Chemistry right for Illini basketball

Read a couple of good articles on the resurgences of Illinois basketball after a rough 16-19 season in 07-08. "Last year we went home sad. It was a dysfunctional family,'' center Mike Tisdale said. So far this year the Illini are off to a 13-1 start including a victory this past Tuesday at No. 9 Purdue. Purdue's Keaton Grant sees a different team.

"Last year they were arguing on the court," he said. "This year they're playing more as a team. Last year you could see how spread apart they were. They were arguing on the court. Especially at Illinois they were arguing, and this year they came closer together.''

Team chemistry, according to players, has been the reason for the successful start to the season:

"We have a different attitude," senior guard Trent Meacham said. "People worked hard in the off-season and continued to improve."

The unselfish attitude starts with guard Chester Frazier (pictured above), who coach Bruce Weber says has accepted his role as a distributor on offense and a lock down defender.

"He has accepted what he is," Weber said. "He wants to do well. Last year, when things were not going well, he was always trying to make plays. He has accepted he's not the go-to guy, and he lets the game come to him."

Part of the ploy by Weber was hatched in the offseason when he decided the team's new uniforms would not have the players' names on the back. He felt the team was driven too much by individual achievement last year and wanted something to symbolize a different approach. Instead of the move coming off as cliché, Tisdale said the players — at first resistant — have embraced the message.

"People realized it was more important than being individuals,'' he said. "Coach has been pushing that. It's had a good impact on our mindset. He says it almost every day. That's why we're winning.''

Weber isn't necessarily taking it easy on players. He has talked openly about the harsh approach he has taken with sophomores Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis at times. But after the win over Purdue he praised McCamey for not pouting over bench time and Davis for not complaining when Weber lit into him during practice.

And they have grown up. Just ask sophomore guard Demetri McCamey, who made four free throws after missing three to seal the victory at Purdue."Last year I would have pouted," McCamey said.

15 Strong

Looked in the archives today and was studying the run of the 2006 Miami Heat team that won the World Championship. The year started off very rocky for the Heat with a 10-10 start and their coach Stan Van Gundy (currently head coach for the Orlando Magic) stepped down for personal reasons.

At this point this team loaded with veterans, many of whom had never won a championship (Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning, Antoine Walker, James Posey, Jason Williams) could have gone either way. Then Heat president Pat Riley, who assembled the team, decided he was going to step into the head coaching position.

Riley is one of the best coaches of all time, winning 5 NBA Championships in his career (4 with 'Showtime' and the Lakers in the 80's). Throughout the season he came up with the motto "15 Strong", which means that it takes all 15 players on the roster coming together as one in order to win the championship. Here is a little about this from after the Heat won the championship:

Champagne was flying from all directions as I walked into the craziest post-championship locker room celebration I've ever witnessed, and there in the center of the room was Miami Heat coach Pat Riley's motivational secret laid bare.

The contents of Riley's mystery bowl -- a structure that sat covered up on the floor of the Heat locker room throughout the playoffs adorned with "Do Not Touch" signs -- had been revealed, and all across the floor were scattered thousands upon thousands of small pieces of paper, each about the size of a baseball card, bearing the words "15 Strong" on one side.

On the other side of each card was a different message, depending on the player who put it there. Some of the cards had family pictures, others had drawings of the Larry O'Brien trophy, still others had pictures of players' families or of championship rings.

"The bowl was 120,000 of these, that's all," Riley said. "We took on a slogan, a motto or whatever you wish, but it was really about 15 guys being strong. There was a lot of conjecture throughout the course of the year about our team, its character, about certain players and how it wouldn't work, the chemistry. People don't know. People don't know how much these guys really wanted it."

They were also blessed to have a supporting cast that bought into the theory that they would have to play second fiddle, a dynamic that wouldn't have been possible if they hadn't bought into Riley's yearlong project of dumping all those "15 Strong" cards into that big mystery bowl.

"Every game we came closer and closer and put more and more stuff in," Gary Payton said. "We brought a wheelbarrow in to put stuff in because he gave us a story about trusting people and pushing a wheelbarrow across a tightrope. He's a great motivator. He did what he was supposed to do. He got us to play the way we were supposed to play, and we stuck together."

Riley is known as a motivational genius. When Payton talks about the 'wheelbarrow story' this is what he means:

The wheelbarrow tale that Riley told the team was believed to be this: In 1859 the Great Blondin, the man who invented the high-wire act, announced to the world that he intended to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope. As the story goes, 5,000 people gathered to watch. Halfway across, Blondin suddenly stopped, steadied himself, backflipped into the air, landed squarely on the rope, and then continued safely to the other side. Just as he was about to begin yet another crossing, this time pushing a wheelbarrow, he turned to the crowd and shouted, "Who believes that I can cross pushing this wheelbarrow?" Every hand in the crowd went up. Blondin pointed at one man. "Do you believe that I can do it?" he asked. "Yes, I believe you can," said the man.

"Are you certain?" Blondin asked.

"Yes," said the man. "Absolutely certain?" "Yes, absolutely certain." "Thank you," said Blondin. "Then, sir, get into the wheelbarrow."

Another great Riley talk:

Riley once put a large bucket of ice water in front of him and told his team: "If you want to win a championship, you have to want it…"

Stopping in mid-sentence, Riley plunged his head into the water and kept it there for several seconds, which turned into a minute, which turned into even more than a minute. His players sat dumbfounded, watching, until Riley finally pulled his head out of the water and finished his sentence:

"…like it's your last breath."

-----------------------------------------
I think if you'll appreciate the commitment it takes to win a championship by looking at these articles and videos. The videos are a looking at the entire season for the Heat. It is amazing how this veteran team bought into the "15 strong" mantra and it paid off.

*It is worth watching all of these! You really get the full effect of the ups and downs that a champion goes through every single day.

The Run: Part I

The Run: Part II

The Run: Part III

The Run: Part IV

Good article on winning it all and the sacrifice that veterans make in winning the championship.

LaDainian Tomlinson - Work Ethic

Easy to root for this guy......

Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah rewarded with big minutes

Vinny Del Negro followed his message with minutes.

One game after benching Joakim Noah for the entire second half, Del Negro played the second-year center 13 minutes 37 seconds consecutively bridging the first and second quarters and 32 minutes overall.Noah finished with eight points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

Asked what he needed to see more consistently from Noah, Del Negro answered directly.

"Energy, focus, rebounding, control the paint for me better, run the court, do all the things he's definitely capable of doing," Del Negro said. "He has to bring energy. He wants to get better. He has to keep working. When the opportunity is there, go and make it hard for me to take you out."

Noah admitted his inconsistent minutes, brought on somewhat by his own poor conditioning, have made this season difficult.

"I have to keep working," Noah said.

Any team observer has noticed Noah's improvement in this area. Consistently before games and after practices, Noah gets in extra sprints.

"He's been putting in extra effort," Del Negro said. "It helps him and also helps the team. He's working. As he continues to work, he brings energy and length up front that we need."

Talent doesn't always equal championships

As I am watching the Eagles crushing the Cowboys and being disgusted by the drama that the Cowboys seem to love, I heard a great quote from former Cowboy Troy Aikman:

"Talent doesn't always equal championships and a talented team doesn't always mean you are a team"

It is disgusting the amount of bickering that takes place on this team. If they lose, blame is spread throughout. If they win, then someone is mad they aren't getting the ball enough. How is it even enjoyable to win when not everyone is enjoying the victories? Yes the victory is nice, but personally I get the most out of a victory when I see everyone around me enjoying the win.

It will be interesting to see what happens after this loss and if the blame game starts to take place. After all, they are champions in that category.

Blazers listen up, sound off with win over Raptors

Article here from the local Portland, OR paper on Coach Nate McMillan stressing talk and communication on defense. Here is a piece from the article:

This Trail Blazers team is a very tight-knit group off the court, but as it turns out, the guys have had problems communicating on the court, particularly on defense. Screens by the opponents were going unannounced. Team rules on pick and rolls -- going under or through a screen -- were not being voiced. And assuring voices of help defense were muted.

As a result, the Blazers defense has suffered, so much so that McMillan termed the team's latest defensive outing against Dallas as "bad. Really bad."

So before Saturday's game in front of 20,588 at the Rose Garden, McMillan had a plan. As he addressed the team at the front of the room, he walked to the back, where a glass refrigerator sits with Gatorade and bottled water. From there, he asked Oden and starting small forward Nicolas Batum to give their scouting reports on the Toronto players they would guard.

Two of the quietest players on the team, Oden and Batum each gave their report. Still standing by the refrigerator, McMillan made his play.

"He told us 'Look, there are going to be 20,000 people out there, you need to talk louder,'" Oden said. "He said, 'I'm standing right here next to a little refrigerator motor and I can't even hear you. Speak up.'"

By the end of the night, the Blazers defense had spoken loud and clear, holding Toronto to 32 second-half points, including 10 in the pivotal third quarter.

"The Bostons, the Lakers, their defenses are always talking loud," LaMarcus Aldridge said. "And coach made sure to make a point that everybody needs to hear us talk on defense. I think it helped."

Bell, Diaw bringing winning attitude to Bobcats

Saw a good article on nba.com about newly accquired Charlotte Bobcats Raja Bell and Boris Diaw. Both players came from the Phoenix Suns a couple of weeks ago. They have brought experience in big time situations to the young Bobcats.

Bell and Diaw have started all seven games since arriving in Charlotte. The Bobcats lost the first two games with the new additions, but have gone 4-1 since, showing improvement on both sides of the ball.

In the 23 games before Bell and Diaw arrived, the Bobcats scored 103.5 points per 100 possessions and allowed 108.2. In the seven games since, they've scored 107.4 points per 100 possessions and allowed 101.1.

"I don't know that any of us that came over can really take credit for that," Bell says modestly, even though he's clearly an upgrade over Richardson on the defensive end. "What we did realize when we got here was that this team plays hard every night. They're in a lot of ball games and they always give themselves the chance to win. If you're doing that, you're busting your butt every night and you don't have a defeated attitude, some good things can happen."

"Our next step is expecting to win," Bell concluded. "Good teams know the teams that they're supposed to beat. And against everyone else, they battle their butt off and try to get a win. We have to become a team like that, where we walk into a building and we know that we're going to take care of business."

Human Belief

Found this courtesy of SUM coach Matt Doherty:

1. I believe I'm a work in progress and there will always be a gap between whom I am and who I want to be.

2. I believe every day brings opportunities to learn and do something meaningful.

3. I believe the true test of my character is whether I do the right thing even when it might cost more than I want to pay.

4. I believe no matter how I behave, some people will be mean-spirited, dishonest, irresponsible, and unkind, but if I fight fire with fire, all I'll end up with are the ashes of my own integrity.

5. I believe life is full of joys and sorrows and my happiness will depend on how well I handle each.

6. I believe pain is inevitable but suffering is optional, and if I can control my attitudes, I can control my life.

7. I believe kindness matters and snide comments and badly timed criticisms can cause lasting hurt.

8. I believe there's joy in gratitude and freedom in forgiveness, but both require conscientious effort.

9. I believe what is fun or pleasurable is not always good for me and what is good for me is not always fun or pleasurable.

10. I believe no one is happy all the time, but in the end I can be as happy as I'm willing to be.

11. I believe the surest road to happiness is good relationships.

Wade helps family displaced by fire

MIAMI -- When Dwyane Wade heard the plight of a South Florida woman whose nephew accidentally burned down her home -- and ruined all the family's possessions -- the Miami Heat star knew he had to do something.

So he helped the family move into a new home, just in time for Christmas.

Wade presented Dawn Smith with the ultimate Christmas gift on Wednesday -- the keys to a her new house, along with some furnishings, clothing and gifts to make sure her family has a joyous holiday, something that didn't seem likely just a few weeks ago.

His Wade's World foundation will make some payments on the home, while Smith and her family get back on their feet.

"That's what I try to teach my kids," said Wade, whose foundation has hosted several charity events this holiday season, mostly for needy children. "It's not about what you're going to receive -- it's what you can give to others from what you've received."

Smith couldn't hold back happy sobs when she saw the home for the first time.

"A big-time relief," Smith said, clearly overcome by emotion. "Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Oh, God, thank you so much."

The NBA's leading scorer this season had a simple message: "Hopefully, you'll like it."

Wade's other holiday events this year included a party for 350 children on Monday, and hosting 100 kids at Tuesday night's Heat game against the Golden State Warriors. He also donated $10,000 to each of three children's organizations, but said he was particularly touched by being able to assist the Smith family.

We can help this family have a new beginning," Wade said.

Mason plays through pain

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason has been playing with a seperated shoulder for the last 2 months.

"I don't know if I've ever seen a tougher football player in 25 years of coaching," Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said. "It's a tribute to who he is as a competitor."

Here are some quotes from the article (Click here for full article):

He will be playing in his 106th consecutive game Sunday against Jacksonville, a game the Ravens must win to get into the playoffs. Baltimore could earn a postseason berth if New England loses earlier Sunday, but that won't matter to Mason.

"I don't think I've ever been in a situation because of an injury or because we've clinched a playoff berth that I've sat out a game," he said. "I still plan on going out there and being out there with the offense."

Against Dallas, Mason was forced off the field three times. He never stayed put, however, because he was determined to do his part to keep the Ravens (10-5) in the playoff hunt.
Outsiders might have perceived his back-and-forth routine to be heroic. His teammates expected nothing less.

"I knew he was going to do that," center Jason Brown said. "It might have been a surprise to you all, but knowing Derrick's heart and how dedicated he is to our team and what we're trying to do right now, I knew that nothing short of him having a heart attack or having to undergo surgery at that moment could keep him off that football field."

Ravens tight end Daniel Wilcox has battled injuries his entire career, so he knows how difficult it's been for Mason to stay on the football field, let alone perform at such a high level.

"Derrick Mason has an amazing drive for a man," Wilcox said. "Right now, he's playing though an extreme amount of pain every week. I don't know if you can put it into words what he's dealing with right now, because many times he's out there playing with one arm. Plus, people know he's hurt. He's just one of the hardest workers I've ever been around."

What could possibly cause a man to put himself through such an ordeal in his 12th NFL season? No one would blame Mason for simply throwing up his arms (well, arm) in anguish and taking a seat on the sideline.

But that's just not his style.

"I really enjoy the pure competitiveness of the game. That's what motivates me," he said. "I think you play better when your back is against the wall or when you're dealing with things, whether it's physical, mental or whatever."

Besides, what would little Derrick think if his father didn't play through the pain?

"I've always been this way. I like to go out there because I've got kids, and one day my son will want to play sports," Mason said. "I can then look back and reminisce with him that your old dad played through some tough ones. That will be motivation for him for whatever he's going through. He can look back and say, if my father can do it, I can do it."

Thabo Sefolosha tries to stay sharp for Bulls

That whirling defensive dervish on display during the Bulls' victory over Utah on Saturday contrasts sharply with the quiet-as-a-mouse personality Thabo Sefolosha cultivates off the court.

But even Sefolosha, when pressed, admits the 10 "DNP—coach's decision" designations that have accompanied his name in box scores this season have affected him.

"Of course you go home sometimes and you say, 'Man, I wanted to play so much. I feel I could've helped them,' " Sefolosha said late Saturday. "You're frustrated. But then you go back the next day and keep working.

"I know everybody sounds the same, but that's what it is. You have to keep working in practice and when times get tough and you don't play much you have to stay positive and keep doing your job. You have to get your mind off the playing time. You work for down the line. It's not the five or six games I didn't play that matters, it's the next game, five games, 10 games that matter."

"Thabo's a professional," guard Ben Gordon said. "He never complains or moans. He just comes out and when his number is called, he produces. You have to give him a lot of credit. He stays ready. He works on his game. It showed."

"The rotations sometimes aren't there for him, but he's been terrific working," Bulls Coach Vinny Del Negro said. "That's why you do all that extra running and shooting and stay prepared. When you seize an opportunity and make a contribution to the team, that's what being a professional is all about."

Jordan on FT Shooting

From Rick Majerus' book "My Life on a Napkin":

"I got paid to be a coach at Jordan's camp, but I would have done it for free. it was worth it just to hear Jordan talk. I picked up things to tell my own team. I'll tell you one thing that was really a great point. Someone asked him during the talk-back, 'When you go to the foul line after you get hit, what are you thinking about right there?'

He said, "Number one, I expect to get hit. My expectation is that I'll be hit, and I'll be hit hard. Then I go to the foul line, and I try not to go to the foul line angry. I don't want those thoughts to cloud the concentration and the mechanics needed to make a foul shot.'

Larry Bird - Hall of Fame video

LeBron's Commitment to Defense

There is a reason that the Cavs are off to a tremendous start this year. It starts and ends with their defense. Good article here on LeBron's new found commitment on the defensive end. Here is what LeBron says:

"Everybody says they want to play defense. They say they want to make a defensive stand,'' James told me Wednesday. "But are you really going to go out there and take pride in your defense and guard your man one-on-one? It took me a few years to realize I wanted to be a really good defensive player, and I've kind of turned that corner to where I am today. ''

"Communication is the biggest thing on defense,'' he said. "If you don't have that, you can easily break down. Me spearheading the defense with Ben and Delonte, we do a good job of trying to make sure guys are in the right spots. We try to help each other. It's not always going to be right, but you have to be able to cover for each other. When you make mistakes, by talking and communicating, you can get through it.''

Says coach Mike Brown:

"He just doesn't do it one time. He does it quite a bit,'' Brown said. "You hear him from the back side of our defense. We may have two people involved in a pick-and-roll, and he's yelling to our guys what they should do, what type of coverage we're in. That's very exciting to hear and see.

"Then one thing I talk to him about is his weakside defense. I thought [in Wednesday's victory] we didn't come up with all of them, but he got his hands on a ton of balls coming from the weak side because he was in the correct position defensively. And he was aware. When you've got your leader doing that type of stuff on that end of the floor, it's very contagious.''

More from Coach Brown:

Talking your way through defense is a big step forward from just talking about it. To demonstrate how thoroughly indoctrinated his club has become to the task, Brown -- in the middle of a pregame chat with reporters -- interrupted his comments to stop Williams as the point guard walked by.

"Hey, Mo! Mo!'' Brown said. "What's the one thing we have to do tonight? Yeah, one thing ...''

Poor Williams. Suddenly, a dozen people were looking at him, the silence lengthening. He might have been thinking about his Christmas list, pondering world peace or solving quadratic equations on his way out to shoot some warm-up shots, but now he was on the spot.

"We ... have to defend,'' Williams finally said.

Brown beamed.

"Now look at his face,'' the coach said. "That's a sincere young man there. I appreciate it. Thank you very much. That's just how my guys are. And you've got to love it. It just comes from within them. We've talked about it, and they believe it. I can ask any one of my guys that and they'll give you the same answer.''

Three keys: Be agile, mobile, and hostile

From former coach and ESPN announcer Fran Fraschilla:

Here are some things that are important for post players:

1. Always catch the ball and look to the middle.

*By doing this, a post man can see 90 percent of the court. He can locate his defender, see where double-teams in the defense are coming from and locate his teammates cutting to the basket.

2. A post player should always initiate contact in the lane.

* You can 'read your defender and which way to make a move when you get your body on him and know where he is. For example, when you "seal" your man away from the basket, it creates room to set up the lob pass over the top.

3. A post player should have a favorite move and a counter move.

* It is usually a waste of time to teach a player five or six moves inside because they wind up using none of them. It is better to perfect a jump hook or turnaround jumper. And, like a pitch who has a change-up to go with his fastball, a counter move is needed. I like the "up and under" where you fake the jump hook to get the defender off his feet, then step through and power the ball through the basket.

4. When rebounding, always keep your head and hands up and move towards the basket

*Rebounding is mostly about effort and desire so go hard to the basket on each shot.

5. A good rebounder anticipates where the missed shot will go.

Fakes

From an NBA Assistant Coach:

What I have found at this level is that players use every advantage they can find to be the best they can be. The art of faking is important to the point guard position as they have the ball in their hands a large percentage of the time. The best players in this league have mastered not only the eye fakes but also:

*the pass fake
*the head fake (as part of the shot fake)
*the foot fake (jab step)
*the voice fake (“use me, use me” — then they slip the screen)

An Unbelieveable Comeback

I love the raw emotion of this picture. This picture is the reason you put all the time in the gym, weightroom, field, or whatever your particular sport is. The great thing about winning something special in team sports is the ability to share that one isolated moment with so many people. When you put in the time and effort and enjoy the process of the season, the picture above is what you get. On Saturday night the Husker volleyball team made a tremendous comeback to defeat Washington in the regional finals to get to the Final Four.

If you did not watch it, you don't have to be a fan of volleyball to appreciate what committment these ladies made when they were down 9-3 in the final set (first one to 15 wins). Being down 9-3 is the equivilent of being down 10 points in basketball with a minute to go, 2 touchdowns with 2 minutes to go, or down 5 runs in baseball going into the last inning. They played with the intensity and emotion that it takes to win a match in a hostile environment like Washington had Saturday night. Here are some pieces that I really liked from the Omaha World Herald:

"That match, I think, sums up our whole season so far," said NU's Tara Mueller, "We are a team that only focuses on the next play. That's what we did out there, and it was so fun.

"All you saw out there was a team that's united and a team that plays with a lot of heart," says NU's Rachel Schwartz, "Our word for that match was 'authentic'- and the reason for that is that we were doing things that nobody but us believed we could do. Whatever people think about us, it's OK. Because we believe in ourselves."

Here is a little about All-American Jordan Larson, who was really struggling until late in the match:

In one of the most brilliant individual performances in the history of Nebraska athletics, Larson turned into a player possessed with fulfilling her team's season-long dream. The star senior out of Hooper, Neb., blasted kill after kill- mixing in a big block here and a key dig there- to ignite Nebraska on a 9-0 run. In all, she was responsible for an amazing six of nine points as the Huskers went from being down by six to ahead by three.

"I just felt that when we were down (early in the match) like I wasn't giving everything I had. I felt like I wasn't doing anything productive, so I thought I needed to do something about it. That was me putting what I had left out there."

While watching their determination, communication, and teamwork in the final set, I thought to myself that I've never seen a team in any sport want it as bad as they did.

McNabb had right mental approach after benching

Donovan McNabb may some day reveal the true emotions he felt after getting benched for the first time in his career.

McNabb got yanked at halftime of a 10-7 game at Baltimore on Nov. 23, the Eagles fell apart. A three-point deficit turned into a 36-7 rout.Now isn't the time. Not with the Philadelphia Eagles making a push for the playoffs and McNabb leading the way.

"The only thing I'm focused on at this particular point is playing the Cleveland Browns," McNabb said.

The Eagles (7-5-1) host the Browns (4-9) tonight in a game that has important playoff ramifications. No one could've imagined Philadelphia playing meaningful games 2½ weeks ago.After McNabb got yanked at halftime of a 10-7 game at Baltimore on Nov. 23, the Eagles fell apart. A three-point deficit turned into a 36-7 rout.

The Eagles were 5-5-1 and going nowhere. McNabb's future with the team after 10 seasons was clearly in doubt. His relationship with coach Andy Reid was being questioned.Watching a healthy McNabb stand on the sideline in a hooded sweatshirt and jacket while Kevin Kolb ran the offense was strange. It seemed to signal the end of an era in Philadelphia.

McNabb never pouted, though. He didn't criticize coaches, blame his teammates or demand a trade. Instead, McNabb responded like a leader.

"He's always been positive," running back Brian Westbrook said. "He remained the leader of this team, a person that everybody on the team looks at as the leader and goes to for advice. That situation with being benched, I'm sure it was a situation that made him sad or depressed or whatever. But he came back to work, worked hard to be that leader and he helped us win those last two games."

Behind McNabb's arm and Westbrook's legs, the Eagles beat NFC West champion Arizona 48-20 on Thanksgiving and upset the conference-leading Giants 20-14 at New York last Sunday.

The Eagles will make the playoffs if they win the last three games and the Falcons lose once.McNabb has completed 67 percent of his passes (46 for 69) for 451 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions since his benching. Reid said the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback just needed a break from the action.

"He's a great player," Reid said. "Sometimes you just need to take a step back and things kind of clear up for you. He's playing great football right now."

Two Pains: By Kevin Eastman

From Celtics Coach Kevin Eastman:

The Pain of Discipline

Being disciplined is a great characteristic to have, but a difficult one to maintain over time. It’s not easy to work out day after day after day. It’s not easy to get in the weight room day after day after day. It’s not easy to do go to work and grind it out day after day. There is a pain factor involved — physical pain, mental fatigue (brought on by boredom of doing the same hard things over and over again), emotional pain from sometimes working your tail off every day and not being successful. The types and intensity of the pains will vary, but the constant is that they will be there!

In our careers it’s not easy to keep reading and studying the books, articles and reports or to continue to figure out how to become a better coach, salesperson, manager, CEO. Success is a disciplined process, not an overnight miracle.

Speaking from personal experience with our team last year, I think one of the reasons for our success was that we were willing to recognize and deal with that pain, to work through that pain, to invest in and commit to the grinding process that you have to go through to become successful in any meaningful challenge. For every NBA team, that challenge is to become the World Champions!

The Pain of Regret

Simply put, when all is said and done, if you haven’t invested in the discipline needed to be successful, you will look back and regret not having done everything within your control to make the outcome a successful one. This is the ultimate pain of regret. We know lots of people who do this — the ones who are constantly saying things like, ”I wish I had…” rather than ”I’m glad I did…”

So you, your team, your company all have a choice — do you choose the pain of discipline and continue to do everything possible (whether it hurts or not) to become successful? Or do you choose to shortcut things? Maybe you aren’t consistent in your energy and enthusiasm, or maybe you don’t maintain the focus needed to succeed. In any case, if you don’t choose the pain of discipline, you will regret it.

Buc Ball

Tampa Bay Bucs defensive cordinator Monte Kiffin has created a defense over the last 13 years that has dominated the NFL known as 'Buc Ball'.

"Buc Ball isn't for everybody," said Kiffin, a native of Lexington, Neb., who played in the defensive line at Nebraska and later served as the Huskers' defensive coordinator in the 1970s. "You have to buy in to what we do. I think Brooks says it best."

Kiffin is referring to future Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks. What Brooks is saying could be said for every single sport when it comes to defense. Says Brooks:

"Buc Ball is more of a state of mind," Brooks said. "It's believing what we do, buying into it. It's maxing out every play - whatever your maximum ability is. For instance, if you run a 4.6, you run a 4.6 every play. If you run a 5.0, you run a 5.0 every single play. Max out."

If your job is to take on the fullback and turn the play in to a strong safety, that's what you do, and trust that the strong safety does what he's supposed to do. Not try to turn back the fullback and make the tackle. That might mess up everybody."Buc Ball also is about accountability.

That's the one word that hasn't wavered my entire career here, no matter who you are or where you come from. When you become a Buc, you buy into accountability. That goes beyond football."

"If it's not your style of football or the way you carry yourself, you won't be here long," Brooks said. "You won't get the chance to play Buc Ball."

Commitment to the Team

Good stuff from Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro (shown left) talking about his high draft picks Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. Both players were top 10 picks in the draft (Thomas 2 years ago, Noah last year) and have not quite reached their potential so far as NBA players. Here is what Coach Del Negro has to say about the situation:

Del Negro said of them: "They're young and have to find their way. When you're on the court, you have to value those minutes. The guys who are focused, know their role, commit to it and come with effort every day will play.

"I can handle mistakes. But I can't handle lack of effort. And I can't handle lack of commitment to the team. Those guys know that. They're working better. That's always a work in progress with a young team."

"Commitment is coming in with energy every day, with focus, trying to get better, lifting weights, being on time, paying attention in meetings, being ready to play, knowing what your role is, who you're guarding, what their strengths and weaknesses are, how you can affect the team in a positive way," he said. "Commitment is being a professional, working every day to get better individually. As that happens, the team gets better."

"It's not just one guy," Del Negro said. "As a team, we have to jell and there are always bumps. If guys commit to the team, they'll get a chance."

Mental Toughness

"The definition of mental toughness is not letting anything get to you. It's just staying focused no matter what's swirling around you, just continuing to mentally fight through whatever obstacles there might be, whether that be a certain play or situation or a bunch of things that come up as a football player."
Tom Brady, Patriots QB

Body Language

Found this quote in the archives from two years ago about former CU player Anthony Tolliver. Quote from Nick Bahe:

There are a handful of guys," Bahe says, "whether you're in an office job or playing basketball, that walk in, you know, 'God, I don't want to be here today.' Shoulders slouched. Anthony always walks in with his head high, chest out, excited about being here. When your leader's doing that, it's definitely contagious."

Jimmy V on the ESPY Awards 1993

The Jimmy V Classic is being played tonight on ESPN. It honors the late great Jim Valvano, former coach of the North Carolina State men's basketball team. This is a speech he gave in 1993when accepting the Arthur Ashe award for courage in sports at the ESPY's. My favorite speech in sports!

1997 NBA Finals - Utah Jazz Vs. Chicago Bulls - MJ Flu Game

The Will to Win!!

"I didn't want to give up. No matter how sick I was. How tired I was. How low on energy I was. I felt an obligation to my team, the city of Chicago, to go out and give that extra effort"

An excerpt from “Values of the Game” by Bill Bradley

The need for discipline applies first to conditioning. It’s painful and grueling, but there’s no alternative. You can’t lead the fast break or tear down 20 rebounds a game if you can’t run and jump without fatigue. Getting into shape and pushing the body to new levels every day is a mental activity. When you believe that you can’t do another lap or another push-up or another abdominal crunch, your mind forces you to go ahead. When your wind is short and you have a pain in your side from running, only your mind can get you to withstand the pain and go on. As UCLA’s legendary coach John Wooden says, “Nothing will work unless you do.”

I used to hate getting into shape no matter which routines I followed- laps, line drills, playing one on one full court, running the floor while passing the ball back and forth with two teammates. After six weeks of agony, during which every part of my body ached so badly that many mornings I crawled from bed to bathroom to soak in a hot tub, the pain began to diminish and the muscles started to come around. When you train seriously for basketball, you learn the difference between getting into condition and getting into condition. In the lesser of those two states, you can run up and down the floor and do what you have to do without the interference of fatigue. But you’re not really in peak condition until you can cruise when others push. When your body is honed, you can run your opponents around and around, with little immediate purpose beyond tiring them out, making them angry, or distracting them from any defensive concentration.

My toughest opponent, John Havlicek of the Boston Celtics, was a true genius when it came to using conditioning as a weapon. His goal was to get his opponent to give up, to stop overcoming fatigue, to stop pushing himself. Havlicek saw it as a matter of who gives up first. “You’ll pass out before you’re overworked, bust most people don’t know that,” he once told Orlando Magic senior executive vice president Pat Williams. “They think they’re overworked, so they stop. They could have kept going, but they didn’t. They weren’t beat physically; they were beat mentally.”

Derek Fisher is tired of blowing leads

Point guard offers a reminder to Lakers of what they want to avoid. From the L.A. Times:

Derek Fisher had seen this type of behavior too many times, so he acted quickly.The steadying influence in the Lakers' locker room felt the need to approach the whiteboard after another close call Friday against Washington and write a simple phrase -- "Boston Finals" -- followed by the number 24, a reference to a more painful time in recent team history.

The Lakers have frittered away large second-half leads in many games this season, reminding Fisher of the 24-point advantage they lost in Game 4 of last season's NBA Finals.

"That was a window of opportunity to be champions, to take that series to 2-2 with the fifth game on our home court," Fisher said. "We did the same thing that we're starting to do now -- allow teams to get back into a game by executing poorly on offense, turning the ball over, taking poor shots and becoming porous on defense. I just wanted to kind of remind us that if we want to get back to that point, we have to correct this now."

"Tired more so than alarmed," he said. "How many times do you want to bump your head against the same brick wall? The wall's not going to give. Why expend the mental and physical energy that it takes to have to rebuild momentum like that over the course of a 100-plus-game season?

"Nobody says you have to beat anybody by 20. However, if you do put yourself in a position where you're up 16 or you're up 20, we're talented enough and we're good enough that we should be able to extend that lead or hold it."We're not doing it. I don't know if we're getting bored or just losing that immediate focus that we start the game with. We definitely need to improve quickly."

Fisher isn't alone in his thinking.

Kobe Bryant said Friday's victory didn't "sit right" with him because the Lakers were "not moving in the right direction."

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Very impressive for a team that is leading the Western Conference to still be concerned about the way they are playing!

Jets’ Jones Lives a Dream of Passion and Purpose

Terrific article in the NY Times today on Jets running back Thomas Jones. His teammates and coaches respect the energy and enthusiasm that he brings to his team everyday:

But Jones’s impact outruns his numbers. Before each game, teammates gather around him looking for a shot of energy. Jones never plans his speeches, nor did he program the tears that welled in his eyes before the Jets’ victory at New England last month.

He speaks — or shouts, or implores, depending on the mood — from the heart. The same as he did while starring at Virginia. The same as he did in high school.

“Everyone feeds off his energy,” fullback Tony Richardson said. “He’s tearing up, yelling. Thomas is a very vocal guy and very passionate. You see a lot of that in the way he plays. Guys look forward to his speeches. They wait for it. Because it gets you going.”

“It’s easy to give a speech at the game and get fired up there in front of 70,000 people,” Jets coach Eric Mangini said. “The hard part is when you’re tired, when it’s Week 10, 12, 14, and you’re still being the same guy, still improving.

“You’re a veteran having a great year, but you’re still doing all the little things that got you here.”

Good Guards

Far too often, high school guards believe that what college coaches are looking for is someone to light up the scoreboard. While scoring is certainly an advantage, you can make it as a college guard if you understand and master all four points listed below, even if you are not a great scorer.

Good guards...

1. Get their team into offense by:

*Developing a good handle
- Including the retreat dribble

*Knowing how to attack pressure
- Always looking up the floor
- Looping the lag guard to create an open side of the floor
- Using the retreat dribble to back out of traps, stay out of trouble, and to space the floor
- Avoid dead man’s corner

*Know when and how to feed the post

*Creating through dribble penetration
- Both for the post and the perimeter
- Deliver the pass into the shooting pocket
- Make use of on ball screens to assist in penetration and to create your own scoring opportunities

*Making good decisions
- Know their teammates
- Take reasonable risks, think running the break
- Know game situations (clock, score, possession arrow, etc.)
- This bullet is bold for a reason

2. Knock down the open jump shot

*Doing their homework early when it comes to foot organization

*By “one-twoing” into all 3 point shots

3. Defend the dribble

*Can pick up fullcourt and work the dribbler

*Can flatten out dribble penetration on the ½ court

4. “Run the Show”

*Recognize the importance of good guard leadership

*Are “self-authorized leaders”

*Number 4 is in italics and underlined because you must be a coach on the court

Overcoming Adversity

espn.com has an excellent article on former NBA player Wayman Tisdale and his fight against cancer that caused him to lose a leg. Says Tisdale:

"You can never give up because quitting is not an option. No matter how dark it is or how weak you get, until you take that last breath, you must fight."

Click here for full article

Ray Allen on teams thinking they are just as good as the Celtics:

“It’s one thing to talk about it,” Allen said. “Like last year for us, there was a lot said about what we were doing. We knew where we wanted to go, but I think we had to go out and do it. We had to get it. We had to grab it. There was not a moment’s rest for us. Every night we had to prove what we were capable of. Now, we’re still in that same mode, and teams that are saying they’re just as good or better than us, they have to prove that. And for us, we’re here and we want it every night. We look forward to the challenge every night.”

- Ray Allen

Accepting his role for the benefit of the team

Duke basketball had a big win on the road over top 10 Purdue last night. Senior point guard Greg Paulus, who had started every game his first three years, has had is role change this year in a real test of team chemistry. Sophomore Nolan Smith has started every game this year, which has reduced Paulus' minutes to around 20 a game. Here is an article from espn.com that discusses the situation:

The insertion of Smith in the starting lineup was the one great chemistry experiment by Krzyzewski, because it sent Greg Paulus to the bench -- for the first time ever, really. Paulus had started 95 games in three years at Duke and had the ball in his hands an awful lot of that time.

Paulus had pretty much been the face of Duke basketball for three seasons. Now, all of a sudden, that face is starting every game next to assistants Chris Collins and Nate James. Tough, one would think, to keep a smile on said face, even if he is the team captain.

"It's a situation -- it's a little bit different," Paulus said, with a hesitation that betrayed more true feeling than his words would allow. "But as far as our team goes, our mindset is to do whatever it takes to win. This being my senior year, I just want to win. It's about the team, and throwing yourself into it."

Said Singler: "Greg's been great this year. We don't see him as a bench player. He's a starter."

Krzyzewski is banking on Paulus to take his reduction to roughly 20 minutes per game and handle it well. Just as he sold NBA superstars on supporting actor roles in the Olympics, he's selling Paulus and fellow upperclassmen David McClure and Lance Thomas on coming off the pine.

"It's an asset," Krzyzewski said.

An asset few teams have these days. And an asset that will help keep Duke competitive all season long.

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This chemistry always works best when the underclassmen that are starting show tremendous respect toward the seniors who are starting on the bench. Great teams know that it doesn't matter who starts, it matters who finishes!

The Core Value of Servant Leadership Part I: By Bruce Brown

The best of leaders are the first to serve, putting others before themselves. The servant leader is the one who is the first to volunteer to help, never too proud to do work, even the difficult or unpopular jobs in order for the team to succeed. Those jobs are often done without anyone knowing because there is no complaining or comparing. The servant leader is reliably and consistenly a servant for others.

The servant leader has enough self confidence that they are unafraid of being first, of potential failure and of looking silly. They are not threatened by success of others and are the first to take responsibility for mistakes. A sincere, and self-confident, "my fault", brings others together

The servant leader has embraced the self-discipline of being part of a successful team and can avoid immature and unhealthy situations. They work just as hard whether or not they are being watched or measured.

Leadership at the Point Guard

From Sports Illusrated:

If there is one point coach Tom Izzo wants to get across to Kalin Lucas, his sophomore guard, it's that the 6-foot dynamo-who Izzo says is the quickest player he has ever coached- has to become a better leader if the Spartans are to reach their potential this season. "I harp on it no more than 50 times a day," says Izzo, who wants to see him become more vocal on and off the court.

Lucas is getting the message. When he wasn't working on his outside shot or getting to know his teammates better this summer, Lucas was studying game film "so when I talk to guys, I know what I'm talking about."

Portland's Defense turning in wins

Portland is off to a 12-6 start thanks to an emphasis on the defensive end. Both players and coaches felt that it was important to stress defense during training camp. Here is an excerpt from an Oregonian article earlier this year.

McMillan said he asked his two stars [LaMarcus Aldridge & Brandon Roy] what needed to improve next season for the team to succeed, and he said both emphatically pointed to defense. Aldridge said a defensive light went on for him this summer, when he was part of a select team that practiced against the U.S. Olympic team.

In those workouts, Aldridge said, it quickly became apparent to him that stars such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were intent on playing defense, and how that commitment carried over to the rest of the team."

Said Aldridge: "After that, I knew that if those guys can put defense first - I mean, they are best in league - then in order for us to win, we have to be a better defensive team."

"Two areas in particular have been spotlighted: Help defense and containment, or preventing the ball handler from driving. To encourage help defense, the Blazers have been working on 'overloading' defenders to the side of the court where the ball is held.

If more players are on that side, then more players will be closer to the ball should the dribbler beat his man. In theory, this should limit the unimpeded layins that plagued the Blazers last season.

Overloading on defense was a strength of Boston last season during the Celtics' title run. Aldridge remembered in games against the Celtics that if a Blazers player got by his man, he was soon encountered by Paul Pierce, then Kevin Garnett, then Kendrick Perkins."

The Celtics team defense last season made a big impression on Aldridge:

"With Boston, it was like the whole team was guarding you," Aldridge said. "Whereas last year, I felt like we hung guys out to dry. A guy would drive against us, and I would be in the corner, Brandon would be at the top ... so we are trying to emphasize more team-defense this season."

"In conjunction with the overloading defense, the Blazers are working on "cheating", or anticipating that their teammate will need help defense. In theory, that will cut off many drives.

"Last year we were kind of scared to give up the jump shot, and they would go to the basket," Aldridge said. "Like LeBron when he went to the basket and won the game. If everyone would have cheated over, he would have had to pass it."

Also, the guards and wings have worked on pressuring the ball handler, but not getting beat, using the mantra "know your limits" when applying the pressure.

"It's pressure with containment," Roy said. "So you pressure the ball while being leery of a drive, thinking of a guy like Kobe or Wade. It's a mindset of 'pressure, pressure ... but don't get beat.' "

Says Aldridge: "We feel like if we put defense first, we can do anything.'