A SCOUT'S PERSPECTIVE - OBSERVATIONS & RUMINATIONS

Notes on Practice - Practice Makes Permanent, Not Perfect - Strive for Perfection, but Don't be a Prisoner to Perfection

2013-04-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Coach Vern Gambetta's "Functional Path Training" blog is full of wisdom and great insight about issues pertaining to sports. Gambetta wrote a blog entitled, "Mental Toughness, Boot Camps, Navy Seal Training, and Other Nonsense." Gambetta's opening passage captures the essence of what it takes to maximize performance on game day:

In my experience as a coach and athlete, the athletes who produce in the competition are the ones who are there everyday physically and mentally in training, doing what they are supposed to do with concentration, intensity and effort. They are focused and make each drill and each rep count.

Vern's philosophy on training and practice jibes with mine. Contrary to Allen Iverson's famous diatribe on practice, most elite athletes understand that purposeful practice has a direct impact on their performance and productivity during competition. Many of us have heard that "practice makes perfect," but this saying is a misnomer. "Practice makes permanent" is a more accurate assessment, and I like to emphasize to athletes that one's attitude and effort during training can result in it either being a "bad permanent," or a good permanent."

Some like to say that "perfect practice makes permanent," but I also think that's a misnomer and can result in athletes not taking the risks necessary in practice to expand and improve their skill set. Many athletes become scared to fail in their pursuit of what they view as perfection. Athletes should strive for perfection, but shouldn't be a prisoner to perfection.

Making ever rep and drill count is a great standard for coaches to emphasize and for players to prioritize as they perform their daily tasks. One of my past blogs, "The Quietness of Success," features the video "Small Tasks." Owen Cook's words in the video and the video edits of athletes training are a shining example of what it takes to produce a "good permanent."

"Practice makes permanent is my mantra and for it to be a "good permanent" one must be focused, intense and give their best effort with the goal of making every drill, action, and rep count.

Complementary Posts:

The Myth of Practice Makes Perfect by Annie Murphy Paul

No. 1 Reason Practice Makes Perfect by Christopher Bergland

Practice Makes Perfect—And Not Just for Jocks and Musicians by Doug Lemov

Practice Does Not Make Perfect; Practice Makes Permanent by Paul Morin

Coaching to Develop Talent Using The Talent Code by Tony Reiss

2013 New Year's Message - Inspiration from Martin Luther King

2013-01-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

Greetings on this New Year's Day,

New Year's day is here and I'm neither happy nor sad; I'm in a contemplative mood. A couple of days ago I wrote a blog honoring the life of a man who dedicated his life trying to impact the youth of his community. Victor McClinton's gift to those who knew him was Servant-Leadership. Victor tragically left this earth on Christmas Day and a vigil was held for him on the steps of the Pasadena City Hall on December 27th. At the vigil, one of Victor's long time friends, Candace Lacy, sang a moving song that captured the essence of his life. "If I Can Help Somebody" is a traditional gospel hymn that was a Martin Luther King, Jr. favorite. I wish I could share Candace's version of the song, but since I can't, I found this wonderful version of the song by W. Clifford Petty:

Here are the lyrics:

If I can help somebody, as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody, with a word or song,
If I can show somebody, how they're traveling wrong,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

Chorus:
My living shall not be in vain,
Then my living shall not be in vain
If I can help somebody, as I pass along,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

If I can do my duty, as a good man ought,
If I can bring back beauty, to a world up wrought,
If I can spread love's message, as the Master taught,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

Chorus:
© 1945, Alma B. Androzzo

May God bless you, your family, our community and our world - Stop the Violence! We are a village!

Historical footnote - If you're a student of history, you might recognize the above lines from the last sermon that Dr. Martin Luther King gave near the end of his life. King quoted the lines of "If I can help somebody" at the end of his famous "Drum Major Instinct" sermon on 2/4/68 - http://bit.ly/10I8Kws - "Dr. King encouraged his congregation to seek greatness, but to do so through service and love." "King concluded the sermon by imagining his own funeral, downplaying his famous achievements and emphasizing his heart to do right."

And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness. And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.

......Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when we will be victimized with what is life's final common denominator—that something that we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning.

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. (Yes) And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. (Yes) I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. (Yes)
I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.
I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. (Amen)
I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. (Yes)
And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. (Yes)
I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. (Lord)
I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. (Yes)
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say.

If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,
Then my living will not be in vain.
If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,
If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,
If I can spread the message as the master taught,
Then my living will not be in vain.

Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, (Yes) not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world.

Victor McClinton's Gift - Servant-Leadership

2012-12-30T15:40:00.002-08:00

Victor McClinton was murdered in 2012 on Christmas day by stray bullets from a gang related car to car shooting as he escorted a friend to their car outside his home in Pasadena, CA. Life is full of ironies. Victor spent the majority of his adult life impacting the youth in his community as the founder and director of the Brotherhood Community Youth Sports League. His life was probably taken by a young adult that he would have loved to mentor when they were a kid, in order to help them become a positive contributor to society as an adult.

Victor was a Servant-Leader in the Pasadena/Altadena community. He was a L.A. County sheriff's department employee for eighteen years, but made his mark on his community as the director of the Brotherhood Community Youth Sports League (BHC). My son, Garrett, has participated in a variety of BHC sports and I've coached in their youth track and field, basketball, and flag football programs.

BHC was Victor's baby and he made sure that volunteer coaches and referees adhered to his youth sports model. He had a clear vision of the experience he wanted every child to have who signed up for a BHC sport - positive coaching, everyone plays, balanced teams, and good sportsmanship.

My purpose in writing this blog is to honor Victor's life by highlighting the Servant-Leadership philosophy of Robert K. Greenleaf and to showcase tributes that were written about Victor on social media.

Victor wrote this facebook message on Christmas day:

"Merry Christmas to all and may God have blessed you over the year. Please let's not forget those less fortunate than us and those who have lost loved ones. Say a prayer for all. May God bless you in the upcoming year."

Victor's Christmas day message to all of his facebook friends is emblematic of how he lived his life, as a Servant-Leader; caring about and serving others, especially the youth in his community. Victor was a Servant-Leader. Robert K. Greenleaf wrote a powerful essay in 1970 entitled, "The Servant as Leader." Since 1970, the essay has evolved into twenty-seven pages whose main thesis is that a great leader is first seen and experienced as a servant to others, and "this simple fact is central to their greatness." True leadership emerges from those whose primary motivation is a deep desire to serve others. Two essential dimensions contribute to one being viewed as a Servant-Leader - (1) The desire to serve others (individuals) (2) The desire to serve something beyond ourselves - a higher purpose (team, school, community.)

Coach Ray Lokar wrote an excellent blog on "The Servant-Coach." His summary of key tenants of Greenleaf's philosophy is excellent - "The servant-leader is servant first... that person is sharply different from one who is leader first... the difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?"

Lokar goes on to highlight ten characteristics of Servant-Leaders that were developed by Larry C. Spears, who was the President of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership:

1. Listening
2. Empathy
3. Healing
4. Awareness
5. Persuasion
6. Conceptualization
7. Foresight
8. Stewardship
9. Commitment to the Growth of People
10. Building Community

R.I.P. Victor - you'll be missed, but your legacy will endure. Much Love and I'm saying that prayer that you requested on Christmas day for you, your family, and our community - God Bless!

Tributes to Victor

David Sheng - Victor was one of Bryon's {Sheng} first coaches back at the foothill YMCA. Even as a very young man Victor had a vision of the "right way" youth sports should be played. A vision that sports could bring kids of different backgrounds and different abilities together with the focus on making each player feel special and teaching the wonderful feeling of being part of a team. Even in 2013, neighborhoods of east and west Altadena hardly ever got to meet, and make friendships.. but if you go watch a Brotherhood Crusade game, you'll see the nicest parents from both sides of town helping, volunteering, coaching, refereeing. And more importantly you'll see kids playing sports together and making great memories. Half of my heart is broken today... only to be balanced by the remembering all the great teams Bryon, Andrew, Mike, Darren, Terrell had a chance to be part of.
Thank you, Victor

R.J. Stattler - When I first meet Vic in the third grade he was a big scary guy with a big voice, and about 6 feet taller than me. But that changed after speaking to him and hearing the protective and caring undertone in his voice. And as I spent more time with him through the years of playing sports, volunteering, and working with him, I grew to know a great man and a great friend (who sometimes helped me with lady-friend advice ;-) ). By his death, the people who knew him will miss an individual with a rare HONEST friendliness, great since of humor (sometimes "inappropriate" when children were not around ...I loved it...he could make you laugh when you are having a bad day), a loving, caring, supportive father and husband who would do anything in his power for his children and wife. Albert Einstein said, “The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.” Vic was a man who gave. He gave SO much to the community, family, friends,work... We need to celebrate of his life. It DEMANDS notice!!! A life that exemplified a giving father, loving husband, and good man. A life that inspired emulation and confidence in others. He WILL be remembered! He is loved and will be missed a lot.

Byron Sheng - I am very saddened to learn that Coach Victor Mcclinton was fatally shot yesterday. Victor was 1 of my first YMCA coaches & 1 of the many people that influenced me growing up to be the person I am today. He founded the Brotherhood Crusade League in Pasadena that my dad coached in and that my family played in. Didn't matter that I played for him almost 30 years ago, he stayed in touch with me through my playing days, as a parent, and was there when I decided to get in to coaching. He was just as supportive of me as an adult and he was when I was 10. Victor was an amazing person, he touched so many people in his time on Earth. He gave back to his community and did everything he could to help all the kids in his program or that he coached become better people. He was one of my role models. RIP, Coach Victor. You will be greatly missed.

Ken Kikkawa - Words cannot describe the tragic loss of our friend. To me, Victor was a friend and mentor, leading by example with his tireless efforts and providing outlet for youth sports in our community. Through Victor and Brotherhood Crusade Youth Sports, my kids developed a spirit of sportsmanship, teamwork and camaraderie, while establishing friendships that will last for a lifetime. Along with my family, Victor impacted the lives of tens of thousands of people while he gave so much of himself for others. Victor was a leader of men, women and children and he will be dearly missed. There are no answers in times like this but I am finding comfort in thanking God for sharing Victor with all of us. Even if you did not know Victor personally, please keep his wife Shelly and their family in your prayers.

Courtney Wilder - My heart is in pain. My Friend and mentor has been taken away from us way too soon. I can't hold back the tears especially knowing the community he loved, supported and spent countless days and nights helping would take him away from us. In memory of Victor we have to win this battle with our youth - that's what he was all about. I would like to thank Victor for leading by example. My family and I are greatly appreciative for all you have allowed us to do through your program. If you know Victor it was more than winning on the field or court, he wanted our kids to win in life. You will be missed but never forgotten Big Brother.

Darius Brown, Sr. - A staple in the community was lost yesterday. A Husband, A Father, A Son, a Coach, a Community leader was lost. Victor was influential on myself, my sons, my brothers, my nephews, and most kids in the community and out. Victor was a strong, kind hearted man and will definitely be missed. RIP Victor McClinton....

Pancho Scott - Today we lost a another Husband, father, friend, mentor and just a really Great man and pillar of the community. He had an influence on me, my kids and thousands of other parents and kids. RIP VICTOR you are forever loved and never forgotten!

Mondy Herndon - We are so very sad to hear this terrible news on Christmas day. Rest in peace, dear Victor. You did so much for the community and for my son, Max. You are the reason he loves sports as much as he does and the reason he truly understands the meaning of sportsmanship. You were an amazing coach and mentor and we celebrate your life and all of the contributions you made to others in our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.

Zena Marie Yamamoto - My entire family is heartbroken. Victor, you were a bright light, impacting countless children and families with your great care and guidance. You exemplified sportsmanship, and lived your life with kindness, generosity, humility, and an unsurpassed work ethic. I hope that God will share with you how your strength, love, decency, and good will were a model of His love on earth. We will miss you dearly. Thank you for always encouraging my children and sharing your love for coaching with my husband. We are richer for having known you and will dearly miss you and that bigger than life grin. Our love and prayers are with Shelly, Christian, and Cameron.

We're all heartbroken too, Ken. Victor has been in our lives since he was with the YMCA back when our now 22-year-old son was a little guy in that league. This is a crushing loss, but we too are comforted by knowing that God is welcoming this dear, amazing man. Our love and prayers are with Shelly and their sons. Shelly had been a constant support of Victor and all he did for our community's children.

Dylan Yamamoto - Rest in Peace Victor McClinton. You were a wonderful coach, mentor, friend, and human being. You gave so much to our community and will always be missed and can never be replaced. You deserved so much better. May God bring comfort to your family. God bless you.

Gamal Smalley - So passionate about giving was our brother Victor, that an entire community of tears rain down on this day, as we offer prayers to his family. Words cannot express the grief in the loss but I know heaven will gain one heck of an organizing angel. May God give comfort to his family at this very difficult time. Psalms 30:5 - Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

Brotherhood Crusade - The Brotherhood Crusade is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Victor McClinton, who was killed on Christmas Day. A devoted husband and a father of two sons, Victor also mentored many thousands more children through his service to the Brotherhood Youth Sports League in Pasadena, where he transformed the lives of countless Los Angeles County youths. More than 1,100 boys and girls participate in the Sports League, which is a unique after school program that helps young people build key personal skills such as self-confidence, teamwork and conflict resolution, while becoming physically fit and developing healthy behaviors that will serve them a lifetime. For more than a dozen years, Victor, who was a full time employee of the LA County Sheriff's Department, generously carved out time from his busy schedule to help cultivate the next generation. We have lost a great servant to children, their families and the greater Los Angeles community. This is the second loss to the Brotherhood Crusade family in only two months. In late October, our own Vincent Maddox, who graduated from our Jr. Executive Leadership Program, was also senselessly murdered.

Darren Frank - This has truly saddened my heart. Not just the lost of a friend and great human being but the pain and sadness bestowed on his family on this of all days. I have no words to express my feelings right now. My heart truly goes out to his family.

Donald Sparks - Victor was more than a man and a friend. His work, his life, made others lives better and made a community stronger. This is not only a loss for his family and friends, but for a entire community. The city of Pasadena and community of Altadena has lost someone who can never be replaced. Victor, we owe you more than we can ever repay. May GOD hold and keep you.

Marc Howard - This day to some means nothing, to some a persons life means nothing....I just lost a good buddy of mine today....the world just lost a good caring family man today...RIP Victor McClinton. My prayers to your wife & boys.....I've coached my son & 2 step sons in his basketball league Brotherhood Crusade, & another step son ran track. Victor continued support of the kids who've left his program & are in high school. A man who contributed quite a bit to the Pasadena community. I along with a lot of people are truly heart broken. UNBELIEVABLE.

Rodney Lister - I just was informed that my high school classmate, Victor McClinton was killed this morning in an act of violence. I am so sad. This man use to watch out for me in school. Would drive to COMPTON and pick me up to take me to games. Would always talk to me about getting good grades and going to college. Hell, he was the reason I played soccer in school because he made it sound fun. Who kills someone on Christmas? I mean, doesn't the game take a break on Christmas? RIP Victor. You will be missed. Sadness.

Lance Cowart - I am going to truly miss you my friend. Thanks for always being there for me when I needed it. And thank you for making me always be there for you, when you needed me.

Pamela Davis - A good friend of mine was killed today in a random act of cowardice. RIP Victor McClinton. You made a big contribution to the lives of many kids over the years. You will be missed.

Adam Ross - Sometime Christmas isn't as joyful as you'd have liked it to be... Rest in Peace Victor McClinton, thank you for helping form the environment that has molded me into the man I am.

Tommy Loera - He was really good at modeling all of us to well rounded people. Always there when we needed him and would put others before himself. I learned so much from him.

Marshall Higa - R.I.P. Victor McClinton. He was a role model and community leader for countless kids growing up in the Pasadena area. He was the only coach I had growing up as a kid that kept in touch with me all the way into the present. Why anyone would murder such a great human being is incomprehensible.

To Victor's wife and children,

My heart mourns at the loss of your father. It was far too soon. Christmas day will never be the same. Today should have been a day of rejoicing. Instead, we are faced with a great tragedy. But rest assured that even in this time of hardship and mourning, God gave our community a wonderful and powerful gift in the life of your father. I have been so blessed to have met your dad and my heart is full of thanks for the legacy that he has left. He touched the lives of so many people over the years, so rejoice in his memory and the lessons he left us with. As I reflect on him and the impression that he left on my life, I am humbled by God's goodness and am empowered by memory of the person that your father was. My prayers go out to you in these hard times. God bless you.

Marshall dedicated a great blog to Victor: "Greatness is Measured by How we Treat the Least of These"

Karen Stattler - We just lost a dear friend today to unlawful guns, Victor McClinton, a dear friend, a mentor to my sons and many other sons and daughters. God, you have a wonderful man - your gain is our severe loss of a friend to all!

Wayne Allen - Much love and prayers go out to Coach Vicks family. He was a great person to know. He was Mr. Everything for us at the Foothill Y.M.C.A. My camp counselor/My flag football coach/ basketball coach and referee. With such a passion to see young people and people in general succeed. I thank God for people like Victor McClinton, Jaque Bolton and Danny Bakewell who have impacted my life in such a powerful and profound way. We love you Coach Vick and you will be truly missed.

Paul Hardy - Victor will be greatly missed. it was he who got me into coaching and mentoring. There are a lot of people who are better off having known Victor. God bless and keep the family. Gone too soon.

Charles Ford - Victor was truly a community leader and staple of Pasadena/Altadena sports. My son played almost every sport with Brotherhood Crusade. I coached with Brother Crusade. I told EVERYONE with children in the area to go see Victor if they want their child to participate in an great sports program and develop athletically, emotionally and develop friendships. The loss of Victor will leave a huge void in the sports community. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. He will definitely be missed.

John Pings - I am absolutely blown away by the passing of Victor McClinton of Brotherhood Sports Crusade, cause unknown at this time. Victor McClinton taught us how to coach for the kid on the very end of the bench, involve everyone, accept people's faults, play to the strengths. We greatly admire his service to others, sense of community, and joy for sports, shared so freely with any that would ask. We are deeply saddened and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and Cam and Christian. God Bless.

Brandon Brooks - Victor McClinton was my first coach and I will never forget him. He was a brother, uncle and a father figure in my life. He was one of the most sincere people I could ever meet and I thank God for bringing him in my life. I pray for his family and hope God brings justice to his family. -- Pamela Bakewell responds to Brooks' message - I am so grateful to Victor, for teaching you discipline. He was the best personal coach ever and proved his love by making sure you did the right thing and, mist important, made good choices. Love you Vic.

Jenny Flint-Curtis - RIP Victor. A great man who cared about the youth of the community. May your legacy live on.

Jonathan Alcorn - One of the best men I've ever known. Rest in peace.

Skip McNevin - Thank you RJ. Vic touched and improved the lives of so many kids and families. Hopefully everyone will remember Victor for how much he gave back to the community and do the same in his memory.

Tamara Beckham Dilbeck - This news is so heartbreaking. My son has played flag football under his guidance for the past 3 years. A great program and a great man. Prayers go out to his family at this difficult and sad time. God bless.

Vincent Moss - I worked with Victor at the Foothill Y which is now Corral on New York Dr. in Pasadena and he was nice, cool, and just a good man. He is the 10th man I know who has been killed by gunfire. Victor I will be praying for your family and all of us who were touched by your kindness.

Rick Dinger - This was the last post made by Victor McClinton prior to him being killed by a random act of violence. Victor ran the Brotherhood Crusade Sports program my son's participated in for many years. Victor was a great man and made the world a better place. He will be missed by many.

"Merry Christmas to all and may God have blessed you over the year. Please let's not forget those less fortunate than us and those who have lost loved ones. Say a prayer for all. May God bless you in the upcoming year."

Stephani Hardy - We are all in shock...what he did for all our kids in the Pasadena area....how he brought us all together...what an incredible loss

Tawnya Winemiller - you will be missed by many. Andrew & I will keep your family in our prayers. You were a wonderful man with a huge heart. You will never be forgotten.

Celebrating the life of a great friend. Victor McClinton will always be in our hearts. He was a great guy who will never be forgotten. Thank you for your friendship.

Ann Olson Ayers - I am so saddened at the loss of a truly great man. Victor was the most selfless and generous man and mentor. He was a strong influence in my sons life...I will never forget you.

David Clark - I was just awakened by some tragic and shocking news coming from my television. My God! 5 short years ago Jacques Bolton told me about a really good guy over at Brotherhood Crusade that I should go and see. My son had outgrown Jacques sports program and I was looking for a new program to put him in. Upon our first meeting Vic and I hit it off and we became friends. It was a little over a week ago that Vic left me a message on Facebook to come by and see him. I hadn't gotten around to calling him or seeing him and now this. This is a great reminder to me that no one is promised tomorrow so we should embrace our friends and loved ones as much as we can, and not put off what we can do today. Vic, I love you man and I will miss you! Gone waaaaayyy too soon! My heart is heavy tonight. Please lift up the McClinton family in prayer, and all those who knew and loved Victor McClinton!

Lakers Kush - You'll be missed coach Vic Since five years old I played for you and your leagues just a awesome person you'll be deeply missed!

Jason Fletcher - Victor, I didn't know you as well as the scores of individuals who lives you have touched, and help mold, but I know from just looking at the outpouring of support, love, condolences, and even anger that the decades of dedication to families, and youth, your mark has been made, and your influence is evident. You were an humanitarian, youth advocate, but neither would have been possible if you had not been a devoted and impeccable husband and father. You have sown many seeds that I hope and pray one day will blossom and have the grand impact you have had on a community. I thank you personally, for doing God's will!...Rest in Peace!...

Gretchen Zelek - An incredible man. He will be missed. I can't think of anyone else that has made a bigger impact in the lives of kids in Pasadena.

Christina Nicole - Rest In Heavenly Peace Victor.. Thank you for the opportunity you gave me and so many other kids of Pasadena and around through the sport of basketball and others.. praying for your family.. we will meet again one day in the presence of our Lord...

Kellen Chris - Everything you did for the community & the kids of Pasadena/Altadena will never be forgotten... R.I.P Victor Mcclinton

Patricia Urzua - I just heard the horrific news of your passing. I never got the chance to thank you for all of your hard work! My son was given an opportunity through your program to play the sports he loved so much. You will be missed...

Anton Cunningham - Thank U Victor for being an inspiration, motivation, & role model to me and to so many others!!! Actions always speak louder than words...Your actions were always louder!!! Thanks Coach!!! RIP Victor!!! I LOVE U!!!

Tracy Richards - I was so sadden to hear of Victor's passing. My son "cut his teeth" on basketball, track and football through your program. It was a pleasure getting to know you and being a part of your organization. Even though my son is now a freshman at Muir I would love to be a part of making sure that your legacy... The Brotherhood Community Youth Sports league continue for many generations to come!

Skyye De Catur - Thanks for being my being my coach! Will never be forgotten. RIP COACH VIC

I just came back from Victor McClinton vigil. I cried the whole time. In remembrance I bought some shoes saying: RIP Coach Victor. I'm so sad and can't believe one of Pasadena's finest icons also a dad, husband, and my coach. I'm crying as I'm posting this, this second. RIP Coach Victor

Chris Penn - My heart hurts right now for Victor McClinton and his family. Two of my daughters, my nephew and my daughter's half sister attended Brotherhood Crusade basketball programs. I myself was a coach of several teams. I couldn't say enough about Victor, we've lost a great one.

Fernando of Zeeni Uniforms - I’ve know Victor for seven years. He was a good customer, great friend, great father and an all around amazing guy. I wish I could tell him how I feel. Whenever he came into to office he would sit with me and tell me all about his family and always ask about mine. He was a very down to earth guy, as a customer he was always very humble. I’m going to truly miss him. – Fernando

C.J. Wilder - I NEVER HAD THE TIME TO SAY THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR STARTING MY BASKETBALL CAREER. R.I.P VICTOR

Karen Page - You will always be in my heart Victor for what you have done and for the life you led and all the many children you took under your wing including mine. What an AWESOME individual, you are blessed just as you have blessed so many that came into your world. RIP my friend, you are loved.

Christine Manning - Victor, I have so much sadness in my heart, hearing of this tragedy. I didn't have the pleasure of meeting you, but from what I see and understand, you were such an awesome guy...wish i could say it while you were alive. You will forever be in my heart and prayers. You are now with our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus, resting in Paradise...AMEN!! And for those evildoers...they will suffer the wrath of God!! R.I.P. xoxo

Winnifer Carroll - He was an extraordinary man, A true servant. He will be missed. Let's all take his lead, until we see him again in heaven.

Kimberly Engstrom - You will always be remembered as treasured friend and coach. My family has been touched by you in a way that will never be forgotten. We love you Victor and will miss you dearly. We pray that your family finds peace in knowing how deeply our community cares about them. May you rest in peace.

Brian Reed - Victor is the kind of black man that our community can not afford to loss! He was touching so many lives in a world where so many times that is not the case! I met Victor in passing but I feel as though I know personally, I and my best friend sit here stunned hurt and saddened for our loss! The world has lost a great man! Young men and woman have lost a lifeline!

Thomas Parrish - This week, the brotherhood of Verbum Dei High lost a great man,Victor McClinton. He touched so many hearts with his love and direction. REST IN PEACE COACH. You inspire me to do more and be more. Be more do more My Brothers.

J.D. Henderson - I will pray for his family. Pasadena lost a leader, a wonderful and caring man that made the world a better place for his having been here. My kids loved him and knew he loved the kids of our community right back. How sad. He will be missed.

Jay Do - I met a gentleman today. As we began to talk I inquired where he was from. He replied, "Pasadena". I began to tell him about Victor Mcclinton passing and how we attended Verbum Dei together. The gentleman proceed to tell me that he knows Victor very well. I ask him how and he begins to tell me that he was in Vic's programs growing up as a youth in Pasadena. He praised Vic for his dedication to the youth. He went on to say not only will Victor's family & friends be missing a great man but the impact his passing will have on the City of Pasadena and the youth in the area for years to come. I was touched to meet someone that felt Vic's presence in the community. Small world that I ran into this gentleman. It gave me a great since of pride to have known Wink. God Bless my brother and rest in peace.

Jannie McKinney - Hey Johnny, I just realize that Victor was a friend of yours on facebook as well as a classmate! He was also a great friend of mine, a co-worker as well as my daughter first basketball coach 14 years ago. I am so sadden by the lost of our friend and Pasadena City mentor. I can say that anytime we weren't talking about Brotherhood Youth Sport League that he was talking about trying to help some that was less fortunate than us and how I can help him help them. Victor well truly be missed by my entire family. We all love Victor like he was family.

Juan Martinez - I am in complete disbelief about what has happened. I just shared with my two boys about this great loss, as we just found out about it. My boys, now 19 & 15 grew up playing Basketball with The Brotherhood Crusade, and to say the least, they too were shocked. I had great admiration for Victor, for what love and care he genuinely showed to all the kids of his organization. I remember sharing with him over at Blair HS, during my older sons basketball game, that I wanted to promote my son in preparation for College Football. Victor went out of his way to talk to me about it, after that basketball game. He told me that was his son was a successful HS football player and that he too had been looking to promote him. Victor was so cool and kind to even let me borrow a promotional DVD video he had made of his son, as a guide for me to promote my son. This is a great loss to the community and organization... Victor will truly be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to the McClinton Family and BHC Organization. God Bless.

Raul F. Salinas - Victor was an angel on earth. His work through the Brotherhood Crusade sports program will have an everlasting ripple effect for any parent and child who participated under his stewardship. What he accomplished is too great to quantify, what he taught about the character of sports too voluminous to chronicle, and the example of what it means to be a a real mentor too meaningful to ever forget. Oh, how great it would be to hear your thunderous voice echo again inside the gym to players and coaches at the start of each game: "line 'em up." We all miss you Victor. See you at the buzzer at Heaven's court. We all got a game to finish in your honor.

Rebecca Fleming - Both of my children started sports by starting with the Brotherhood Community Sports League. Victor McClinton was a kind man who epitomized community spirit and leadership. His death is a tragic reminder that life is very short and sweet and precious. Its still hard to believe that God called him home. My love, support and prayers go not only out to his family during this time ... but the community as a whole. We are in need of prayers and healing.

Amy May - This is so heartbreaking... He was such a great person, and so committed to this organization and the kids. This is so hard to digest. Our love, condolences and prayers go out to his family and to the great organization he created. This has such a big impact on our community. He will not be forgotten.

Scott Chamberlain - Our hearts are saddened by this tragic loss, especially for Shelley and the boys. Victor was such a good man, and he will be missed. Some of my first memories of my son Josh playing flag football and Basketball, were during Brotherhood leagues. Victor was tirelessly serving from early morning, until late at night! Thank you Victor for all you did for my family and many others. May God give a deep sense of comfort and support to the family and friends during this time. Scott and Beth

Milissa Thompson Marona - Our hearts are so saddened by this senseless loss! Victor was such a dedicated man to the youth of Pasadena! My son Tyler is a better man for having played Brotherhood Sports. We are praying for the family...

Richard J Forcione - Dear Victor, It was a pleasure working with you at the YMCA. I will miss you always brother. You'll always be in my heart....never forget you. You were truly a God send for all of us.

Tanya Coles - I grew up with Victor. He was wonderful then. We lost contact but it doesn't surprise me that he touched so many people by his kindness. God bless those he loved.

Musical Tribute

Candace Lacy sung a stirring rendition of "If I Can Help Somebody," a traditional gospel song that was a Mahalia Jackson classic, at the Vigil that was held for Victor McClinton on the steps of the Pasadena courthouse on 12/27/12. I wish I had a video of Candace's version, but since I don't, I've chosen to highlight W. Clifford Petty's version of the song. It's a musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that was given at the Dexter Ave. King Memorial Baptist Church on April 2, 2011 in Montgomery, AL.

If I can help somebody, as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody, with a word or song,
If I can show somebody, how they're traveling wrong,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

Chorus:
My living shall not be in vain,
Then my living shall not be in vain
If I can help somebody, as I pass along,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

If I can do my duty, as a good man ought,
If I can bring back beauty, to a world up wrought,
If I can spread love's message, as the Master taught,
Then my living shall not be in vain.

Chorus:
© 1945, Alma B. Androzzo

Historical Footnote - Dr. Martin Luther King quoted the lines of "If I can help somebody" at the end of his famous "Drum Major Instinct" sermon on 2/4/68, which was the last sermon, not speech (I've been to the Mountaintop,) that he ever gave - "Dr. King encouraged his congregation to seek greatness, but to do so through service and love." "King concluded the sermon by imagining his own funeral, downplaying his famous achievements and emphasizing his heart to do right."

And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness.
And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.

......Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when we will be victimized with what is life's final common denominator—that something that we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning.

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don’t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. (Yes) And every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn’t important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards—that’s not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. (Yes) I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. (Yes)
I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.
I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. (Amen)
I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. (Yes)
And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. (Yes)
I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. (Lord)
I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. (Yes)
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say.

If I can help somebody as I pass along,
If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,
If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,
Then my living will not be in vain.
If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,
If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,
If I can spread the message as the master taught,
Then my living will not be in vain.

Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, (Yes) not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world.

Suggest you start at 12:56 mark of video if you don't want to listen to entire sermon.

Links to Articles & Media Coverage

Hundreds honor Pasadena sports youth leader fatally shot on Christmas Day (Photos) | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/VfgX5x

"Remembering Victor McClinton:" http://bit.ly/THZXc9

Mentor Slain in Christmas Day Shooting Remembered: "He Was a Gift" | NBC Southern California http://bit.ly/Tn2F4y

Community Holds Vigil For Father, Youth Advocate Fatally Shot In Pasadena « CBS Los Angeles http://cbsloc.al/THVPbY

Pasadena comes together to remember Victor McClinton - Pasadena Star-News http://bit.ly/VGw4mF

Friends, neighbors reeling after Victor McClinton killed outside Pasadena home - http://lat.ms/ZE4E9r

Man Killed In Pasadena Christmas Shooting Was LA County Sheriff’s Employee « CBS Los Angeles http://cbsloc.al/WSmCUa

The Victor McClinton Family Fund

Many caring and concerned families have asked how they may help the McClinton family. A fund has been established to do just that--assist Shelly and her sons with the mounting hospital, medical, funeral, and other expenses associated with Victor's untimely death.

The fund is also designed to support one of Victor's dreams, which is to have both sons graduate from college.

Checks/Donations may be made out to:

The Victor McClinton Family Fund

c/o JP Morgan Chase

Attn: Cheryl McMurray, Branch Manager

1305 S Fair Oaks Avenue

South Pasadena, Ca. 91030

The Quietness of Success

2012-12-11T14:32:00.000-08:00

Success! - We all want it. All of us want to know the path to achieve it, and our definition of what constitutes success usually differs. My favorite definition of success is John Wooden's: "SUCCESS IS PEACE OF MIND, WHICH IS A DIRECT RESULT OF SELF SATISFACTION IN KNOWING YOU DID YOUR BEST TO BECOME THE BEST THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING."

A blog I wrote on my son in 2011, Internalizing John Wooden's Definition of Success, gives added depth to Wooden's quote.

A friend, Ed Bird Song, recently shared a quote on success that was written by LeRoy Pollock in 1928 to his then 16-year-old son, Jackson Pollock - "The secret of success is concentrating interest in life, interest in sports and good times, interest in your studies, interest in your fellow students, interest in the small things of nature, insects, birds, flowers, leaves, etc. In other words to be fully awake to everything about you & the more you learn the more you can appreciate & get a full measure of joy & happiness out of life."

I recently read a great blog post by Patrick McHugh, Are You a Passenger or Driver, that highlighted one of the best videos I've ever seen on success and what it takes to achieve it. "Small Tasks" is the video and I love everything about it; the video edits, the background music by Clint Mansell, "Together We Will Live Forever," and most importantly, the words of Owen Cook.

COOK ON SUCCESS

Cultivation: If you've got a talent and you've got a gift and you want to do respect to that gift by cultivating it, then you make a decision to cultivate it, and you make a decision to do what you need to do to push that out there, whatever that is, to bring it to the forefront. It's those small little tasks. It's the little things that add up. This isn't like some big rah rah speech. Success is like a quiet daily set of tasks, real small, real real small .........

Quietness of Success: How is success done? Success is like that quiet walk to the gym, like footsteps, some empty ass gym late at night. Success for me is like watching my videos and my speaking, and seeing where I can work on it, over and over, and over. Or, as I sit there studying other great people, and then comparing it with what I'm doing and looking at it, over, and over, and over. Doing 20 minutes of quiet meditation a day, over, and over, and over. Making the choice to eat foods that enhance my brain's neurotransmitters, over, and over, and over. It's a very quiet process, where you're just drawing your state from within yourself doing these simple little tasks; but finding love in those simple little tasks. It's not this big rah rah speech where you do this one thing and something big happens. And those little things, those little menial tasks that add up, you have to execute them.

The Process: And when your brain tells you that you've got a great reason today not to do it {small tasks}, and you want to listen to your brain, because your brain doesn't want you to be a big success. Your brain just wants to keep you alive. It's going to lie to you and trick you until you can get it on your team. You've just got to be consistent. You have to have that consistent thing. You have to cultivate a love for the process. You've got to love the process and you've got to make a decision to love the process.

Motivation: Motivation is an art, and to get the motivation to play at that level, with the big boys, you go deep. Are you getting that sense? You go deep! Now, when you hear all the stuff I'm saying, did I come up with that overnight? No! That's from decades of motivation, and I can talk longer. I can talk all day about where it comes from. I can talk about God. I can talk about my belief about the world. Where I think the world is going. I can talk about the fact that I have an internal locus of control ,and I believe that I can create the circumstances that I want and I don't believe that I have no effect. These are the things that have crossed my mind from years and years and years of having to do little menial tasks; from having to take huge risks, from having to grow and suffer, from having to be humiliated, because no one wants you to succeed. If you have a dream and it's worth it to you, because you're someone who is inspired by that dream, you can choose to go to that level and find your own motivation.

Anson Dorrance & Mia Hamm

Anson Dorrance knows something about success. His University of North Carolina women's soccer team just won the program's 21st NCAA championship title. Months ago, I read Tim Crother's book on Dorrance, "The Man Watching." It's a great read. I created a Chirpstory of key themes and quotes that were presented in the book. Here's one of my favorites:

"Push" - "The challenge isn't someone else. The challenge is within. It's the aching in your lungs, and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells, 'Can't.' But you don't listen, you just push harder. Then you hear a voice whisper 'can,' and you realize the person you thought you were is no match for the one your really are."

Click on the link, The Ways of Anson Dorrance - "The Man Watching" by Tim Crothers to get more insight into the wisdom and philosophies of this great coach.

Anson Dorrance gave one of the greatest Hall of Fame introductory speeches in 2007 when he presented Mia Hamm for induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Dorrance related how Mia Hamm inspired him to write his vision of a champion:

"The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion when no one else is watching."

To your success! Be the best that you can be!

"Jack's Heat" - A Story of Love & the Power of a Team

2012-09-24T05:24:00.000-07:00

Jack Burleson leading the pack in Jack's Heat

"They are trying to keep me safe. If I fall down, they got my back."

Jack Burleson's statement about his teammates maybe the most succinct definition I've ever heard on the relationship that should exist between teammates. "Jack's Heat," an ESPN E60 special, is one of the best documentaries that I've ever witnessed on the amazing power of team. Click on the link "Jack's Heat" and prepare to be moved by Jack and his teammates and coaches.

Jack Burleson is a 2012 graduate of Del Oro High School in Loomis, Ca. He has Oral-Facial-Digital Syndrome (OFD), which is a rare genetic disorder that causes deformities in the mouth, hands, and face. OFD also limits intellectual ability. Jack was born with six fingers on his right hand, a cleft palate and thinks at the level of a six year old. Wright Thompson is the reporter on "Jack's Heat" and he made this astute observation about Jack - "He can't read words, but he can read people."

Thompson's reporting is deft - "The things that brings most people his age together, school, sports, love have always separated him, a boy alone." Jack's journey through high school began to change when his older brother Alex suggested that he go out for track during his sophomore year. Alex has a milder version of OFD and was a member of the track team. Jack built connections on the track team and gained the respect of his teammates by doing two things, showing up daily and giving his best effort.

Track and Field is not your typical team sport. Some don't even think of it as a team sport at all, but they are misguided. The team aspects of track are forged in practice, the individual nature of the sport is expressed in meets. In thinking of the value and importance of teammates in track and field, I look to Proverbs 27:17:

"As Iron Sharpens Iron, One Man Sharpens Another"

Bobby Heatherington, a teammate, said Jack "strives for greatness, he pushes himself everyday, and really tried to do his best in everything." What more can you ask of an athlete? I wrote the following in a previous blog, "Internalizing John Wooden's Definition of Success:"

"SUCCESS IS PEACE OF MIND, WHICH IS A DIRECT RESULT OF SELF SATISFACTION IN KNOWING YOU DID YOUR BEST TO BECOME THE BEST THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING."

Key phrases in Wooden's definition are "peace of mind" and "self satisfaction." He {Garrett - my son} was content with his level of effort and performance, and was satisfied in knowing that he gave his all. His response meant more to me than a first place medal. It's nice to be acknowledged by others, but knowing when you've given your best effort and being content with the fruits of that effort is to be valued. The beauty of track and field is that a kid can win without winning the race. You can win in track in field by giving your best and setting a personal record. Not everybody can win the race or place in the top 3; but we can all strive to be the best that we can possibly be. Track teaches this life lesson and many more. More than any other youth sport that I coach, track breeds independence.

Wright Thompson makes the point that Jack's "energy and confidence didn't end at the track," that it carried over into his every day school life. This is as strong a statement as one can make about the value of athletics in a school environment. Ray Lokar, a high school basketball coach and lead trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance, makes the distinction that sports are a co-curricular activity in schools and should not be viewed as an extra-curricular activity. When one thinks about how budget cuts have affected physical education and athletic programs in elementary, middle and high schools, one can't help but think how misguided and short sighted those decisions have been.

"Jack's Heat" is a love story. Love of teammates, teachers, coaches, administrators, students and a truly special girl, Kaicy Guzman, Jack's date for the Senior Ball. The teenage years can be brutal. Kids are looking for acceptance, a sense of belonging, and a sense of accomplishment. A kid like Jack can easily be ostracized and made fun of at school. That Jack was accepted for who he is, is a credit to Jack and everybody at Del Oro High School, especially anybody associated with the track and field team.

I end on this note from Jack's coach, Jake Hardey: - "Every student that comes out to high school is looking for something to be a part of, something that let's them know that he's safe. When he's running, I know that's a special moment in his life." Here's to Moments! Be present and live in the moment!

Click to view "Jack's Heat" and make sure you read the viewer's comments. Truly special and moving.

Effort, Accountability & The Precious Present - Ray Lewis & Patrick McHugh's Shared Vision

2012-09-13T22:19:00.001-07:00

Patrick McHugh

Ray Lewis and Patrick McHugh share the same vision when discussing team dynamics. Most everybody who reads this blog will know of the great Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, but few will know the name Patrick McHugh.

Patrick McHugh is an athletic director and track and field coach at North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka, IL. Patrick writes a great blog {North Shore Country Day Athletics} that I read on a regular basis. I've never met or talked with Patrick, but have corresponded with him a few times via twitter (North Shore Track). I consider Patrick to be one of the smartest and most thoughtful thinkers on youth and high school athletics in the country. If you're a high school coach or athletic director, I highly recommend you take the time to peruse his blog. His vision of long term athletic development for middle and high school students is a model that should be considered by all.

McHugh recently wrote a blog on Lance Armstrong, entitled "What's the Takeaway Lance." It's a good read and I hope you take the time to read his complete thoughts, but I wanted to highlight a paragraph from the blog that is about team dynamics.

"I was enjoying watching the sincerity of this Junior Varsity Girls Field Hockey team completely invest themselves in the task of learning to be a team, of giving one's best effort, of being accountable to each other, of learning that winning is an important outcome, but it is the result of doing a lot of other things right, and of learning to enjoy the success that comes from authentic and complete commitment to the play at hand."

Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis gave a pre-game speech to the Stanford basketball team on March 27, 2012 before their semi-final game in the National Invitational Tournament. The speech is an all-time classic. It echos the themes McHugh expressed in his essay, being accountable to one's teammates, giving your best effort & "being in the moment." Lewis' words are below, but nothing beats watching Ray on video, delivering the speech as only he can. Stanford beat U Mass 74-64 on that night and eventually won the NIT.

I can't thank you guys {enough} for the opportunity. Let me tell you something - If tomorrow wasn't promised,what would you give for today? Forget everything else. Forget everything else. Forget that there was any sunlight left. What would you spend today, thinking about. Yourself? Or the man that's beside you? Or the man that you know you'd give everything in your heart for?

We get one opportunity in life. One chance in life to do whatever you're gonna do. To lay your foundation and to make whatever mark you're gonna make. Whatever legacy you're gonna leave. Leave your legacy. And it's found through effort.

Wins and losses come a dime a dozen. But effort? Nobody can judge effort. Cause effort is between you and you. Effort ain't got nothing to do with nobody else. So that team that think they ready to see you? They think what they seen on film. They ain't saw what film shows. Because every day is a new day. Every moment is a new moment. So now you got to go out and show them that I'm a different creature, NOW, than I was five minutes ago. Cause I'm pissed off for greatness. Because if you ain't pissed off for greatness, that mean you OK with being mediocre. Ain't no man in here OK with being just space. So let's do what we do. Tonight, we ain't gotta worry about taking no breaks.

Julia Lucas - A Profile in Courage & Class

2012-07-27T10:43:00.001-07:00

I'm writing this tribute to Julia Lucas on the day of the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Julia Lucas runs the 5000M and has posted the best time (15:08.52) in that event of any American woman in 2012, but Julia won't be in attendance at the opening ceremonies because she finished 4th in the Olympic trials. She missed out on qualifying to run in the Olympics by 4/100th of a second.

Many have written about the race and the following links will give one a detailed account of the race:

"The Women's 5,000 Final - The Olympic Trials At Its Absolute Best"

"Julia Lucas -- Class Act"

If you want to see race highlights (5 minutes) click - "Culley, Huddle Punch London Tickets In 5000m"

Julia's father, Scott Lucas, is an accomplished writer. His recent tribute article to Julia, "A Father Laments his Daughter's Lost Olympic Dream" is an instant classic:

"The most important goal in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part; just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well." — Olympic creed

It's funny how true that little chestnut is.

My daughter, Julia Lucas, missed her recent shot at an Olympic berth by 4/100ths of a second in the women's 5K race on a recent drizzly night in Eugene, Ore.

Julia is 28 years old. She's spent half of those years running. Fifteen, 40, 100 miles a week, 40 weeks a year, for 13 years. Running on asphalt and concrete, grass, dirt, mud and gravel. In cold rain, warm rain, heat waves and through air cold enough to still the breath of a sled dog.

Running past seven stress fractures, one broken leg, through anemia, over missing toenails too ugly and numerous to count, past sleep and meals and dates with boys. She's run with an occasionally swollen ego, and less occasionally a shattered one. Running to get better and better, faster and faster. Running to be the fastest girl at Myers Park High School, at North Carolina State University, in the Atlantic Coast Conference and this great state, in our part of the country, the rest of the country, running to be her best. She ran all the way to the starting line of the Olympic Trials as the fastest American woman to run the 5K this year. And it only took 13 years.

She toed the start line fit, willing and ready for the biggest run of her life.

Julia is a hometown favorite in Eugene, and she was cheered when she took the lead with 1,000 meters to go. I could not see the finish line, but I heard the collective groan as the woman chasing Julia caught and passed her with a chest and shoulder lean at the line. I looked at Margaret — my wife, Julia's mother — and we shared a hard instant that stole a piece of our hearts. That collective groan was for Julia, and we knew it.

The stadium stilled to silence for a few seconds. The hushed rising murmur around us confirmed her unlikely loss. I stood, stunned and reeling, surprised to find my feet still holding me up. Margaret and I weaved through various no-entry zones to find Julia.

We found her 15 minutes later, on the rubber walkway between the media and athlete's tents, being escorted by an Olympic monitor to the drug testing area (as an official alternate, she's required to be tested). She looked like I felt: bound up in a world of unexpected hurt. Her mother wrapped her in a full body mother's hug. I joined with a double wrap. The Olympic Official looked away and waited.

No one cried.

I could not be more proud of my daughter. She has worked relentlessly for what she has achieved. Always gifted — beginning with sprints to her bus stop in Cotswold — she has repeatedly out-worked and outrun those more gifted than she.

Did crossing the line fourth make Julia a loser? For that day, yes. Would crossing the line a second sooner have made Julia a winner? Yes, for that day.

What makes Julia a winner in the long-term — a lifetime — is her courage and resilience; her ability to rebound, reassemble and remake herself for all the many tomorrows left to come. I look forward to her next rising.

My daughter will move on, in the running world and beyond. She needs no litany of clichés to get back on her feet, or back in the saddle, or to keep her eyes on the (next) prize. That's inside her and always has been.

And she doesn't need more hugs, or cries or consoling texts, voice- or e-mails; though they keep coming and she keeps mustering the good will and grace to accept them.

And my bird-boned, lion-hearted, muscle-y daughter doesn't need her father's endless expressions of the pride and joy he feels for her giddy wins and hard losses, her courage, and for her continuing fearsome struggles.

Those are burdens she's gonna have to bear.

{Many thanks to Patrick McHugh for highlighting Julia's story. Patrick writes one of my favorite blogs. He's a very wise man who is a High School Athletic Director and Track & Field Coach at North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka, IL}

Courage:

Julia ran a very courageous and bold race at the trials. She decided to separate from the pack with three laps to go and had a 1.84 second lead with one lap to go on her nearest competitors, Julie Cully & Molly Huddle. She had a 4.98 second lead on Kim Conley, who clipped her at the tape for third place.

Julia believes that running is an expression of self, and that in order to be the best runner you can be, it requires all of yourself. Nothing is more courageous to me than an athlete who gives her all and is willing to put it on the line to accomplish her goals/dreams. If you know the complete story of the 5000M race at the trials, you will appreciate this Julia Lucas quote: "7 interviews in 7 days, and I'm astonished I have to keep saying this: Who wants to go to The Olympics on a technicality?"

Her father and many others {love this Ron Bellamy article - "Julia Lucas is Back on Solid Footing Once Again in the 5,000 Meters"} have done a great job in presenting the courageous side of Julia as it relates to track; but Julia demonstrated greater courage on the day she decided to run into a burning building to save the life of a child when she was in college. Julia talks about that day and herself in the video featured below:

Susan Kelly posted this comment after reading Scott Lucas' tribute to Julia: "This is beautifully written and certainly portrays the Olympic spirit from a parent's perspective. I enjoyed it and have shared it everywhere I can. It's Teddy Roosevelt's - "Man in the Arena" through and through."

The reference to Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" speech intrigued me. It's an American classic & I've never read or heard of it before. I Searched Google and came across an excellent blog that was written by Michael McKinney in 2010 celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt’s The Man in the Arena Speech. This excerpt from McKinney is applicable to Julia:

"Roosevelt firmly believed that one learned by doing. It is better to stumble than to do nothing or to sit by and criticize those that are “in the arena” he explained. 'The poorest way to face life is with a sneer.' It is a sign of weakness. 'To judge a man merely by success,' he said, 'is an abhorrent wrong.' The famous paragraph from that speech, reproduced below, expressed the standard by which he judged himself and others:"

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

Class:
How one handles adversity/defeat tells more about a person than how one handles victory. Rudyard Kipling states in his classic poem, "If" - "If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same...." Just listen to Julia's interview after her 5000M race to see how she exemplifies Kipling's words. She also is a shining role model in adhering to the words of John Wooden and his father Joshua when dealing with defeat/adversity -- "No Whining, No Complaining, No Excuses:"

Before the Olympic Trials I had never heard of Julia Lucas, and I follow track & field. Today, I've not only heard of her, but I admire and respect her approach to life. Here's to a champion, both on and off the track!

Metta World Peace - Street Baller

2012-04-26T10:01:00.004-07:00

Metta World Peace is in the news again for all the wrong reasons. Suspended for seven games for his unprovoked elbow on the head of Oklahoma City's James Harden. Old saying, you can take the man out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of the man.

Metta recently made a statement that best capsulizes who he is after Andrew Bynum got ejected against the Houston Rockets on April 6, 2012 for taunting the Rockets bench. When asked about Bynum being ejected, Metta offered this line of reasoning, "You talk trash, that's the essence of basketball right there," "You score, you talk trash. That's fun. YOU GOT A BUNCH OF STREET BALLERS IN A CORPORATE LEAGUE." Line about "street ballers" is a classic and it reveals so much about who Metta is at his core. Note to Metta, Bynum will never be confused for being a street baller, but you, Metta, will go down as one of the all-time street ballers in NBA history. It's who you are and who you will always be. Queensbridge born, Queensbridge bred, and Queensbridge until you die!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS - 1998

I first saw Metta World Peace play, then known as Ron Artest, at Louisville on 1/6/98. Only saw a half of that game, but he was a player who immediately caught my eye. Saw Ron a couple of weeks later on 1/19/98 vs. UCONN and wrote my initial impressions - Power small forward. Has started, but is now coming off the bench. Strong frame - big hands and butt. Strong through the shoulders. Good release, can shoot 3's with range. Aggressive offensively, but choices are not smart at this stage. Ball handling ability. Driving the ball up the floor with left hand - makes the correct play/pass on the break. Good 2-footed jumping ability - claims defensive rebound. Don't view as an early out, but scout him in junior year.

Third time I saw him was another game against UCONN on 2/28/98. I was starting to hone in on his game: Sixth man - a leader - even from the bench - keeps himself into the game - chomping at the bit to get into the game. Giving instructions and directions to upper classmen. Forceful personality - wants to make things happen on the court. Has no fear - great confidence. Powerfully built - long arms. Warrior mentality - plays the game with passion. Understands the value of spacing the floor in attacking the press. Loves to attack the rim in the open floor. Handles well with either hand - face-up breakdown abilities. Can make plays for self and others off the dribble - breakdown/penetration abilities from the wing - can get his own shot - good vision and passing abilities off the dribble. Somewhat of a high risk game at this stage (leads team in turnovers (2.8), but I like his instincts and aggressiveness. Good change of pace/direction dribble, low handle with good control. Will force the action in the post - gets to the line. Free throw percentage is poor (52%), but his release is solid. A warrior on the defensive end - quick hands -gets strips. Good help defender - aware - shot blocking ability off the ball. Good individual defender - strong and quick - gets through screens - controlled close out - under control and has good balance.

THE ARTICLE

Read a New York Times article (2/21/98) on Ron Artest that I decided to include in my report. Thought the article gave one some insight into Artest's psyche, and I also wanted to read passages to him from the article and get his response if I ever got the chance to interview him, which I did. Think this passage about Artest will give readers of this post some insight into who Ron was as a young boy. In a lot of ways, he's not too much different than that 11 year old boy.

"Artie Cox coached Artest when he was 11 years old and commented that even then Artest possessed a passion to win, an unchanneled, unbridled intensity that frequently spilled over in confrontations with teammates, fans, and opponents. He tried to defer to the upperclassmen and blend in - but they were not seizing the moment." 'Sometimes you can't blend in because it will affect the way you play, so you just have to be yourself.' "On a St. John's team that has been without a leader, the coaching staff welcomes Artest's taking a leading role. But they wonder if he could be a bit more diplomatic when he admonishes his teammates to play harder. "I don't know how to do it in a diplomatic way. I'm trying, but it's hard. That's the way I've been playing all my life. That's the way I got here, that's why he recruited me. Fraschilla, who is known as a screamer, asked Cox if he could coach him. Fraschilla says that Artest needs a cause. He needs me yelling at him or he needs to know that the team needs him."

THE COACH

Fran Fraschilla was Artest's coach in his freshman year at St. John's. Fraschilla was abruptly fired in May of 1998. I'm sure the school had their reasons, but for many, Fraschilla's firing was mysterious. Link to two articles on Franschilla and St. Johns's would be of interest to basketball fans - "St. Elsewhere" & "The Curious Case of ESPN Analyst Fran Fraschilla."

Mike Jarvis replaced Fraschilla at St. John's and coached Artest in his sophomore year. Don't think Jarvis and Artest meshed together as well as Fraschilla and Artest. See both of them as kindred spirits. In interviewing Artest, I asked him about his relationship with Fraschilla:

"Feels he can play for any coach after playing for Fraschilla. He pushed me to the limit - learned how to play through fatigue. Showed me a lot of tricks of the trade - i.e., how to follow people off screens. Mentally - I have learned to think the game better - I want to win the game so much."

Ron and psychologists/psychiatrists go way back. I knew this when we interviewed Artest before the draft. Ron said he saw a psychologist, practiced visualization and worked on controlling his emotions. Found a great article that details Artest's mental health experiences, "Ron Artest: An unlikely advocate."

DRAFT YEAR - 1999

The final report that I wrote on Ron Artest was after seeing him play against Providence on 2/15/99: Blowout game - I can't say that I learned a lot more about him than I already knew. Game did not test his mettle. I will now classify him as a 3/2 - has a great handle and can initiate an offense and is comfortable playing on top of the floor - guard skills. Big hips - strong frame. Physically developed - a man's body. Above average wing span and a wide butt. Structurally strong - great body. Has a lot of game. Down screen - catch and shoot - excellent release - shoots an easy shot from distance. An improved free throw shooter (62%) but should be so much better. Post-up abilities - good patience in the post - spins and finishes over Thomas. Solid dribbling skills in the open court. Ball handling abilities are super - low - between the legs - good change of pace - also has crossover dribble. Good post passer. Averaging a ton of assists for a forward (4.7) Does he have a middle game? Very good lateral quickness. Solid post defender - Contains with hands up - straight up block on Thomas. Has good defensive quickness but is allowing Thomas to get easy looks from the wing - not containing but don't want to read too much into it given the nature of this game. Continue to scout him - I think he has special qualities.

The Bulls picked Artest in the1999 draft with the 16th pick in the draft. I actually wanted the Bulls to pick James Posey over Artest, but that's another story for another day, probably one that I'll never write. Both Posey and Artest were great middle round first round picks.

The St. Johns' Years

Who is Anthony Davis? Camby, Duncan, Garnett, Chandler, or Russell?

2012-04-03T10:47:00.002-07:00

Decided to write this blog because Nate Jones, aka @JonesOnTheNBA wanted to view my college scouting reports on Marcus Camby when he was a freshman. Jones, who is responsible for at least 80% of my followers on twitter, wanted to get my view of a young Camby in comparison to Kentucky's freshman phenom, Anthony Davis. I don't have scouting reports from Camby freshman's year, but I do have them from his sophomore and junior years.

I started tweeting in April, 2009. Eventually, I started publishing some of my old scouting reports on twitlonger. I was amazed at the response I got from people who read them. A few people who followed me on twitter convinced me to start a blog, and "A Scout's Perspective" was born on February 28, 2011 with my first post, "A Coaching Challenge."

This blog is partly about Anthony Davis, but it's more about the process of scouting. I will publish all of my scouting reports on Marcus Camby and Tim Duncan. I saw Duncan the summer after his freshman year at Wake Forest. Wrote reports on him through his junior year and didn't waste my time writing anymore about him during his senior year; he was that good. My dad, Clarence "Big House" Gaines often saw him play during his freshman year and raved about his talent. I vividly remember him saying that he dominated UNC's highly touted big men, Eric Montross and Rasheed Wallace as a freshman and that he was easily the best player on the floor.

University of Kentucky's Anthony Davis has set the college basketball world ablaze in his freshman year. Basketball pundits and fans love to compare players. Even John Calipari, Kentucky's head coach couldn't resist comparing Davis to a former player he coached, Marcus Camby. After seeing Davis play for the first time, he texted Camby, "I found another you ... but he can shoot."

Actually, Calipari had found a player with significantly more upside than Camby; besides possessing more offensive skills, Davis' physical characteristics (wing span, vertical extension, explosive & reactive strength) will allow him to be a superior defender and rebounder on both ends of the floor.

Chad Ford, senior NBA writer for ESPN.com went on a tweet fest about Davis during the semi-final round of the final four. Ford said the comparison that is "most common is Marcus Camby meets Kevin Garnett, but one GM insists he's Tim Duncan 2.0." Then Ford chimed in that if the Tim Duncan comparison makes you mad, one old school GM said Davis reminded him of a young Hakeem Olajuwon.

Can't go along with the Olajuwon or Garnett comparisons, but I'm down with a blend between Camby and Duncan. Think Davis' career will have a lot more parallels with Duncan than Camby. Actually, the blended player comparison I like better than Duncan/Camby is Tyson Chandler meets Tim Duncan. I tweeted the Chandler/Duncan comparison during the championship game between Kentucky and Kansas and a few people couldn't put their minds around Davis being compared to Tim Duncan. One reason they can't put their mind around it is because they think of Tim Duncan in his prime in the NBA. I see a player who has a similar temperament to Duncan and whose offensive game can approach Duncan's in time. I see the raw athleticism and defensive/rebounding instincts that Tyson Chandler displayed as a high school player; but Davis has more offensive skills as a freshman than Chandler has now in the NBA.

Comparing players is fun for basketball fans. One of my twitter followers @PakkAttackk wrote to me "Please, PLEASE tell me you don't agree with the Russell comparison. PLEASE, STOP THE REACHING!" "Stop overhyping Anthony Davis. He's not Duncan, Russell even Tyson Chandler. He's not THAT good. Relax." I actually never considered the Bill Russell comparison, but whose to say that he can't reach those heights. When's the last time the Most Valuable Player in an NCAA game scored only 6 points and went 1-10 from the field. Never! Other aspects of his game against Kansas were Russellesque; 16 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5 assists, and countless Intimidations (ESPN said he blocked or altered 16% of Kansas' shots).

However and to whomever you want to compare him with, he will one day be celebrated in basketball circles for his own unique skill set, personality and game. Eventually, he won't be compared to others, and that day will come sooner than you think. Then one day, twenty years from now, another tall, athletic freak of nature will come along and somebody will say that kid reminds me of Anthony Davis and somebody like @PakkAttackk will tell them that they are crazy.

MARCUS CAMBY

SOPHOMORE YEAR:

vs. Temple - 1/21/95 - Tremendous defensive performance. Blessed with exceptional quickness and great timing. Plays extremely well in space. Quick jumper. Outquicks people to the ball. Very good rebounder on both ends of the floor. Excellent team defender. Effectively closed down the middle with 8 blocks and many intimidations. Good job of smothering Brunson on screen/roll series. Quick feet. Like his instincts for the game on the defensive end and his rebounding. Though he has a slight frame, short arms, and is not strong, he can make the most impact at the power forward spot. Probably quick enough to guard small forwards, but he is so valuable to a team when he is allowed to patrol the lane. Short arms are not as important because of his height, quickness, reactions and jumping ability. Has broad shoulders. He can get stronger and bigger. Excellent jumping ability. Great defender. Runs the floor with ease. Did not do much on the offensive end. Though he is shooting 56% from the free throw line, he had a consistent delivery from the line and made pressure free throws at the end of the game. High, quick release on shot. Good two-footed jumper--can finish in traffic. Withstands the bump, and finishes with dunk off dive cut. Utilizes glass at an angle from 12 feet. Able to claim tough rebounds on the offensive end. Just takes the ball away from Temple's players. Plays above the rim and makes big plays that mean the difference between winning and losing. Very close to his Grandmother Ruby, who died in early January .. SEASON STATS: 12 g, 21.8 min, 59% FG, 56% FT, 7.3 reb, 3.0 blk, 15.6 pts.

vs. Tulsa - 3/24/95 - Very special talent. Should figure in our plans if he decides to declare himself for the draft. Love his quickness and reactions. Light feet. Runs so easily. Probably the quickest and most graceful big man that I have seen. Excellent speed -- so fluid. Exceptional at running the floor and getting into a lane in break situations. Excellent rebounding instincts. Quick jumper. Excellent pursuit of the ball. Quick to the ball. As a defender, I like him better than Joe Smith. Excellent perimeter and interior defender. Quick hands. Great shot blocker. Provides support for his teammates and is effective at shutting down the middle. Demonstrated more versatility on the offensive end than in previous game. Able to play with his back to the basket and score. Maintains his shooting form when challenged. Hitting his mid range shots after catching, pivoting to face the basket. Very good at putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket--his speed and quickness will create mismatch situations when he attacks the rim off the dribble. Needs to develop as a passer when facing double teams, but I see progress.

vs. Oklahoma St. - 3/26/95 - Never found a rhythm to his game. Was stupidly aggressive on the offensive boards. Committed two straight fouls going for offensive rebounds. Midway in the second half (4 fouls for the game.) Opened up against Reeves in the first half and switched off of him early in the first half after committing a quick foul. This enabled him to roam and protect the lane in the first half. His defensive potential is very high. Quickness and timing are exceptional. Handles double team. Hits dive cutter. Needs more poise in executing from the low post. Has not been close on his shots from the outside. Shooting range is a little suspect. Needs to improve outside shooting. Subpar game for him.

JUNIOR YEAR:

vs. Xavier - 2/4/96 - Has not impacted his body. Undeveloped upper body. Will have some trouble dealing with physical rigors of the NBA. Narrow torso. Coat hanger type shoulders that allow him to have a good vertical extension even though he has an average wing span. Narrow hips and a small waist. Finesse player. Foot quickness and defensive anticipation are special qualities. Good energy on the floor. Gives great effort--will hit the floor for loose balls. Runs so easily--excellent speed. Has to get stronger. Gets pushed around easily. Excellent defensive range. Ability to challenge and block shots is exceptional. Impeccable timing and anticipation. Protects the basket. Makes good defensive choices. Great body control. So aware defensively. Will step up and take the charge. Quick hands. Strips the ball from a guard in transition. Good defensive rebounder--so quick to the ball. Will deliver quick outlet pass. Versatile defender--will be able to cover 3's, 4's and 5's in the NBA. Like him best as a power forward. Reactive qualities. Quick jumping ability. Has a defensive mentality but has made huge strides on the offensive end. Very aggressive on the offensive end. Takes responsibility for team winning. Leadership qualities. Ability to put the ball on the floor and make decisions from the perimeter. Good ball handling skills. Good post feed from the top of the circle. Jump shot off crossover dribble. Quick drop step move. Has a quick first step with a long stride. Has not consistently finished his shots from the wing off the dribble but his ability to penetrate off the dribble will be a nightmare for 4's. Can cause Kukoc type matchup problems. Able to handle the ball in break situations. Handles point position and dishes assist. Will be able to score from pinch post/mid-wing area off the dribble. High release point on face up jump shot. Able to double clutch and get shot up. Aware of defensive presence and adjusts accordingly. Shoots 3 off screen/roll. Nice release--shot had a chance. Free throw stroke is ok. Lacks the strength to establish good low post position but is very effective with his back to the basket because of his quickness, confidence and skills. Low post game needs development. Does not really have a jump hook. Shoots a lot of flip shots in close. Needs to develop more game to go against size. Team going to him 1n the last 5 minutes of the game. Additional year helped him grow as a leader. Like Duncan over him. Would not move anyone of substantial value to attain him. A great talent who should go 1 or 2 in this draft. Missed 4 games as a result of fainting before the St. Bonaventure game on Jan. 14. Gutted out the last part of this game. Slightly sprained his ankle. Like his toughness. SEASON STATS: 16 g, 30 min, 50% FG, 72% FT, 1.4 off & 7.2 reb, 1.8 a, 2.1 TO, 4.1 blk, 20.6 pts.

vs. George Washington - 2/24/96 - Subpar game for him. Worked on his face up game in warmups. Spent little if any time on his low post game. Quickness is such an asset for him. Great feet. Has small forward skills on the offensive end. Loves to take big men off the dribble from the wing. Quick jumper and good finisher. Able to step off the block and face his man up. Gets to the basket off the dribble and finishes with his left hand. Hits open jumper from the wing in early opportunity situation. Fastbreak situation--his ability to evade defenders and change directions on the move is exceptional. Has great feet. Team is struggling on offense and he wants to put the team on his shoulders. He had a tough shooting/finishing game. Needs to develop a post game--forcing too many shots over Koul. Easy to knock him off balance in the lane. Needs to develop a better base and additional strength. Turnaround jumper goes over the rim. Easy to move him to obtain rebound position but he is still able to rebound in traffic. His ability to close the gap is impressive. Great speed to chase down guard with a clear path to the goal.

TIM DUNCAN

FRESHMAN YEAR:

Goodwill Games Trials - 7/94 {love evaluating college players when trying out for national teams - see the best against the best in practice and game situations} - Long body. Not strong or tough enough at this stage. Lacks upper body strength. Very long reach. Does not believe in himself yet. Impressed with his rate of development during the trials. Level of aggressiveness has improved. Nimble in the open court. Makes adjustments with the ball in the open court and finishes with right hand hook. Has improved day by day. Can score out of the post. High release point on the shot. Demonstrating ability to score out of the post. Nice right hand jump hook. Plays a soft game on the defensive end. Lacks the fire and competitiveness in responding to the physical nature of Pro/Summer League type game. Good off the ball shot blocker - will block and challenge shots. Needs to learn to keep the ball high off defensive rebounds. Getting jammed off defensive rebounds. Fighting Ceballos in the post. Claiming the balls in traffic. Starting to keep the ball high.

SOPHOMORE YEAR:

vs. Florida State - 1/7/95 - Very young. Birthday is 4/25/76. Upside is tremendously high. Improves every time I see him play. Very long player. Big 6'10". Like him as a power forward. Finesse player but has an intimidating presence. He's a very tall 6'10". Like his skill level. Big and good hands. Plays high and big on the defensive end. Footwork is good at this stage of his development. Soft touch around the basket. Will be a dominant player on the offensive end when he gets stronger. Nice hook shot--flows into it nicely. Reach enables him to finish around the rim. Jump hook and drop step moves allow him to counter the defense. Shoots a little cross handed, but he is a good free throw shooter. Has the ability to hit mid range jump shots. Protector on the defensive end. Shot blocking instincts and abilities. Does not leave his feet. Lacks structural strength. Easy to bump him off balance or push him back. Good effort on the defensive boards. Reactive qualities. Good repeat jumper. Able to rebound around the rim. Good pursuit of the ball off defensive boards. Gets tough rebounds. Reach is such an asset--stays with the play. Plays defense with poise. Has chilled Sura and Florida state's game in the middle. Defensive force--has presence in the lane.

vs. UVA - 2/26/95 - Plays through everything. Gets knocked down on rebound attempt. Did not sulk and ran down the court hard to eventually claim rebound. Good speed running the floor. Excellent, big hands--catches one hand pass off B.O.B. and claims traffic rebounds. Consistently around the ball. Rebounding and
shot blocking instincts. Like his temperament. Level headed, focused, and poised. Structural strength is average. Can be bumped. Not explosive hut has quick feet and reactive qualities. Has defensive presence in the lane. Accomplishes a lot with extension, timing and poise. Able to keep the ball in play when he blocks shots. Will be so tough when he matures physically. Moves feet well in the post. Outmuscled to the ball on key defensive rebound. Claims blg traffic rebound with :07 left in the game. Very good rebounder because of hands, reach and positioning. Good two-handed rebounder. Gets underneath rebound and goes up strong--does not unnecessarily extend himself when rebounding. Works for good position. Footwork not in synch on drop step move. Needs to develop a stronger base and improve balance when he comes to a stop before releasing the ball. Needs to utilize height better and be stronger with the ball. Leans into the defender off his pivots. Shot is susceptible to being altered against bigger foes. Able to hit mid-range jumper on third cutter type of action. Hits 18' shot off catch and extends to 3-pt. line and hits jump shot from the top of the key. Potential to have a nice inside/outside game. Needs strength to finish at next level. Good ball handling skills. Can handle ball at pinch post area. Executes dribble weave action with ease, reads the play and kicks to weakside wing. Able to put the ball on the floor. Good at chasing down own misses and consistently keeps the ball high. Hear rumors that he is considering coming out, but he can benefit from another year. Potentially a better prospect than Rasheed Wallace and Joe Smith given his youth, mentality, skill level and rate of development. SEASON STATS: 36g, 60% FG, 79% FT, 50% (2-4) 3-pt., 15.7 pts, 12.1 reb, 2.4 a, 3.0 TO, 4.3 b.s.

JUNIOR YEAR:

vs. N.C. State - 1/31/96 - Would be my #1 pick if he declared for the 1996 draft. Has really improved his strength. Surprisingly strong. Good structural strength. Fuller has had trouble denying him position. Holds the block in the low post and does a good job of moving Fuller out of the post. Good body--broad shoulders. Reach is such an asset. Excels at keeping ball alive on long rebounds. Great hands--catches/claims everything. Knows how to play on the offensive end. High basketball intelligence. Excellent vision and concept of the game. Rebounds at both ends--excellent traffic rebounder. Good at chasing down his own missed shots. Gets a lot of rebound tips. Love his temperament. Some critics say he lacks a mean streak. It may be true, but I think the competitive fire is deeply imbedded in his soul. So impressed with his rate of development--makes strides every time I see him play. His upside is so high. Head and shoulders above Fuller--big 6'10". Will be able to play center and power forward. Exceptional offensive skills--can play with back to the basket as well as on the perimeter. Low post game has really improved. Can run an offense through him. Will take it into the lane. Has a power go to move that will enable him to get to the line. Career 74% FT shooter entering his junior year. Has struggled somewhat this year (69%). Missed 2 critical one and one attempts in the last 30 seconds of this game. Wake was lucky to win. Has a right and left hand jump hook. Starting to set up on the right block, but he is not tied to either block. Excellent ball handling skills--plays with poise and has a tremendous presence on the floor. Handling double-team with ease. Recognizes the defense and delivers excellent passes to cutters and perimeter shooters. Makes excellent decisions. Footwork and balance have improved. Took Fuller anytime he wanted to--back down moves, step through moves and up and under moves. Comfortable at the high post. Can hit mid-range shot and averages 1 3-pt. shot per game(37.5%). Has go to moves--team made a concerted effort to get him a lot of touches. Level of aggressiveness was very good. Team had forgotten about him in previous loss against UNC. Good pursuit of offensive rebounds--works to get in position. Will outquick most big men to the ball. Has the ability to put the ball on the floor. Excellent defensive rebounder. Great hands and long reach allow him to claim long rebounds. Reacts and pursues ball on defensive end. Tips a lot of rebounds to himself. Defensive anchor. Anticipates well and protects the lane. Shot blocking abilities. Strong with the ball after a rebound. Hear rumors that he is considering playing another year at Wake. Really enjoys college life and promised his mother before she died that he would complete his education. Would seriously consider trading Pippen for his draft rights. SEASON STATS: 16g, 37 min, 58% FG, 69%FT, 38% 3 pt., 11.9R, 3.2TO, 2.8A, 4.1 Blk

THE BIG FUNDAMENTAL

Harrison Barnes - Misplaced Priorities??

2012-03-27T10:31:00.002-07:00

Winston Churchill once said "Russia is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." Basketball fans, particularly those of a Tar Heel persuasion, can say the same about Harrison Barnes; that he is a riddle, wrapped in mystery, inside an enigma. I've watched Barnes from afar and have tried to put my finger on why I'm befuddled about his game. The talent is obvious, but something is missing.

Recently, I was called out on twitter by Richard K. Holt aka @DADDYRIZZICH for some of my thoughts on Barnes. Holt thought I was waffling on Barnes and that I seemed unwilling to go out on a limb about his talents. He then asked me, "Do u THINK Barnes reaches his huge potential or not?"

My answer to Holt's question is "I don't know," but one needs to understand that there are very few sure things in life and talent evaluation. I wrote a blog about my impressions of Kevin Garnett when he was in high school. Garnett was as sure a thing as any player that I've ever scouted. As I said in my blog, "the first time {Scouting report from the 1st time I actually saw KG play 1/15/95} I laid eyes on Garnett, I knew he was special."

I've also written a blog about a Saturday Night (12/30/95) in San Jose - Steve Nash vs. Stephon Marbury. Definitely had a lot of certainty about Stephon Marbury after that night, but Steve Nash had the greater career. So, no, Richard Holt, I'm not going out on the limb on Harrison Barnes, because aspects of his game, priorities, and personality concern me, but that's not my main reason for taking that approach. I watch a game with a trained eye, but I'm still watching it casually. There is no substitute for seeing an athlete live and up close; but more importantly, there is no substitute for sitting down, interviewing and getting to know a talented athlete like Harrison Barnes. I can look at him on TV, but there is no substitute for the process of scouting/talent evaluation.

Ideally, a scout and general manager should view the totality of an athlete's career and not neglect any dimension of the scouting process. A scout builds a book on an athlete and it can start as early as the high school years. Here are all the things that should go into evaluating an athlete for the draft.

(1) Live game scouting - prefer this over watching an athlete on tape.

(2) After I get a feel for the athlete live, like to augment it with game tape.

(3) Post Season All-Star games & Draft Camps

(4) Conversation with prospects coaches, opposing coaches - deep background check

(5) Run a background check - pay for detective report - higher the draft position, more information need to have

(6) Psychological Testing - Use it as a tool, not the be all to end all. Great to have when talking with coaches to confirm if it's accurate. A prospects own coaches might not level with you on everything. Found that assistant coaches within a players conference are good sources of information and opinions.

(7) Interviews - Nobody does an interview better than me, they might do it as well, but not better. Trained from business career how to ask questions and probe. Prefer open ended questions. Come in well prepared. Read all of my reports beforehand, highlight areas I want to bring up, and will even read excerpts from articles & reports, and have athlete comment on it. I put a lot of weight on the interview, as well as the time I spend with an athlete during their visit to team site.

(8) Visit to team site - On court workouts with coaches, evaluation by strength & conditioning staff on trainability and other physical issues. Spend as much time with the athlete as you can in a relaxed setting. Pick them up at the airport and get drive time with them. Take them out to eat. Spend enough time with a young man and you'll get an inkling of who they are. You maybe able "to fake the funk" in an interview setting, but it's hard to do it over a two day period.

So, Richard Holt, since I don't get paid to scout anymore, I will waffle on a guy like Harrison Barnes, because I'm no longer privy to the entire process of scouting and talent evaluation.

That said, an article written by Jay Caspian Kang, "Brand Gone Bust," helped me put a finger on missing elements in Harrison Barnes' game, an unbridled joy and love for playing the game of basketball. Kang referenced an article by Jason Zengerle, "Moneyballer:" that highlighted this Harrison Barnes quote, “Now, in college, I’m more the business guy who plays basketball.”

After reading Kang's and Zengerle's articles, I decided to write a basketball 101 lesson for Harrison Barnes and any other aspiring hooper who wants to build his 'Brand.' Don't put the cart before the horse. You got it ass backwards - “Now, in college, I’m more the business guy who plays basketball.” Should be more along the lines, "I'm the basketball guy who understands business."

First thing you need to understand is that you have to connect with fans through your play. You have to play for the right reasons. Michael Jordan is your guiding light, but Michael prioritized the game over everything else and handled the business aspects with aplomb. Never forget that MJ had "a love of the game" clause in his contract. Wasn't just something for show, came from a very deep place.

Another mentor for you is EJ, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Earvin is an accomplished business man, but he also put basketball first, and connected with the fans like few other athletes ever have. When I think of Magic, I think of his initials from his given name, "EJ" - 'E' for Enthusiasm & 'J' for Joy.

Here's an image of Magic's statue in front of the Staples Center:

To quote a New York Daily News story:
"Johnson's statue has him with a ball in one hand, pointing with another as if directing a play and, of course, wearing that trademark smile. The base of the statue lists Johnson's accomplishments as a player and carries the inscription: 'EARVIN MAGIC JOHNSON'S EXTRAORDINARY ENTHUSIASM BORN FROM A PURE LOVE OF SPORT AND COMPETITION BROUGHT FIVE NBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TO THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES WHILE BRINGING JOY AND EXCITEMENT TO BASKETBALL FANS AROUND THE WORLD.'"

Dadgummit, that's how you build a brand. Focus on the game, play with all your heart, connect with the fans and things will come your way.

I leave you with this quote from Magic on "Playing to Win:"

"The ingredients to the NBA championship are right there for every player, coach, and team to grab if they can. But it takes time - time, experience, and the will to win.

When I'm playing basketball, I'm playing to win, nothing else. Not to score, to rebound, or to excel in one particular area of the game, but to win. That means I'm a rebounder, a scorer, a passer, even a cheerleader.

It means I'm going to be an example to my teammates of what having a winning attitude is all about.

It means I'll have a burning desire to be the very best player on the best team.

It means I'll have an attitude of unselfishness that keeps me craving for more of the rewards of success, more championships for my team, not glory for myself.

It means I won't ever get jealous of the attention one of my teammates is getting because nobody gets any attention when you lose."

Derek Fisher - Before the Lakers

2012-03-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

I started to write about Derek Fisher in November when he was getting lambasted {Is Fisher in Stern's Back Pocket & Fisher in Denial Over Labor Rift} by the likes of Jason Whitlock for his stewardship of the NBA Players Association during the lockout. I wanted readers to know who Derek Fisher was as a person and player before he entered the NBA. Never got around to writing about Derek then, but decided on the day after he was traded by the Lakers to the Houston Rockets that it was time to share what I thought about Derek before he entered the NBA as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996.

Derek's touched a lot of people in his life and NBA career. It's no accident that he became a leader in the locker room, on the court and in the boardroom. He's one of the most impressive young men that I've interviewed in my 11 years as a scout and front office executive in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls.

Some who read this blog may know little about Derek. Derek is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. Attended High School and College in Little Rock. Charles Ripley, Derek's High School Coach at Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School had a profound influence on his life. Derek's half-brother (same mother) Duane Washington preceded him in the NBA. Derek had a feel for the challenges of the NBA because of trials and tribulations of his brother. Duane was suspended by the NBA for two years for violating the NBA's substance abuse agreement.

Derek wasn't always a Laker. They parted ways in 2004 and he ended up playing with Golden State and the Utah Jazz before rejoining the Lakers in 2007. Thirteen of his sixteen years in the NBA, have been spent wearing the Purple and Gold. Derek's stats as a Laker are modest: 915 games, 592 starts, 7.9 points & 2.9 assists per game. Career 40 percent shooter from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point line. Stats can't totally measure the contribution of a player like Derek Fisher. Fisher was a part of 5 championships with the Lakers organization and is acknowledged by his peers and coaches to be a key team leader on those championship teams.

Derek Fisher will never be considered as one of the greatest Lakers, but he may well be the classiest Laker of all-time. Most organizations in the NBA would retire the jersey of a player who has contributed so much to their success over a thirteen year period. The Lakers standards for retiring a player's jersey is very high. Seven players have had their jersey retired by the Lakers and they have all been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. While I don't expect the Lakers to extend this honor to Derek, they should consider it.

Derek Fisher Before He Became A Laker

Sharing my college scouting report and impressions of an interview with Derek Fisher that I helped conduct. Remarkably, nobody in our organization saw Derek play while he was at Arkansas Little-Rock. First time I saw Derek play was at post season all-star tournament {Portsmouth Invitational Tournament} in Portsmouth,VA in April of 1996. He played well in Portsmouth, but was not extended an invitation to the the Desert Classic in Phoenix, which featured higher caliber players. However, a player pulled out of Phoenix and Derek was a last minute replacement. Derek played his first game in Phoenix without the benefit of practice and continued to shine. Derek became the 1st round pick {24th} of the LA Lakers in 1996 because of his play in Post Season All-Star games. He did it the old fashioned way, by not being afraid to showcase his talents in an all-star venue. Derek is a class act. One of the most impressive interviews I participated in during my NBA career.

SCOUTING REPORT- DEREK FISHER - April, 1996
Want to know more about him. Will watch tape. Physically developed. Structurally strong. Has been lifting
weights since high school. Strong legs and butt. Big hands. Big body for a point guard. Will be able to defend against bigger guards. Left handed. Possible late 1st round pick--high upside. Good speed with the dribble. Like his ability to turn the corner and get his own shot. Able to rise up and over other point guards off the dribble--gets good lift and has very good leg strength. Shoots best off the dribble. Does a good job of utilizing screens and popping jump shot. Plays bigger than size. Good 1 on 1 skills. Sees the floor on the move. Vision is good in the open court. Has the ability to get all the way to the basket in the open court. Shows deep shooting range--career 38% from the 3 pt. line. Needs to develop more consistency in spot shooting ability. strength of game is currently off the dribble. Can get too infatuated with one-on-one play, but I like his offensive aggressiveness.

Late addition to Phoenix, but I was impressed that he was able to make a contribution in the first game
without the benefit of practice. Not intimidated at all by the All-Star format. Able to get a clean look at the basket in bailout/red zone situations. Sets decent picks. Has a physicalness to his game and tough mentality
that I like. Performance fell off a little in last game of the Desert Classic. Didn't do a good job of getting his team into their offense in the third quarter. Like him on the defensive end. He will compete. Great defensive stance. Gets his arms out. Quick hands. Low center of gravity. Strong and quick enough to prevent his man from turning the corner. Good on the ball defender and good awareness off the ball. Will double down to attempt strip and recovers quickly. Good explosiveness in claiming rebound--will be an excellent rebounder for a lead guard. Strength and quickness to handle small and mid size point guards. Has a stopper's mentality--takes pride in his defense.

IMPRESSIONS OF INTERVIEW:
Born and raised in Little Rock, Ark. 21 yrs. old (8/9/74). Two parent household. Dad works for the postal service and mom works for a bank. Younger brother is 19 and married. Half brother (same mother) is Duane Washington of Middle Tenn. State. Has an understanding of the pro lifestyle due to Duane's trials and tribulations. Started playing when he was 5. Involved with AAU ball since he was 10. Played AAU ball with
the likes of Corliss Williamson and Marcus Brown. H.S. basketball program was highly organized. Emphasized the word "program" to us. Fundamentals, lifting and conditioning were emphasized. Coached by Charles Ripley who is now at Western Arkansas J.C. All 5 starters attended Division I programs. 3 yr. record was 86-12. Won state AAAA Championship in senior year. Played off guard spot in high school, but had as many assists as the pt. guard. Participated in soccer, baseball and football until he was in high school. Dedicated to conditioning his body--will get up at 6:00am to work out. Like his pedigree. Lightly recruited. Almost attended Liberty U. Raised in the baptist church and is active in FCA and bible study groups. I like his makeup. Presents self well. Has a professional attitude. Mature. Fractured his ring finger on right hand during junior year and only missed 2 games. Showed toughness in playing through pain in 6 games. Considers self to be unselfish and a team player. Penetrator. Stopper--always checked best guard. Preferred Coach Platt off the court because was a father figure. Prefers Coach Sanderson on court because of his on the floor coaching and style of play. Likes uptempo, but feels he is adept at playing any style of ball. Works hard on individual skills in spring and summer. Solid philosophy in talking about determination--"it's not what happens to you, it's how you handle it." Has evolved as a player. Has surpassed his high school teammates. Was able to get a lot of time at Little Rock. Started 104 of 112 games in career. Feels he has been a leader since freshman year. Feels he needs to better recognize when individual opportunities present themselves out of the normal flow of the offense. To sacrifice is the inherent trait that he believes all point guards share: CAREER STATS: 112 g, 32.3 min, 41% FG, 38% 3-pt, 75% FT, 12.4 pts, 4.4 reb, 4.2 a, 2.4 TO, 1.7 st.

LINKS TO ARTICLES WRITTEN AFTER FISHER WAS TRADED BY LAKERS:

"Derek Fisher: An Appreciation for Former Laker's Career' by Evan Barnes

"Lakers Miss Point in Trading Derek Fisher" by Bill Plaschke
"Mitch Kupchak Says Trading Derek Fisher 'A Hard Thing To Do' " by Mark Medina
"Nostalgia loses to Lakers' ruthless drive to win" by Kevin Ding

RAW TALENT - The Mis-Education of Jason Whitlock

2012-02-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock is in the news again for his insensitive tweet about Jeremy Lin after Lin's stellar game against the Lakers on 2/10/12.

Many have chastised Whitlock for this tweet. Some have called for his head, others can't believe he would sink to this level. Whitlock followed up with an apology on twitter:

"I get Linsanity. I've cried watching Tiger Woods win a major golf championship. Jeremy Lin, for now, is the Tiger Woods of the NBA. I suspect Lin makes Asian Americans feel the way I feel when I watch Tiger play golf. I should've realized that Friday night when I watched Lin torch the Lakers. For Asian Americans and a lot of sports fans, his nationally-televised 38-point outburst was the equivalent of Tiger's first victory in The Masters. I got caught up in the excitement. I tweeted about what a great story Lin is and how he could rival Tim Tebow. I then gave into another part of my personality -- my immature, sophomoric comedic nature. It's been with me since birth, a gift from my mother and honed as a child listening to my Godmother's Richard Pryor albums. I still want to be a standup comedian. The couple-inches-of-pain tweet overshadowed my sincere celebration of Lin’s performance and the irony that the stereotype applies to pot-bellied, overweight male sports writers, too. As the Asian American Journalist Association pointed out, I debased a feel-good sports moment. For that, I’m truly sorry."

My focus in writing this blog is not to point out the obvious and pile logs on the flame in writing about Whitlock's lack of judgment and humor in tweeting about Lin. I created this blog site to add a point of view that might not be obvious to all. This is my third piece on Whitlock. The first blog I wrote on Whitlock dealt with his flawed thinking on NBA players.

My next piece was a Chirpstory that asked, "Who is Jason Whitlock?" The Chirpstory came about because of a 'Real Talk' podcast that Whitlock conducted with Bomani Jones. Whitlock was impressed with a blog Bomani wrote after being a panelist at Deadspin's "Blogs with Balls 4(BWB4)." Bomani's blog, "Why Aren't More Blacks in the Sports Blogosphere?" ignited a lot of debate amongst journalists and bloggers. It's a good read and an important topic.

I decided to write 'Who is Jason Whitlock?' because of comments Whitlock made about Michael Tillery. The gist of Whitlock's comments on Tillery were that his "intentions are good. He works hard and has put a lot of energy into developing a site, but he's clueless and exhibits a comically, stereotypically black perspective." I was offended and disgusted how Whitlock used Michael Tillery as an example of what not to do to succeed as a Black Sports Blogger. Three separate times in the interview Whitlock came back to disparage and demean the talents of Tillery, and indirectly, the other writers who were and are a part of The Starting Five. Jason Whitlock once again showed me his true colors by this display of callousness towards a colleague.

Before writing his infamous tweet on Lin on 2/10, Whitlock tweeted about Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire:

Saw this tweet and wondered why Amar'e and Carmelo should be embarrassed. I found out when I read Whitlock's column, "Real Reason I Think Lin is a Great Story."

The following paragraph on Amar'e and Carmelo offended me as much as Whitlock's tweet that referenced Lin's genitalia:

"Amar'e and 'Melo should be embarrassed. They have more RAW TALENT than Jeremy Lin. They should wonder what is it about their personalities, their values, their culture and their style of play that didn't allow them to impose a winning imprint on the Knicks."

So that is what Whitlock meant when he said Amar'e and Carmelo should be embarrassed. No, Jason, you should be embarrassed for writing the paragraph and the subsequent paragraphs after it. Not going to even get into the personalities, values, cultural components and how they relate to imposing "a winning imprint on the Knicks. Just going to deal with two words, 'RAW TALENT.'

Jason, your ignorance is astounding. You know nothing, I repeat nothing about the game of basketball. Your use of the word 'RAW TALENT' shows your prejudice towards Lin, Amar'e, & Carmelo. 'RAW TALENT' - Black athletes get subtly dissed liked this all the time; that their success is predicated on 'RAW TALENT,' and not the countless hours in the gym they spend honing their craft. Michael Jordan was great because he had RAW TALENT, a great work ethic, and a brilliant basketball mind. Your quote demeans Lin because it assumes he doesn't have 'RAW TALENT.' Lin is a fine athlete, with athletic gifts that put him in the highest echelon. Coordinated, strong, quick, fast, flexible, and blessed with good endurance. Lin possesses the 5 biomotor abilities that are the foundation for measuring athletic ability. Know what the hell you're talking about before you print it.Your makeup article on Jeremy Lin offends me as much as your penis tweet because it demeans three people and perpetuates a stereotype of Black athletes. You have no clue of the qualities inherent in a successful athlete and the qualities that contribute to a cohesive team.

Hope the readers of this blog now have a better idea of who Jason Whitlock is. I can tell you who Jason Whitlock thinks he is by just looking on his twitter background. He views Ralph Wiley and Mike Royko as mentors in the journalism profession. Idolizes David Simon, who created his favorite television series, "The Wire." And, he describes himself to his audience as speaking "truth to power. Black people think I'm a sellout; White people think I'm a racist. I think I'm too honest. My perspective is for people unafraid to think and willing to challenge their own biases. P.S. It also doesn't hurt if you like to laugh."

I'm not laughing Jason and most of America isn't either. Readers, here are the last 5 paragraphs of Jason's makeup article to Jeremy Lin, "Real Reason I Think Lin is a Great Story." Chime in and tell me who you think Jason Whitlock really is!

"Amar'e and 'Melo should be embarrassed. They have more raw talent than Jeremy Lin. They should wonder what is it about their personalities, their values, their culture and their style of play that didn't allow them to impose a winning imprint on the Knicks."

"Lin's success, even if it disappears, should not be dismissed. There is something to be learned from the results of his play and the absence of two star hip-hop, AAU athletes, 'Melo and Amar'e."

"Yes, I played the hip-hop culture card. Hip-hop music is a capitalistic success. Hip-hop culture is an utter failure. The me-first, rebellious, anti-intellect culture directly contradicts all the values taught in team sports and most of the values necessary to sustain a civilized society."

"I don't get to pick which tweets my supporters and critics choose to interpret. In 140 characters, I can't link to all the on-an-island-by-myself columns that directly contradict the absurd notion that I'm for the unfair treatment of any human being, regardless of color, religion, legal sexual preference, etc."

"Writing columns that discomfort the comfortable and defend the vulnerable is far more important to me than being outrageously popular and irreverent on Twitter."

New York Knicks - The J.R. Smith Factor

2012-02-18T06:35:00.000-08:00

Coach Mike Woodson counsels J.R. Smith

Updating this post on November 4, 2012 to recommend reading Jonathan Abrams September 20, 2012 Grantland article on J.R. Smith - "The Miseducation of J.R. Smith." After reading Abrams post, I went on a tweeting binge about J.R. Smith - Here's a link to those tweets - CG's thoughts on J.R. Smith. Told Nate Jones aka @JonesOnTheNBA that if J.R. has the right coach believing in him - look out - combination of Mike Woodson and Jason Kidd could be the trick. This was in response to Jones' comment as he was watching the New York Knicks play Philadelphia 76ers that it's "crazy how just adding Jason Kidd has caused the New York Knicks to want to share the ball." My initial response to Jones' on that topic is that it isn't crazy at all - Kidd's a leader and has the respect of all. Playing the right way is infectious. The Knicks appear to be creating a positive team culture.

Howard Beck of the New York Time did a good job of profiling the Knicks signing of J.R. Smith. Make sure you click on the link -"Knicks Add Big Shooter With Rough Edges" before you read what I wrote. Also read Jeremy Wagner's "J.R. Smith, an Unpredictable Talent, Still Has Upside."

J.R. is an X-Factor type player, a difference maker. Some are concerned about the chemistry factor, but the Knicks are obviously concerned about the talent and experience factor at the #2 guard spot. Some say Knicks have enough fire power when healthy. I say they don't necessarily have enough fire power and experience at #2 Guard spot. J.R. is a big time talent. Let me repeat that, J.R. is a big time talent. Hard to pass on a guy like that when your financial investment is minimal & he's fighting for his next contract. The Knicks got J.R. under the best of conditions, plus Carmelo knows him from Denver and maybe can be a steadying influence for him. When you look at the risk/reward angle, this is a no-brainer. You always have the option of cutting him if things go terribly south.

Let's deal with reality. Coaching. D'Antoni doesn't have to be beholden to J.R. Smith, because the Knicks have enough offensive firepower without J.R. to survive and thrive. The X-Factor with a player like JR is coaching, how you work with him to get him to play for his teammates and not himself. Got to try to maintain the type of culture that Lin has helped create in his short stint at the lead guard position. You can talk it, but if other players are doing it, it feeds on itself. If things aren't going the way D'Antoni wants, then all he has to do is utilize the coach's best friend, the bench.

J.R.'s appeal is that he can take over a game. Don't ever want to coach that aggressiveness out of him. JR's got a lot of Kobe in him in terms of offensive will and ability. Don't want to kill that type of fire, just tame it.

I don't see J.R.'s addition as that big of an issue. The issue I see looming for the Knicks is Baron Davis. How do you integrate BD into the mix if he get's healthy. BD is a known cancer to a team and a coach killer. If he can contribute and handle backing up Lin, then the Knicks have really got something brewing. Easily can envision BD finishing games & Lin spectating; but you don't want to do anything to damage Lin's confidence, because he's the long term future of the club.

Challenges, Challenges - that's why coaches earn every cent they're paid.

As an aside, many question J.R.'s character and how his perceived character flaws will impact and affect the Knicks. Reading my blog on DeMarcus Cousins,"Evaluating Character in Sports - The Case of DeMarcus Cousins - Basketball Character vs. Personal Character," may address some concerns/question one has on the character question.

'War on the Floor' - Battle of the Frosh - Marcus LoVett, Jr. vs. Aaron Holiday

2012-01-23T01:44:00.000-08:00

Scouted for 11 years in the NBA and have seen a lot of great talent at all levels of basketball in my life. I'm the son of a legendary college coach who coached basketball for 47 years of his life. I was raised in and around gymnasiums. Great talent/players stand out like a sore thumb. Not hard for anybody to recognize a great talent. The challenge in evaluating great talent for the professional level is evaluating the psychological side of the individual and their ability to lead, grow and evolve as a person and a player.

Evaluating a 9th grader is fraught with it's own challenges and land mines. So much can happen in terms of physical, mental and psychological development between the 9th and 12th grades; and obviously, the same holds true in terms of the development of technical and tactical skills in the athlete.

In reviewing George Dohrmann's "Play Their Hearts Out," I expressed a concern with our propensity to expose children to too much too soon (Hurried Child Syndrome), and the possible deleterious consequences that might have on them when they reach adulthood. I've often given friends advice to "Slow Cook" their talented child; but the reality is that some athletes are just advanced beyond their years. I've written two blogs on track prodigy Lauren Williams, who is currently 12 years old and a 7th grader. This blog is on two 9th grade, 15 year old basketball players who are considered to be basketball prodigies by many.

PRELUDE

Marcus LoVett, Jr. is a 5'10" freshman guard at Providence High School in Burbank, CA. Currently averaging 31.6 points., 3.3 assists, & 4.3 rebounds. Shooting percentages indicate he's a special shooter: 51% FG, 39% 3-pt. & 85% FT. Schooled in the game primarily by his dad, Marcus LoVett, Sr., whom I saw play at Oklahoma City University in 1996. LoVett, Sr. was profiled in a 1997 Sports Illustrated article that mentioned the birth of Marcus, Jr.

Aaron Holiday is a 5'11" guard who followed his basketball playing brothers and sisters to Campbell Hall High School in North Hollywood. Older brother Justin played at the University of Washington and is currently playing professional basketball in Belgium. Middle brother, Jrue played one year at UCLA before declaring for the draft. He is the starting point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers. Aaron is currently averaging 25.1 points, 1.6 assists, & 5.9 rebounds. Shooting percentages are 42%FG, 30% 3pt. & 70%FT

Game between Marcus and Aaron on 1/21/12 at Taft High School in the "War on the Floor" was highly anticipated. The Los Angeles Times highlighted the match-up on its blog - "Boys' basketball: Marcus LoVett Jr. vs. Aaron Holiday on Saturday." With that type of headline, I thought I was getting ready to go to a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight.

On Martin Luther King, Jr's holiday, 1/16/12, I saw Providence High School play against Morningside High. Marcus scored 29 points against Morningside, but it was a bad 29. Morningside has a lot of athletes & they played a man-to-man defense and pressured the entire length of the floor. Game was played in a frenzy and Marcus was often out of control and reluctant to trust his teammates with the ball. Easily had double digit turnovers and consistently got himself into trouble trying to split traps of two to three opponents. Even with the negative moments, one could see his natural gifts, and that he had good instincts and a nice feel for the game. Made plays that made you realize you were watching a high level Division 1 player who has a chance to play professional ball at the highest level. After watching him play against Morningside I decided to take another look and brought my 11 year old son with me to the Campbell Hall game. A wise move.

The Game

Campbell Hall played in a zone defense the entire game and led by 6 points going into the 4th quarter. Providence started out in a man-to-man defense, switched to a zone, and LoVett led them to victory in the 4th quarter. Scored 45 points for the game and had 21 in the 4th quarter. Unlike the Morningside game, LoVett's 45 points was a good 45, coming on a vast array of shots, moves, finishes and free throws. Aaron Holiday had 27 points, with the majority of his baskets coming off powerful drives to the baskets. Didn't make one jump shot the entire game.

Click on the following links for detailed write-ups of the game:
"Holiday, Campbell Hall can't stop LoVett"
"LoVett Leads Way Late"
"Fabulous Freshmen Take Center Stage"
"L.A. North: Providence 73, Campbell Hall 66"

THE ANALYSIS

MARCUS LOVETT

Marcus LoVett has been the best player and prospect on the floor in the two games that I've witnessed; and it's not even a close call. Great body for a 15 year old. Proportionate body dimensions. Not the physical specimen Aaron Holiday is, but his athletic ability is comparable to Aaron's. LoVett is strong and knows how to use his body to shield and protect the ball. Most impressive physical aspect of his game is his balance and ability to change pace and directions off the dribble. He already has a middle game & has the leg strength and body control to consistently make mid-range shots off the dribble.

Boys grow late, so it will be interesting to see if he can reach or surpass his dad's height, which is 6'2". The most impressive aspect of his game is his shooting ability. LoVett is a pure shooter and a shot maker. Can play with or without the ball and can make a variety of shots from deep, off the dribble, spotting up, coming off screens or stepping into shot off catch. Add the fact that he's an above average finisher at the rim, can shoot floaters, has a step-back jumper off the dribble, a devastating middle game; and you have a complete offensive player, who just happens to be a 9th grader. I know many guards at the pro level who don't have his arsenal. Kid is a special talent. Don't now if he has a low post game, which I think every player should possess; but I wouldn't doubt it, given his reported work ethic and his dad's involvement in his training.

LoVett is a pure one (New Age) who can run a team. Both a scorer and a shooter, which is unique at any level. Scores big at this level because it's required of him, but would love to see him play with comparable talent to see how he plays with better players. Left-handed,which is usually an advantage in a right-handed world. Handles equally well with both hands and is an excellent dribbler and ball handler. Can handle pressure, initiate an offense and create for others and self. Rebounds well from guard spot on defensive end. Not much he can't do on the basketball court.

Marcus' level of skill and court savvy is way beyond his years. His high school coach, Ernest Baskerville says it best:

"Marcus is an old soul, he plays hard, a blue collar player, comes to work and to practice every day, works hard, first one to practice, last one to leave, takes extra jump shots, works out every day with his dad. Young age wise, but his basketball IQ is like Larry Brown, a 70 year old man. Knows the game, When to take over and what to do. Coach on the court for us; When is the last time you've seen a freshman with that much savvy and poise."

Earlier, I mentioned the Morningside game, where Marcus had a sub-par game and double digit turnovers. On that day he didn't play with poise; got caught up in the emotion of the game and made many poor decisions. Forced the action too much and got himself in trouble trying to split the traps. Even with all the negatives I saw against Morningside, it did not deter me from recognizing his unique talents. There was one full court foray, where I said to Marcus' Uncle that any Division one coach who just witnessed that play can stop writing notes about his game and start plotting how they can get him to come to their University. There's not a University in America who shouldn't try to recruit Marcus; that's how good he is.

From a scouting perspective it was good to see him in two different types of games. Against Campbell Hall's zone he had a totally different personality than he showed against Morningside. Playing under control, not forcing the action, getting teammates involved, making the simple play. Both games he took over in crunch time and took big shots. In the Morningside game his coach called an ill-advised timeout (trust him next time Coach to be your Coach on the floor) in the waning seconds of the game just as Marcus was splitting a trap and breaking free in the open court. Coach setup a play from the sideline, Marcus took the shot, but it didn't go down. He doesn't fear failure, as was evidenced in the Campbell Hall game when he took over down the stretch. Kid is a money player who will be at his best when his best is needed.

Defensively, he's fine. Was matched up against Holiday early (before going to zone) and held his own in half court sets; but got lost in transition, which is Holiday's strength. Has the defensive tools, mindset and toughness to be a very good defender. Would like to see him pick up his intensity and be more of a pest defensively; but that can come in time.

Marcus is dealing with some interesting team dynamics and handling them with aplomb. This is Marcus' and the Coach's first year at Providence. Coincidence? The star player from last year's team, Patrick Gonzalez, is now a senior and averaged 37.8 points per game as a junior. I sense from watching Gonzalez play that he has trouble accepting a freshman being the leader of the team. I'm being kind in saying that they're not always on the same page. Hopefully, egos can be checked at the door and they can truly come together as they enter the final stages of the season.

Found this quote from LoVett and think it speaks volumes about why his game is so advanced:

“The reason why my name is starting to get out there is because of the work I’m putting in at the gym.” “These late nights I’m working hard on my game when everyone else is out having a good time while I’m sweating hard in the gym.”

AARON HOLIDAY

First time I see a player I look at their body and physical tools. Aaron Holiday is at the high end of the scale in that department. Got to be one of the best 9th grade athletes in the country. Body was built for basketball. Great proportions. Big Frame. Broad shoulders. Big Hands. Very Long Arms - Wing Span & Vertical Extension. Slightly bow-legged. Got that explosive and reactive strength that I like to see in an athlete and is also structurally strong. Kid's a stud and his physical tools jump out at you, speed, quickness, functional strength, explosiveness. Got the goods.

His game hasn't yet caught up to his physical gifts, which is to be expected for a 9th grader. He's still a dominant talent as a 9th grader in high school circles, but his game doesn't yet translate as well as LoVett's in playing against older players (college age players - convinced LoVett can hold his own NOW vs. college players) because he hasn't developed the finesse, savvy and shooting ability that LoVett currently possesses. He's like a bull in a china closet. Coast to coast foray's to get easy buckets in transition. Strong drives in half court sets. Good first step quickness and the ability to get to the rim for easy buckets and free throw opportunities. Not always in control and has difficulty executing a pullup jumper because he's not in balance. Shooting ability leaves a lot to be desired. Not a confident jump shooter. Didn't make a jumper the entire game (I could be wrong, wasn't charting; but I doubt it). Free throw release is fine.

Good passer and think he will grow and develop into an imposing point guard. Nice handle, draws and dishes. Understands strength of his teammates and gets the ball to players who can do something with the ball. Maintained vision of the floor and had a nice floor game. Above average rebounder on both ends of the floor. If he wasn't on the court with LoVett, I would be raving about him; but playing against LoVett showed him where he needs to get to and exposed the flaws in his game. Suspect that he hasn't developed a more complete offensive game because he's always been the physically dominant player wherever he's played. In the open court, he can get to the rim at will. Great for his stats, but not the best for his development.

Campbell Hall stayed in a zone the entire game, but I saw enough to conclude that Holiday has the physical tools and strength to be an outstanding defender. I'm not a fan of zone defenses from a developmental standpoint, but I understand why coaches play them; just wish more coaches at the high school level would play man so their kids could develop defensively. Brian McCormick, a coaching friend, disagrees with me on this point and has written several articles on "The Zone Defense Myth." But Brian also makes the distinction between a well-taught defense. "The issue in terms of teaching defensive fundamentals is not man-defense vs. zone-defense. The issue is good defense vs. bad defense or well-taught defense vs. poorly-taught defense." To back up McCormick's point of view, I never had any problems evaluating the defensive potential of John Chaney's players at Temple; can't say the same about Jim Boeheim's players at Syracuse.

One piece of advice I would give to Holiday and it's something the LoVett camp already does. Spend more time with your basketball brothers working on skill development, instead of running around the country playing AAU ball this summer. Wrote the following in my review of "Play Their Hearts Out:"

Hopefully, readers will understand the folly that is grassroots basketball and how it's not necessary in the middle or early high school years to expose your child to the endless stream of games that are a part of travel team basketball. Sonny Vaccaro's advice to Roberto Nelson's dad about being selective about the camps/tournaments a child attends and making certain that young players are mentally and psychologically ready to handle the stress of these events sounds the strongest chord with me. I also appreciate the comments of Ryan Smith, Demetrius Walker's High School coach in his sophomore year at Fontana High: "Going to tournaments all over the country isn't going to help you. What you need is to spend every hour in the gym, working on individual skills. I don't think you should play grassroots basketball at all."

There's no substitute for skill development in basketball. You can play all of the basketball you want, but if you don't master the fundamentals of the game, your game will be exposed at higher levels of competition. Best to strike a balance between skill development and playing the game. Don't rush the process parents! Find a trustworthy coach who knows the game of basketball. Watch various practices before committing your child to a program. If you watch a variety of practices conducted by different coaches,you'll eventually be able to tell if a coach is organized and has a sound philosophy and teaching style.

Another coaching friend, Ed Bird Song, is not as certain as I am in LoVett being the superior player over the course of their playing careers. Ed mentioned to me before the matchup that he wouldn't be surprised if Holiday eventually turns out to be the superior prospect. He could be right; as I expressed in "A Saturday Night (12/30/95) in San Jose - Steve Nash vs. Stephon Marbury," "you never know." If he expands his range/game and develops his jumper, look out. Time will tell and as I like to say to most things that are future oriented, "We'll See!"

Grant Hill - The College Years - "Crossing the Bridge"

2011-12-10T06:14:00.001-08:00

Mike Krzyzewski and Pat Summitt were recently named Sports Illustrated Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year. In listening to the video that highlights the accomplishments of Coach K & Coach Summitt, I was struck by the comments that Krzyzewski made about Grant Hill and the comments that Jeff Capel made about Coach K and Hill.

I first saw Grant Hill play in his freshman year at Duke. By the end of his senior year he had truly evolved as a player and leader. I'll be sharing two reports that I wrote on Grant Hill in his senior year of college. Beside focusing on Hill's game, I reference an interaction Hill had with Capel during a game Duke played vs. Michigan on 12/11/93: "Has evolved into a leader and takes this mantlepiece seriously. Capel over-penetrates as usual at the end of the half and Hill found him immediately, wrapped him in his arms and encouraged him. He supports his teammates & does not tear them down."

In my report chronicling the game against Xavier on 12/4/93, I mention Coach K in my comments: "Coach K has always talked about Hill's need to assert himself & be more selfish for the good of the team. Hill is listening. Very demonstrative on the court. Exhibiting leadership skills. Encouraging young teammates and taking it upon himself to dominate at both ends of the floor."

In the Sports Illustrated video, Coach K talks about how Grant Hill matured in his senior year. How Hill "crossed that bridge," which is the acceptance of who he is/was and who he should be. Coach K told Hill that he was too humble, "that he had the power to make everyone on this team better." Coach K goes on to relate how Grant "crossed the bridge" in the Southeast regional final game against Purdue in 1994 that Duke won 69-60. {I think Hill "crossed the bridge" long before the Purdue game.}

Coach K: "We had a hellacious game with Purdue. At halftime, we had a freshman guard named Jeff Capel, who could win his matchup with the guy he was playing against."

Jeff Capel: "Coach says to me: 'Jeff, your matchup is the key matchup, you're better than that guy, go out and play.'"

Coach K: "When I left the room, I heard Grant talk to him."

Jeff Capel: "Grant was a guy that I looked up to. That year as a freshman, it meant more to me when Grant said things to me, even more than Coach."

Coach K: "In the second half, Jeff was lights out. Walking off the court, I had my arm around Grant and I said 'you won the game today.' Hill said, 'I didn't win the game, Jeff did.' Coach K said "No, you won it. You empowered your teammate to use all of his talents. What a tremendous power a great player has like you.'"

Grant Hill: "I bought in, and that's one of the many qualities that makes Coach K a great teacher, mentor, leader, and basketball coach."

GRANT HILL - COLLEGE REPORTS - 1993-94 SEASON

Players of Grant Hill's ilk don't come along often. Grant played four years at Duke. In today's game that would never happen with a player of his talent and ability. Since the late 70's, people have debated the merits of what is gained by going to college and maturing as a player and person versus entering the pro ranks. I can remember the interviews I had with young kids who were considering entering the NBA out of high school. I would always ask them one question, "Why do you as a boy, feel that you can enter a man's world, both on and off the court."

In reading the comments I've posted above, it's easy to see how four years at Duke benefited Hill as a player and a person. I wish more young players would take time to mature like Hill did in college, instead of rushing for that pot of gold in the NBA. It's hard for anybody, especially young ones to realize "all that glitters is not gold."

Duke vs. Xavier - 12/4/93

Will easily be a top 5 pick in this draft. Coach K has always talked about Hill's need to assert himself & be more selfish for the good of the team. Hill is listening. Very demonstrative on the court. Exhibiting leadership skills. Encouraging young teammates & taking it upon himself to dominate at both ends of the floor. Outstanding physical attributes & basketball skills. Good finesse move in close - makes mid-air adjustment & finishes w/left hand. Exceptional ball handler w/excellent court vision & passing skills. Can play make & initiate an offense. Good passer in transition. Excellent understanding of the game. Patient in letting situations develop. Draws & dishes to 3pt. shooter at the wing in open court. Biggest ? is his ability to hit the deep shot. Frequently off balance when shooting. Needs to get his feet under him & develop a rhythm. Good enough shooter to survive in the pro game-will get better. Starting to hit 18-20' shot-getting more confident. Utilizes pull up jumper off dribble to get better shot if it's viable. Very good decision maker. Impressed with handle & how he protects ball against small guards. Bringing the ball up the floor when pressured by small guards.Exceptional def. abilities. Made one play that demonstrated his agility,quickness, & strength. Stops full court rush of a pt. guard with foot quickness & positioning. Excellent team defender & rebounder. Exceptionally quick reactions to the ball. Type of player that we look for both on & off the court. Really impressed how well he changes ends. In very good shape & filling the lanes. Excellent running mechanics. Hill is a graceful, big athlete.

Duke vs. Michigan - 12/11/93

Possible #1 pick in the draft. Great all-around skills & a force at both ends of the floor. His size & athletic grace are special. Solid family background - appears to have great character. Has evolved into a leader & takes this mantlepiece seriously. Capel over-penetrates as usual at the end of the half & Hill found him immediately, wrapped him in his arms & encouraged him. He supports his teammates & does not tear them down. Has a man's body. Strong enough to play in the league & immediately contribute.So fluid and graceful. Fundamentally sound offensive player. Has a lot of Scottie Pippen in him, but will probably be better. Shooting is a concern. Likes to shoot off the dribble, but is not always in good balance. Shooting has improved while at Duke. Has extended his range over the years. Hitting his spot-up shots better, but he still is not totally confident in it. Predict that he will become a good shooter in the NBA with more reps. His versatility & ability to handle the ball & initiate the offense will be his true value as a pro. Handles the ball like a guard Does not give up his dribble & he can deliver the ball. Gets to the rim & finishes above the rim. Missed last 3 FT att. very badly. Excellent def. rebounder - far superior to Juwan Howard. Traffic rebounder - withstands the pushes & shoves to claim ball. Imposing defender. Can cover big guards & small forwards. Size & reach make it difficult to pass over & into post. Excellent at changing directions. Has the potential to change the complexion of a game on the defensive end. Makes great defensive plays & will be a great defender in the NBA. Great at stopping the ball in fast break situations.

Has Grant Hill done enough in his basketball career to be worthy of being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame? That's a question that basketball purists ask about Hill, as well as his former college teammate, Christian Laettner. In Grant Hill's case, it's a resounding YES!

Hill's college career stands on it's own merits in being one part of the equation for his induction into the Hall. It's his pro career that will probably give voters a slight pause, due to the ankle injury that he suffered near the end of his 6th year in the NBA. Ten years of basketball excellence should leave no doubt in voters' minds. After 6 years in the NBA, "Hill had a total of 9,393 points, 3,417 rebounds and 2,720 assists. Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and LeBron Jamers are the only three players in league history to eclipse these numbers after their first six seasons."

Hill has been relatively healthy since the 2006-2007 season. In the past three years, he has played in an average of 80 games/year. That's remarkable durability for any athlete, let alone a 35+ year old man who was as fragile as glass for a 5 year stretch. Now entering his 17th NBA season, Grant is still an important cog in the wheel for the Phoenix Suns. Talk about the Phoenix rising from the ashes!

Yes, Grant Hill lives as one of the best basketball players of his generation, and just in case you've forgotten how superb he was in the early stages of his NBA career and how productive he is now, the following videos will refresh your memory.

THANKFULNESS - "THE OUGHT OF OPPORTUNITY"

2011-11-23T09:19:00.003-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! My Thanksgiving message is inspired by the works of two men who have been inspired by God. Mark Pickerill, co-lead pastor of Christian Assembly Church, recently preached a sermon on "The Ought of Opportunity;" and Tommy Walker, worship leader, led the choir and congregation in a stirring rendition of "I Give Thanks," a song which Tommy wrote.

Every year before Thanksgiving, Mark reads Abraham Lincoln's 'Proclamation of Thanksgiving,' which was written in 1863. Historians believe the Proclamation was written by Secretary of State, William Seward. Abraham Lincoln was motivated to write the Proclamation because of a letter that "Sarah Joseph Hale, a 74-year-old magazine editor wrote to Lincoln on September 28, 1863, urging him to have 'the day of our annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festival.'"

Thanksgiving is a God-centered holiday. I wonder how many people in 2011 are aware of this fact?

"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."

Mark Pickerill's Thanksgiving sermon distinguishes between the "ought of obligation," duty; and the "ought of opportunity," best interest. Mark highlighted two scriptures,
1 Thessalonians 5:18 and Romans 1:18-32 and emphasized that "the absence of thanksgiving {on a daily basis}, not tending to, or caring for gratitude in your own life, is more far reaching than you could ever imagine."

Romans 1:18-32 is the commentary of a reporter's observations on humankind. The reporter talks about God's "death penalty," how people are fully aware of God's wrath for those who "refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving." This refusal to worship the creator with thanksgiving is mind boggling to the reporter: "they have been given full access to the life that God offers to them, yet they reject it, they refuse to worship the Creator with thanksgiving. As a result, it creates a vacuum, a hole; and everything in the spiritual realm defies a vacuum. In other words, you will be filled with something. Something will be the object of your worship with gratitude."

The question is what do you want that hole to be filled with? Pickerill's thoughts on this question:

"Jesus said the goal is not to be just emptied of evil, but to be filled with goodness. Because, if what was removed is not replaced with God, then it opens up that person for an even greater darkness, than they were, in an earlier state. All of the spiritual realm defies a vacuum. They empty themselves of worship to the one true God with gratitude, thus they are filled with darkness and depravity; thereby losing a clear vision of God the creator and all that is created, and the hinge point upon which all of that turns, is they won't glorify God and be thankful. Thanklessness opens the door to all of that fallout. The absence of thanksgiving leaves a vacuum that will be filled with something, only you don't want to be filled with the something that will fill you."

"What do you say?" This is a favorite question asked to children by their parents. When we teach our kids to be thankful, we usually put it in the "ought of obligation." We know that it's important to emphasize thankfulness to our children, because "thanksgiving does not come naturally to any of us. Parents know if you don't raise a kid with gratitude, you will give birth to an adult who is a brat, you will raise a monster."

Gratitude is more than the "ought of obligation." "Ingratitude is always wrong." It is sinful, "it's a violation of a wholly and a good God. It is hard to work up much gratitude, if you think of it in only the 'ought of obligation;' I have to do it; I'm supposed to do it."

Pickerill quotes the Apostle Paul to hammer his point home:

"No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

"It is not that every circumstance is God's will, but it is, that to be grateful in every circumstance is God's will. Thanksgiving is not just the "ought of obligation," but it's the "ought of opportunity," because it's the best offer you will ever receive in your entire life."

Please take time to listen to Mark Pickerill's lesson on Thanksgiving. Just click on this link & it will lead you to "The Ought of Opportunity." If it doesn't show up, don't be discouraged, just scroll through the pictured themes and you'll find it.

At the conclusion of Mark's lesson, Tommy Walker led us in a beautiful rendition of his signature song, "I Give Thanks." Below, you will find the lyrics to the song, as well as a beautiful English/Japanese version (start at 1:30) that was performed at DCAT (Doing Church as a Team) Japan 2011. Sing along and be filled with God's presence and spirit. Be thankful, not just on Thanksgiving, but everyday, no matter your circumstances in life.

"I Give Thanks" By Tommy Walker

For the first morning light, for the birds when they fly; For the clouds when they hang up so high in the sky; For Your glory I see in a sweet baby’s smile, I give thanks.

For those times when I’ve laughed with my family and friends; For the times when I’ve cried, sensed Your spirit again; For Your love that I find when Your praises I send, I give thanks, I give thanks

For my clothes and my bed, a roof over my head And a piping hot meal when our table is set; For a walk on the beach where Your beauty is seen, I give thanks

For the sound of the saints when they all join in And proclaim You are God, the forgiver of sin; For this hope in my heart that forever I’m Yours, I give thanks, I give thanks

Chorus
I give thanks to You, I give thanks oh Lord; For everything You give, for everything I have, I give thanks to You, I give thanks oh Lord; For all these perfect gifts, they have come from You, So I give thanks

For this breath that I breathe, for my eyes that can see; Beaming sunsets and stars, mountains, valleys and trees; For the years that You’ve shown only kindness to me, I give thanks

For the stripes that you bore so that I could be healed; For the crown that you wore, so that I could be free
For Your blood that You shed, given freely for me, I give thanks, I give thanks

Bridge
I give thanks, I give thanks
I give thanks, I give thanks

TRUST - My Prescription for the NBA Lockout

2011-11-15T14:04:00.001-08:00

J.A. Adande, noted ESPN columnist and commentator, published "Tarnished Legacies ... RIP NBA."
Adande's central thesis is that if the principal players involved in the lockout saga were more selfish and concerned about their legacies, then the NBA lockout would be over and the players would be balling.

"They didn't have to be altruistic, although that would have been nice. Had they resolved the differences on the periphery of an agreement that would bring $2 billion to each side, it also would have brought money to the arena workers and team employees who can't afford to go without paychecks in order to prove a point. It would have brought enjoyment to the fans whose interest and money make this league possible in the first place. But the NBA and its players didn't have to consider any of those things. Simply being self-centered would have done it. A little more concern for which adjectives would be used around their names in the historical record could have kept them and their league from one of its darkest episodes. Had they cared more about preserving their own images, the ancillary benefits would have been enormous, to use one of David Stern's favorite words."

After reading Adande's article, which I recommend reading in it's entirety, I decided to challenge it's central premise. Adande has been around too many basketball coaches in purporting that the deal would have been done if the key players had been more selfish. This is a common refrain that coaches utter to players of great talent who don't always realize that basketball is not an equal opportunity game. A great player has to learn when it's in the team's best interest to be selfish vs. selfless. Michael Jordan never had this problem in the NBA; in fact the Bulls weren't able to get over the hump until MJ learned to TRUST in his teammates ability.

One being concerned about their legacy is not the way to get things done. Once you start worrying about your legacy and doing what you perceive will put you in the best future light, you're in big trouble. Instead, just worry about "playing present," checking the egos at the door, listening intently with the objective of hearing others viewpoint, and find a way, "by any means necessary," to get the job done.

Being selfish and worrying about one's legacy is not a prescription to finalizing an agreement between the two warring parties in the NBA lockout. The prescription is for the players and owners to remember they've been partners, not real adversaries, in bringing the NBA to its current heights. Once they remember that, then maybe the players, owners, and their front line representatives can begin to respect the other's position and find some commonality in them.

TRUST is the word I would like to emphasize to get this deal done, not selfish or legacy. TRUST the process and give one another a reason to start TRUSTING one another again, because that's what real PARTNERS do!

Alan Stein on "Play Present"

"Joseph Vincent Paterno: Educator, Coach, Humanitarian." - My thoughts on Joe Pa, Pedophilia, Penn State & Jerry Sandusky

2011-11-12T00:10:00.001-08:00

"They ask me what I'd like written about me when I'm gone. I hope they write I made Penn State a better place, not just that I was a good football coach."

The above words appear on a stone wall behind a statue of Joe Paterno, affectionately called Joe Pa by many, that is located outside the East side of Beaver Stadium. The statue has been a fixture on campus since 2001 and very few people probably ever thought they would need to question if Paterno had made Penn State a better place.

Now that the world knows about Jerry Sandusky's decades long assault on tender young boys, many are questioning if Joe Paterno is worthy of being called a Humanitarian and if he indeed helped to make Penn State a better place.

What say you? Joe Paterno first set foot on Penn State's campus in 1950. He has been a fixture and powerful presence on campus since the 1970's. He was the head coach for 46 years and finished his head coaching career as football's all-time winningest coach. All that said, will scribes now write that Joe Pa made Penn State a better place?

I wasn't going to write a blog on the Penn State situation because I didn't initially feel I had anything to add to the discussion that wasn't already being said or written. After listening to the initial media reports, I thought it was a sad ending to a great career and felt that Paterno's life mission should not be defined by one huge mistake.

In looking at Joe Pa's life, I saw many similarities to my father's (Clarence "Big House" Gaines) life as a college coach, educator, and humanitarian. On 11/9 I wrote:

When the 4th estate gets involved to this degree - Forget about it - Joe Pa and his family had to know what was going to happen - He's a proud man who had carte blanche at that University for many years. He went out on his shield. Not the type who is going to resign. Get a kick out of seeing him in his house. Man is worth millions, but money means nothing to him. One University, one Wife, and probably one house. Reminds me of my dad. Rarely see that type of stability and contentedness anymore.

I read Joe Posnanski's article, "The End of Paterno" and shared similar senitments about Paterno and Penn State that Posnanksi expressed in his article. Posnanksi has been working on a book about Joe Paterno for a couple of years.

On 11/10 my opinions started to change as I was listening to Dan Patrick's timeline of Sandusky's sexual crimes against prepubescent boys. After listening to Patrick's 5 minute soliloquy I wondered what the ADULTS in STATE COLLEGE were thinking!

Here's the deal with Penn State. Every coach on the Penn State staff knew about Sandusky's illicit behavior. I've been around athletics all my life. Coaches gossip more than anybody on the planet. No way in the hell Paterno & Mike McQueary were the only two members of that staff who knew about Sandusky. This Mark Madden article takes it to another level: "Jerry Sandusky RUMORED to Have Been 'Pimping Out Young Boys to Rich Donors." Amazingly, this article appeared on 4/3/11 - "Madden: Sandusky a State secret:"

Since April, and probably before that, because of the Grand Jury hearings, the University's leaders knew about this situation. They've had plenty of time to prepare for the fallout.

Many will think Joe Paterno and others in the Penn State athletic department, as well as a few select people in high levels of the University administration, knew about Jerry Sandusky's pedophilic ways prior to 1999. "WHAT DID JOE PATERNO KNOW AND WHEN DID HE KNOW IT?" That key question was addressed in a JULY 27 article, "Paterno will have to face the Sandusky situation."

Sandusky played for Paterno and graduated from Penn State in 1966. After a couple of assistant coaching stints at other colleges, Sandusky returned to "Happy Valley" in 1969 and never left. He was elevated to the defensive coordinator position in 1977 and held that position until he retired in 1999 at the age of 55. Knowing what we know now, the question that must be answered is why did he really retire in 1999?

This Mark Madden quote really resonated with me. "Joe is from a different generation. In his day, this stuff stayed secret. Thank God its not that way now. Another example of Joe staying too long." Paterno is Catholic. Penn State's attempt at a coverup reminds me of how the Catholic church coverd up for their priests - Joe Lapointe's article, "The Hard Truths" also drew the connection - "The alleged cover-up in State College, Pa., is analogous to the scandal that continues to stain the Catholic Church, a breach of trust between controlling adults and vulnerable children that disgusts and horrifies:"

I also read a few pages of the Grand Jury's report on Jerry Sandusky. Dan Patrick's timeline on Sandusky and Penn State is tame in comparison to the actual Grand Jury report.

And then I decided to write something that I feel is different than anything you'll read on Sandusky and Penn State. It's the only reason I'm writing this blog. I hope you take time to read it.

The media is missing a great opportunity to educate people about Pedophilia, which is Jerry Sandusky's MENTAL DISORDER. Have you wondered why a man like Sandusky, who was accomplished and respected in his community, would risk everything to satisfy his sexual urges by sexually abusing young boys? Sandusky's behavior can never be excused, but it needs to be understood and explained to the masses.

My wife is a district attorney in LA County. She works in the Sex Crimes Division. Her unit deals specifically with Sexually Violent Predators. Her main responsibility is to keep convicted offenders behind bars, or in mental institutions when they are eligible to be paroled. People like Sandusky cannot control their impulses/urges and need to be locked up and treated to protect society, as well as to protect them from themselves. When someone has a disease or mental disorder like Sandusky has, he needs help, a lot of help.

Is Pedophilia curable? No, it's not, but it can be managed and treated. A term a doctor might use to describe Pedophilia is that it's "enduring and chronic." My wife likes to say it's "permanent and incurable." These two words, "permanent and incurable" don't offer too much hope for the individuals that suffer from pedophilia. 900+ people in the state of California have been convicted of sexually violent crimes in a 15 year period. Over that 15 year period, only 20 have been CONDITIONALLY released. The word conditionally is important, because they are heavily supervised in the unlikely event they are released.

The people who knew of Sandusky's condition and tolerated it for so many years obviously had no understanding of the chronic and enduring nature of his condition. Whatever he said to them about changing his pattern of behavior were just hollow words, because he had no control over his impulses. In his own way, he was crying out for help and they neglected to hear/listen and respond appropriately to his cries. Pedophiles need to be reported immediately to authorities. They won't change because their mental condition won't allow them to change. Here's a link to somebody who gets the seriousness of this mental disorder, "Get Rid Of The Pedophiles And Let Football Be Damned."

What can we learn from the Penn State debacle? There are so many things that I can list, but the one thing I hope people learn is the responsibility they have for getting pedophiles off the streets. If you see or suspect suspicious behavior, don't ignore your gut instincts. Follow through and tell the appropriate authorities. We all bear a responsibility and Meg Fowler's excellent essay on "bearing responsibility" is one to be heeded.

POSTSCRIPT - Links to article & videos on the Penn State affair that interest me:

"Who knew what about Jerry Sandusky?" by Sara Ganim
"Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely" by Matt Paknis
"Silence at Penn State" by Rick Reilly - Taking a vow against silence
"What Every Parent Can Learn from the Penn State Scandal" by @realmattdaddy
"You Must Read The Grand Jury Report" by Dan Bernstein
"Outside the Arena: College Sports Bubble Can Warp Values" by Kate Fagan
"Guest Post from an Angry Penn State Student"
"No one, it seems, knows Jerry Sandusky" by Elizaberh Merrill Story- excellent video comments by a former Sandusky recruit, Jon Ritchie, who attended Stanford, played in NFL and volunteered for the Second Mile Foundation.
"How Could They do Nothing" by Sandy Banks
"Sandusky Comments" Radio interview with Bob Costas
"What the Catholic Church Can Teach Us About the Penn State Scandal" by Patrick Hruby

Heartbreaker - My view of Chris Herren & ESPN's Documentary, "Unguarded"

2011-11-02T00:45:00.000-07:00

Chris & Heather Herren & their 3 kids.

Sat down on Tuesday night, November 1, 2011 to watch ESPN's feature on Chris Herren, entitled "Unguarded." About 30 minutes into it my 11 year old son walked into the house and started watching it with me. He had a lot of homework, but I thought this documentary was more important for him to watch than doing his homework.

Why? Most young kids only see the glamorous side of sports when they watch a top flight college or pro athlete in person or on television. I wanted him to see the darker side of life and the sports world. I wanted him to see what can happen to an individual when he is unable to say "no" to temptation, drugs, alcohol, negative influences, and questionable friends. I wanted him to see how talent can be wasted due to the choices one makes in his life. I wanted him to understand the value of being at peace with yourself. I wanted him to understand the value of being educated and making good choices with that education. I wanted him to experience Chris Herren's journey and learn from it.

I scouted Chris Herren when he played for Fresno State. First saw him in November of 1997 against Florida A & M and last saw him play in college in February, 1999 against Utah and Andre Miller. I started writing blog posts because some people who read my extended tweets dug reading my old scouting reports. Later, I'll be sharing what I thought of Chris Herren, the player, when he was in college, but that's not the focal point of this post. The focal point of this post is to highlight ESPN's documentary, "Unguarded."

Talented athletes in America, especially talented young basketball and football players can get a warped sense of reality at a very young age. Chris' older brother, Michael preceded him at Durfee High School in Fall River, Mass. and left quite a legacy in leading teams that won back to back state championships. Local fans were well aware of Chris' exploits before he even attended Durfee High School in the 9th grade. Chris and his high school teammates did three things well, they played ball, partied and drank together after their weekend games. Athletes live in the fast lane and if they don't have strong people in their lives they can quickly veer out of control.

One of my previous blogs, "Play Their Hearts Out," highlights the land mines that are a part of the youth basketball scene. I highlighted a book entitled, "The Hurried Child" in that blog because I wanted to emphasize to parents to let their children be children!

"This book {Play Their Hearts Out} is a wake-up call to parents of young athletes to slow the process down. Don't let your child be "The Hurried Child." If you don't understand the ramifications of "The Hurried Child," read David Elkind's fine book on the consequences of putting children in harms way by exposing them to too much too soon."

Remarkably, the director of "Unguarded," Jonathan Hock echoed similar sentiments about rushing the process when talking about Chris Herren:

"It's not just the addiction that derailed his career. It's the total lack of perspective. If you tell a kid there is only one thing he can do that's worthy of him feeling good about himself, that's a tough spot to put a kid {in}. I think if you look at this story, maybe you'll hesitate the next time you want to push that kid extra hard to do what Chris does. Let him play, let him have fun."

Strongly suggest clicking on the "Unguarded" link to read the "Director's Take." It's an excellent summary of the documentary. Here's the first paragraph:

"It's the way of most sports stories to show how a life's meaning can be found on the athletic field, how dedication to the game can provide redemption and honor. But sometimes talent is a mixed blessing, and the measure of an individual ultimately can't be taken by wins and losses."

Does participating in sports build or reveal character? Most, would say it builds it, but I think it reveals it. Chris had some serious character flaws. I entitled this piece "Heartbreaker," because drug addicts and alcoholics will break your heart. Watch Jerry Tarkanian talk about Chris and you know he broke his heart many, many times. The first report I ever wrote on Chris referenced his problems with substance abuse:

"Has had a lot of problems in his career. Transfer from Boston College. Substance Abuse - Voluntarily left team on 11/97 to seek treatment/counseling for substance abuse. Character issues make him a big question mark for the NBA, but he should be scouted if he returns to college ball. If one can believe the media reports, it's a positive sign that he sought out help for his drug problem."

The Chicago Bulls were very reluctant to take a chance on young athletes who had substance abuse problems. Chris Herren was scouted by the Bulls organization, but we never seriously considered taking him. Jerry Krause often talked about how much he learned about the mentality of athletes like Herren from dealing with Quintin Daily early in his Bulls tenure. Quintin, like Chris, was good at breaking many hearts.

Surprisingly, Chris was never at peace playing basketball in college or the pros. He couldn't function on the basketball court unless he was doing drugs. I don't know what demons he was dealing with in his life, but hearing Bill Reynolds, the co-author of his book, "Basketball Junkie: Memoir" talk about him now being at peace in his life made me think about the first lesson that I teach all kids that I coach. What's the lesson? John Wooden's definition of success:

"SUCCESS IS PEACE OF MIND, WHICH IS A DIRECT RESULT OF SELF SATISFACTION IN KNOWING YOU DID YOUR BEST TO BECOME THE BEST THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING."

Key phrases in Wooden's definition are "peace of mind" and "self satisfaction." Neither phrase was a part of Herren's psyche or vocabulary when he was playing basketball, and that's sad. Athletes love the adulation from others, but they must learn to honestly evaluate themselves and be content with the fruits of their effort.

It appears that Chris is now at peace in his life and that he can look in the mirror every morning when he shaves and be proud of the reflection that he sees of himself. Love is a powerful emotion, but we must learn to love, like, and be able to live with ourselves before we can extend true love to others. The most powerful definition about love that I've ever read/heard was written in M. Scott's Peck brilliant book, "The Road Less Traveled." "Love is the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth."

Speaking of love, nobody loves Chris more than his childhood sweetheart and wife, Heather Herren. Oftentimes, she was in the dark and in denial, and Chris broke her heart more times that she can count, but she persevered through the darkest of days. She maintained her love for him and kept their marriage intact. Choosing a life partner is one of the most important things that some of us will ever do in life. Chris chose wisely and considers Heather "a saint." When I think of Heather's love for Chris, 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 is applicable:

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Next showing for "Unguarded" is Saturday, November 5 at 7AM EST on ESPN2 - Click on this link to check the schedule for all of ESPN films.

I'm also linking an interview that Chris had with Bill Simmons on 11/2/11 - Adds even more depth to the story - Just click on this link the listen to The B.S. Report.

My final scouting report on Chris Herren
Opponent: Utah
Date: 2/20/99

Have now seen him against a good guard - Utah's Andre Miller and he does not measure up. This season has been a struggle for him - doesn't appear to be in great shape. Missed 7 games due to an ankle injury and the flu. Not in synch - Heavy in butt. Looks like a second rounder- being exposed by Miller. Sat major stretches of the second half and then took a very poor shot when they were down by 3 with less than a minute to go - sensed that he wanted to he the hero - you would think a point guard who just recently came into the game would have the sense to go with the hot hands of Alexander or Roberson. Off target on lob passes - appears intimidated - not able to penetrate. Making poor choices in half court situation - tough long passes. Average quickness - not quick enough to beat you off the dribble on a consistent basis. I hate to say it. but he played like he was on drugs. Married and expecting his first child in March.
Season Stats: {19G.17S,27M,42%,FG,39%,3pt..70%FT, 1.7R.12.2pts.,7.2A,2.5TO,1.1S}

Also saw versus LIU on 12/23/97 - Local reporter (Andy Katz) told me that he had a cocaine problem - 3rd game back after a self induced rehabilitation - returned to the program on 12/ 17. Average wing span. Big hips. Not explosive - good speed and quickness. Cocky. Has a lot of game on the offensive end - bringing energy to the game. Attack of the rim/finish in open court. Solid release and shot - 3 point range. Good strength in powering up off the drive - deals with contact. Strong dr:ive left - powers up and over the defense. Sees floor on the break.

Also saw versus FAMU on 11/15/97 - Has had a lot of problems in his career. Transfer from Boston College. Substance Abuse -Voluntarily left the team in 11/97 to seek treatment/counseling for substance abuse. Block body - Good level of strength. Built along the lines of Matt Maloney. Average Wing span. Need to see against better guards. Combination guard. Good athlete. Did a good job of organizing the team and setting people up in this game. Impressed with his attack of the rim off the dribble. Good speed and has the ability to turn the corner and penetrate into the lane off the dribble. Good finisher in the lane, Has done a good job of drawing the defense and pitching to open man. Decent defender - exhibits good quickness and strength. Did not exhibit his complete arsenal this game. Was not looking for the jumper but he is considered to be a good shooter. Character issues make him a big question mark for the NBA. but he should be scouted if he returns to college ball. If one can believe the media reports.It's a positive sign that he sought out help for his drug problem.
1996-97 stats: {32G. 30.3M. 47.5%FG, 36.2% 3pt., 65.4% FT, 2.3 R, 4.6A, 2.9 TO, 1.8S, 17.5 Pts.}

Earl "The Pearl" Monroe's Sacrifice - From the Bullets to the Knicks

2011-10-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

Coach Steve Finamore sent me an article written by Harvey Araton on Earl Monroe, the greatest basketball player that my father, Clarence "Big House" Gaines ever coached. The article is entitled "The Parable of the Pearl" and it's a great read. The article is excerpted from Araton's book, "When The Garden was Eden," and focuses on a trade that rocked the basketball world on November 11, 1971. On that date, Earl Monroe was traded by the Baltimore Bullets to the New York Knicks.

The central question that basketball fans and experts had on their minds after the trade was consummated was a simple one; could Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe coexist in the same backcourt?

Araton's article addresses the question in the first paragraph:

The trade was announced on November 11, stunning the basketball world. Imagine hearing in 1985 that Magic Johnson had been traded to the Celtics -- that's how unimaginable the dealing of Earl Monroe to the Knicks was in 1971. Even more incongruous was the notion that he and Walt Frazier could share a backcourt. Not only were they impassioned rivals, stars who both wore a perfect 10 on their jerseys, but their efficacy was predicated on control of the ball -- no one knew what would happen when they didn't have it in their hands.

Could they play together? Here's a sampling of opinions from players of that era.

Oscar Robertson argued with his teammates and told "them they were crazy to think Monroe wasn't good enough to adapt to the Knicks' style. A basketball player is a basketball player, and Earl Monroe was a great one. There was never any doubt in my mind that he would succeed."

Phil Jackson "doubted that the experiment would work."

Bill Bradley told Phil Jackson that "he was nuts," and that "Earl will fit right in, He's a hell of a player."

Walt Frazier had his doubts and thought he might be traded from the Knicks. "That's the only way the trade for Monroe makes sense. They don't need both him and me in the backcourt."

I'm not writing this blog to regurgitate the story. You can read the entire article by clicking on this link: "The Parable of the Pearl." I'm writing this article to give you my perspective of why one of the greatest showmen in the game was able to sublimate his game for the good of the team.

Earl Monroe was somewhat of a late bloomer in basketball. According to a NBA.com profile, Earl "was more interested in soccer and baseball than in basketball" as a youth. In Frank Deford's classic 1968 Sports Illustrated article on Earl, "The Doctor Works His Magic," Deford notes that Monroe was an all-public school player in soccer and was shamed into playing basketball at age 14 due to a growth spurt. Soccer is a great sports for teaching a player the importance and value of merging his individual skill set with those of his teammates to enable a team to achieve to its maximum potential.

Earl's foundation in team sports and the game of basketball at the youth level are key in understanding why he was able to coexist with Frazier and the Knicks. One of his strongest statements in Araton's book is the difference in style between a Philadelphia born and bred player versus a New Yorker:

Philadelphia's a different animal than New York," Monroe said. "In the playgrounds down there, we pride ourselves on teamwork, on passing the ball, whereas in New York, most of the guys made a move to the basket, one-on-one." The way Monroe saw it, Philly ball was really more Old Knicks than New York ball was. As Holzman had noted all those years ago in his scouting report, Monroe knew the game, but like a great jazz artist, he was blessed with the ability to riff. Joe Lapchick once remarked that if a deceased player could rise from the grave, he would think Monroe was playing a different sport.

My dad coached Earl in college. I think the readers of this blog should read all of Frank Deford's 1968 article on Earl, where then NBA player Ray "Chink" Scott, "Monroe's close friend on the Bullets today—remembers that he and other pros had long known about The Pearl. They had gone out of their way to see him play when he was still in high school. Of the multitude of players who have come out of Philadelphia in recent years—Chamberlain included—it is doubtful that any has been held in such esteem at home as Monroe. He is sovereign in the all-pro Baker League, the toughest summer wheel in the country. The Baker floats to various locations, but no matter where it goes Monroe's fans follow it."

My Dad & Earl Monroe - Earl's Rookie Year in Baltimore.

After reading Deford's article, I suggest you read the following excerpt from Chapter 14, "I Stumble onto Earl Monroe," from my father's book, "They Call Me Big House," about the recruitment of Vernon Earl Monroe and his freshman year at the college that is now known as Winston-Salem State University. The main thing that I hope you'll learn from reading the excerpt is that Earl was not coddled by my dad, and I think that fact also helped him in making a smooth transition to the Knicks.

In the early fall of 1963, after recruiting Teddy Blunt for me in 1962, Leon Whitley in Philadelphia shifted his attention to an athlete who had played against Teddy in high school. What caught Leon's eye was that, under this kid's leadership, his high school had beaten Teddy's high-school team when it was at its very best.

I usually trusted Leon's judgment without question because he was not that far removed from his own playing days. He knew about the rigors of balancing college coursework, basketball practice, and being on the road for several months. These playground ballplayers may have had the skills, but they did not have a sense of the environment into which they would be going if they were selected for a college team.

Leon was only 10 years older than Teddy's generation, so the kids he was talking to on the playground seemed to relate to him. He was not some old-man recreation director employed by the city to pass out basketballs and restring hoop nets. Leon would get out on the playground and play basketball with these guys, so he could judge their skills himself. And since he had served as a point guard on the 1953 ClAA championship team, they respected his skills as well. The CIAA, even though it was a conference of small black colleges in the South, was well known among the black teenagers in the Northeast.

This athlete that Leon was watching now had amazing basketball skills and was well mannered to adults, but he was also somewhat shy. The biggest negative in Leon's eyes was that he was indifferent -- or, in Leon's words, "lackadaisical"-- in his attitude toward school and his future. Like too many of the kids Leon saw from the inner city, the kid did not have a sense of what he could do to shape his own future. He was growing out of his teenage years, and he had no idea what he was going to do with his life.

Leon called me several times as he watched the teenager play summertime ball to tell me how good he was. While Leon was surprised at how good the kid was, he was also honest with me that the young man seemed uninterested in preparing for much of anything in his future.

What troubled me most about this prospect was that he had already graduated from high school and had come home from a college preparatory school, apparently deciding that he either could not or would not do college-level coursework. That was in the front of my mind whenever Leon called to push him. The kid had already turned his back on one college, so what would stop him from doing the same with Winston-Salem Teachers College? I didn't want to waste my time on a quitter.

Instead of going on to college, the kid had gone to work as a shipping clerk in a paper-plate factory. For fun, he played pickup playground ball at Leon's recreation center, just as he had done during his high school years. That was all basketball seemed to be to him -- something to do for fun, rather than something to get him to a higher level of education and a professional career that would come only with a college degree.

All that was true, Leon admitted in his phone calls. But Leon said this kid could play basketball like no one he had ever seen. When Leon first contacted me, he had a hard time describing the player's talents, other than saying they were amazing to see. He seemed to be able to adjust to his opponents' body language and to exploit any slight mistake into a major advantage. It was as if the teenager was anticipating what the defending player was going to do in response to his attack-before he even attacked. By the time the defending player had figured out what the kid was going to do, he had already done it. The basket had been made, and the kid was on his way back to set up his defense, while the defenders were still standing around trying to figure out what had just happened to them.

The teenager's athletic background made me curious and also a little concerned. When Leon had asked the kid how long he had been playing, he was shocked to hear how he had not even picked up a basketball until he was 14 years old. He had grown up more interested in baseball and soccer. He had gone out for basketball only when a junior-high coach demanded that any 14-year-old who was already six foot-three had to play junior-high ball.

By the time he reached high school, the kid had grown only to six foot-four, a common size among ballplayers, and certainly not a size that would make coaches take notice. Because he had started playing so late in his youth, his high-school coaches had not even picked him to start on the varsity team until midway through his junior year. That was far too late for any of those coaches to have a chance to develop his skills beyond what he already brought to the team. Most of the skills he was showing now on Leon's playground had been developed on that same playground. He polished those skills by playing in the Baker League, a playground league in South Philadelphia similar to the Rucker tournaments in New York City. While he had a good, if short, high-school career, most of the kid's reputation among other players had been made on the playground.

It was during one phone call from Leon that I laughed out loud when he made a statement that I did not think could ever possibly work out to be true.

"Mr. Gaines, this kid could turn out to be your next Cleo Hill," Leon said.

I remember that his tone of voice was very serious, and stayed serious even when I laughed back into his ear.

I did not see how it was possible that I could luck into finding another player who was as blessed with talent as Cleo had been. I had coached scores of basketball players since 1946, when I started, and more than a dozen since Cleo had graduated in 1961. Many of them had been great, wonderful players who had helped Winston-Salem Teachers College win ClAA championships, but only one of them had been a Cleo Hill.

Cleo had been able to shoot any kind of shot from any place on the court. He had proven to be easy to coach and easy for the other kids to like and follow. He had been a superstar on a team that was not jealous that he got that kind of superstar attention from me, the newspapers, the referees, and eventually NBA scouts. And Cleo made sure his teammates got their share of the credit. He might have been my superstar, but he never took the label seriously, and he never let me take it seriously either. I did not see how finding such a player again just two years after Cleo had graduated was possible.

Once again. I was wrong. Once again, I stumbled onto a great player. Once again, my bumper-car philosophy of moving along in the direction in which I was bumped would prove to be a benefit to me and Winston-Salem Teachers College, which would change its name to Winston-Salern State College this year.

The promising athlete's name was Vernon Earl Monroe. The newspapers would call him Vernon for the first year, but they would start using Earl in his second. By his senior year, the name the newspaper and fans would call him was "the Pearl."

I finally gave in to Leon's phone calls and told him to go ahead and send Earl down in the fall of 1963. I might have guessed that there would be a catch. and there was. Leon said Earl had a friend named Steve Smith (Sahib Abdul Kharir), who would have to come along, too. As best buddies, they wanted to go to the same college.

I had heard this demand. once before. It was the same one Cleo had demanded with his best buddy, Artie Johnson. I could take both of them or neither of them.

When Leon told me Steve was only five-foot-ten, I cringed. He was bigger than five-foot-seven Artie Johnson, but smallish players were not what I needed.

Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I could hear Leon whispering over the phone. "Cleo, Cleo."

Finally, I agreed to take both Earl and Steve, sight unseen, and unsure what I would do with both of them. Just as with most players I recruited. I had never met either recruit in person, had never seen either of them play, had never seen a scouting report on them, and had never met their parents. I just trusted Leon Whitley that these kids could be college basketball players and, more importantly to them, that they could become college graduates on their way to professional careers in education.

It would be nearly 25 years before I would finally admit to Leon that he was right, that the player he had found was a match for Cleo Hill.

Actually, Earl was not raring to become a teacher. The college preparatory school he had attended was affiliated with Temple University, but I don't think he ever got an idea of what he might major in before he quit school. Instead of thinking about trying another college, he contemplated skipping college completely and entering the American Basketball League.

The ABL was a league that Harlem Globetrotters owner Abe Saperstein had created in 1961, when he thought he had been cheated out of the NBA franchise for Los Angeles. Saperstein's Globetrotters used to open for NBA games in order to attract crowds. When he was passed over for the franchise, which was given to the owner of the Minneapolis Lakers, an angry Saperstein jumped into financing the ABL. He apparently jumped too fast before realizing how expensive it was to create a league from scratch. The ABL lasted only two years, just long enough to attract the attention of players like Earl -- who knew that the NBA would not take anyone who did not have a college degree -- but not long enough that Earl could actually play for any of the teams.

With the folding of the ABL, Earl was left with the choices of staying at his dead-end job, playing for the Globetrotters, or coming to Winston-Salem. After some more urging from Leon, Earl decided to try college once more."

Before Earl could change his mind, Leon loaded him and Steve on the train and sent them south. I don't think either one of them had been more than 100 miles from home.

Between the two of them, Steve and Earl had one overcoat. When I climbed up in the train car late at night to find my new recruits, I found them huddled together under that one coat. As I gathered up their meager belongings and we headed for the car to take them to their dorm, one of them asked why the "local" trains were not running. These Philadelphia natives assumed that every town had a subway. Just like my kids from New York City, these Philadelphians would be in for culture shock when they discovered what living in a small Southern city really meant.

When I had Earl and Steve tryout, I was pleased at what I saw. Both of them could play basketball, just as Leon had promised. I don't remember sensing any greatness in Earl during those practices. but I could see that he could play. Teddy Blunt, Earl's old high-school rival, assured me that Earl would be cool as a cucumber on the floor when we faced opponents.

Teddy also told me about the nicknames that Earl had back on the playgrounds of Philadelphia: "Black Jesus" and "Magic." I guess the "Black Jesus" nickname came from his performing miracles on the court. "Magic" must have referred to the same thing.

That Earl did not immediately shine in college and live up to his teenage nicknames -- and that I did not recognize his "magical" skills right away -- may surprise some people. I saw those spinning moves he had perfected on the playgrounds, but I had seen similar moves from my New York playground players. I was more interested in seeing if Earl fit in well with the team, or if he would be a showboater who I would have to control.

Earl did fit in with the team, but he was just another freshman to me. Freshmen did not normally start on my teams unless my older, experienced players got into foul trouble. Even though Earl was obviously talented. I still had better players on the team who had already proven to me that they could play well under pressure during big games. I was not about to pull them out of the starting lineup just to make space for an unproven freshman, even if Earl had undeniable potential.

In most of the games in Earl's freshman year, I simply did not need his services because not many of my players got in foul trouble. That Earl Monroe sat on the bench during most of his freshman year may sound surprising for a man who is on the list of the NBA's all-time top 50 players, but it is true. I played him only enough in his freshman year that he averaged around seven points a game. He made only 163 points that year.

But I knew what I had and who I had. There were several times during his freshman year that I put Earl in during tightly contested games, just to see how he would perform under pressure. He always did well, always surprised the opposition, and always pleased his coach and his teammates. I just did not need him in the games all of the time.

At one point in Earl's freshman year, he decided that he wanted more playing time. He demanded that he get more minutes or he would go home. I knew how to handle that kind of talk from a freshman, I called his mother and his sister, perhaps the only two people in the world who Earl trusted to help him make decisions. They called him and convinced him that I recognized his value and that his time would come.

It was during his sophomore year that Earl had enough playing time to begin to incorporate his playground skills into his college game. He would spin; he would move in and out; he would dribble with his back to the basket, then spin around to send the ball sailing toward the rim that had been out of his sight just moments earlier. It was as if he could see the goal from the back of his head and could make any necessary adjustments once he had spun around and was in the air taking his shot.

Whenever anyone would ask him how he developed the moves, Earl would shrug and say, "I don't know what I am going to do next, so how can a defender know what I am going to do next? I only know what I am going to do when I do it, so it is hard to defend me."

Some of his explanations of his "shake-and-bake" moves, as he called them, made no sense to anyone who was not a playground player. In one article, he was quoted as saying, "I had to develop flukey-dukey shots, hesitating in the air as long as possible before shooting."

And that is all the answer that Earl has ever given anyone about the way he played the game, both as a college student and as a professional star.

Great players can do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it in the game of basketball. They dictate the terms of the game to their opponent, whether it's a great scorer like Earl, a great play maker like Magic Johnson or a great defender like Bill Russell. Those who doubted this quality in Earl and his willingness to sacrifice his game for the good of the team needed to understand the foundational bricks that his personality and game were built on. In 1971, they only needed to read Deford's Sports Illustrated 1968 article to understand how Earl would add to the Knicks' synergy.

"He will occasionally sneak a quick, but deadpan, look over to the press—the critics—after a particularly good pass to see how well the play registered. When he was playing a day-night tournament in Chicago in his senior year his old Philadelphia friend Guy Rodgers visited Monroe after the afternoon game and informed him that the pro scouts watching had been impressed with his shooting—he had made about 55 points—but still had some doubts about his passing ability. Monroe nodded."

"Well," says Chicago Bull Scout Jerry Krause, who was then with the Bullets, "after his 15th or 20th assist that night he kind of cocked his head and looked up to where we were sitting—just sort of asking if that was enough. He also went for 45 or 50 points."

I rest my case!

Bonus Suggestion: Read the late, great Ralph Wiley's article on Earl Monroe:
"Seeing the Game Through Pearl Vision."

BLACK MAGIC - EARL MONROE - COLLEGE YEARS

Lauren Rain Williams - My choice for Sports Illustrated 2011 SportsKid of the Year

2011-10-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

Lauren Rain Williams is one of ten finalists for Sports Illustrated's 2011 SportsKid of the Year award. All of the nominees are worthy of the award. Just being named as one of the ten finalists out of the thousands of kids nominated for the award is an honor in and of itself. Voting starts today and ends at 12:00PM EST on October 17. Vote early and often for the athlete that you feel is most deserving of this award. My choice is Lauren Williams.

Why Lauren? If you want the long version, read the blog I wrote on Lauren in June, "Do No Harm - The weekend story of a child track prodigy - Lauren Rain Williams." The short version. I first saw Lauren run in 2009 at a USATF youth track and field meet. My son started participating in track and field meets in 2009 and I happened upon an excellent web site that was dedicated to youth track and field, trackmom.com. Lauren's mom, Lorraine is the architect of the site and you couldn't help but notice the pictures she featured of her daughter. Soon, I would see Lauren run in person. What a sight to behold. I've been around athletics a long time and I know a special athlete when I see one. So does everybody else in the stands. When Lauren runs, all eyes are on her. Kids, parents and officials know who she is and there is a buzz in the stadium when she steps to the start line.

Here's an excerpt from "Do No Harm:"

This is the second blog post I've written on a young prodigy that I've had the pleasure of seeing in person. "CG's view of KG (Kevin Garnett) when he was in High School" was the first. For 11 years of my life I was a scout and front office executive with the Chicago Bulls. My main responsibility was to evaluate talent. I've seen some great athletes and players when they were very young. Besides Garnett, I also saw LeBron James play in high school and Michael Jordan when he was a freshman at UNC. Lauren Williams has the same type of eye-popping talent.

Lauren's mom, Lorraine recently wrote about her 2011 season, "Lauren Rain Williams 'Mission So Very Possible' Season 2011." Here are a few excerpts:

What many people may not know about this “special to me” track athlete is that she is very special to a lot of people, that have never seen her run. Full of life, she is generous and caring. She donates her time to Veteran’s and small children alike. Lauren is funny, a little shy and never lingers in disappointment or anger. She loves just having fun. Lauren’s quiet confidence is never missed once you get to know her.

We are continually humbled and awe inspired by her talent and eagerness to be the absolute best. Coach Henry {her dad} says she is a joy to coach because she does everything asked of her. She shows a fierce determination, commitment, and work ethic that few athletes, youth or elite have, no matter how good they are.

She, nor we, take for granted her talents and gifts, and every year it gets better and more refined. Her maturity is far beyond 12 years of age and she inspires other athletes to do their best as well.

Coach Henry and Lauren decided last year that their collective goal was to earn 9 National Championships {She accomplished her goal}. We knew this was a very big undertaking and not to be taken lightly. We also believed that she could possibly break one, if not both of Angela Williams' National Records and Aaliyah Browns' AAU and World International records as well.

In May at the L.A.Jets meet, Coach Henry said he knew Lauren could run sub 56.0 {She did, 55.31 - fastest time in nation - age 11}. Just the week before at the Pasadena Running Roses meet she shocked even coach Henry by running an anchor leg that was akin to Jessica Beard's relay leg at the NCAA’s. It was nothing short of THRILLING. Lauren closed an incredibly large gap of almost 50 plus meters. Coming within a 1 foot step of passing for the gold {only race Lauren participated in the entire track season where she didn't come in first}. That was an all time great race. I couldn’t believe it, I looked up and she was making a serious run for the lead and almost did it. That is what makes Lauren special, that level of tenaciousness and relentlessness that has no bounds. There was no reason to “kill herself” over second place; she had such a large gap to close. She could have taken it in stride and said, “I didn’t get the baton early enough,” but she said "sorry" to her teammates because she didn't make up the gap fast enough. Her split was low 56 that day.

{In June} as we walked out the house to go to Cerritos College for the SCAUSATF Junior Olympic Association meet, Lauren and Coach Henry had their heads together and he said to her this weekend is the weekend, “It’s Show Time.” She said smiling, “Daddy I feel good.” The rest is true history, 11.94 and 24.04 on finals day. No wind gauge to seal the National Record, but anyone that knows track, KNOWS that was the most spectacular {performances} by a 11 year old Midget girl EVER. {My blog "Do No Harm" was written because of this day.} The icing on the cake was a 4x100 relay win of 49.59 by the Quiet Fire {Midget Girls Relay Team}.

The remainder of Lorraine's blog details Lauren's journey in winning nine national championships.

You expect a parent to be a child's biggest booster, but I want to share an e-mail that I received from a parent whose daughter has competed against Lauren Williams. Chris Daughters and I are both assistant coaches for the Brotherhood Crusade track team. His 12 year old daughter Eleni, whom I've coached in basketball as well as track and field is the best female athlete {I've coached hundreds} I've ever coached. Chris wrote this note to me about Lauren after reading my "Do No Harm" blog:

I have enjoyed watching Lauren through her earliest SCMAF days.

Perfection is often easier to see than to read about in a book, and my stills and videos of Lauren over the years (in races with Eleni) have helped guide me as a coach. So as a child she certainly has been an example that guided me through the novice ranks of coaching.

Over the years I have seen a few non-race examples of Lauren's character that have again made it easy to follow her and root for her:

A sincere (not back-handed) compliment given to Eleni during their last SCMAF face-off as eight or nine year-olds - Lauren finished her 100m, turned, and was surprised to see Eleni next to her. She said laughing "Hey, I like to turn and watch everybody finish, how come you're here?"

When she {Lauren} was a ten-year old, at an early season all-comer's meet, I saw her come to a teammates aid. A younger teammate was in the worst of per-race jitters, full of tears and ready to give up. Lauren traded heats (certainly OK with the an all-comers scramble format) and lanes to support her young teammate. She spent the next ten minutes saying all the right things, because the young competitor was dry-eyed and smiling as they approached the start line. Of course, when the gun went off, there was roadrunner cartoon-like puff of smoke next to the young girl, but Lauren had done her job as a teammate and surrogate coach.

At one of Eleni's USATF meets (LA Jets last year), Eleni was in the second to last heat amongst the crowd of 90 girls. She stood out to the competitors for a variety of reasons; unknown uniform, new face, small girl. A couple girls from an Arizona team saw the apparent weakness and started to talk a little smack for the few minutes before the race. Lauren stepped in a put an end to it. I don't know if she recognized Eleni, or was bothered by the distraction. Either way, it was nice to see the Queen step in to do the right thing.

I will be rooting hard for her today, as I will years into the future.

After reading what Chris Daughters wrote about Lauren Rain Williams, now you know why I'm voting for her. John Wooden's quote on character is often quoted, "The true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching," and it's nice to see it lived out by a young athlete.

Lauren Williams Resume - Championships, Records And Biography - Just Click!

Please join me in voting for Lauren Williams for Sports Illustrated 2011 SportsKid of the Year. Her mother would also want me to tell you to vote early and often and to hit the back button to vote again, and again, and again. http://www.sikids.com/contests/sportskid-of-the-year-2011-vote

Lauren Being Interviewed

Lauren's 200M - 24.04 - 6/12/11

Lauren's 100M - 11.94 - 6/12/11

RESULTS:
Lauren didn't obtain enough votes from the public to become one of the three finalists for the award. Click on link if you're interested to see the three kids who are the finalist for SI's 2011 SportsKid of the Year Award.

Noah F. is 14 and a wakeborder. Bio: "With his amazing acrobatic tricks, including landing a 900-degree spin, Noah is the chairman of the board. This year, he won the 14-and-under division at the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation World Wakeboard Championships. He also won both the World Wakeboard Association’s World and National Championships last summer (14- to 18-year-old junior men’s group) and took home third place in the pro men's skim division at the World Wake Surfing Championships. An eighth-grader, Noah gives back to his community by organizing and cooking meals for the homeless."

Andre M. is 9 and is involved in martial arts. Bio: "Andre is taking the kung fu world by storm. In January, he was named the grand champion in the six- to eight-year-old division at the International Chinese Martial Arts Championships. Andre has placed first in 55 of 74 worldwide championship competitions and represented the United States at the World Traditional Wushu Championships last year. The nine-year-old is so committed to his sport that he moved to China to attend the Beijing ShiChaiHai Sports School. Andre is fluent in Mandarin and raises money for the American Cancer Society."

Cal M. plays water polo. Bio: "Cal is a brick wall in the pool. Playing goalie for the United Water Polo Club team, he was named the 10-and-under division’s MVP at the Junior Olympics for leading his team to gold. He also led his team to a championship and won MVP at the United States Club Water Polo Championships in the 4th Grade-and-Under division. For his efforts, Cal was named the MVP of the 10-and-under All-America team. When he’s out of the pool, Cal is in the Gifted and Talented program at his elementary school, where he earns straight-A’s."

Now that the public has voted, the winner will be chosen by SI's SportKids Staff. Best of luck to all. All ten kids nominated were worthy of the honor.

Jamal McClerkin - "Playing to Win" - Update on a Talented Junior College Guard

2011-09-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Jamal McClerkin - Moorpark College Raiders

On July 6, 2010 I went to see Ed Bird-Song's California Select team in the Pangos Summer Tip-Off tournament against Cal Supreme Red's team. Ed is a long time friend and he wanted me to check out his team and a few of the young guns who were on the team. Ed is no Joe Keller, the antagonist in George Dohrmann's excellent book on youth/travel basketball, "Play Their Hearts Out." Ed's love for the players he coaches, the game and coaching is pure.

After the game I raved to Ed about a player who had just graduated from high school, Jamal McClerkin. Ed told me he had no legitimate Division 1 college scholarship offers and I decided to pen this TwitLonger (pre-blog days) on what I thought about Jamal. Two bloggers saw my TwitLonger on Jamal and asked my permission to print it. Marcus Shockley from Basketball Elite and Dave Keefer from CaliforniaPreps.com

Here are my thoughts on Jamal after that July 6 game:

Any Division one or two coaches have a scholarship available. Saw a special athlete on Monday Night. Jamal McClerkin is a 6'2" 185 pound senior who just graduated from Chaminade High School in West Hills, CA. Jamal played a game with Ed Bird-Song's California Select team in the Pangos Summer Tip-Off tournament against Cal Supreme Red's Team on Tuesday, July 6. California Select lost by 1 and could have easily beaten one of the top ranked travel teams in California. But the result doesn't matter, it's the effort of Bird-Song's young team that caught my eye, particularly Jamal McClerkin, who was the best player on the floor on this night. I didn't say the most skilled; I said the best player. Jamal played the game with a ferocity that you rarely see in a young athlete. He left it on the floor. He played the game with passion, toughness, energy and intensity.

I was sitting by Byron Wesley's (committed to USC 2011) dad. Byron plays for Cal Supreme and is a very nice player. He plays with poise and I like his shooting ability. USC has a young man who has a chance to have a stellar career at the small forward position. First thing I said to Byron's dad is that Jamal has a football mentality. He plays with that type of toughness and heart. He fears nobody and is the type of player who can take the heart out of his opponent. Byron's father loved his athleticism, but was skeptical of his basketball skill. I kept telling him that Jamal is the type of player who wins games for coaches. Extremely PRODUCTIVE player. Superior rebounder for size. Don't know the stats,but he had to be the leading rebounder on the floor. He was boarding over players 5 to 8 inches taller than him. It was truly a sight to behold. If I'm a college coach, this is the type of kid I can work with and develop. One thing that I don't have to worry about is his will to win or his work ethic. Byron's dad questioned Jamal's shooting ability because the majority of his points came off drives and rebound put backs. Jamal silenced him with a sweet jumper with about 5 minutes left in the game from about 17 feet. Caught in rhythm and hit nothing but net. He leaned over to me and said; I guess he can shoot.

Enough of the narrative. Let's get to the bottom line. Jamal is a two sport athlete. Played wide receiver in high school. I can't believe he wasn't recruited to play football in college. I played college football. I also was a scout for 11 years in the NBA. I know an athlete when I see one. Jamal is a high level division 1 football player. I don't know what type of wide receiver he was, but I do know a football player when I see one. He could easily play any defensive backfield position. With all the troubles USC is currently experiencing, they should get on the phone and immediately offer this kid a football scholarship.

Let's talk basketball. Even though I love him as a football prospect, I suspect he loves basketball more than football. He has a future in the college level in basketball (I think he has pro potential in football). He should easily draw interest from low to mid major division 1 basketball programs. Division II programs should be knocking the door down. This kid is planning to go to a junior college in 2010-11 and I can't believe it. I think he qualifies academically for a 4 year school. Went to a very good private school. The kid is a stud. A stud.

Here's my expert basketball opinion. Can see him playing 2/3 spot in college. That's right a 6'2" kid who can hold his own at the 3 spot. He plays big, real big for 6'2". Very explosive athlete. Has all the strength attributes that I look for; explosive strength, reactive strength, and absolute strength (ability to resist external forces). Very reactive jumper. Gets rebounds on second and third effort. Pursuit of the ball is outstanding. Instincts are outstanding. Has a nose for the ball. Traffic rebounder. Rebounds outside of area and can rebound against superior size. Kid can flat out board. Obviously as a 6'2" kid, you want to develop him into a two guard & maybe even a combo guard, but let's be conservative. At the low and mid major level he can play 2/3 for you and he will find ways to help your team win the game. He's a great athlete, and I don't use that term lightly. There are 5 biomotor abilities that you look for in an athlete: strength,endurance, speed, coordination, and flexibility. He's at the high end of the spectrum in all those categories and has excellent quickness as well. Kid has all the physical attributes and the mentality to be a great defender. Bird-Song had him guarding bigger people at times in the post. Picked up his first foul by being overly physical in the post, but he was also sending a message. You're going to have to go through me or over me, but you're not going to go around me. Just brings a kick ass toughness to the floor that a coach with a defensive mentality would love.

In evaluating a kid offensively in a travel team setting you have to be cognizant that a lot of help side defense is not going to get implemented. However, this game was intense, especially in the last 10 minutes of the second half. I watched him play against a team that has some very good athletes, as well as some high level division one players. If you don't trust my opinion, contact Ed Bird-Song and you can look at the tape for yourself. Offensively, I love his attack of the rim. His first step quickness. His strength with the ball, His ability to create separation and space off the drive and his ability to finish in traffic. Didn't see much of a mid range game and only took a few shots from the outside. Suspect he needs to develop his floor game on top of the floor. Shooting release looks OK, Can easily become a better shooter with repetition. Handle is OK - not a lot of wasted dribbles. Plays smart, made good decisions and will share the ball.
{I eventually measured Jamal in his shoes - Height - 6'2 1/8"; Wing Span - 6'2 3/4"; Vertical Extension - 7'11 3/4"}

Recently, a coaching friend (Steve Finamore), posted this Magic Johnson quote from a book Magic co-wrote with Roy Johnson. I've titled the passage "Playing to Win." On Tuesday, July 6 Jamal McClerkin's play lived up to Magic's words:

Playing to Win

"The ingredients to the NBA championship are right there for every player, coach, and team to grab if they can. But it takes time - time, experience, and the will to win.

When I'm playing basketball, I'm playing to win, nothing else. Not to score, to rebound, or to excel in one particular area of the game, but to win. That means I'm a rebounder, a scorer, a passer, even a cheerleader.

It means I'm going to be an example to my teammates of what having a winning attitude is all about.

It means I'll have a burning desire to be the very best player on the best team.

It means I'll have an attitude of unselfishness that keeps me craving for more of the rewards of success, more championships for my team, not glory for myself.

It means I won't ever get jealous of the attention one of my teammates is getting because nobody gets any attention when you lose." Earvin Magic Johnson

I saw another nice player on Bird-Song's team that I liked. His name is Dillon Biggs and his number is 6. I won't go into details. I was there from 5:30PM to 10:00PM. I saw a lot of ball and a few players that I really liked. But the one I wanted to take the time to write up was Jamal McClerkin, because I just can't figure out why a football or basketball coach hasn't offered this kid a scholarship.

POSTSCRIPT
After the article was published in 2010 I made some calls on Jamal's behalf. Very few coaches called me back. Some suggested that he go the Prep School route. One even suggested that he consider grayshirting at a junior college to maintain his eligibility for four years. Jamal Decided to go to Moorpark Junior College where he is coached by Remy McCarthy. Jamal had a successful first season and was named 1st team All-Conference in the Western State Conference's North Division. Found two articles on Jamal that you might be interested in reading: 'An Unlikely Road To Success' by Manov Kapoor and 'Hoops Standout McClerkin Glad He Decided on Moorpark College—and Vice Versa' by Ivan Yeo.

Quotes from both articles stood out. YEO: "When Jamal McClerkin first met Moorpark College coach Remy McCarthy, one thing stood out: 'It was brutal honesty,' McClerkin said. It was a four-hour meeting with Remy McCarthy that convinced him that Moorpark College was the right place for him. 'He told me things that I didn’t want to hear and that there was a chance that I wasn’t going to play right away,' McClerkin said. 'It looked like a good fit for me.' "Moorpark associate coach Dan Wendt also commended McClerkin’s drive to improve his game.'His work ethic is unbelievable,' Wendt said. 'He will call us [the coaching staff] all the time and ask us if there’s a time when he can practice on his own, and that he would be in the gym at 7 in the morning."

KAPOOR: "During his first year at Moorpark, McClerkin has used his athleticism to his advantage and improved his fundamentals, which makes him a seriously intimidating player. He also says that his junior college coach has helped him become a better player. "Remy McCarthy my coach at Moorpark, has taught me so much about the game of basketball, and he really devotes his time to making me better as a player."

Got a call from Ed Bird-Song on September 10, 2011. Ed's first line, 'guess who's recruiting Jamal?' "Friday, Sept. 9, begins the contact period for college coaches, which allows a coach to spend face time with a recruit and his family at his school or home, rather than on campus." I won't mention the name of the coach who is recruiting Jamal, but he is drawing interest from several mid-major schools on the west coast.

I plan on seeing Jamal play a couple of times this upcoming season. Will provide updates on how his game has evolved on the blog. Stay tune!

CONFRONTING MY PAST - A DAY WITH MY FAMILY IN TANGLEWOOD PARK

2011-08-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

A little over a year ago I was visiting my mother in Winston-Salem, NC & took my family to one of Forsyth County's treasures, Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, NC. My daughter was looking forward to visiting the park because I had told her in 2009 about an incident that my family experienced at the park when I was about her age.

In 2009, my daughter, Olivia had a most interesting assignment from her 8th grade history teacher, Jill Bergeron. Olivia's task was to interview her parents on the subject of segregation and integration. Here are a few sample questions that she asked me:

"Did you see any examples of segregation or institutionalized racism when you were growing up?"
"During the 1960s or 70s do you recall hearing or witnessing any events related to desegregation?"
"Have you ever experienced discrimination or racism first hand?"

In answering the latter question, I recounted to her a story that my family (Mom, Dad, Sister and Me) experienced in 1971 at a place called Tanglewood Park. I grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. A town that was built by tobacco money. R. J. Reynolds' headquarters were in Winston-Salem when I was growing up. Tanglewood Park was owned by William Neal Reynolds, the brother of Richard J. Reynolds. Upon the death of William in 1951, the property was willed to the citizens (white) of Forsyth County to share as a public recreational park.

Tanglewood Park was a segregated park from 1951 until 1971. A couple of days before the park was to be integrated, my father (Clarence "Big House" Gaines) took our family to visit the park. We were denied entry because of our race. Did my father mistakenly think Tanglewood Park would be open to blacks on that day. I doubt it. My dad was a smart man. I never asked him, but I think he wanted his children to experience the brutality of racial segregation. Tanglewood's past has been whitewashed. In telling my daughter this story, I wanted to know the exact date Tanglewood was desegregated. I cannot find it anywhere on the Internet {Found the year - 1971}, but I did find a wonderful story written by William Etling, entitled "How Far We Have Traveled."

William Etling is from my home town. He is now a real estate broker in the Santa Ynez Valley of California. William is white and the story that you are about to read needs no further introduction. It is simply one of the most well written and authentic articles that I have ever read.

"How Far We Have Traveled." by William Etling

Barack Obama said at his inauguration, "The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

Clearly, progress has been made towards that elusive goal. When I left Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the fall of 1966, aged 13, in the back of my parent's car, local schools were still segregated. Wiley Junior High (white) was a block away from Carver Crest (black). I walked by on the way to cotillion class.

We swam in summers past at Tanglewood Park, a 1,114 acre wooded estate donated to the public by a wealthy tobacco man. William Neal Reynolds, president of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, bought the property in 1921. After his death in 1951, Tanglewood was left to the citizens of Forsyth County for use as a park and playground. Reynolds left 20,000 shares of RJR stock as a permanent endowment.

The bequest restricted use to whites only.

When I returned to a fully integrated Tanglewood decades later with my own young son and told him this fact, he began to cry. Some people are born with compassion.

I had to learn it. I can tell you the exact moment I did. I was ten years old. It wasn't at church or Sunday school, though we went faithfully. It was on the afternoon of November 22, 1963. As I left Sherwood Forest School, a classmate told me President Kennedy had been shot.

I raced for home on my bike. My parents were diehard Republicans. I was a loyal little boy. I foolishly thought they would welcome the news. When I ran through the door, I shouted, "They got him!"

In the kitchen, my mother was collapsed before our little brown radio, crying a river for John Fitzgerald Kennedy. My moral compass was permanently reset in that instant.

In retrospect, looking back over the 45 years since that sad day, no President of my lifetime has equaled Kennedy's charisma and promise. Until now.

Unlike politics, race was not discussed in my younger life, not by anyone. It wasn't a forbidden subject. It just didn't come up. Things were what they were, and the injustice of it all wasn't discussed by anyone I knew, not friends, teachers, or clergy. The black community was hidden in plain sight. Black news was covered by a tiny column buried deep in the back pages of the Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel, entitled "Happenings Around East Winston."

Immediately after we moved to California for my mother's health, things in the old neighborhood began to change. A young man pioneered integration at the brand new school I would have attended. A few years later, the Black Panthers were leading riots in East Winston.

In 1972, at 18, I left college for a while and went to work in the Caribbean, walking from telephone pole to telephone pole throughout the poorer neighborhoods of St. Thomas, recording data for the Virgin Island Telephone Company. A tiny black child, not more than five, approached me on a shabby street.

He looked up. I towered above him. "White honky pig," the youngster intoned contemptuously. This seemed very sad to me, and I hoped his big brother wasn't around. I got my data and moved on to the next pole.

On that conflicted island where whites were a minority, I'd just gotten a tiny hint of what it might be like to look over your shoulder your whole life, or to be raised in hate. The racial divide in that lush tropical paradise widened when submachine-gun wielding black robbers killed eight whites at the Fountain Valley Golf Course on St. Croix later in the year.

In 1989, I was a planning administrator for Hawaiian Telephone on Oahu. The Hawaiian Islands are the most amazing melting pot. Charming faces thronged Bishop Street with dashes of Asian and Irish, Hawaiian and haole, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, African. The people I worked with were all descended from immigrants from around the Pacific Rim. They were all brilliant, and we all got along swimmingly. But I was told to avoid Makaha, and heard "Haole go home!" and worse, on the back roads of Kauai.

Oahu's public schools had a raging meth problem. Tuition at Punahou, where Barack Obama had matriculated in the late 70s, was around $1,000 a month per student. I had two kids and I had a good job, but I couldn't afford that kind of cash for elementary school. We home-schooled for a while, then moved back to the mainland.

Obama couldn't afford it either. Raise a glass to the scholarship committee at Punahou that gave young Barack a break. Obama made his way from that stellar school on the fire-forged volcanic slopes, on up the long, staggeringly lonely road that led to his tumultuous inauguration before a million supporters this week.

As he said on Tuesday, "Let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are, and how far we have traveled."

And let us judge those we meet on their own merits.

POSTSCRIPT:
I wrote the majority of the introductory to this blog in 2009. I contacted William Etling and shared my Tanglewood story with him via e-mail. His daughter, Leah Etling, sent me this wonderful note:

Thank you for finding my father's column on the Internet and sending it to others. It has really been a proof positive of the power of online media to allow us to connect as humans beyond geographical and cultural lines.

The generational shift between my father's experience and mine is stark. I am 30 and have lived my whole life in Southern California. I'll never forget the trip we took back to Winston-Salem. When he told us that Tanglewood was whites-only, I remember feeling guilty and creepy about my initial enjoyment at its verdant beauty.

That was 18 years ago. Today, I'm just overwhelmingly greatful that your daughter and my brother and I have been able to grow up in a different world than you and my father did. This is a great country and we're blessed with so many opportunities. I'm really glad to hear that the schools where you live are keeping kids in touch with the history it took to get us here. California schools really gloss over that history, because they have fewer immediate examples to give. They should look at busing and de-facto economic segregation to give some equally important lessons.

Thank you again, I know that hearing from you has been the highlight of my father's week.

Leah & I are now facebook friends. Got to love the internet. Speaking of facebook. I shared this story on facebook and my 9th grade football coach, Vernon Glenn, made some profound comments about Tanglewood and the Reynolds family. Vernon is now a trial lawyer in Charleston, South Carolina and he is related to the Reynolds clan. Vernon's comments:

A lot of folks have forgotten (or never knew...) that the Tanglewood Park case went all the way to the US Supreme Court and was decided as part and parcel of two cases where private lands were left to public use for "white citizens" exclusively...the other being what is now known as Stone Mountain Park just next to Atlanta...

My late Uncle Bill Lybrook was Mr. Will Reynolds fair-haired and favored nephew-he ran Tanglewood for Mr. Will and help move it beyond the Reynolds' bequest that was overturned by the Supremes...Uncle Bill was a strange duck in a in a lot of ways but he handled this with aplomb all while walking quite a tightrope between familial loyalty and responsible citizenry.

....the Reynolds crowd was wild and Uncle Will had to run cover for them all the time....here are some Key Words...just Google/Wikkipedia them and there is a treasure trove of info about the Reynolds crowd that you can blow through at your leisure and get a great look at how broad and wild their scope and grasp were...
Smith Reynolds
Libby Holman
Dick Reynolds
I'll track down citation on Tanglewood case sometime today.

I'm still waiting for Vernon to send me the citation on the Tanglewood case, but his comments on Tanglewood provide a great history lesson for all. Since I will send Vernon this blog, I'm certain I'll soon be able to add the citation. {Hint, Hint - Vernon}

Previously, I mentioned that Vernon Glenn was my 9th grade football coach. I attended Summit School in the 9th grade. Summit School, like most things in Winston-Salem, has a connection with the Reynolds family. Summit was founded by Louise Futrell in 1933. Within a few years, Summit outgrew their initial school house, and "in 1944, Mrs. Charles Babcock, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Reynolds, offered the school a 4.5-acre plot of land on her Reynolda estate near Reynolda Village." I guess Mrs. Futrell had the right connections back in the day.

I enrolled at Summit School in 1972. I wasn't the first black student to attend Summit, but I was one of two black students to integrate the 9th grade class in 1972. I consider myself a child of the segregated south. Before attending Summit, I attended an all-black Catholic School, St. Benedict the Moor, in Winston-Salem for eight years. In 1971 I was denied entry into Tanglewood Park; by 1972 I was going to an exclusive private school that had educated members of the Reynolds family and that was built on land originally owned by them. Yes, William Etling, we have traveled far!

My Tribute to "Tex" Winter on the Night of his Induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

2011-08-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Morice Fredrick Winter. If you stumbled upon this blog, you might be saying to yourself, 'who the hell is that?' But, if I say "Tex" Winter and you're a basketball aficionado, or a fan of the Chicago Bulls or Los Angeles Lakers, the name is instantly recognizable. Tex was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, August 12, 2011 as a coach.

Tex was not able to speak for himself on the night he was inducted into the Hall of Fame because of a debilitating stroke he had suffered in 2009. After listening to Tex's son, Chris Winter's rambling speech, I decided to start tweeting about Tex. Nothing I've ever tweeted has resonated more with those who follow me on twitter than the comments I made about Tex and Dennis Rodman.

Here are my real time comments (slightly cleaned up) about Tex after he had been inducted into the HOF:

I haven't commented on the BB HOF speeches; sad that Phil Jackson didn't give that speech for Tex; Chris should have read the speech, like Artis Gilmore. Tex was a friend of my father, Clarence 'Big House' Gaines. He was the coach at Long Beach St. when I moved to Long Beach in 1983. At my Dad's request, Tex took a look at my condo before I bought it. Gave a thumbs up. Tex's last stop as a college head coach was at L.B. State. - He struggled in his last years as a head coach. Tex is/was a wise investor. He's a child of the depression. Will save his last nickle. Johnny Bach would call him penurious.

Tex had called it quits (or about ready to) as a coach {was at LSU under Dale Brown as an assistant coach} and then Jerry Krause got the Bulls job and the rest is history. The first basketball person Krause called when he got a second chance at running a NBA team was Tex Winter. Tex liked to tell the story that he was listening to TV and heard Krause got the job, and immediately said to his wife Nancy, "the phone will be ringing." A few minutes/hours later, the phone rang and thus began his journey with the Bulls. Tex wasn't readily accepted by Stan Albeck, but Krause canned Albeck after only 1 year on the job.

Krause leaned heavily on Tex's advice in hiring Doug Collins, which was a radical move at the time. Doug Collins never took to Tex, but Tex did form a great relationship with his co-assistant, Phil Jackson. The year Doug was fired, Tex was fed up. Doug got fired for many reasons, but one of them was his inability to value his assistants. When PJ got the head coaching job, which was also my 1st year with the Bulls, he and Tex began to implement aspects of the triangle. It took time for the players and MJ to buy into it.

Bulls practices were a sight to behold. Tex usually led the offensive drills. Most coaches & fans would be shocked at the basic fundamentals that were stressed by Tex during the initial stages of practice. It's stuff I do with the young kids that I coach. Tex's attention to detail is second to none. His nickname should be "the doodler," always doodling on paper to come up with unique angles (ways to break down a defense).

The greatest compliment I ever heard about Tex was uttered by Scottie Pippen to Michael Jordan on the Bulls team bus after they had been on the Dream Team. If Clyde Drexler had Tex Winter as a coach, he could be on the level of Michael Jordan (I'm embellishing). Bottom line, Clyde was not a fundamentally sound player. MJ had Dean Smith & Tex Winter to emphasize the fundamentals of the game in his developmental years. Clyde didn't have that. To have two players like MJ and Scottie Pippen recognize Tex's greatness in that way, should be a measure of why Tex is in the Hall of Fame, and it should be a wake-up call to coaches at every level to dedicate a portion of every practice to the fundamentals of the game. It should also tell you that MJ and Pip's games were built on more than just pure athleticism. Their game was built on a solid foundation.

Tex's 7 principles of a sound offense is a basketball bible. The Bulls asked a player to stick his game in the system (triangle), because if he did that, his game would come out. 7 principles of a sound defense, which was the Bulls defensive philosophy in the 90's, is also a great guidepost. Both are presented in their entirety at the end of this post.

Tex is one-of-a-kind. Very spry in his 70's - could get out on the court and demonstrate any and everything. Sad to hear he had a stroke, because he was an athletic marvel. Tex was not only a basketball player at USC, but he was a world class pole vaulter.

His mind was as sharp as a tack. I would have loved to hear Tex's speech, because he knew & coached against so many greats. Tex's relationship with PJ deepened over the years. Many times you would look in the film room and it would be just PJ & Tex breaking down the tape of the game. Part of Phil Jackson's greatness is that he not only is a great teacher and thinker, but he is a great student and listener.

Tex was the architect of the triangle (Sam Barry, the father,) but PJ put his stamp on it, and within a few years he had mastered the nuances of HOW TO TEACH THE OFFENSE. The secret to why the triangle has worked for the Bulls and the Lakers is largely due to the drills that were formulated by Tex and PJ to teach it properly to the players. I could go on & on about Tex & the Bulls, so many stories I could tell.

Tex is 89 years old. If we're lucky, we will all live a long life, and hopefully, we will live it gracefully and without regret in our sunset years. Have a great night, and as my dad used to say about growing old - "Remember me as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I, as I am now, so you will be, prepare for death and follow me."

On the morning of August 12th, I read a column on Tex Winter, Dennis Rodman and Phil Jackson by Kevin Ding. Ding writes for the Orange County Register and is one of the best NBA beat writers and sports columnists in the country. His article, "Jackson there for them – Zen, then and now," and his comments about Tex elicited this comment from me:

"Can't always take Tex seriously when he's talking about young kids. Tex is an optimist with new talent and a pessimist with established talent. Bottom line - Tex will eventually poke holes in everybody's game, but with their best interests at heart. One of my favorite Tex quotes relates to the Larry Turner's of the basketball universe - "You don't feed pearls to swine." Also, don't discount Tex's early years as a coach at Kansas State. His K-State teams were as good as any team in the country. He was recognized as one of the bright young minds in the game."

What I didn't tell Ding about his article was that he was on point in characterizing Rodman and Winter 'as mad geniuses,' needing 'Jackson's steadiness to harness their powers to reach this moment.' What Ding failed to tell his readers was that Jackson needed Tex as much as Tex needed Jackson. Salutations to one of the greatest partnerships in basketball history. The stamp Tex & PJ put on the game of basketball will always be a part of the game's history, and hopefully, will be lived out on the hardwood for as long as the game is played.

POST-SPEECH ARTICLES THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO READ:

SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF A SOUND OFFENSE

1. MUST PENETRATE THE DEFENSE:

Good % shots - define good shots for each player.
Stress inside power game. Play for the 3-pt power play.
Break down all defenses. Full court presses to double teams.

2. BASKETBALL IS A FULL COURT GAME, END TO END PLAY. SKILLS MUST BE LEARNED AT FAST BREAK PACE. KNOW THE OPTIMUM SPEED AND WORK TO INCREASE IT. TRANSITION BASKETBALL STARTS ON DEFENSE. LOOK TO RUN!

First wave = "Attack"
Second wave = "Storm"
Set offense blends into fast break - "Flow"

3. PROVIDES PROPER FLOOR SPACING 15' to 18', CREATING AN OPERATING ROOM AND CLEARING AREA ON THE COURT. IT KEEPS THE DEFENSE OCCUPIED ON AND OFF THE BALL.

4. IT PROVIDES PLAYER AND BALL MOVEMENT WITH A PURPOSE. THERE IS ONLY ONE BALL AND FIVE PLAYERS. ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, A PLAYER IS WITHOUT THE BALL 80% OF TIME.

5. IT PROVIDES STRONG REBOUND POSITION AND GOOD DEFENSIVE BALANCE ON ALL SHOTS.

6. IT PROVIDES THE PLAYER WITH THE BALL AN OPPORTUNITY TO PASS THE BALL TO ANY OF HIS TEAMMATES. THE OFFENSE SHOULD PROVIDE FOR A COUNTER TO THE DEFENSE.

7. IT UTILIZES THE ABILITIES OF THE INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS. MUST CREATE HIGH % SHOTS FOR BEST SHOOTERS, REBOUND OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOUNDERS, DRIVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR BEST DRIVERS, ETC. AFFORDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY OUT OF A FORMAT (ALIGNMENT) RATHER THAN BE RESTRICTED TO A DEFINITE SET PLAY.

7 DEFENSIVE PRINCIPLES

Determination to outplay your opponent, to shut him down, get rebounds, hustle down the ball and to do your part towards team defense brings out the best in a player.

1. "WORK." Defense is a matter of hard work, period ..Transition defense relies on hard work. "Tear Ass Back" Don't be on the defensive when you play defense--anticipate the opponent, i.e., be ready to play defense before your man has the ball, anticipate the post up or penetration.

"Footwork and conditioning are to defense what passing and shooting are to offense. "

2. "PRESSURE THE BALL." Good defense finds a way to challenge ball control. It prevents the offense from doing what they want.

3. "STOP PENETRATION." The ball must be stopped. We will push sideline and baseline (outside).

4. "FRONT THE POST." Everytime the ball is on the wing-sidelines, front the post.

5. "SEAL THE LANE." Weakside defenders are responsible for lane penetration. STOP the ball either on the dribble or on the pass.

"TEAM DEFENSE can only be as strong as its Weakest Individual. "

6. "CONTEST THE SHOT." We will challenge every shot we can --get a hand-up.

7. "BOX OUT." A team cannot beat you if you give theM 1 shot per possession. Get a body on somebody. Big men cup the board. Guards get to the elbows. Let's get that ball and go!

A strong defense is the place teamwork starts. Everyone has their weaknesses at that end of the court and therefore everyone must compensate to help their teammates. Defense stabilizes a team's ettort-it keeps us in a game when the offense sputters and prevents disorganization. Simply put DEFENSE WINS!

TEXISMS

Defense: Footwork and condition are to the defensive team what passing and shooting are to the offensive team.
Team defense can be only as strong as its weakest individual. I.E. ( A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.)
Be mentally alert and aggressive on defense.
Determination, fight, and mental and physical aggressiveness are necessary to a good defense.
A strong defense is a stabilizing factor in your team play. It will enable you to stay in a game and prevent disorganization in your play.
Determination to outplay your opponent, to shut him out, to get the rebounds, to be a great ball hawk, and to do more than your part towards a good team defense will bring out the best in the player.
A player's greatest team value may be his rebounding- Go Get That Ball!
As a man improves in technique, muscular coordination will manifest itself, followed closely by a certain rhythm; and then comes in rapid order; poise, assurance, and self confidence.
Be Defensive-minded.
"Basketball is a game easy to play but difficult to master." Dr. James Naismith.
Everything turns upon a trifle: “For the want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for the want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for the want of a horse the rider was lost, being overtaken and slain by the enemy, all for the want of care about a horseshoe nail." Benjamin Franklin

A Quest for Wisdom - Exploring the Thoughts & Philosophy of Brooks Johnson

2011-08-03T02:28:00.000-07:00

Early Sunday morning on May 1, 2011 I happened upon the teachings of Coach Brooks Johnson via his wonderful blog entitled Spikes & Flats. Spikes & Flats is one of the greatest coaching blogs in existence. I was on a late night quest for wisdom, and I found it by reading every post that Brooks Johnson had on his blog. I thought so much of his blog, that I created my first Chirpstory and commented that "the internet is a wonderful place to explore, so much wisdom, if you're ready to receive it."

My intent in writing this blog on Brooks Johnson is to get you to explore his blog, Spikes & Flats, especially if you're a coach. If you click on the highlighted Chirpstory link, you're sure to find subjects that will interest you. For example, in the first blog post I highlighted, Johnson talks about his Pet Peeves - Refocus vs. Focusing:

"While I am on the topic of pet peeves, let me share another one that is mental and psychologically centered. Coaches and athletes constantly talk about the need to 'focus'. To a degree this is necessary, but in actual competitive situations, it is more critical that athlete and coach have the ability to 'refocus.' Very rarely will things go according to the manner and mode we have been told we need to focus on in order to optimize results. All too often 'stuff happens' that requires a last minute, second, or nano-second modification or adjustment . I have seen great athletes make these changes and adjustments, and less flexible and adaptive athletes cave in and falter. The same can, unfortunately, be said for coaches as well."

Who is Brooks Johnson? The article. "Q&A with Olympic sprint coach Brooks Johnson," gives you a brief bio, and the following comments about Brooks are from his most recent protégé, 110m hurdler and American record-holder David Oliver:

"Coach Johnson is very special. First of all, he has a thorough knowledge of every event in track and field. He’s been around so long, he knows exactly what to look for — who to do and not to do."

"But just on a personal level, he’s taught me so much about life. I didn’t really have a great connection with my father, so he’s the first male who’s taught me and molded me to be a man and a professional athlete. He tells you everything straight-up, no sugar coating. He’s elevated my career to heights I never thought were possible."

Brooks Johnson was the head coach at Stanford University (1979-92), California Polytechnic State University (1993-96) and High Performance Division Chair for USA Track & Field.

"Johnson was a talented high school track athlete in Plymouth, Massachusetts who later competed for Tufts University. After graduation, he earned a law degree at University of Chicago, which led to a job with the State Department, working for the Governmental Affairs Institute. Meanwhile, he found time to coach athletes of every level, national-class athletes, as well as high school competitors. Johnson eventually taught and coached track and football at St. Albans School in Washington, DC, where he worked with high school discus thrower and future Vice President Al Gore."

"Johnson’s first collegiate coaching experience came at the University of Florida in 1975, where he served as an assistant track coach. When fellow USTFCCCA Hall of Famer Payton Jordan retired from Stanford in 1979, Johnson accepted the head coaching position there. While coaching the Cardinal, Johnson worked with such talented athletes as PattiSue Plumer and Ceci (Hopp) St. Geme. He left Stanford for Cal Poly in 1993, and in 1996, he retired from collegiate coaching to concentrate on his work with elite-level athletes."

"Johnson worked with his first Olympian in 1960, 110m hurdles Silver Medalist Willie May, and has coached an athlete at every Olympics since 1968. He was the 1984 Olympic Team women’s head coach and served as a relay coach for the 2008 Olympic Team."

Click on Chirpstory link or scroll down the page to find a Brooks Johnson topic/blog that might interest you:

Brooks Johnson's blog is 1 of the greatest coaching blogs in existence-Talks about his Pet Peeves-Refocus v. Focusing: http://bit.ly/kY8cPV
Sometimes U just happen on a great blog-Read about Brooks Johnson's theories on barefoot training & googled: http://spikesandflats.com/blog/
Barefoot Running: http://bit.ly/lqTGsy
Brooks Johnson on "Why athletes cheat" http://bit.ly/jeS53y "At the end of the day, what the elite performer is seeking is control."
Brooks Johnson http://bit.ly/jF3AGp talking about Wilbur Ross. Wilbur Ross is one of the greatest hurdling coaches ever. My dad, Clarence "Big House" Gaines hired him to coach physical education and Track & Field at Winston-Salem Teachers College, now WSSU.
The symphony of the hurdles. Brooks Johnson http://bit.ly/jF3AGp talking about Wilbur Ross & Israel “Cachao” Lopez. Wonderful Post!
Brooks Johnson mentions Lolo Jones in post about the 100/110 meter hurdles being the most technical event in T & F: http://bit.ly/jOKMsM
Brooks Johnson talks about John Carlos & 1968 Black Power Salute: http://bit.ly/kqmZsn
- Another incredible story about John Carlos that happened at the 1972 Olympics, which I attended as a 13 year old: http://bit.ly/ipogvz

Another great John Carlos story that may be even better than the first two that I linked: http://bit.ly/ipogvz
I remember this incident (two American sprinters missed their qualifying rounds) from the 1972 Olympic games. Thanks for setting the record straight Coach Johnson: http://bit.ly/mkO6yf
- Brooks Johnson remembers Wayne Collett: http://bit.ly/m22Up6 I saw Wayne win his silver medal live in 1972 at the Munich Olympics. My wife was mentored by Wayne Collett early in her law career at the LA County District Attorney's Office.

Brooks Johnson on Usain Bolt & how unique he is as an athlete who performs at the outer limits of human performance: http://bit.ly/krVhfY
Stride Length vs. Stride Rate a discussion by Brooks Johnson in regards to Usain Bolt http://bit.ly/ivTnun
Psychology of Athletes: Brooks Johnson thinks all Olympic athletes he's ever coached have had a screw loose: http://bit.ly/mkO6yf
What type of athlete are you? What type of athlete do U coach - Goal Oriented or Task Oriented: http://bit.ly/let5go Brooks Johnson on Failures' Secrets
Great Brooks Johnson quote: "Coaches need to be coaches and teachers, and in order to do that effectively there needs to be a certain physical and psychological distance between coach and athlete. In order to make the mental decisions necessary to maximize training and competitive results, there has to be a certain delineation and separation." http://bit.ly/kY8cPV
John Wooden considered self a teacher 1st, then a coach. Brooks Johnson's post distinguishes between teachers/coaches/trainers: http://bit.ly/m2ybEh
Brooks Johnson, a great track coach who loves jazz, talks about how jazz has influenced his coaching style: http://bit.ly/mlobU7
Brooks Johnson on the symbiosis between art & athletics http://bit.ly/l8sjp2 with a mention of this Robert Frank photo http://bit.ly/kwcyj5
Another great post by Brooks Johnson with references to Miles Davis & discussions about the psyche of an athlete: http://bit.ly/lva7LL
Brooks Johnson discusses the delayed reward/gratification aspect of TEACHING/COACHING: http://bit.ly/jOKMsM A post all teachers should like.
Olympic Gaming -Another great story from Brooks Johnson involving Flo Jo -Valerie Brisco Hooks -Bobby Kersee & others http://bit.ly/mTHw0t
Found another great blog - Doc for Jocks - Pursuing vs. demanding perfection/excellence: http://bit.ly/mPJhc2
StackTV - link to 6 videos featuring Brooks Johnson - Subjects:

Olympic T&F Coach Brooks Johnson's Long Jump Tips

Olympic T&F Coach Brooks Johnson on Mental Preparation

T&F Coach Brooks Johnson on Getting Out of The Blocks

Olympic T&F Coach Brooks Johnson on Becoming a Hurdler

Olympic T&F Coach Brooks Johnson on Training David Oliver

David Oliver on His Recruiting Process

Link to Jimson Lee Interview with Brooks Johnson -

MY OTHER CHIRPSTORIES

Black Athletic Dominance - Reality or Myth

Russell Westbrook - Is he Kevin Durant's date from Heaven or Hell?

IS BASKETBALL SKILL DEVELOPMENT BEING SACRIFICED BECAUSE OF THE MODERN DAY EMPHASIS ON STRENGTH AND WEIGHT TRAINING?

Cap (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) Speaks Out!

The New Sports Bar is Twitter - Interactions with Hoops Fans on 5/24/11 - Bulls vs. Heat - Game 4

To be called Black or to be called African-American, that is the question!