4 Stories from the Final 4 - Part 3

I loved the movie, He Got Game. Spike Lee's gritty production, extraordinary basketball knowledge, and the story of reality off the court. The Movie's subject, Jesus Shuttlesworth, grew up in Coney Island, NY. He is a well-trained, pure shooter with discipline to accompany his God given talent. Named after Earl the Pearl Monroe, he did not disappoint his namesake.

He Got Game is a story of growing up amid massive adversity with only one place to escape: The Basketball Court!

UConn's Kemba Walker is the modern day Jesus Shuttlesworth - a well-trained, pure shooter with discipline to accompany his God given talent. Kemba went off in the Big East tournament with the aforementioned film maker at court side. Giving the people of the Bronx a local hero to look up to. His lowest point total in March had been 18 and has been over 30 on 5 occasions this month.


Spike Lee wrote He Got Game for kids like Kemba Walker. He found art amid the madness of the street he grew up on. When the basketball was in the air time froze and everything was OK for 3 seconds. He took the weight of his neighborhood on his shoulders...a man of the people representing them on the world's biggest stage.

So the kids with blunts in their ears hopped back of the A Train after watching Kemba drop 33 on the boys from upstate. Proud as hell because for 3 hours everything was OK. There's a kid out there that they know. Performing on the world's biggest stage....They will look through bar windows in the Bronx to watch Kemba play on Saturday. Prideful of their environment but not beholden to it.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

4 Stories from the Final 4 - Part 2

Mark 'mad dog' Madsen, Tom Tolbert, Bill Laimbeer - we all love the hard driving big man on the basketball court. Not just because of of their contradiction to the more elegant athletes out there, but because they make us feel like we can do it too. Guess what, we can't. The shooters, passers and strategic rebounders all have their designated spot on the roster. If you are a 'garbage man', like the 3 aforementioned clumsy heroes, your job is far more difficult. Get out there, throw some elbows, dive for the loose ball, grab a rebound and intimidate the opponent's star player from taking the big shot. These guys may look inelegant in the process but they can save their team the 6 to 8 points that make the difference in the game.

Introducing Josh Harrellson. The University of Kentucky's rebounding, shot blocking, elbow throwing, clumsy hero! Another inductee into the crazy white guy hall of fame. Against Ohio State, Harrellson busted his eye open and endured. Against North Carolina, He hit the deck hard and got up to charge his opponent. He is unfiltered, raw, and the embodiment of competition.

There are those in life who are naturally gifted. They have an ability that works at a higher level than the rest of us. My guess is that the game of basketball has not come naturally to Josh Harrellson. He worked and worked and continues to work. Where others see their future in the NBA in the court's reflection; Josh Harrellson see his blood, sweat, and tears. It is one thing to come out to the job knowing you are bigger, faster, or stronger than your opponent. It is something much different knowing you do not possess God Given ability...and that you have to make up for it with hard work and determination.

We love amateur athletics because of the spirit the players bring to the game. It is not a job, it is still a labor of love. When Josh Harrellson dives into the stands he does so not to earn points on the NBA scouting report but to earn an opportunity to play another game.

What a concept....to appreciate the opportunity and to work hard every day to keep it!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

4 Stories from the Final 4 - Part 1

My wife is elated because there is a mere 3 games left in College Basketball season. (she fails to remember that the NBA playoffs are 2 months long). I always tell her that the game is more than sweaty dudes bumping into each other....every team has a story. So in the week leading up to The Final Four, DFTR will look at 4 stories from those competing this weekend. Forward the stories to your wives, they may be more sympathetic to your cause.

I can roll up on any Basketball court in my town and ask the shorties if they have heard of Dr. James Naismith. Odds are they have not. Basketball has evolved as a super show of athletic grace. The fundamentals and tradition are often left to play second fiddle to the awesome power and expertise of the men and women who have spent their lives practicing for their 'one shining moment'.

In 2011, we have digressed (or progressed). Shaka Smart and and the Virginia Commonwealth University squad have executed basketball in it's most fundamental form. Coach Smart spends every minute of the game on his feet, practically on the court with his players; calling offensive sets and preparing the defense. His players are smaller and less skilled but his system is consistent and reliable.

In a recent UPS commercial Geno Auriemma compares the game of basketball to shipping logistics. Five players moving in separate directions (and a ball moving in another). Coach Auriemma's contention is that we only cheer when the ball goes into the basket. We miss the logistics of what gets the players up the court, the players into position, and the ball up in the air.

Shaka Smart and the VCU Rams wear their logistics are their sleeve. You can see the game taking shape. The team plays together for the purpose of getting the ball in the basket. They Stick to the system, knowing it will produce points. The discipline is hyper-focused. Their bigger, faster, stronger opponents have moments of running them over in a charge to the basket. Over the course of the game, the system wins.

We all love a Cinderella story. There has never been a play-in 11 seed in the Final Four. This is truly the David to any Goliath.

Where the system has helped VCU best the uber-athletic Georgetown and Kansas, they now face the fundamentally sound Butler Bulldogs. Can the system prevail?

No One knew who Shaka Smart was 3 weeks ago. But, you would not know that from the way he has purported himself and his team. He is energetic on the floor, articulate in his interviews, a sharp dresser, and an impassioned leader. You would assume that he has been there before....which is why he is there.

VCU could have taken enough pride in getting their small school into the tournament. They could have marveled at the bright lights and enjoyed a few head turns in tournament town. They chose, however, to cease the opportunity. Knowing this might be a one shot deal, they defied the statistics and relied on the logistics.

Coach Smart came at every team they played with a self-assurance. This is how great things are done in defiance of convention. To practice well, play hard, and find a differentiator. That, and to know no better than to believe IT CAN BE DONE!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The Joy of Competition

It's Tournament time.....64 teams will battle it out for one spot. Countless hours in the gym, unlimited potential and an uncertain future all come down to one game at a time - win or go home!

In business, I always look to competitive people with admiration because they place higher standards upon themselves than any boss or company will. Anyone who has been a Champion knows the thrill of preparing, doubting, overcoming and achieving....this is what business is all about.

Through sports, I learned to give all out effort for roughly 60 minutes and walked from many-a-gym with a trophy in my hand. The discipline, drive and system for preparation I learned on the field carried over well into my sales career.

The Danger of Competition: A game lasts an hour, a season a quarter, but a professional career will span 30 years. When we are used to putting our head down and funneling pure effort for 60 minutes our time to shine is clearly defined. We also know that we want to hit our peak condition just before the playoffs. In business, however, the season is not as clearly defined. Challenges arise without announcement and the need to strategically direct our unapologetic motivation becomes paramount.

"You need to slow down man!"...advice of a poor leader who could not handle my manic energy. The intent was right, but when your competitive drive is fueled by proving to the naysayers wrong...challenging convention becomes a way of life.

The Answer: As Leaders, we need to understand how to take effort, direct it toward strategy and produce results. Essentially, we have a group of athletes for whom we are creating a season's schedule. They are ready to compete; we just need to help them take that drive to run 100 yards and help them get there 10 yards at a time.

Here are a few tips for channeling competitive effort to produce results:

1. Set short term goals

2. Create the goal line and use long term goals to get there

3. Recognize even the slightest achievements along the way

4. When accomplishments become measurable - reward them!

5. Establish a next step for organizational advancement - and help them get there!

The Final Score: Never tell a competitive person to slow down - help them understand that winning together is far more meaningful to their effort than crossing the finish line alone.

LEAD...let those with you know that they are part of a team that will not accept a loss.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

References:

www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich