Go Up for Glory

Go Up for Glory - Bill Russell’s precursor to Second Wind (a frank and honest account of sport and life that I thoroughly enjoyed) and Russell Rules (a seemingly clichéd book about leadership that I hope to avoid as long as possible) - is a fascinating account of his youth and career with Red Auerbach’s Boston Celtics.

One particularly remarkable theme is the idea of an incredibly thin line between success and failure: choosing a collegiate scholarship instead of a job in a shipping year because of a chance encounter with a scout, focusing on the game of basketball skills instead of juvenile delinquency because a coach made Russell the sixteenth member or his fifteen player team.

This theme is exemplified by Russell’s account of the 1965 Eastern Conference Final seventh game. Leading Wilt Chamberlain’s 76ers 110-109, Russell simply needed to inbound the ball for the Celtics to run out the clock and win. However, the inbounds pass deflected off of one of the support wires connecting the basket to the ceiling of the Boston Garden and Philadelphia was awarded possession.

Russell fronted Chamberlain in the post, forcing Hal Greer to chose another target. John Havlicek rotated down and stole the inbounds pass, guaranteeing the Celtics a trip to the Association finals. Boston had gone for a comfortable position, to dire straits, back to victory in a matter of moments, all based on one or two inches.

Another popular concept with Russell is the desire to win. Russell has won two N.C.A.A. championships, eleven Association titles, and an Olympic Gold Medal. Everything that Russell, Auerbach or the rest of the Celtics did was designed to help win another title. Despite their serious goals, there was also a sense of humour in the Celtics’ locker room and this helped relieved the tension of a long season immensely.

Obviously, Auerbach also possessed a phenomenal ability to motivate the team with his intensity and his basketball knowledge enable him to able to meld a diverse group of players into a solid unit. Since every player accepted their role and stayed within it, the 1956-69 Boston Celtics were the definition of a successful team.

Exogenous Events

Like all the exogenous events inspire the price of crude to surge, bandits raiding a village and seizing the barley crop should drive the cost of the commodity to new highs. Amid the death and destruction, farmers face financial ruin and decide to take action by hiring a number of samurai to protect them. Showcasing innovative cinematography and a tremendous score, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai illustrates the significance of trust and teamwork and the importance of brains over brawn.

Initially, tensions prevent the ronin and the town’s residents from working together well. Nobody wishes to risk their life to save others. Only when barriers between the villagers and the samurai and the warriors and the farmers dissolve can an effective team take shape. Throughout the film, the village is successful when working together but fails when individuals deviate from the plan.

Mike Krzyzewski wrote - as have many others in many books of dubious quality - that like a hand only becomes stronger when five fingers make a fist, a team must come together to succeed. Yet ultimately, the threat of the invaders is required to inspire everyone to unite.

“Once more, we survive.”
- Kambei Shimada

Neither the strongest or fastest, Shimada’s poise allows him to lead the other samurai and villagers. Throughout the film, he balances pragmatism with honour and humility. All of the samurai offer different skills and the diverse contributions are required to overcome the marauders’ superior numbers.

At first, the film portrays the struggle as a battle between good villagers and evil villains. As the samurai learn more about the struggle, they discover that the townspeople are not what they seem, guilty of war crimes yet sacrificing their own food to ensure that the guests are well-fed. Again, people are painted not in black and white but shades of grey.

The film’s characters mirror human characteristics: youth, impulsiveness, rage, wisdom. Ultimately, cunning and experience triumph but not without struggle. Kurosawa's climax illustrates the intensity of battle and the mastery of fear needed for victory.

As the film concludes, it is time to reseed the barley fields. Despite their success, the village must make a new start. Despite the accolades won, Shimada and the surviving ronin must accept that the victory does not belong to them and they must deal with the costs of the fighting.

Three Lessons from Joe Lapchick

Lapchick chronicles the life of Hall of Famer Joe Lapchick, who links the barnstorming Original Celtics to the explosion of college basketball in New York City and Madison Square Garden to the New York Knicks and the origins of the Association to the introduction of television to the sport. Despite the fact that Lapchick last coached St. John’s when the teams were known as the Redmen - as opposed to the Red Storm - the book remains relevant to today’s player and coach.

Placing Value in People: Many commented that Joe Lapchick was not the most technically astute coach but coaches such as Bob Knight applauded his skill in handling people and situations. Former players still remember how Lapchick demonstrated confidence in their abilities. His gestures may have been small but the thoughtfulness behind them was encouraging and memorable.

Lapchick was also one of the first coaches to delegate significant duties to the assistant coaches, a strategy now employed throughout college basketball. Assistant coach Lou Carnesecca was allocated responsibilities concerning defence and scouting; later he succeeded Lapchick as Head Coach at St. John’s and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Character: Lapchick maintained his sense of fairness irrespective of the circumstances. Once, during the infancy of the Association, after home-town officials missed an obvious goaltending violation by the Knicks, he stopped the game and told the scorer to add two points to the opponents’ tally.

He was also a key part of the integration of basketball, likely due to the respect engendered by the rivalry between the Original Celtics and the New York Rens. Lapchick and Ned Irish signed Sweetwater Clifton from the Harlem Globetrotters and persuaded other teams to do likewise.

Development of the Game: Joe Lapchick, Nat Holman, and the rest of the Celtics were integral to the development of the game. As players, they pioneered expert dribbling and quick ball movement. Afterwards, many became coaches and shared their skills and knowledge with others. Lapchick won four National Invitational Tournaments and Holman claimed both the N.I.T. and N.C.A.A. Tournament in the same season at C.C.N.Y..

It’s appropriate that Lapchick rests next to five Bobby Knight volumes on my bookcase. Knight was one of many younger coaches and players Lapchick helped and the Texas Tech coach still refers to his mentor as “Mr. Lapchick” to this date. Lapchick would counsel others even if it was against his best interests if his advice would help the person or the game of basketball.

Do the Right Thing

So Reggie Evans put his foot under Chris Bosh as he released a jumpshot, rolling his ankle. In response, Rasho Nesterovic punched Evans the next time that he attempted a lay-up.

“Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another.”
- Arthur Conan Doyle

Do the Right Thing depicts Mookie - a pizza delivery boy - as he tries to balance his employer, family, partner and son, and community. He eventually tosses a garbage can through the pizzeria window. After being told how he would always be welcome at the restaurant, Mookie instigated a riot that destroyed the place.

“Be strong in body, clean in mind, lofty in ideals.”
- James Naismith

Spike Lee’s film illustrates how those who are the victims of intolerance are often quite intolerant themselves. Sal’s use of ethnic slurs during an argument with Radio Raheem instigates a brawl which leads to the destruction of Sal’s pizzeria in a fire and Raheem’s death in a police beating.

“I just try not to offend anyone, set a good example, and watch what I say because words can cut deeper than a punch to the mouth.”
- Sam Mitchell

M & The Departed

Having screened these two films lately, some points have come to light. One can’t help but remark how much cinema has decayed lately. Unlike other recent films, The Departed was driven by skill on-screen and behind the camera instead of special effects -- the plot was compelling throughout and genuinely surprising.

Likewise, M was thoroughly entertaining despite its technical limitations. Fritz Lang created a screenplay that was both dramatic and humorous, employed innovative camera angles, and benefited from several strong performances. Both stand out among the greatest ever in stark contrast to the sea of mediocrity that most films released today fall into.

The films also illustrate the parallels between good and evil, which appear to mirror each other at times. The protagonists are villains by most objective standards yet moral relativity engenders sympathy for the devil. The actors and directors allow the audience to see both perspectives of the same situation and actions that are particularly wrong somehow seem justified.

When a child serial killed stalks the town, M’s underworld cannot operate amidst the police crackdown. Consequently, the mafia and the beggar’s union begin tracking the killer, matching law enforcement efforts. In order to restore some sort of justice at the conclusion of The Departed, the police stray to the other side.

Clearly there are no absolutes. When the underworld apprehends the child killer, they hold a trial and provide the suspect with a lawyer. Peter Lorre pleads to save his life and almost convince the film’s viewers that he is right. Who knows what happens at the end of Martin Scorsese’s Oscar winner but the outcome appears to be roughly even, perhaps moderately just.

The Rivalry

Can determination trump talent? Apparently so, according to The Rivalry by John Taylor. The battles between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain and their respective teams are detailed within the context of the growth of the game throughout the 1960s. Chamberlain was one of the most prolific post scorers in the history of basketball yet during the ten seasons that their careers overlapped, Russell and the Celtics claimed the Association title nine times.

The book delves into the psychological warfare waged between the two. For example, once Russell blocked Chamberlain twice on the same possession. When Chamberlain recovered the loose ball, Russell told him to “take it” and let him score. Over the years, Russell appeared to have gotten inside his adversary’s head and controlled their match-up despite less talent.

Russell and the Celtics put individual accolades aside in favour of winning. Boston dominated the Association for over a decade because players focused on what they did best; Russell was not offensively gifted but prided himself on playing defence, rebounding, and starting the fast break. Whilst Chamberlain accumulated statistics, a reputation as a coach-killer followed him from team to team.

It’s unlikely that another team will ever exhibit the same selflessness that Bill Russell’s teams displayed. But his career demonstrates what can be achieved in the right circumstances: two collegiate titles, eleven professional championships, and an Olympic Gold Medal.

Minimalism

I was coaching a team that won a league title on Sunday and I didn’t do anything. The credit - as usual - belongs to the team and I was fortunate to coach a team where all the players contributed. Aside from getting one of the referee’s attention and touching my shoulders once midway through the first half, I made sure that I stayed out of my team’s way.

Screens permitted ballhandlers to get to the key, traps and pressure forced turnovers, and the team won the rebounding battle. In the previous round, the team had started slowly and needed to make up a thirteen point deficit in the second half. In comparison, maintaining a double-digit lead for most of the game was almost relaxing.

I regret not distributing the playing time more evenly. That was an egregious oversight that I will not have a chance to rectify. I think that everyone played at least eight minutes and nobody more than thirty-two but I relied heavily on the starting five. Personally, knowing that I could have done better puts a damper on the occasion.

When asked why he left his starters in the game during the 1998-99 season, Mike D’Antoni said that he’d “rather be the a------ who won by a lot than the idiot who blew the game.” Fair or not, that accurately describes a reality of coaching. Having erased the opponent’s large lead during the semi-finals, I was sensitive to the chance of a comeback and wanted to win. Consequently, I will be apologizing later this week to a number of players.

That Championship Season

Myriad films have employed basketball as a plot device (Hoosiers), a Sisyphean obstacle for the protagonist (Hoop Dreams), and an outlet for a character’s creativity (Finding Forrester); That Championship Season utilizes the sport as a symbol of what has been lost.

Four high school teammates reunite with their coach twenty-four years after their state championship triumph. During the intervening years, they have married, pursued their careers, and gone their separate ways.

“We lost something boys.”
- Coach Delaney

Subtle changes were made to the Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same title. For example, the play emphasizes how compromising their personal values in the pursuit of winning is largely responsible for the characters’ dysfunction but this is only introduced late in the film. On the stage, greater blame is laid on the actions of Coach Delaney but he appears to be the glue that keeps everything together on screen.

The key theme is unchanged: glory fades but the people remain. The former teammates can recreate the last-second play that won the final game but interactions off the court later than evening illustrate how they are no longer a team. The Fillmore H.S. team was successful because it accomplished goals that they players could not have reached independently.

As adults, lacking the focus provided by participating in something significant, the players have hurt themselves and each other. The players’ names may be engraved on a silver trophy but a high school title that they won when they were teenagers cannot carry them through life.

That Championship Season illustrates the affect a coach can have on a player. The final member of the starting five hasn’t been seen in a quarter century because of resentment over the methods used to achieve victory. While extreme representations were necessary to keep the play and film dramatic, coaches should still be mindful of their influence, even on a smaller scale.

“Never accept anything less than success. It’s a philosophy.”
- Coach Delaney

Tex Winter said that one is only a success at the moment they are performing a successful act. Afterwards, it’s time to more on to the next target. Only after Coach Delaney brings the players together again and inspires them to work on George’s mayoral campaign are they able to put aside their differences, move forward with their lives, and become a team again.

Four Lessons from Lute Olson

Reading Lute!, an autobiography by the longstanding coach of the Arizona Wildcats, provided interesting food for thought. First of all, the calm and composed appearance of Lute Olson belies an insatiable enthusiasm for basketball and unwavering loyalty towards those who play on the teams that he coaches. Olson’s fifty-year career links the game’s past to its present, from Pete Newell and John Wooden to Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski, from the Pacific Coast to the Mid-West and back.

The book is typical of most sports autobiographies and will not contend for the Pulitzer Prize. Yet the text remains capable of imparting several lessons from Olson’s coaching philosophy. If I were to highlight one critical concept from the entire book, it is that creativity -along with the flexibility to adapt - is an essential coaching attribute.

Thinking Outside the Box: Once, while coaching the U.S. National Team, Olson ordered Mugsy Bogues to guard Drazen Petrovic because he felt the 5-3 guard would disrupt the Croatian’s propensity to dribble immediately after receiving the ball.

Adapting to the Team’s Personnel: Olson has always practiced a fast-break, freelance offence and recruits players with skills suited to that style of play. While remaining trye to the fundamentals, he doesn’t hesitate to adjust some of the details to make the most of the roster, for example introducing a three-guard offence when required, a set that is now common throughout the game.

Helping Players: Both of Olson’s wives have provided guidance to the players he has coached. Recognizing that players and coaches can’t become friends until after graduation, Olson ensured that the players knew that they had a network that supported and cared for them.

Managing the Little Things: Olson analyzes the game tirelessly, looking for any little edge. For example, when Steve Kerr played for the Wildcats, Olson insisted that he catch the ball in a jump-stop in order to accelerate Kerr’s release for occasions when he was guarded by opponents who were taller and quicker.

The Basketball Gods

Tex Winter says that a team must pay tribute to the basketball gods in order to succeed, his metaphor to inspire players to practice solid fundamentals and teamwork. According to the 1958 National Coach of the Year, the team that executes at both ends of floor the best will be rewarded.

Fortunately, I was coaching a team that was able to benefit from this today, directly and indirectly. Directly because poise and control resulted in quality scoring chances and defensive pressure produced turnovers and indirectly because fate assessed the opponent with a bizarre technical foul when a player removed their jersey on the bench.

The team could thank Tex for his figure of speech and his offence. First of all, the players deserve all of the credit for their win, a thirteen point comeback in the final minutes of the game and an overtime win. When they focused their determination by playing hard, playing smart, and playing together, the momentum shifted entirely. Secondly, switching to the old reliable offence - the sideline triangle - created opportunities for selfless passing and dribble penetration, which led to excellent shot selection.

Unlike the last overtime game, I stayed out of the way and allowed the team to play. It was satisfying to see every player contribute and to be involved in a game that told a fascinating story. I kept it simple, emphasized our strengths, and other intervened when specific situations permitted me to give the team and advantage. The basketball gods rewarded everyone’s effort with a result that was a polar opposite of the last time.

This isn’t the first time that Tex or the basketball gods have saved me. Tex’s insightful work is timeless, as illustrated by his travels from Kansas State to Chicago to Los Angeles. The basketball gods are not demanding in terms of quantity (or complexity) but are very particular regarding quality.

The Last Season

I am sorely disappointed with Phil Jackson. Irrespective of the tremendous work he has performed during the current season, he took an enormous step back in the coaching profession due to the publication of his fifth novel: The Last Season.

Jackson’s chronicle of the 2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers season seems to break several confidences. What happens in the huddle, the locker room, the team bus, the plan, training camp, the video room, or an office should stay within the team, despite the dollars a publisher may promise. Apparently, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson have a very tenuous relationship; how will detailing the conflicts between them help the two reconcile?

Secondly, several key situations are detailed where Jackson makes a decision in the face of enormous reservations. The cynic hater might say that Jackson sabotaged certain games in order to bruise Bryant’s credibility in the war of public opinion. The novel acts as a more of a tool to get a ten million dollar salary than clear the air or discuss coaching philosophy.

These Lakers are a perfect example of dysfunction, from the top down. However, Jackson does convey several useful pieces of information: the sensitivity needed to relate to fragile egos, subtle refinements to the sideline triangle, and interesting game management ideas. Perhaps most importantly is the strong case he makes for flexibility in a world that is constantly changing.

Having read Jackson’s work from Maverick to More than a Game, I sincerely hope that The Last Season is The Last Novel.

Sport in Canada, Part II

Last week, addressing some of the obstacles that Canada faces in its quest to Own the Podium, I ignore a critical consideration: the separation of sports funding by provincial boundaries. Canada manages National Sports Organizations and the Canadian Olympic Committee but ten provinces and three territories control various Provincial Sports Organizations - and far more money - according to vastly different standards.

Certainly, thirteen diverse recipes produce thirteen different outcomes, some more successful than others. For example, the Government of Quebec links sport to the health and fitness of the overall population and spends about $7.40 per capita on sport, four times the amount spent by Ontario, Canada's largest province.

Kouzes and Posner's Five Leadership Practices illustrates how Quebec employs logical ideas and methods to get the most out of their money, generating winning athletes and healthy citizens.

1. Modeling the way
   Quebec's Minister of Education, Recreation, and Sport sees achievements by the province's athletes as a way to demonstrate that "fitness is fun"
   Should Canada choose to follow Quebec's example, international results would improve. Quebecois athletes have access to resources similar to peers in other countries; athletes in other provinces do not.
   
2. Inspiring a shared vision
   Quebec has become a leader among Canada's aquatics and speed skating communities as a result of its top facilities and podium finishes at international competition.
   
3. Challenge the process
   Quebec has made a commitment to building international-level facilities throughout the province, inspiring potential athletes to move to Quebec to train and allowing the province to host more sporting events.
   The province incorporates ideas from various sports into training for all athletes, for example using dance to improve flexibility.
   
4. Enabling others to act
   Investment in coaches and facilities provides athletes with the resources needed to win.
   
5. Encouraging the heart
   Many Quebec athletes were motivated by the success of their predecessors. The province endeavours to create a culture of sport and health.

There are more details to Quebec's accomplishments but these key points, gleaned from a TSN report during their Canada Games coverage, exemplify that sport in Canada has a long way to go to match world standards but that money, hard work, and focus can make success possible in all sports.

Assertiveness and Coaching

Different coaches have different personalities, which contribute to the diversity of sport. Some display more energy than others, some have a stage presence, and some have a sense of humour about their job. Nevertheless, there is more than one way to coach successfully.

Coaching and control are synonymous in the minds of many individuals inside and outside the profession but that is not an accurate description. Coaches motivate student-athletes to reach their potential as a group. Crafting systems that best suit the team is part of that task, managing every single detail of the team is not. Creating accountability among the players for their actions on the court will bring everyone together.

In practice, coaches should teach the team how to make decisions. If the coach only instructs a set of rules and guidelines - insisting that they game be played "the right way" - they curtail the enthusiasm of the players. In games, players own their decisions and they deserve as much input as possible - if they have earned it. Over the years, Larry Brown has been fired many times compared to Phil Jackson who has only been given the axe once (in Puerto Rico in the 1980s).

A coach is ultimately responsible for the outcome of each game and the entire season so many feel that they need to be "harder on this group on seniors than any group before them," as the coach at Niagara said after qualifying for the N.C.A.A. Tournament. But there are many occasions when a passive personality is very effective.

Recently, I coached a game where I hardly did anything. The players won the game and I didn't screw it up. Not that I would have screwed it up had I been more involved but they basically ran the entire show. I could have intervened if necessary but there was never an urgent need to do anything.

The team used the usual offence and defence to take a seven point lead. Although we lost the lead briefly at times, we controlled the tempo of the game. The players suggested a switch to a match-up zone, which I didn't really agree with, but I value their input. After pressuring the ball well, the other team hit a few shots over the defence so we switched back to person-to-person defence. Players made shots down the stretch to win the game; all I did was make sure the five players on the court were the five that were playing the best together.

I worry at times that I do not display enough emotion on the bench. Coaches should be a mirror image of the character that the team should be showing. Remaining quiet was likely a disservice to the team but the bench was enthusiastic, so that overcame my shortcomings.

Afterwards, I watched a YouTube clip of Don Nelson receiving a technical foul with no time on the clock. Gilbert Arenas had already been sent to the line with a chance to tie the game with two free throws and he made those plus the T, winning the game for the Wizards. Nellie probably went over the edge, but it's a subjective line. His active involvement cost his team the game insteal of inspiring the team to play better defence or whatever. Perhaps the team leaders should have handled the situation themselves.

Phil Jackson tries to take two technicals per season. Other coaches, like Gregg Popovich and Pat Riley get nailed far more often. Some coaches are loath to call timeouts, others bail out the teams they coach constantly. It's a superficial illustration of the different levels of assertiveness that are effective on the sidelines. All things considered, it's mature teams that can handle the ups and downs of the game and work things out together that win.