrifice in our lives when we see it.
Basketball IQ (BBIQ). We recognize smart basketball when we see it. BBIQ distinguishes KNOW HOW from KNOW THAT. It appears as spacing, awareness, good decisions, shot selection, valuing the ball, help and rotation, PTRW (playing the right way), doing the right things at the right time.
Perseverance. Never quit. Losses happen. Quitting can't.
Some people achieve the amazing, the remarkable. A few do the impossible, like Dashrath Manjhi, the man who cut down a mountain, alone, over twenty-two years. "Are you going to give up and give in or get up and get in?" Don't say you cannot; say you will.
Leadership. Model excellence. Show respect to get respect. Be fair, thoughtful, and kind. Reveal the leader that we want our players to become. Bob Iger took a great Disney team and made them a spectacular one. Understand the honest mistake, but recognize that all mistakes are not honest mistakes.
Likability. "Do your teammates like you?" If not, why not? Share the ball. Communicate. Carry more than your share of the load. At the end of her MasterClass, Helen Mirren advises young actors, "show up on time and don't be an A**hole." Everyone can't be a great player; everyone can be a great teammate.
Lagniappe. Intangibles aren't everything. Key actions require athleticism, balance, and skill. This video demonstrates some of the lessons from the Steph Curry MasterClass. As a young player, you don't need a big portfolio of moves, just mastery of a small set.