Rarely brilliance shines a light upon us.
"Six decades ago, in a classroom at Groton, a young man rose slowly to his feet, gazed down at a sheaf of papers in his hand, and began to read. At the front of the room, his teacher sat back and enjoyed a brilliant essay on the Duke of Marlborough, brilliantly delivered -- and marred only by a scattering of barely suppressed giggles. Baffled, the teacher later drew one of the young man's classmates aside and asked about the laughter. ''Didn't you know?'' the student said. ''He was unprepared. He was reading from a blank piece of paper.''" Such was the intellect of McGeorge Bundy.
Grab enduring truths.
Phil Jackson said, "Basketball is sharing." Play for the guys next to you. Commitment, effort, and sacrifice can't match McArthur's "duty, honor, country," but they're neighbors.
Pete Newell simplified the game, "get more and better shots than our opponents." Every player should know this. Find quality shots; allow "one bad shot."
"Simplify." Don Meyer preached simplicity. Teach the necessary and omit the fluff. Occam's Razor held, "never multiply things beyond necessity." But that doesn't eliminate plan B (e.g. comeback or delay games).
"Possession and possessions." Get the ball; do something great with it. Coach Sonny Lane shared that he valued assists and rebounding. Assists imply scoring and rebounds means possession.
Bill Belichick says, “On a team, it’s not the strength of the individual players, but it is the strength of the unit and how they all function together.” Teams are more than a collection of talent. The best players don't always play well together.
Find guys who end possessions well. They force turnovers, bad shots, and rebound. Or they pile up points. Efficient possession enders always find roles. Twenty points a game may not get scholarships but twenty rebounds a game do.
“Every day is player development day.” - Dave Smart Player development benefits everyone. Reserves push starters. Nobody regrets more skill. Development defines dreams. Guys like Drew Hanlen help the Jayson Tatums of the world put up fifty points three times in a season.
Change of direction, change of pace, explosiveness, and skill don't arise from magic lamps.
Gregg Popovich says, “Get over yourself.” Ego distracts from destiny. Bill Russell said that his ego depended on team success. George C. Marshall yielded command of the European Theater to Eisenhower. William Tecumseh Sherman had a slow ascent to prominence, winning battles with strategy not recklessness on his march to the sea. Each of these leaders placed mission over self.
“Seek high performance.” Take pride in resilience. When the Heat defeated the Spurs in 2013, the Spurs fought back despite this disheartening Game 6 loss. We've all celebrated "good losses" but there are no good postseason losses. The Spurs reclaimed the title the next year.
Pick, check, and stick to your process. Don't skip steps. Trader Linda Raschke says, "Plan your trade; trade your plan." We make our habits and our habits make us. Nick Saban's PROCESS has won at every college stop.
And Saban knows that commitment confirms the process.
Summary:
- "Basketball is sharing."
- "Get more and better shots."
- "Simplify."
- "Possession and possessions."
- "Develop guys who end possessions well."
- "Get over yourself."
- "Stick to your process."