JORDAN: HE HATED TO LOSE (PART II)

He was the first player at every practice and the last to leave, the hardest-working NBA practice player any of them had ever seen. The only problem was the degree to which he dominated everyone else. Early on, Rod Thorn called over to the Bulls’ practice facility, Angel Guardian, to talk to Loughery, only to find that everyone had already gone home. Why was practice over so early?, he asked the next day. “I had to let them off early,” Loughery said, “Michael was wearing them all out.”

In those days in practice, they played five-on-fives until one team reached ten baskets, and the losing team had to run laps, ten of them to be exact. Jordan did not like to run laps, so he was very tough in those games. Once, with his team up 8-0, Loughery switched him to the weaker team, Michael was furious about it. Jordan played in a fury, of course, which was what Loughery wanted, and his new team came back to win, 10-8.

From "Playing for Keeps" by David Halberstam

INFLUENCES AND ASSOCIATIONS

In terms of growing as a player and more importantly as a student and a person, those that you associate with can have an amazing impact on you. That impact can be positive or negative. Those who are who want to be great associate with those same types. They want to learn from the best. If you want to be a better player, associate with players that work hard. If you want to be a good student, create a circle of influence of people with good study habits. Don't jeopardize your playing career by hanging around a crowd that makes bad decisions. Here is a great article by Jim Rohn on influences and associations:

1. There are two parts to influence: First, influence is powerful; and second, influence is subtle. You wouldn’t let someone push you off course, but you might let someone nudge you off course and not even realize it.

2. We need a variety of input and influence and voices. You cannot get all the answers to life and business from one person or from one source.

3. Attitude is greatly shaped by influence and association.

4. Don’t spend most of your time on the voices that don’t count. Tune out the shallow voices so that you will have more time to tune in the valuable ones.

5. “No” puts distance between you and the wrong influence.

6. You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming?

Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay?

7. Don’t join an easy crowd; you won’t grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high.

8. Some people you can afford to spend a few minutes with, but not a few hours.

9. Get around people who have something of value to share with you. Their impact will continue to have a significant effect on your life long after they have departed.

THE HABITS OF CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP

As good a short piece on leadership for those players looking to make an impact on their team beyond passing, shooting and defending. It's from Brian Tracy and sums up leadership in it's most simplistic form. I especially like the Action Exercise at the bottom and it is one that we've used with our team in the past. Here is Brian Tracy's Habits of Character and Leadership:

The ultimate aim of human life and activity is development of character, according to Aristotle. The most important goal you could hope to accomplish in the course of your life is to become an excellent person, in every respect. Your purpose should be to develop the kind of personality and character that earns you the respect, esteem, and affection of the important people in your world.

Develop Your Own Character
Aristotle, probably the greatest philosopher and thinker of all time, said a simple method can help, if you wish to learn a virtue later in life. Simply practice the virtue in every situation where that virtue is required. In other words, if you wish to develop the quality of courage, act courageously even when you feel afraid.

Aspire to Leadership
It is not easy to rise to a position of leadership in any organization or in any society. The competition for leadership is fierce. Only the people who are the very best equipped to acquire leadership positions and then to hold on to those positions rise to the top in any area.

Whatever It Takes
In a way, leadership is "situational." What is necessary for success in a leadership position is determined by many factors, including the people to be led; the objectives to be accomplished; the competition for resources; the social, cultural, political, and economic environment; and the situation that the leader finds at the moment. Changing any of these factors will change the qualities of leadership necessary for success.

The True Test of a Leader
Peter Drucker says the only event that is inevitable in the like of the leader is the "unexpected crisis." Only when you encounter a setback, an obstacle, a difficulty, or the inevitable crisis, do you demonstrate the kind of person you really are. It is not what you say, wish, hope, or intend that reveals your character. It is only your actions, especially your actions in the face of adversity and possible setbacks or losses.

You Are Responsible
Once you have developed a clear vision for your ideal future and resolve to develop unshakable courage by doing the things you fear, you must develop the habit of accepting complete responsibility for yourself and for every aspect of your life.

Tell the Truth
Perhaps the most important quality of leadership is the habit of integrity. You develop integrity and become a completely honest person by practicing telling the truth to yourself and others in every situation. Shakespeare wrote, "To thine own self be true," meaning that you are what you believe in. You must continually clarify what you stand for and what you will not stand for. Once you have decided that you are going to build your life around certain values, you refuse to compromise those values for anything.

Action Exercise
Imagine that you could write your own eulogy. How would you like to be remembered and described by others when you are gone?

Brian's web page: http://www.briantracy.com/

WHAT ARE YOU ADDING TO YOUR GAME?

Knowing that his physical skills were limited, knowing he could never let his body slip even a little, every summer Bird went back home to Indiana and worked out diligently, trying, not only to stay in the best of shape with a strict regimen, but to improve his game by adding shots. One year it was an up-and-under shot summing off a fake. Another year it was a shot designed to add a degree of separation for a player who was not getting any younger; a faked drive forward followed by a quick backward step as he released the ball. One year it was improvement in his left hand; he had come into the league with a good left-handed shot, but as his career progressed, he sensed the need for that additional option and refined it. On the first days of Celtics’ preseason camps, the other players liked to see what Bird had added to his game over the summer. Bird expected his teammates to care as much as he did and to show the same loyalty he showed.

From, "Playing for Keeps" by David Halberstam

BEING A GOOD TEAMMATE

1. Puts others ahead of her own agenda.
It means intentionally being aware of your teammates’ needs, available to help them, and able to accept their desires as important.

2. Possesses the confidence to serve.
The real heart of being a good teammate is security. Show me someone who things she is too important to serve, and I’ll show you someone who is basically insecure.

3. Initiates service to others.
Just about anyone will serve if compelled to do so. And some will serve in a crisis. But you can really see the heart of someone who initiates service to others.

4. Is not position-conscious.
Good teammates don’t focus on rank, position or playing time.

5. Serves out of love.
The desire to be a good teammate is not motivated by manipulation or self-promotion. It is fueled by love. In the end, the extent of your influence depends on the depth of concern for others.

Paraphrased from The 21 Indispensable Qualities Of A Leader
By John C. Maxwell

JORDAN: HE HATED TO LOSE (PART 1)

What was interesting about the intensity of Jordan’s practice habits, thought Stave Hale, was that they were rare for a player so naturally gifted. Hale was aware of his own physical and athletic limitations, and he understood from the start that he would only be able to play at Carolina if he pushed himself to the highest level and became something of a kamikaze, constantly diving for loose balls and leaving some of his skin behind in every game. Yet Jordan, who so obviously had the highest level of physical gifts, was there every day, practicing as if he too were somewhat limited athletically. That was a powerful combination.

The other thing his teammates came to realize was that he was driven by an almost unparalleled desire—or need—to win.

He simply hated to lose, on the court in big games, on the court in little games, in practice, in Monopoly games with his friends. In card games and pool games, his passion to win was obvious—in fact, he often seemed to change the rules to ensure his victory.

He simply hated to lose at anything, and this would be a trademark for the rest of his life. Every competition had a quality of life-or-death struggle. If he lost in a card game, he would want to keep playing until he won.

From "Playing for Keeps" by David Halberstam

BUYING INTO THE TEAM CONCEPT

Pro Football Hall of Famer Jack Ham:

“The number one thing that I like about football. You need to have the whole team buying into that team concept. The part I like the most about it is when the whole team kind of loses itself for one common goal to win a championship. There is not a better feeling for me, especially after a Super Bowl, that you are the best in the world at least for that year and how collectively the team was able to accomplish that.”

THE GREAT ONES ALWAYS WORK ON THEIR GAME

At Michigan State, Magic Johnson

shot 62% from the free throw line.

His rookie year with the Lakers, Magic shot 66%.

For his entire career in the NBA? Magic shot 87%!

The great ones always work on their game

...are you?

THE DEPTH OF PREPARATION

“The reason Lance was so great at cycling is the complexity of the sport and the depth of the preparation requires. Sure he has the boxer’s mentality, which is important. But that alone will just get you over trained or defeated in competition by a superior strategist. You have to be willing a motivated to do the right work, confident so you don’t do too much or too little, and strategically prepared for a peak performance. You must never lack motivation, and you must have a strong desire to just eat people up—physically and mentally,”

-Bart Knaggs

From "How Lance Does It" by Brad Kearns

ATTITUDE: TODAY & TOMORROW

Your attitude today determines your success tomorrow.

Attitude is the foundation and support of everything we do a key element in the process of controlling your destiny and achieving mastery in your personal and professional life.

The most valuable asset you can possess is a positive attitude toward your life. It isn’t how much you know about maintaining a positive attitude that’s important; it’s how well, and how consistently, you put that knowledge to use.

From "Attitude is Everything" by Keith Harrell

PASSIONATE ABOUT PREPARATION

“I’m passionate about the preparation. Each week, it’s starting over with a new opponent. Getting in there on a Sunday and watching film. The whole process of getting to know each team, who their best players are and what they do well. It’s always a different challenge. I also love the feelings of running through that tunnel before games. You’re nervous, you’re excited.”

-Eli Manning

AUTOGRAPH YOUR CAREER WITH EXCELLENCE

The following passage comes from Denis Waitley:

In 1644, a child was born. He lived to be 93 at a time in history when the average life span was but 35 to 40. He taught himself his trade and began his career. He often worked alone with primitive tools, but his focus every day was to put the best he had into his work. The man made violins. He labored over each and every process and step to ensure that he had “autographed” them with excellence and the best that was in him. He created his own personal standard of excellence for his craft, and he actually signed his name on each instrument that passed the test.

Today, some three hundred years later, the name of this craftsman who was committed to excellence is the benchmark for the best in musical instruments.

His name? Antonio Stradivari! His Stradivarius violins sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars because they are the best.

When Stradivari labored, he did not know of the legacy he was creating. He was doing his best, day in and day out, to reach his standard of excellence. He didn’t spend the extra time and care to get the accolades of upper management or to be the top producer in the company. He did it because excellence was part of his focus, mission, and obsession.

It is easy to do world-class work when a boss is looking or a supervisor is around. But the test is in what you do when no one is looking. High achievers have developed the ability to stay focused when no one else is around. Does your quality or performance fluctuate based on who is in the office or which customer you are serving? Excellence is not something that you can just turn on and off whenever you feel you need it. It is a habit rooted in your attitude about your life and career.

Are you just going through the motions day to day, or are you creating a masterpiece?

Autographs are valuable because they are rare and are tied to excellent performance. In today’s world, superior effort and service are becoming endangered species. Is the autograph you place on your work and service each day a Stradivarius or a Michael Jordan? Or is it unknown, with little value? Autograph your career and your life with excellence.

Having a firm commitment to excellence, like Stradivari, has an amazing effect on your achievement motivation. When people who are simply going through the motions or who are just working for a paycheck hit a challenge or obstacle, they often run to their boss and get him or her to do it, or they procrastinate by getting a cup of coffee or shuffling the papers on their desk. On the other hand, when individuals who are committed to excellence hit a similar challenge, they immediately bounce back with energy, and they are actually exhilarated by the chance to stretch themselves to overcome the problem. A commitment to excellence will create focus, and focus will assist you in maintaining your positive motivation and in creating a balanced life.
So, start today and autograph your work with excellence!

FINDING THE LOVE OF THE GAME FROM KIDS

“Everyday when I drive home to my house, there is a basketball court there, and sometimes I’ll just pull over and see how the kids are playing the game. It brings back memories of me out there. Having a dream of one day I’ll be able to play in the NBA and going up against the world champions or something like that. For me to pull up and see those kids still having that dream and still doing the things that I did when I was young … that brings back the memories of my childhood. I see a couple jerseys (with my name and number). That’s the ultimate prize, I can recall growing up in the Michael Jordan jersey. To see little kids wearing my jersey. I don’t let them see me, I creep up and just look at their reactions. Kids really care about the game. You can tell; they are out there yelling. ‘This is Michael Jordan doing this and doing that.’ I can recall I used to do that also. In the backyard I was Scottie Pippen 24/7. I was doing it all. Just to creep up and not be noticed and to see the kids and the love and passion they have for the game of basketball, it reminds me of who I am right now. I’m 24, but in the heart I’m still a kid and still love the game. I still love going up against guys like Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, who I admire.”

-Antawn Jamison

RUDOLPH'S FAVORITE GOLD MEDAL

United States track start Wilma Rudolph, winner of three gold medals in the 1960 Rome Olympics, was asked which medal was her favorite. “My favorite gold medal?” she responded. “That’s an easy question. It was the relay, because I won that with my Tennessee State Tigerbelle teammates, and we could celebrate together.”

From "Teamwork Makes the Dream Work" by John Maxwell

GYM TIME -- ALL THE TIME

"I normally get to school between 7 and 7:30. Michael (Jordan) would be at school before I would. Every time I'd come in and open these doors, I'd hear the basketball. Fall, wintertime, summertime. Most mornings I had to run Michael out of the gym."

-Rudy Sutton

PE Teacher at Laney High School (Wilmington, NC)