"For a miserable existence, I recommend ignoring not only other people's feeling, but also their opinions, ideas, and ways of thinking." - Rolf Dobelli in "The Not to Do List"
When you've written over 10,000 blog posts, you'll likely weary of your own voice. Which is why reading and listening to others becomes crucial.
First, filter the firehose of daily voices in our heads.
Second, seek wisdom, the needle in the needlestack.
Speaking or writing, we learn nothing. That's copy and paste from our personal repository of knowledge and dreck.
Reading and listening are like stock options, the opportunity but not the obligation to buy (or sell) at a future time at a given price. Read about Dean Smith's approach to timeouts. Then decide whether you want to have three for the final four minutes.
When we focus and listen attentively, others may make a decision for us. A patient was admitted with a potentially life-threatening problem occurring after a stay at another hospital. A family member literally grabbed me by the shirt, pleading "don't let my ______ die."
First, "you have to let go of my shirt. That is not okay."
Second, "we will do everything possible to transfer your _______ back ASAP to the hospital that treated him." The situation dictated what I call the "Woolworth's policy" (Colin Powell called it Pottery Barn)... "you broke it, you bought it."
What does this mean for basketball?
If a player or their entourage (including family) are toxic, don't hang onto 'radioactivity'. Just don't. A skunk in our living room never makes life better, regardless of the reason the skunk got there.
Where does one go on a journey for basketball and life advice?
- Read Charlie Munger. "Self-serving bias is a critical psychological trap that distorts judgment, advising that "if you don’t allow for self-serving bias in the conduct of others, you are, again, a fool.""
- Chris Oliver podcasts. Chris has conversations with basketball thinkers across the spectrum. Learn something or a lot of somethings.
- The Wide World of experience. For example FIBA videos, youtube videos, Netflix coaching series, "The Playbook."
- MasterClass with video series from Coach K, Geno Auriemma, Steph Curry, and many others.
3 Off-ball habits every player should master:
— 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 🅿️𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐧 (@Bucket_Giver) June 25, 2026
🏀 Ball driving toward you → DRIFT
⬆️ Ball driving away from you → LIFT
✂️ Ball stops → CUT
Don’t be a spectator. Create space. Create passing angles. Create opportunities.
