RUSSELL ADVICE TO GARNETT (Part 2)

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO TO HELP YOUR TEAM SUCCEED?

The following comes from the book “The Gold Standard” written by Coach Mike Krzyzewski in which he shares his thoughts and stories about the 2008 Gold-Medal Olympic Basketball Team.

“Having players have a defensive DNA and desire goes without saying. I am ready to learn and excited to be coached by one of the best and looking forward to the thrill of a new challenge and the job of a new kill.”

“Coach, can you do me a favor?” Kobe Bryant said. “And what’s that?” I responded. “I want you to let me guard the best player on every team we face. And I promise that I will destroy him” Kobe said.

Here was possibly the greatest offensive player in the game asking me for the opportunity to play defense at the highest level. It was also his way of telling me that he was willing to adapt to help make us the best team we could become.”

THE ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER

For the first 10 years of his career, Ron Harper played for Cleveland, Toronto and the Los Angeles Clippers.  He averaged nearly 20 points a game over those 10 years.  In that time he went to the playoffs four times and never won a series. Over the next seven years, he spend five with Chicago and the last two with the Los Angeles Lakers.  Five of those years, Harper played on teams that won the World Championship though only once did average over double figures.  He altered his role for the good of the team and was reward with championships.

"Perhaps the most moving speaker was Ron Harper, who talked about what it was like to be playing the limited, unglamorous role of defensive specialist on this team after years of being the main man on weak teams. It was so much sweeter, he said, being just a cog on a winning team than being the superstar on a weak one."

From "Playing for Keeps" by David Halberstam

KOBE: DEFENSE AND REBOUNDING

Kobe Bryant on the 2008 USA Olympic Basketball Team:

“No matter where you play - if you’re playing here, if you’re playing on Mars-if you can shut somebody down and rebound the basketball, you’re going to win no matter who you’re playing against. And I think that’s a standard we have to set.”