"ONE MUST CULTIVATE ONE’S OWN GARDEN" - Voltaire
Tend our metaphorical garden. Present our best self every day.
I have no idea what you’re talking about; my general view is that people who meddle with politics usually meet a miserable end, and indeed they deserve to. I never bother with what is going on in Constantinople; I only worry about sending the fruits of the garden which I cultivate off to be sold there.’ Having said these words, he invited the strangers into his house; his two sons and two daughters presented them with several sorts of sherbet, which they had made themselves, with kaimak enriched with the candied-peel of citrons, with oranges, lemons, pine-apples, pistachio-nuts, and Mocha coffee…‘You must have a vast and magnificent estate,’ said Candide to the turk. ‘I have only twenty acres,’ replied the old man; ‘I and my children cultivate them; and our labour preserves us from three great evils: weariness, vice, and want.’ Candide, on his way home, reflected deeply on what the old man had said. ‘This honest Turk,’ he said to Pangloss and Martin, ‘seems to be in a far better place than kings…. I also know,” said Candide, “that we must cultivate our garden.’ - from Candide, Voltaire's philosophical novel
Basketball is the drug that pulls us back in with intoxicating victories and soul-crushing defeats.
"The Red Vineyard" Van Gogh's only sale in life
Commercial success may not reflect artistic merit. Van Gogh sold one painting (among 900) during his lifetime. It took eons for people to recognize his talent.
1. Follow our why. "Every day is personal development day." We are learning machines. Track progress through journaling with a commonplace book, playbook, and drill book.
2. "The magic is in the work." Invest the unrequired time and stay focused. I never started a game as a junior and played seven seconds in one. In a sectional championship game as a senior, I played all 36 minutes.
3. Share specifics. Obsess the details. Leave a legacy. A few words will change lives and we never know when.
4. Positivity unlocks doors. Negativity closes them. Stay positive and show players appreciation for hard work. Be a gratitude champion.
5. "Mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence. "Find a mentor and become one. Think in terms of probabilities. What if? What next?
6. Reinvent our world. Revise. Simplify. "Kill your darlings," eliminate dated or trite material.
This reverse layups line drill develops versatile finishes.
7. Genuine inspiration requires discovery. Artists triumph with imagination and freshness. Inspiration is all around us.
8. Own our mistakes. Players respect humility and honesty.
9. "The game honors toughness." Be tough to play against (screening, first to the floor, cutting urgently, blocking out) and easy to play with (spacing, communicating, passing unselfishly).
10. Catch people in the act of doing well. Use the magic words. "I believe in you."
Recap:
- We are learning machines. Become our better version.
- Leave a legacy.
- Show players gratitude.
- Find a mentor. Be one.
- Use the magic words. "I believe in you."
Lagniappe. Xs and Os. This spread offense video is worth more study.
Lagniappe 2. Translate from other domains. Someone asked Helen Mirren what it takes to succeed in her business. "Be on time. Don't be an A*hole."
Lagniappe 3. Xs and Os moment. Horns PnR Downscreen
Lagniappe 4. Player development moment. Advice for point guard development...the hardest position to develop in my opinion...
Lagniappe 5. Advice from the Shot Doctor, John Betonte Nike Cleveland Basketball Clinic Notes (2014)
• Focus on the inches of the game – one inch can cause a miss
• It is important for kids to stop shooting from their hip – “Your two legs are stronger than one arm” – jump into your shot
• You should have a pocket between the ball and your fingers – this is true on both hands
• He gives players “homework” assignments to improve their shooting
• He wants to have light grip pressure on the ball
• Exaggerate your shooting arc in practice
• One-foot layups should be shot underhand
• Do not dribble at the foul line – dribbles are a variable
• The only difference between a free throw and a 3-pointer is the jump
• “Work with the kids who deserve it”
• It is important for kids to stop shooting from their hip – “Your two legs are stronger than one arm” – jump into your shot
• You should have a pocket between the ball and your fingers – this is true on both hands
• He gives players “homework” assignments to improve their shooting
• He wants to have light grip pressure on the ball
• Exaggerate your shooting arc in practice
• One-foot layups should be shot underhand
• Do not dribble at the foul line – dribbles are a variable
• The only difference between a free throw and a 3-pointer is the jump
• “Work with the kids who deserve it”
Lagniappe 6. Put out the fire.
