Stoicism and Basketball*

*Inspired by and modified from "The Daily Stoic" 

Professional sports, teams and individuals, embrace stoicism as a high performance strategy. Stoic philosophy comes from a Greek word ‘stoa’ or porch. Stoics were the “porch guys.” 

As Coach Bob Knight said, "the mental is to the physical four to one," competitive advantage flows from mental edges. 

Two famous Stoic practitioners stood at opposite ends of the spectrum - the Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the former slave Epictetus. 

Stoicism encourages virtue - courage, wisdom, justice, and moderation. 

Basketball: Basketball virtue manifests in different ways including "competitive character." 

“Control what you can control.” Professionals control attitudes, choices, and effort. They don’t control what happens to them, but how they respond.

Basketball: When players enter the league, they commit to career development or sometimes to "The Life." It's hard to excel as a pro while burning the candle at both ends. 

“Aspire to virtue.” Marcus Aurelius had overwhelming responsibilities as emperor. He chose to focus on good character, good intentions, and good actions.” 

Basketball: Virtue shows up in work ethic, humility, and temperance.

“Self-control is a choice.” 

Basketball: In a physical sport, a narrow gap exists between stimulus (contact) and response (retaliation). 

Develop the fortress within. The Stoics called this the "inner citadel." He who is tested has the privilege of learning resilience.

Basketball: The basketball inner citadel is the metaphorical place where a player finds peace. 

“The good of the many matters.” Marcus Aurelius shared the analogy of bees. What is good for the hive is good for the bees. 

Basketball: Stoic philosophy puts the team first. 

Set our standard. “Is this what the person I’d like to be would do?” Every day provides choices.

Basketball: Our choices and our habits define our destiny. 

A personal philosophy helps people with identity and performance, who we are and what we do. 

Lagniappe: (via ChatGPT Plus)

NBA Players & Coaches with Stoic Leanings

CJ McCollum

• Context: The NBA guard CJ McCollum embraced Stoic philosophy after a teammate gifted him Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way.

• Impact: The book helped him find balance between his personal life and professional demands.

Brad Stevens (Coach, formerly Butler & Boston Celtics Executive)

• Approach: Known for his quiet composure on the sideline, Stevens models Stoic presence—he stays calm, focuses on what he can control (“the next play”), avoids emotional outbursts, and reinforces the “do your job” mentality of steady excellence.

Phil Jackson (Coach of Bulls & Lakers)

• Though not explicitly Stoic, Jackson is known as the “Zen Master” for his integration of Eastern philosophy. His calm, meditative approach and psychological insight share substantial overlap with Stoic values of inner control, mental discipline, and composure.

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Broader Professional Sports & Stoicism

NFL Coaches & Executives

• Bill Belichick, Michael Lombardi, and the New England Patriots staff circulated The Obstacle Is the Way during their 2014 Super Bowl run. Similarly, John Schneider and Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks passed the book around their locker room the following season.

Other Sports Figures

• LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have been associated with Stoic practices, such as visualizing outcomes (including negative ones) and focusing on process over results.

• Kawhi Leonard is often described as having a naturally stoic disposition: calm, measured, and unflappable under pressure.

Olympic Gold Medalist Speed Skater: Mark Tuitert

• Tuitert credits Marcus Aurelius’ core Stoic principle—“what stands in the way becomes the way”—for transforming his approach after burnout and multiple crises. He went on to win gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics by focusing on what he could control and letting go of outcomes.

Greg Harden (Peak Performance Coach)

• Though not Stoic in name, Harden’s mantra—“control the controllables”—echoes core Stoic teaching. He coached elite performers like Tom Brady, Michael Phelps, Desmond Howard, and NBA draft pick Nik Stauskas, helping them manage pressure and focus on internal resilience.

Lagniappe 2. Stoic principles include a bias to action. For example, Amelia Earhart became a pilot in an era with fewer opportunities for women. 

Lagniappe 3. A Stoicism infographic prepared by AI 

Basketball - Understand Military and Sports Parallels

"Never give an order that can't be enforced." - Gen. Wesley Clark in "American Military History" (The Great Courses)

Sport has war parallels, but war is deadly serious. Military experience teaches lessons about training, leadership, strategy, and operations. Preparation is paramount. Never ignore the hard-fought lessons from other domains. 

Lessons include impacts from politics, equipment needs, and leadership.

General Clark was West Point valedictorian and Rhodes Scholar earning an Oxford masters. He shared lessons he earned in class, Ranger School, and on Vietnam battlefields.

The first class discussed the rise of George Washington, an inconsistent journey, with experiences before and during the French and Indian War. He understood that North American fighting, a guerilla warfare, differed from European theaters warfare. Clark emphasized collaboration (multinational) and joint operations (land and sea).

What major parallels can coaches exploit? 

Training. An early advocate of proper treatment of his men was Russian General Alexander Suvorov. "The General Who Never Lost." An exception in his time, he treated troops well and taught, "Always forward." 

Individual and team development often define a coach.

Scouting. During General Robert E. Lee's greatest battle at Chancellorsville (VA) in 1863, he leveraged scouting to defeat Union forces despite being severely under-resourced in troops. His cavalry provided critical information about Union troop locations and movement. 

Even at lower levels, coaches can often access game video to anticipate opponent offenses and defenses, allowing strategies against top players. A coach told me that Lowell had a great point guard, the team averaging over 60 points a game in Middle School, winning by over 30 points per game. We used a modified triangle and two with a player covering her and rolling the other guard to that side to double. We lost 42-25 in a moral victory despite our top player out for the season. 

Leadership (Chain of Command and diffused). Many distinguished coaches had military background and experience. Coach Gregg Popovich coached at the Air Force Academy as did Coach Dean Smith. Coach Bob Knight coached at Army including coaching future Coach Mike Krzyzewski. Superior leadership training and experience is a proven edge. 

Basketball coaches can learn from military leaders with readings including "Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink. Without followers there is no leader.

Fire discipline (Rules of engagement, direct orders). In his biography, General Clark discussed the importance of fire discipline in Vietnam. Shot selection is always important in basketball. Get "more and better shots" than opponents with more shots for better scorers. 

Spacing. In jungle warfare or open ground, spacing changes with greater spacing in open areas. 

Spacing always matters in basketball. Chuck Daly famously said, "Offense is spacing and spacing is offense." 

Force multipliers. Deepseek provides a wonderful comparison between military and basketball force multipliers. 

The concept of "force multipliers" in the military refers to tools, tactics, or strategies that significantly enhance the effectiveness of a given force without necessarily increasing its size. These can include technology, training, intelligence, or even psychological tactics that allow a smaller or equal-sized force to outperform a larger or more conventionally equipped opponent.

In basketball, the same idea applies—certain strategies, skills, or adjustments can dramatically increase a team's effectiveness without requiring more talent or personnel. Here’s how military force multipliers translate to basketball:

1. Technology & Intelligence (Scouting & Analytics)

• Military: Drones, satellite imagery, and signals intelligence provide real-time battlefield awareness.

• Basketball: Advanced analytics (e.g., tracking player movement, shot selection, lineup efficiency) and film study help teams exploit opponents' weaknesses and optimize their own strategies.

2. Speed & Tempo (Pace & Transition Offense)

• Military: Blitzkrieg tactics or rapid deployment overwhelm enemies before they can react.

• Basketball: Fast-paced offenses (like the "Seven Seconds or Less" Suns or the Warriors’ transition game) force defenses into mismatches and prevent setup.

3. Specialized Roles (Elite Shooters & Defenders)

• Military: Special forces (e.g., Navy SEALs, snipers) execute high-impact missions with precision.

• Basketball: Elite 3-point shooters (e.g., Steph Curry) stretch defenses, while lockdown defenders (e.g., Draymond Green, Kawhi Leonard) disrupt opponents’ best players.

4. Deception & Misdirection (Offensive Schemes)

• Military: Feints, decoys, and misinformation confuse enemies.

• Basketball: Play-action passes, backdoor cuts, and the Princeton offense use misdirection to create open shots.

5. Leadership & Communication (Point Guards & Coaches)

• Military: Strong leadership (officers/NCOs) ensures coordination and adaptability.

• Basketball: Elite point guards (e.g., Chris Paul, Jason Kidd) and coaches (e.g., Gregg Popovich) maximize team execution under pressure.

6. Home-Court Advantage (Morale & Psychological Edge)

• Military: High troop morale and psychological dominance (e.g., shock and awe) can demoralize enemies.

• Basketball: Loud home crowds, momentum swings, and clutch performances (e.g., Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant) break opponents’ spirit.

7. Versatility (Positionless Basketball)

• Military: Modern warfare values adaptable, multi-role soldiers (e.g., Marines trained for air, land, sea).

• Basketball: Teams like the Warriors and Heat thrive with "positionless" players (e.g., LeBron, Giannis) who switch defensively and create mismatches.

Conclusion:

Just as a military force uses intelligence, speed, specialization, and psychology to amplify its effectiveness, basketball teams leverage analytics, pace, shooting, defense, and leadership to outperform opponents—even with less raw talent. The best teams, like the best militaries, don’t just rely on size or strength; they maximize every available advantage.

Lagniappe. Focus on being effective, not cool. 

Avoid the “cool guy” mistakes

•Missing lay ups because your putting something “extra” on it

•Turning it over because you don’t want to throw the simple pass

•Missing open teammates to “get yours”

•Going through the motions in warm ups to look cool in lay up lines

— Anthony Pugh (@Anthony_Pugh2) July 8, 2025

Lagniappe 2. How does time on the shot clock impact percentage?  

The CONTROLLING VARIABLES to how well a team will shoot are:

- Individual development
- Shot location
- Shot timing

Development falls under the technical side and the shot location/timing fall under both technical and tactical.

EVERY coach focuses on development, whether… pic.twitter.com/mdZeeGZUjm

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) June 10, 2025

Basketball - Underrated Emphasis, Use It Today

If it's 'underrated' then we should do more of it. 

Define Core Values

“Underrated” is always subjective. One coach may say, “That’s lower priority for us,” while another insists, “That’s a core value for us.” Both can be right—if it fits their program.

The key is to decide what your core values are and where they belong on your team’s priority list.

Program Approach

• Set daily standards

• Foster teamwork

• Build a positive culture

(Management consultant Dave Kline likens accountability to “calling your shot.”)

On-Court Standards

Offense

• Emphasize player and ball movement

• Take quality shots

• Value possessions (limit turnovers)

Defense

• Pressure and contain the ball

• Contest shots without fouling

• Control the defensive glass

Non-Negotiables

1. Teach players to make the simple play—fall in love with easy.

2. Reaffirm commitment: “That is not how we play.”

3. Eliminate the Deadly S’s—selfishness, sloth, softness.

4. Praise the praiseworthy; “sandwich” criticism inside encouragement.

5. Track shot charts and use film to show good shots.

6. Reduce the most common turnovers—pick the low-hanging fruit.

7. Simplify: trim the playbook whenever possible.

8. Reinforce positive actions with positive video.

9. Recognize unsung contributors who don’t get media “love.”

10. Give and receive feedback to stay aligned as a team.

Bonus Reminder

If you don’t have a steady inbound passer who makes good decisions and safe passes, you’ll lose close games.

Lagniappe. Quote from Austin Kleon in Steal Like an Artist. "If you’re out of ideas, wash the dishes. Take a really long walk. Stare at a spot on the wall for as long as you can. As the artist Maira Kalman says, “Avoiding work is the way to focus my mind.”" Everyone needs ways to reset, to clear the mind. 

Lagniappe 2. "Repetitions make reputations." 

Love this WORK

If you want to be great, you need to get in the gym and REP, REP, REP

(Via @GiavonniMack 🎥)

pic.twitter.com/Quz5bPtuOI

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) July 3, 2025

Better Than Average Coaching Results

80 percent of drivers say that they're better than average. The other 20 percent have higher rates of depression. I think a similar poll of coaches would yield similar results.

Learn every day, open to acquiring new ideas and revising existing beliefs. 

Achieve superior coaching results

1. Do the Work

• Do an apprenticeship with an established coach.
• Coach to gain experience. 
• Study the game (Books, courses, video, Clinics).
• Journal. 
• Get mentoring while coaching.

2. Get better players

• Recruit within your community.
• Recruit others if applicable and permitted.

3. Excel at player development (PD)

• Study PD trainers (e.g. Hanlen, Brickley, Kelbick, et al.). 
• Use PD consultants. 
• Develop a personal drill book, training manual

4. Teach better 

• Create a video clip library.
• Study teaching (e.g. Teach Like a Champion, The Coach's Guide to Teaching, Game Changer.
• Self-assess (After Action Review, film and review practice).
• Seek permission to watch established coaches' practice.

5. Learn strength, conditioning, and recovery

• Study on your own.
• Subcontract out to others (individual or group training).

6. Master the Head Game

• Search Inside Yourself (Book)
• UCLA Mindfulness site

Lagniappe. Assist from ChatGPT Plus

Basketball Coaching as a Holistic Discipline

When we discuss basketball coaching, focus beyond plays, drills, and the scoreboard. The best coaches know the game runs deeper. Coaching is a holistic discipline. It connects body, mind, and community to develop players who excel in basketball and in life.

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The Physical Game

At the most visible level, basketball demands skill and fitness. Holistic coaching builds athletes’ bodies with an eye toward long-term health as well as peak performance. That means teaching sound mechanics to reduce injuries, balancing power with endurance, and emphasizing the basics—nutrition, recovery, and rest.

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The Mental Game

Basketball is a game of decisions. Holistic coaches help players sharpen their basketball IQ: reading situations, anticipating movement, and adapting in real time. Just as important, players learn how to think about their thinking—the metacognitive habits that allow them to self-correct, stay focused, and raise awareness under pressure.

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The Emotional Game

Successful players regulate emotions. Confidence, resilience, and composure matter. Holistic coaching creates environments where losses are lessons. Players learn to channel intensity without losing control, and to compete with passion while maintaining perspective.

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The Social Game

Basketball is a team sport in the truest sense. Holistic coaching invests in culture—shared values of accountability, respect, and unselfishness. Players learn to communicate, listen, and encourage. Trust binds five individuals together as one.

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Beyond the Court

The real test of holistic coaching isn’t just what shows up on game film, but life. Leadership, responsibility, and teamwork extend beyond the hardwood. When done well, basketball becomes a classroom for character—preparing players for careers, relationships, and challenges after their last game ends.

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Integration Matters

The physical, mental, emotional, and social aren’t separate boxes. They’re  interwoven. A defensive lapse might stem from fatigue, frustration, or lack of trust. To address performance, coaches must address the whole person.

Lagniappe 2. "Joy is a competitive advantage." 

Joe Mazulla to Tatum :

'It's ok to smile during war.'

A concept that is overlooked by most, myself included, is that JOY IS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.

When we view joy this way, instead of assuming that joy = soft/lack of caring, it's a huge paradigm shift in culture,…

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) August 12, 2025

Basketball - Seeking Value

Add and recognize value.  People measure us by our reputation and our contribution. Rich Paul offers a simple AI prompt: “What’s a simple way to track what I’m contributing to the business?”

In sports, the player–coach relationship is a value exchange.

• As a coach: How am I adding value to the player?

• As a player: Do I trust the coach’s care and concern for me?

We’re always either seeking value or creating it. And in both directions, words—and how they land—matter. These questions and comments have stuck with me:

1. “What does our team need now?” – Brad Stevens
   Coaching is bottom-line work; production is the scorecard. Yet survival isn’t just about strength—it’s about flexibility.

2. “How can I get better TODAY?” – Kevin Durant
   Even elite performance can slip without intentional effort. Durant, one of the game’s greatest scorers, reminds us to keep pushing daily.

3. “Cooks cook to nurture people.” – Thomas Keller
   Coaches nurture players. Like Chuck Daly said, “I’m a salesman.” Sometimes players don’t buy, but the intent to serve remains.

4. “How can I help?”
   The willingness to help shows humility. Ego resists sacrifice; service requires it.

5. “Nobody is too good to be coached.” – Sean McVay
   Great coaches search for an edge everywhere—Brad Stevens observed Belichick’s efficiency, and a UConn women’s practice revealed the power of skill and tempo.

6. “Our patients are our best teachers.” – Dr. Faith Fitzgerald
   The game teaches us, too. We learn from players, opponents, and situations—like when an opposing middle school coach told his team to foul Cecilia Kay constantly. She went 16-for-20 at the line. Lesson: they can call more fouls than you want.

Lagniappe. We can't be Spoelstra. Be you. 

Erik Spoelstra 101:

1. Identity - 'Heat Code'

A) Culture creation
B) Culture maintenance

2. Simplification through synthesis of information.

This means they have the knowledge/delegates to problem solve at an elite level while ALSO delivering the message in a SIMPLE… pic.twitter.com/k4BFY5zcJP

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) August 14, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Shooting drills from Coach Haefner.  

12 Drills to Fix Common Shooting Mistakes and Build Better Form

Shooting is the most important skill in basketball. Period.

Whether you’re trying to make a varsity roster or earn more minutes, the quickest way to stand out is by putting the ball in the hoop. But too many… pic.twitter.com/Cz7wcyvq95

— Joe Haefner | Breakthrough Basketball (@BreakthruBball) August 11, 2025

Basketball - Reserve to Starter

The "natural" progression of freshman to varsity player got lost in translation for multiple reasons. In some communities, players got "redshirted in middle school." Other players advanced via the genetic lottery or family investment in travel ball. Others got additional personal and sport-specific training. 

Bottom line, some players struggle and never reach their and their family's expectations. 

Perception is a snapshot. Some players with the commitment, aptitude, and effective training nonetheless climb that hill. 

Most 'reserve' players want to be starters. How can that happen? 

Skill development. Once 'Camp Driveway' was enough if players also had access to "playground ball." Playing against older, bigger, faster players brought "Darwinian" tests to the young player. Many young people have cellphones which allow them to study their fundamentals. 

In addition to limited solo play, play one-on-one, two-on-two, or small-sided games with more touches, defense, and decision-making.  

Strategy. Watch basketball both live and on video (e.g. YouTube, FIBA), studying what works. How do great players separate, finish, pass, defend, and rebound? 

Take advantage of opportunities. Say "yes" to chances to improve whenever you can. Playing NBA video games or surfing the Net won't get you what "tickling the twine" gets you. 

Rework your physique. Sport rewards athletic explosiveness. When players "transform their body" with resulting speed, quickness, and strength, coaches notice. It's not about being a workout warrior but developing functional movement and power without losing flexibility and skill. 

Attitude. Be coachable...do your job the way your current coach wants it done. I had a few players who continually protested my suggestions. The only one who succeeded was one who finally "got it" and realized I was there to help. 

Excel in your role. If you're best suited as a rebounder or elite defender and not a fit for a 'starring' role as a scorer, embrace what you're good at. Finding ways to help the team win gets you on the floor. 

Eventually, you will get your chance. And few things mean more to a reserve player than hearing they've earned a starting role. "It's not because we like you (although we do). It's because you earned it."

Lagniappe. Catch-and-shoot comes first. 

DON’T NEED TO BE PERFECT

The best shooters are confident and fluid. They don’t need to be perfect. They can adapt to their situation and don’t let makes/misses influence their rhythm. pic.twitter.com/bW3e9UTcNy

— Steve Dagostino (@DagsBasketball) August 13, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Whether it's school, a job, or sports, time rewards great habits.  

Kirby Smart said, "We talked about execution. What creates good execution? Habits. You only get a chance to do the habits in practice."

Great teams eliminate bad habits.

They know that you fall to the level of your systems and habits.

You are what you consistently do. pic.twitter.com/7mbEdqbqtR

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) August 11, 2025

Lagniappe 3. Some never have the burden of greatness. That means "being a dog." 

Do what others aren’t willing to do

Seperate yourself on the defensive end of the floor 🗣️

(Via @opoku_jace 🎥 )

pic.twitter.com/c0b7m35jvF

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) August 12, 2025

Basketball Icebergs

"As they say in my profession, by then the Titanic had already left the dock. The iceberg was out there waiting." - Michael Connelly in The Lincoln Lawyer

Every business, sport, and person has potential icebergs in its path. An iceberg is the element that sinks us. Our job is to identify and to avoid them.  

A business may face icebergs in logistics, competition, or macroeconomics. Basketball programs have legions of icebergs:

• Player acquisition (internal recruiting, external competition)
• Player development
• Culture
• Offense (spacing, shot selection, execution, turnovers)
• Defense (ball containment, help and recovery, rebounding, fouls)
• Conversion (particularly into transition defense)
• Decision-making

Coaches navigate intragame issues, critically manageable ones

"Control what you can control." Against superior talent, there is no "puncher's chance." The best option, even with a shot clock is to adjust the game tempo to shorten the game. At some point, if trailing, you may need to play faster. 

Strategy means presuming you have a team which could win in different ways - winning with speed, pounding the ball inside, perimeter scoring. Some teams can play multiple defenses proficiently which creates problems for some opponents. 

If a player has in-game problems with fouls or a bad matchup, substitution or changing matchups are alternatives. 

Sometimes coaches figuratively have to "apply the jockey's whip" and ask players for more focus, more toughness, more effort. That's works better with more established teams. Young, inexperienced teams may still be learning how to win. 

Lagniappe. Analytics have changed the pro game. Do not naively believe that works for younger players. 

This is the impact of analytics on modern basketball.

The only thing that has a noticeable effect on team offense over the last decade or so is SHOT QUALITY.

3s are bad if they AREN’T catch and shoot.

3s are good if they ARE catch shoot.

Pretty simple stuff.

Don’t… pic.twitter.com/msxwZ1CXyq

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) August 11, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Culture matters. How you implement it will differ.  

𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐊𝐀 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝟐𝟔-𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐂 𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐒
"We say culture is simply how we act, interact, and respond. That's it."

"If it's just words on paper, it doesn't really matter. Our job is to bring it to life." pic.twitter.com/lUSvU9lEQU

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) August 12, 2025

Basketball - Staying Out of Bad Plays

Bad plays, you know them when you see them. Better players stay away from bad plays. Not 'discretionary', bad. 

Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick noted that one of Tom Brady's greatest strengths was keeping the team out of negative plays. Let's explore the topic. 

Players benefit from coaching what to do and what not to do. Share the good, the bad, and the ugly. It takes little time to experience all of the following. 

1. Bad shots, "shot turnovers." Every player should know what a good shot is for them and for each of their teammates. The concept of "range testing" has value. Roy Williams would only 'green light' players for three pointers if they could top 60 percent makes in practice. Doc Rivers called "zero percent shots" shot turnovers. 

2. Playing in traffic. Dribbling into traffic, passing into traffic. The analogy in football is the quarterback throwing into a crowd, looking to "fit the ball in." Especially with older, more experienced players, defenses cover more ground getting deflections and steals. A more positive expression is "win in space." 

3. Telegraphed passes. Subtle deception occurs in disguising your passing targets. They don't have to be flashy "no look" passes but that's a choice. 

4. Bad fouls come in many flavors. 

• Fouling perimeter shots (nightmarish fouling threes)
• Fouling low percentage shots
• Fouling end of shot clock
• Bad technique fouls (screens, reaching in, lack of verticality)
• Retaliation fouls/frustration fouls

5. Classic turnovers. Watch almost any high school game and see a wing-to-top pass stolen or players try to "throw through hands." The overhead pass can seem like a lost art. Outlet passes from rebounds sometimes turn into passes into the tenth row. 

6. Brain lock. "Stuff" happens, even in the pros. What can go wrong will go wrong. See it to believe it.

 

Lagniappe. What's the opposite of traffic? Space. 

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

Spacing and Ball Movement make the game easier for scorers. The ability to develop that in players creates players that will be more productive and can fit in to different offensive systems with ease.
Plus, it’s beautiful to watch! pic.twitter.com/pr87BrLtR3

— Steve Dagostino (@DagsBasketball) August 11, 2025

Lagniappe 2. It sounds easy. Every youth coach knows better..."the basketball experience." 

Youth coaches: Your mission is simple:

-Give every kid the best possible experience

-Make it the most fun they’ve ever had in sport

It’s not about your record, your system, or your ego. It’s about joy, growth & memories they’ll carry forever. Coaching kids should be ego-free.

— Jon Beck (@CoachJonBeck) August 12, 2025

Lagniappe 3. You could call this "Curl-Curl" 

SLOB Blind Pig

A special call to look for a sneaky bucket

Empty the back side and time up the hard curl to hit it on the fly pic.twitter.com/izCsHrkcou

— Matt Hackenberg (@CoachHackGO) August 12, 2025

Basketball Excellence without "Elite" Talent

Players carve out exceptional careers without "elite" talent. That usually means unusual basketball IQ and will.

What commonalities did players like Steve Kerr, Andre Miller, and Shane Battier share? 

• Elite preparation: Exceptional knowledge of opponents’ tendencies

• Exceptional decision-making: Didn't beat themselves with forced shots or passes.

• Positional mastery: Used angles, footwork, and leverage instead of speed or vertical.

• Communication: Relocated teammates, orchestrated defenses, and served as on-court coaches.

Excel in your role with game understanding and leveraging skills within what the team needs in a specific game. 

Steve Kerr would practice literally sitting on the bench and coming into the game to make a perimeter shot. He understood that would often be his role, so he worked to maximize it. 

Marcus Smart leveraged toughness and dogged defense into three top ten Defensive Player of the Year awards including one DPoY. "But he couldn't shoot threes." His career three point percentage is 32.4 percent. Michael Jordan's career three point percentage was 32.7. Take advantage of your "primary skill." 

That doesn't mean complementary players lack skill. Use your ability as a difference maker outside of putting up traditional gaudy numbers. 

Lagniappe. Find a few priorities to instill.  

Big 3 on Offense: Maintain elite spacing and ball movement, take care of the ball, right people/right shots/right time

Big 3 on Defense: No middle, do not foul, finish the stop with a rebound

Big 3 on Culture: Details matter, be the first on the floor, do YOUR job

— Hoops Companion 🏀 Resources for Coaches (@Hoops_Companion) August 9, 2025

Lagniappe 2. One job? Improvement matters but so much else does. 

• Make everyone around you better. 
• Impact winning. 
• Be a great teammate. 

"You've got one job, and that is to get better"

- Derrick Rose pic.twitter.com/zNYr4rps6v

— Coach Mac 🏀 (@BballCoachMac) August 6, 2025

Lagniappe 3. If you're going to rip high, be aware of the potential to nail the defender. You won't do it twice in a world of frontier justice. 

When teaching rip-throughs, consider the following:

- rip low (typically best practice)

- rip high (if their hand is already down there)

- rip violently (break their forearm if they are in the way)

- rip with purpose (GO somewhere)

- fake rip and go the other way

— Hoops Companion 🏀 Resources for Coaches (@Hoops_Companion) August 3, 2025

Basketball - Existential Dissatisfaction ("I'm Pleased but I'm not Satisfied")

On the heels of a lengthy winning streak, Coach told us, "I'm pleased but I'm not satisfied." Coaches preach, "Chase perfection."

Separate yourself from mediocrity. Control what you can control, how relentless you are in pursuit of excellence and your goals. 

Kevin Durant woke up and asked himself, "how do I get better today?" Kobe Bryant had his "Mamba Mentality" marked by grueling offseason workouts, chronicled in "Relentless" by Tim S. Grover.  

Reviewing performance expert Dr. Fergus Connolly:

• Skill development
• Strategy (game knowledge, basketball IQ)
• Physicality
• Psychology

Great players add constraints: hills, weight (60 pound chains), obstacles

Comments:

Skill. Coach Jeff Van Gundy (JVG) notes that reserve players should focus on developing the parts of their game that contribute to winning. Don't worry about getting "deep in your bag" when you don't have a deep bag. Think about a prototypical "3 and D" player like Bruce Bowen. He excelled at a few areas and helped win three NBA championships. 

Strategy. Basketball IQ. Ticha Penicheiro wasn't the fastest player in the WNBA but great vision, patience, and anticipation allowed her to lead the league in assists four times. She also took care of the ball with a career assist to turnover ratio of 2.3. 

Physicality. LeBron James invests a million dollars a year in nutrition, strength, conditioning, and skill development work. There is zero entitlement. 

Psychology. Most students of the game don't pay a lot of attention to the mental skills training players undergo - mindfulness, meditation, and the capacity to "block out the noise." Consider Jaylen Brown's experience (from ChatGPT Plus)

Early Introduction & Purpose

• High school beginnings: Brown first explored meditation through mental skills training with coach Graham Betchart when he was around 16 years old—initially as a way to manage stress and mental distraction

• Coping and grounding: As a young NBA player, he employed meditation to manage grief and stay mentally centered amid external pressures and personal loss

Ongoing Practice & Benefits

• Injury recovery tool: During a hamstring injury in 2021, Brown credited regular meditation sessions—sometimes lasting hours—with helping improve his body awareness, breathing control, and overall return to form on the court 

• Broader mental skill development: Brown sees meditation not only as performance-focused but as an open-ended space for mental growth, creativity, and self-understanding

Integration with His Intellectual Life

• Scholar-athlete identity: Alongside his meditation practices, Brown has cultivated wide intellectual interests—from philosophy and journaling to languages, chess, and more—which reflect a broader commitment to mindfulness and intentional living

Key Takeaways

• Long-term devotion: Brown has practiced meditation since his teens and has consistently leaned on it for emotional regulation, healing, and athletic focus.

• Purpose beyond performance: The practice supports his deeper self-awareness and presence—not just productivity or game readiness.

• Lifestyle synergy: Mindfulness is part of a broader intellectual and reflective lifestyle that includes journaling, philosophical study, and self-coaching.

Lagniappe. There is evidence that mindfulness training can help the psychological and physical recovery from COVID-19. Positive effects of mindfulness exist on immunity parameters. 

Lagniappe 2. Winning close and late. 

8:00 of the best clutch time sets and actions from every team in the Spanish ACB this season. If you’re a coach, this is a great study in late-game scenarios and execution. pic.twitter.com/53cztjTPz7

— Isaiah Taveras (@IsaiahTaveras) August 6, 2025

What Is Winning?

Bring the best version of yourself to home, the classroom, and the court every day. That is winning. 

Tip Jar - Basketball

A few tips have the potential to win or lose games. Here are ten that helped us win or caused opponents to lose. 

1. Dean Smith timeout strategy. Smith worked to save three for the last four minutes. We went three for three scoring on ATO (after timeout) actions in the final few to win a game by three. 

2. Hoosiers inspired "picket fence." Trailing by two in the final seconds, we ran this BOB play to score. If you've run it earlier in the game, having the 5 "slip" to the basket is a great option. 

3. Bad timeout strategy. An opponent used all five timeouts in the first half to avoid held balls. When they mounted a comeback in the second half and needed a few strategic ones, the cupboard was bare. 

4. If you have game film and got burned by an opponent's action, be ready. Our archrival scored multiple threes during the regular season with their "Sideline Box." We "cheated" defensively and shut it down to beat them in the playoffs. 

5. The best coaches often "switch everything" close and late. We'd cross-screen small on big and get a 5 versus 1 under the basket which got mismatch advantage of their strategy. 

6. Constraint department. Use more constraints in practice for player and team development. My favorite action is '5 vs 7' full court press with no dribbling allowed. It teaches "Pass and Cut" or fail. 

7. Another constraint drill is "dribble tag" inside the arc to begin practice, requiring non-dominant hand dribbling. 

8. Kyrie Irving improved his handles with a plastic bag. As a youngster, I'd wear winter gloves while practicing dribbling. That got me to adequate instead of turnover machine. 

9. "Sign on." This is a one time use. I brought a clipboard with a signup sheet to a game that needed extra effort. I asked players to sign an optional "pledge" of extra focus and effort for this "one time only" event. It worked. Correlation is not causation. Another time we were without our best player (currently playing at Richmond) and a clear underdog. I asked players for one more. "I want each of you to get one more rebound and one more stop." That also worked that day. 

10. Pressure free throws. In high school we had four rounds of ten with a partner. The partner could harass you in any way but not interfere directly with the shot. High school boys can imagine some awful distractions. In the Sectional Final in Boston Garden we went 10/10 in the fourth quarter to send the game to an overtime win. 

Bonus. Some courts are asymmetrical regarding sideline boundaries, one close to stands or benches and one distant. I harped on this pregame. Our opponents caught the ball out of bounds FIVE times during the game. 

Lagniappe. Good concept on using or rejecting ball screens. 

Here's the O player using the screen and being limited to only shooting off the dribble because he used the screen.

NB - you can also constrain the defense to only go over or under the screen. If they go under you can constrain the O when they use the screen to EITHER shoot… pic.twitter.com/kPnOI5eE5C

— Coach Liam Flynn (@coachliamflynn) August 9, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Michael Cooper on defending great players. 

Basketball - A Dozen Short Pieces of Advice for Young Players

"He doesn't know what he doesn't know." Young players need specifics to grow their basketball IQ and their skill set. Share concepts so basic that every player benefits. Think of them as "Day One" knowledge.

1. "Think shot first." - Don Kelbick  The corollary is that you are most open the instant you catch the ball. That doesn't mean catch-and-shoot from anywhere.

2. Ball-you-basket. If you can't contain the dribbler, you can't defend. It's not just athleticism, because not every strong defender is an elite athlete.

3. A game of separation...On offense, learn to separate. On defense, prevent separation. Lazy cutting means no separation. 

4. "The game honors toughness." Winning individual battles gives you a chance to win possessions. Coach taught us to win quarters. Even better is winning possessions. "It's not a contact sport, it's a collision sport." You have to embrace the physicality of the game - boys or girls. 

5. "Draw two." Excellent players beat their defender and draw help. That opens up a teammate for a pass or exposes another out of position defender. The basketball has "gravity" pulling defenders. That exposes open players. 

6. Don't reflexively put the ball on the floor. The quick shot or touch pass to the open player puts the defense at a disadvantage. 

7. "Be hard to play against and easy to play with." The best players find solutions for themselves and teammates and create headaches for others. During an 'Executive Physical" for a Navy Admiral, I asked whether he got headaches. He answered, "Son, I don't get headaches; I give headaches." 

8. Offense, defense, conversion. Teams that excel at conversion from defense to offense or offense to defense get or prevent easy baskets. 

9. "Get more and better shots than your opponent." - Pete Newell  The essence of winning possessions is the ability to create or prevent quality shots. 

10."Do hard better." - Kara Lawson  Your parent(s) have to do hard every day. The "Killer S's" of softness, selfishness, and sloth (laziness) require no skill whatsoever. Do hard better at home, in school, and on the court. 

11. Be a leader (click through and watch). 

There's an ocean of difference between having a title and leading. 

12."Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson   Don't play for your community or your coach. Play for the 'guys' next to you. Special. 

Honorable mention:

• Don't play in the traffic. Great players create and win in space.
• "It takes what it takes." - Nick Saban
• "Get over yourself." - Gregg Popovich
• "The ball is a camera." If you want it, it has to see you.
• "Run to a spot." Beat your guy to the spot not where (s)he is.  
• "You can't cut corners." - Geno Auriemma  (During a UCONN Women's practice, no player cut a corner during running.)

Lagniappe. Be open to possibility. 

St. John’s was one of the best sideline out-of-bounds defenses in the country last year—top 9% nationally!

They used a 2-2 matchup zone to disrupt timing and turn simple sideline actions into chaos.

Full Breakdown + Film session at the Lockdown Substack:
🔗… pic.twitter.com/dBgeK7CCMq

— Michael Jagacki (@Mike_Jagacki) August 7, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Players must understand that it's not all about ability. Ability matters but intangibles count, too. 

For whoever needs to hear this pic.twitter.com/wW3cs5RKNJ

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) August 4, 2025