I’ve always been a basketball fan. I played a lot as a kid in various leagues, and began coaching kids at the age of 22. I coached both boys and girls in house league teams, select teams, and travel teams. I created my own playbooks, and ran full motion offenses. I always felt I knew the game better than any coach who ever coached against me, so you can imagine my frustration when, a few years ago, I found out I was “strongly encouraged” to attend a coaching workshop with all the other coaches. I can assure you, if it wasn’t for the “Great Falls Basketball Coach” shirt given to those who attended, I would not have shown up. But show up I did, and I found out there was plenty left for me to learn.
Kevin Grevey's lesson from...
One of the things I didn’t know was that Kevin Grevey was conducting the workshop. As a lifetime Washingtonian, I was a fan of Kevin Grevey and the championship he helped to bring to the Washington Bullets in 1978. It was a great workshop, but it was one of the last questions that Kevin Grevey answered that I’ll never forget. The question someone asked was this: “Who was the best coach you ever played for?” Without any hesitation, Kevin answered, “Don Nelson.” The next question quickly followed: “Why?”
“Because in two years of playing for Coach Nelson, he never once told us to go out and ‘win.’ He’d use the word to appease a reporter from time to time in a press conference, but with us, he found other words. He would tell us: ‘Do the things we have been practicing, because that’s what we can truly control. If we do those things, and do them well, good things will happen for our team.”
... Don Nelson
I began to think about the many times I had told the kids I was coaching to go out and “win.” I even frequently broke huddles having everyone on the team shout the word “win!” From that day on, I never did it again as a basketball coach… or as a business coach. Isn’t the goal in business to do the things we have been practicing, because that what we can truly control?
But there was one other lesson from this story that needs to be remembered. If it wasn’t for a silly shirt giveaway, I would have never attended that workshop, and learned that invaluable lesson, and why? Because I made the mistake that those with a lot of experience often make. I thought I knew all I needed to know. In the words of John Wooden, perhaps the greatest basketball coach of all times, “It’s what you learn after you know it all, that counts.”
Rob – great points. Love the Wooden quote. It’s amazing that people who think they know it all don’t end up looking so smart.
Great points Rob. As I get older, the more I know, the more I realize how much I don’t know.
You were the person that got me into coaching basketball, Rob, over 30 years ago! I am sure you knew that I would read this word for word and its very true, we can never stop learning and working to keep on top…..or guess what…you simply fall behind.
I am a huge Don Nelson fan and hoops fan so you got my attention right away. More importantly, the message is so true. I’ve seen many people fail because they thought they knew all there was to know!
Great article Rob! Loved the comparisons and the impact. Thanks for being a motivation to continue learning!
Rob, your basketball ‘heroics’ – reminded me of my distant past ‘attempt’ to achieve success in ’round ball’!
‘Way back in the early 50’s, I attended St. Joe’s U. in Philly, and thought I’d like to try out for their team. As a freshman,I went to the ‘tryouts’ – and momentariy found myself on the floor with some of the greatest basketball players ever to play for St. Joe’s! Paul Senesky, Al Guokas, etc., etc.! I was so ‘overwhelmed’ – that there was no way I was gonna make that team – especially at 5’9″ – among those giants!
I basically stood around – and watched those All-Americans – do their amazing ‘thing’! They were kinda the UCLA/Kentucky U. of that era!
…But, as you can see – I’ve never forgotten the experience – and was glad that, at least – I showed up!
J.M.
“C.T.”
I like this week’s BlArticle, Rob. It reminds me of the one you wrote about emphasizing people’s efforts when congratulating them, rather than focusing on their end result. At least I think you wrote a BlArticle on that.
How very lucky you were to learn that valuable lesson as a ‘young man’! Each day should be a learning experience and the old adage, ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ should be abolished! Some of us ‘old dogs ‘ look forward to learning new tricks!