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Friday, January 14, 2022

Our Basketball Legacy

At the end of days, what mark did our basketball experience leave behind? Future archeologists who excavate the basketball landscape will uncover traces of our legacy.

This triggers a question, "what is your favorite quote?" The only reasonable answer is, "about what?" James Clear shared this note from Sports writer Andy Benoit on how geniuses work:

“Most geniuses—especially those who lead others—prosper not by deconstructing intricate complexities but by exploiting unrecognized simplicities.”

Source: Sports Illustrated

Contemplate what simplicities make our teams and our players more successful. Edit the list to a manageable number and bring that patina to our work every day. 

1. Be positive. Positivity raises people up. The nuances of sarcasm are generally lost on young people. 

2. Care consistently. Coach to give not to take. We hear how coaches tell players, "you're only useful to me on the court." That can't be our legacy. 

3. Put people in positions to succeed. Create advantage whether through personnel, matchups, positional tactics, or training. Sun Tzu simplified, "attack weaknesses, utilize strengths." 

4. Reduce errors. Coach Knight's wisdom informs, "basketball is a game of mistakes." Good teams seldom give games away with mental or physical mistakes. Today's uncorrected error becomes tomorrow's regret. Jim Rohn shared, "suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret." 

5. Share. Teach at every opportunity. We're fortunate when we have enthusiastic learners. Cecilia, a 6'1" sophomore elite student, scores in the post, off the bounce, and beyond the arc. Last night she had 23. 

6. "Kill your darlings." As I've said before, "the film is made in the editing room." 


People function best when our 'working memory' has spare capacity. The first unrecognized simplicity in basketball is the primacy of skill development. Learning to create edges in player development pays off. When the skilled player embraces junking the low quality elements of her game, she makes explosive gains. 

7. "Technique beats tactics." If we have a group of motivated, athletic, skilled players, then spread offense, Princeton, or Flex matters a lot less than letting them space, move, and execute. 

8. Win in space. Mom would say, "Don't play in the traffic." Works for me. Great players win in space. 

Summary: 

  • Be positive.
  • Care consistently.
  • Put people in position to succeed.
  • Reduce errors.
  • Share
  • "Kill your darlings." 
  • "Technique beats tactics."
  • Win in space. 
Lagniappe: Thought for the day. 





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