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Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Basketball - Turf Battles

Everyone knows 'turf'; few want to discuss it. It's the "perceived ownership" of a domain. It's the local cops versus the FBI, Medicine versus Surgery, state versus federal. Some call it 'jurisdiction'. Others call it 'authority'. And every time, both sides believe it's theirs.  

How does "Turf" show up in basketball? 

I went to have a conversation with a local coach and addressed the coach by name. The immediate reply, "You will address me as 'Coach'." End of conversation. The intent was to sell "power" by position. I was neither selling nor buying. Sport is meritocracy until it isn't. 

In "The Politics of Coaching," Carl Pierson describes situations where parents tried to 'protect' their children by marginalizing opportunities for younger players in workouts or Summer Leagues. That's 'Turf'.

A couple of years ago, the state High School Administrative Organization determined that a school had circumvented or violated athlete participation rules. Rather than punish individuals, they gave the school the proverbial "Death Penalty" and banned all teams from postseason play for a year. They also stated that they don't keep written notes of meetings so no paper trail existed. That's another form of turf battle. 

It happens in the pros, too. After Tristan Casas was injured and Alex Bregman had replaced Rafael Devers at third, moving Devers to DH, the Red Sox asked Devers to try first base. He declined. The team shipped Devers and his $250M contract out for what baseball experts considered a mediocre return. While in some sports, stars dictate personnel decisions, the turf battle ended with "He who has the gold makes the rules." 

Years ago Coach Bill Parcells left the Patriots during a dispute with ownership about control of personnel decisions. Parcells said, "If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries."

Let's step aside for an AI consult, via ChatGPT:

Prompt: Thank you for your input. "Turf battles" show up in many domains, including basketball. Please elaborate and share examples.
ChatGPT said:

You're absolutely right—turf battles aren’t limited to boardrooms or bureaucracies. They show up vividly in sports, especially basketball, where roles, recognition, and responsibilities are often contested. Turf battles arise when individuals or groups fight to protect or expand their control, status, or influence—often at the expense of collaboration or team goals.

What Turf Battles Look Like in Basketball

1. Player vs. Player: Role and Touches

  • Scenario: Two star players both want to be “the guy.” One wants more plays called for him, the other wants to bring the ball up and initiate.

  • Example: Think of the early clashes between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal on the Lakers. Both wanted to be the alpha. Their turf battle was about control of the offense and recognition as the team's leader.

2. Coach vs. Player: Control of the Game

  • Scenario: A talented point guard ignores the coach’s play call to freelance. The coach sees it as insubordination; the player sees it as trusting instincts.

  • Example: Allen Iverson's friction with coaches often came down to autonomy—he wanted the freedom to play his game, while coaches wanted structure.

3. Assistant Coaches vs. Head Coach: Philosophical Differences

  • Scenario: An assistant believes the team should press or run zone more, but the head coach resists change. The assistant pushes players behind the scenes, creating factions.

  • Example: This is less visible in the public but happens frequently in college programs or pro staffs where assistants are eyeing promotions.

4. Parents vs. Coach: Playing Time and Roles

  • Scenario: A parent believes their child should be starting or getting more shots and tries to influence the coach—or worse, stirs discontent among other parents.

  • Example: High school programs see this often. Parents politic for positions or organize around perceived slights.

5. Athletic Director vs. Coach: Program Vision

  • Scenario: The coach wants to rebuild with younger players, but the AD pressures them to win now to please boosters or justify the budget.

  • Example: In college or prep settings, these turf battles may force premature roster moves or lead to firings.

Consequences of Turf Battles

  • Erosion of trust: Players stop believing in coaches or teammates.

  • Fragmented team culture: “Us vs. them” mentalities form inside the locker room.

  • Stalled development: Younger players are caught in the crossfire or discouraged.

  • Underperformance: Even with talent, dysfunction kills cohesion and execution.

Strategies to Reduce Turf Battles

  • Clearly defined roles: When expectations are transparent, there's less ambiguity and friction.

  • Regular communication: Addressing concerns before they fester prevents camps from forming.

  • Shared goals and values: Reinforce team-first culture over individual agendas.

  • Ego management: Celebrate humility and reward unselfishness publicly.

Turf battles are natural in competitive environments—but unmanaged, they rot teams from the inside. Great leaders—on the court and off—spot them early and root them out through clarity, connection, and accountability.

Lagniappe. There's a lot to digest. Five-out (50, Spread, Open) offenses achieve spacing allowing for opportunities for driving, player and ball movement, drive and dish, and ball reversals that challenge defenses. 

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