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While we were waiting on the Finals to start a couple of weeks ago, ESPN showed Game 6 of the 1987 NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Lakers. One of the things that stuck me was the number of players from that game who were now in the NBA as head basketball coaches, assistant coaches, or NBA executives.

I could be missing a couple, but here is the list to the best of my ability off the top of my head. Please let me know who I have missed.

Boston had Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Rick Carlisle, Sam Vincent, and Dennis Johnson who all continued their careers in basketball as head coaches, assistant coaches, or front office personnel. Los Angeles had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kurt Rambis, and Byron Scott.

I guess you could also throw in Tom Tolbert (LA) and Bill Walton (Boston) to the mix as they have become television analysts.

I guess that begs the question, Were those teams successful because they had players who thought the game and loved it, or did they become coaches and executives because they were a part of the success that both of those franchises enjoyed during their careers?

It is with mixed emotions that I talk to players when they ask about or want to discuss getting in to teaching and coaching. It reminds me of the time in my life when I was so excited about getting started in the profession and it has certainly led to a lot of joy and positive relationships in my life. On the other hand, I know how consuming it can become and how much time it takes to do the job right, so I worry about that aspect of their desire to coach.

However, I do know that all of the players who wanted to coach were easy to coach and did seem to think and understand the game at a higher level, even as high school players. One of the nicest things you can have in coaching is when a former player joins your staff. It makes you feel like you are doing something right. They also understand what you stand for, what your program is about, and they are as loyal as anyone could be.

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of free resources for basketball coaching.

It seems like sometimes when you are observing from afar and you say or write nice about someone, you end up being proven wrong shortly thereafter. I am going to take that chance today and write some kind words about some of the things that I have observed and that have been presented by the broadcasters of the finals. Certainly, there is no doubt that talent is the most significant factor in winning, but in my opinion, these two teams are examples that the intangibles make a differene too. Feel free to disagree and leave a post stating so, but this is the way it looks to me. I am sure that there are other people I am leaving out, but these are the ones that the media has mentioned this postseaso

I am focusing this post on the unselfishness and team play of the Celtics, but that is not to say that the Lakers don’t have that as well. I would like to mention one Laker in particular. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that Derek Fisher left in 03-04 and that the Lakers have struggled since. I realize that 03-04 was also Shaq’s last year in LA and that with Bynum playing well early this season and then adding Gasol in February have given them the best inside presence since then. But, it just looks like Fisher is a solid team first guy who also has skills. It is hard not to root for someone who came back to LA for his family, even though the team was in turmoil at the time. He doesn’t seam to mind playing fifth fiddle. To me, every team needs a guy like him.

I know that Sam Cassell has had some problems throughout his career, but it looks like he is fitting in very well with the Celtics. When called upon, he has scored as they have needed and when on the bench, it looks like he is providing leadership and support for those who are on the floor. I would guess that the Celtics knew what they were getting when they signed him late in the season.

Along those same lines, Ray Allen’s scoring average is down about 10 points per game from last year and it is the lowest PPG that he has had in almost a decade. It does not seem to be bothering him. It is nice to see that he is coming out of his slump from earlier in the playoffs. I think most of us like to root for guys that show unselfishness.

I really know very little about Eddie House, but you have to hand it to him for not playing in several of the early round playoff games after playing more minutes during most of the regular season. I thought that his hustle in game 7 against Cleveland was key. That is not to downplay Paul Pierce’s scoring, but I thought that House contributed all he could when it would have been very easy to mope and pout.

When I saw the halftime piece on Leon Powe, it is hard to not look at him in the same way. I did not follow the regular season and did not even know who he was until the playoffs. Even during the first rounds, he didn’t do much to distinguish himself. But after seeing him interviewed about growing up homeless and losing his mother four days prior to playing in the high school state championship, you just want to see him succeed. At least I do.

Certainly there are more talented players than these guys, but I respect their toughness. I hope that I haven’t jinxed them and they are all going to do something to show that my assessment is wrong. I just think that it is nice to look at some good things because there are times when players who feel entitled forget that this is a team game and cross that line of fierce vs. furious.

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of free resources for basketball coaching.

This is the final post in the week long series from The Coaching Toolbox on The Basketball Practice Mindset.

10. Basketball Coaches must not accept excuses from themselves, their staff, or team members. By making excuses for player or team failures, one relinquishes control of their influence over the outcome.

11. Coaches should take pride in the design of their practices and players need to develop pride in the way they practice. Pride is an attitude that separates excellence from mediocrity. Mediocre practices produce mediocre results.

12. Plan your practice as if your career depends on it, because it does.

The remaining practice principles that we have identified as critical to success are: efficiency in executing practice, establishing habits, making practices competitive, team building, incorporating game planning, and covering everything with thoroughness. However, without the proper mindset, none of those principles alone will bring out the best in your team.

More information on the complete basketball practice e-book, “130 Great Ideas to Get a Lot More Accomplished in Practice,” is available at The Coaching Toolbox.

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of free resources for basketball coaching.

Finally, the NBA Finals will start tonight. Probably will hurt our traffic, but I guess I can’t complain, I will be watching too instead of working on The Coaching Toolbox. 🙂

Here are three more of our twelve thoughts on the mindset it takes to have basketball practices at the championship level.

7. The practice court is a classroom. Practice is one of several classes that students attend each day. Like all classes, the students should expect to be taught something each day. Basketball Coaches should have clear objectives for the day and a well planned lesson designed to help the players achieve those objectives.

8. Coaches should enter practice with the mindset that if players are making mistakes, the reason they are making mistakes is that the coach has not taught them properly. Coaches need to make adjustments in how they are communicating their ideas. Yelling the same instruction louder does not facilitate the teaching process. Coaches must believe that everything that happens on the court happens as a result of their actions. A good coach is like a good teacher. If the student is not learning, the teacher must change the teaching methods.

9. Coaches must believe that they can win with their team, regardless of the team’s shortcomings or perceived shortcomings. It does not matter whether the team is too short, too slow, too inexperienced or lacking in basic skills. Coaches must believe that they can overcome all obstacles placed in front of them. There are ways to play when your team is too slow and too short. Young players can be taught and skills can be practiced. If you do not believe that you can win, you will not.

Tomorrow’s post will finish off the first principle of our 130 Great Ideas to Get a Lot More Accomplished in Practice.

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of free resources for basketball coaching.

The Coaching Toolbox 12 ideas to develop the mindset of a champion to take into basketball practice is moving along. After today’s post, we will have half of the list on the Toolblog.

4. Basketball Players will do in the games by habit what they learn, rehearse, and are held accountable for in practice. If a coach allows cutting corners in practice, that is what s/he will get in games. Don Meyer says that coaches can be demanding without being demeaning. We believe that type of interaction with players is imperative to success. For example, we believe that placing the ball under your chin after a rebound is an important fundamental. Therefore, in practice situations we blow the whistle and call a turnover if a player falls to chin a rebound. By consistently demanding that basketball fundamentals be executed, you will begin to see it occur more frequently. We want to create the mindset that doing things properly leads to increased success.

5. The players’ goal for each basketball practice should be to improve themselves for the good of the team. A coach’s goal should be to instill that goal in the players and plan practice to make it happen. Spend time making sure that your players see that as their goal.

6. Everyone involved in your basketball practice must know the expectations that you have as a coach for the level of performance and effort. Frustration and conflict which lead to team turmoil are always present when players individually and the team collectively are being coached to a higher standard than they are currently able to reach. The tension can be reduced greatly when everyone knows what the expectations are and why those expectations are so high.

We hope that these ideas are contributing to your basketball coaching thoughts and ideas. To read or downolad all 12, just click either one that you would rather do. For an overview of our book that contains 130 Great Ideas to Get a Lot More Accomplished in Practice, just click the link.

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of free resources for basketball coaching.

This post is a continuation from yesterday’s Coaching Toolbox blog dealing with our basketball practice mindset. In our view, structuring what happens in practice is a huge part of basketball coaching.

2. Hard work is merely the price of admission into the competitive arena; it is no guarantee of success. If it is not present, then you can’t even think about competing. But, consistently doing the right things, in the right way, and in the right frame of mind—all while working very hard—over an extended period of time, can lead to success. Hard work is not a victory in and of itself; it must be accompanied by technique and toughness. It is possible to be a hard worker with poor technique and no toughness.

3. Players must see and believe that the coaching staff is eager and excited for practice every day. A coach’s enthusiasm for practice should be obvious to the players and assistant coaches. The coach’s enthusiasm should be contagious. For practice to be great everyone needs to be enthusiastically involved. As classroom teachers, it always amazes us when we see and hear athletes cheering in response to an announcement that their practice has been cancelled. That is not the type of response that demonstrates an understanding of the importance of high quality practices.

We have nine more ideas that we have defined as the Winning Way Mindset for basketball practice and will be posting them on this blog. You can see all twelve on our list by clicking here. You can see information about our entire list of 130 Great Ideas to Get a Lot More Accomplished in Practice here, along with hundreds of other resources and ideas for coaching basketball.

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of free resources for basketball coaching.