5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT KOBE

Via Alan Stein's blog comes a great post on thoughts regarding Kobe Bryant from his teammate Luke Walton:

1. Kobe’s work ethic is unparalleled. He comes in early and he stays late. He always does more than is asked. He gives 100% in every drill, in every workout, in every practice, and (obviously) in every game. He is never satisfied and is always striving to get better.

2. Kobe’s competitiveness rivals his work ethic. He wants to win at everything. He can’t turn it off. He competes just as hard in workouts and practice as he does in the NBA Finals.

3. Kobe has no fear. He doesn’t fear failure and he doesn’t care what the public or the media think about him. He doesn’t look over his shoulder and he doesn’t try to please everyone.

4. Kobe is a student of the game. He constantly studies film… of himself, of his opponents, and of previous generation’s players. He has a true respect for the game and for those that came before him.

5. Kobe truly believes he is the best player in the game. He has a confidence, swagger, and arrogance about him. He believes he is the best because he knows he has outworked everyone and that he has earned the right to be the best.

Read the entire post at: http://bit.ly/mrIfD4

NO EXCUSES CAN HOLD BACK THE COMMITTED

EXPERIENCE + CONFIDENCE = SUCCESS

"Experience tells you waht to do;

confidence allows you to do it."

-Stan Smith

JERRY RICE -- THE HILL

Quite simply, how badly do you want it!

HOW THE GOOD BECOME GREAT

Watch how Dirk Nowitzki trains during summer.

A NEW WEAPON EACH YEAR

“The great ones come back every year with a new weapon or a new counter to one of the things that’s an important weapon to their game because teams are constantly adjusting to them.”

 – Rick Carlisle on Dirk Nowitski

THE KEY TO IMPROVING AS A PLAYER

From one of the best teachers in the history of our game comes a simple yet profound statement for athletes of all sports at any level:

"You must be smart enough to be able to practice on your own."

-Coach Don Meyer

RESPECT

re-spect (ri-spekt’)
Hold sacred. To regard as important. Pay attention to. A just regard for and appreciation of worth. Honor and esteem. Hold serious compliance for an observance. Rendering of honor.

Respect the game...
Respect your teammates...
Respect your program...
Respect yourself!

WHEN THE GAME NEVER ENDS

"If you play to win, as I do,

the game never ends."

-Stan Mikita-

MAVS ALL ABOUT "TEAM"

Wonder why Dallas has been peaking at the right time?  Look at these quotes from two of their all-stars:

"This is a bunch of veterans who want to play and are unselfish. I think that’s what makes this group special, I mean, everybody sacrificing for each other and we just want to win. It’s been fun to play with these guys all season long, so hopefully we can have a great series.”
-Dirk Nowitzki

“There’s a point in everybody’s career where you’ve got to make certain sacrifices if you really want to get to that ultimate goal.  Sometimes you’ve got to do certain things you probably don’t want to do, or make changes you’ve never done in your whole career just to make something work. At the end, when you can get that prize, that’s all that matters."
-Shawn Marion

LESSONS LEARNED FROM MJ

I have had the opportunity to work with Michael Jordan of the Bulls and the first time I sat down to talk with him he said a few things that were fascinating to me. First, he said that when people talk about him some say that he is quick or that he is a great jumper, but he said that his pride lies in his heart and guts. He is most proud of his ability to go all out, every game, on every play, at both ends of the court. Being first team all defensive team shows him that he plays the defensive end as hard as the offensive end.


The second thing he said that impressed me was that he goes out onto the court EVERY NIGHT EXCITED. How can he be excited to play or practice every night? He said that it doesn’t matter how he gets excited, he just does. He finds a way to get fired up every night. Some nights it is the guy he is playing. Other nights it is the place he is playing. He finds a way to be excited, to play hard every minute. Most guys don’t go all out every minute, that is why he thinks he is one of the best ever.

The third thing he said that spoke to me was that for awhile he just took care of himself. He did well, but his teams didn’t achieve. Then he made the decision that take care of just himself wasn’t enough, so he started to take care of himself and two or three others. He started to boost others up daily as well as #23. That in his opinion is when he started winning championships.

Notes from author Bob Rotella’s talk to the Umass basketball team 10-19-95

NO MATTER WHAT -- KEEP SWINGING

"My motto was to always keep swinging.  Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging."

-HANK AARON

DENA EVANS ON MENTAL TOUGHNESS

For basketball players reading this blog -- no matter what age, male or female, regardless of your level of play -- if you are looking for a special experience that will take your basketball IQ to another level than you should look into a session at Point Guard College.

You can find more info at: www.PGCBasketball.com

Until then, learn from this video of PGC CEO Dena Evans talking about Mental Toughness:

DON MATTINGLY ON TEAMWORK

Team sports are really difficult things.  Sometimes your team wins because of you, sometimes in spite of you and sometimes it's like you're not even there.  That's the reality of the team game.  Than at one point in my career...something wonderful happened.  I don't know why or how...but I came to understand what "team" meant.  It meant that although I didn't get a hit or make a great defensive play.  I could impact my team by caring first and foremost about the team's success and not my own.  I don't mean by rooting for us like a typical fan.  Fans are fickle.  I mean CARE, really care about the team...about "us."  I became less selfish, less lazy, less sensitive to negative comments.  When I gave up me, I became more.  I became a captain, a leader, a better person and I came to understand that life is a team game...And you know what?...I've found most people aren't team players.  They don't realize that life is the only game in town.  Someone should tell them.  It has made all the difference in the world to me.

-Don Mattingly
From John Maxwell's "Teamwork Makes The Dream Work"

DERRICK ROSE: "I JUST HATE LOSING"

The following comes from an old article on ESPN.com by Andy Katz:

Derrick Rose has cried after losing an AAU game. Not just once, but multiple times.

An AAU game? Are you serious? There's usually another game in a few hours, and no one pays much attention to an AAU team's win-loss record.

But once John Calipari saw Rose tear up after an AAU loss, the Memphis coach knew right then that Rose was a player he wanted.

"What turned it for me was when I saw him cry after an AAU loss and the other dudes were racing to get to McDonald's," Calipari said. "This kid was crushed by losing."

Rose wasn't being immature. He cared. Maybe too much, but Calipari would take that passion in a second.

"I just hate losing, and I know on the next level I'll have to get used to it [and] hopefully I won't tear up more at the next level," Rose said after his workout for his hometown Chicago Bulls Thursday morning. "I'm really competitive. If people say I can't shoot, then in a drill I'll try to outshoot them. I just hate losing. No matter what it is, I'll do it to win. Winning is the goal for me."