Monday, September 30, 2024

Basketball - Become a Storyteller

"Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own story." - John Barth

Humans are the 'storytelling animal'. We're wired to believe what we hear and sometimes people take that as license to exaggerate or misrepresent their skill or achievement.

Basketball brings us unimagined joy and indelible grief. Strong emotion imprints forever memories upon us. And it's impossible to forget stories worth sharing. 

The 1972 Olympic Gold Medal game between the US and the Soviet Union put permanent scars on US Olympians. They never accepted the Silver Medal and some even wrote into their wills that family members were never to accept them. I heard Doug Collins say that the last song he heard leaving the locker room was Jimmy Ruffin's 1966, "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?"  


Paul Douglas Collins was voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. 

Coach Mike Krzyzewski coached multiple Olympic teams. At the end of one practice, he asked players to think silently of the one person who had done the most to help them fulfill their basketball dreams. He dismissed them to their rooms. They returned to see their USA uniform laid out on their bed. Many said that moment brought them to tears. 

Coach Lane asked us, "Who are those guys?" We didn't know the reference. 


We had never won anything and were never expected to win anything. We overachieved, going 21-4 until losing in the Massachusetts Division 1 semifinals by three. We had beaten the top seed and the defending State Champion during the playoffs. 

A now-retired fabulous colleague, Dr. Harris Gibson, was eating dinner with Celtics GM M.L. Carr at a now-closed restaurant, Weylu's. Customers stopped by looking for Carr's autograph. Carr told the Chest Surgeon that it was ironic that Harris spent his day saving lives and he had a basketball job, and that everyone wanted his autograph. 

Exceptional wasn't a word used to describe my basketball resume' in high school. But at Sam Jones's camp, they hold an outdoor free throw shooting contest. No garbage rims. Sam asked, "who wants to go first?" I am up as though shot of a cannon. My rationale? If I make ten, it's almost impossible that another kid will make ten having to make ten. I sank ten. It's not the Olympics where judges leave room for a ten. Still have that trophy somewhere. 

Henry Finkel was in our office building to see his friend and my colleague Dr. Haynes, who suggested he come over to say hello. Imagine my surprise seeing the former Celtic and All-American. "Wow, Mr. Finkel, I have never met an office furniture magnate." The big guy laughed heartily. Everyone loves office furniture, right? 

In Beyond Basketball, Coach K shares some of his experiences and stories. While an assistant at Indiana under Bob Knight, he asks Knight why the Hoosiers don't do "Zig Zag drill" that they did every day at Army. "Michael, there is a big difference between you and Quinn Buckner." Adapt to your players and situation. 

Years ago I went to the local YMCA to shoot a few hoops. I walk into the gym and there's a guy teaching his daughter to shoot. I think, "that looks like JoJo White." He shoots the ball. "That is JoJo White." I leave because I think he knows he's JoJo White and I want him to have a private moment with his daughter. Years later my twins will play his daughter's team in the Sectional Finals at Tsongas Arena. I don't remember whether his daughter even got in the game. Melrose wins big, led by future WNBA player Shey Peddy. 

Share your stories. 

Lagniappe. Excellence. 

Lagniappe 2. It's always about the many not the few. 

Lagniappe 3. Cross-screen clearout to set up a back screen cutter.  

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