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Sunday, September 29, 2019

Basketball: What Would Dean Smith Do?

Exceptional Sapiens lead by example. Lincoln, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Churchill, and others led and served. How did Dean Smith decide? What would Dean Smith do? 

 Dean Smith was a math major at Kansas. Understandably, he focused on stats like points per possession (advocating at least 0.85) and shooting percentage. But Smith was more than Stat Masterson. 

 Great Scott. Smith didn't have to sign Charlie Scott as Carolina's first African-American scholarship player. But Smith helped launch Scott's career as an NBA champion, an NBA Hall of Famer, and an entrepreneur. 

 Hanging in effigy. Smith wasn't an overnight success. He returned from an ACC road trip to find his likeness hanging in effigy on campus. He could have quit or lost the support of his players. But instead, they redoubled their efforts and Smith eventually won a pair of National Championships. 

 Michael Jordan. Smith is famously the answer to the trivia, "who is the only man to hold Michael Jordan under twenty points per game?" But when Jordan sought advice about leaving college early, Smith supported him. Obviously, Jordan remaining at Carolina was in Smith's interests. Jordan said of Smith, “If you talk to a guy who never got off the bench, he says the same thing I say. That’s what a father figure is really like – he never put one kid above the other." When players I've coached don't go to the local high school, I'm still their biggest fan after their family. 

 Credit the reserves. Smith knew that stars get plenty of ink. He went out of his way in the media to acknowledge the winning contributions of reserves. Keeping everyone engaged, not just big contributors, marks strong leaders.

 Shot selection. Smith sometimes conducted Carolina scoring with "shot selection scoring" awarding points based on shot selection. Layups were worth more than contested jumpers and turnovers counted against you. Carolina usually led the ACC in field goal percentage. No wonder...'do more of what works.'
Final tribute. Coach Smith believed in justice. Smith left a stipend to each former letterman so they had a night out on him. Smith believed in people, in sportsmanship, in winning 'the right way.' So ask ourselves, "what would Dean Smith do?" 

 Lagniappe: "Plan your trade; trade your plan." via @Coach_DeMarco
I believe "dinner out" was no accident. 
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