ON THE COURT

This past weekend I went out and picked up a few older books on basketball written back in the 1970’s.   One in particular was written as far back as 1965;   ‘A Sense of Where You Are‘, written by John McPhee.   In the book McPhee covers former Princeton basketball player Bill Bradley.

In the opening of the book, McPhee and Bradley are out on the court chatting and Bradley is tossing the ball up to the goal and making what seemed like difficult shots.  Finally McPhee looks at Bradley and ‘Dollar Bill’ says, “When you have played basketball for a while, you don’t need to look at the basket when you are in close like this,” Bradley said, throwing the ball over his shoulder again right through the basket.  “You develop a sense of where you are.”

Here’s some info on the book from John McPhee.com

When John McPhee met Bill Bradley, both were at the beginning of their careers. A Sense of Where You Are, McPhee’s first book, is about Bradley when he was the best basketball player Princeton had ever seen. McPhee delineates for the reader the training and techniques that made Bradley the extraordinary athlete he was, and this part of the book is a blueprint of superlative basketball. But athletic prowess alone would not explain Bradley’s magnetism, which is in the quality of the man himself–his self-discipline, his rationality, and his sense of responsibility. Here is a portrait of Bradley as he was in college, before his time with the New York Knickerbockers and his election to the U.S. Senate–a story that suggests the abundant beginnings of his professional careers in sport and politics.

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

TOUGHNESS

Jay Bilas of ESPN wrote a good piece on ‘Toughness’ during this past basketball season.  I thought it was a great read.  All the elements he covered should be practiced at the high school level and built upon through college.   Matter of fact, hopefully all coaches at all levels saw this wonderful piece and printed it out.  (I had my players read it aloud as a group).  This afternoon I was reading and doing some research for my writing project and came across some ‘tough guys’ who used to play the game.  I also had the opportunity to meet up with a former basketball player from New York City who played his high school basketball at Boys High back in the 1960’s.  He later went on to play for Michigan State.

We both reminisced about the former players he played against and guys he liked.

Guys like Lonnie Shelton, Scott Skiles, Maurice Lucas, Buck Williams, Nate Thurmond.  I miss those types.  I’m not sure we have them anymore.  The game has become a lot more finesse.

I once heard Charles Barkley and Chris Weber discussing the Detroit Pistons on TNT this past season and Weber said, ‘The Pistons take on the personality of Joe Dumars”.  Barkley countered, “No they don’t, Dumars played hard.”

How many guys actually play hard today and really care about the team concept?  As coaches we have to pound the ‘sharing the ball‘ mentality into our players just like Red Holzman talked about 24-7 with his New York Knicks championship teams.

How many guys defend and get out on the break like Bobby Jones?   How many guys move without the ball like John Havlicek?  Hondo once said he never gets tired in the game.

How many guys hit the glass like Kurt Rambis and Marc Iavaroni?  How many guards play lock-down defense like the late Dennis Johnson?

Gus Johnson and Dave DeBusschere battling all night.  Wes Unseld in the post at 6′7″ battling against Willis Reed.  Moses Malone rebounding like a monster, fighting for position with the opposing center.  How about Paul Silas, Elvin Hayes, Clifford Ray and even Dennis Rodman?

I miss guys like Bill Bradley, Rick Barry, Rudy Tomjanovich, Billy Cunningham, Maurice Cheeks and Jerry Lucas.

Today’s young players need to make sure they possess the work ethic that made all the above mentioned players great competitors.

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

DOLLAR BILL

My favorite NBA team while growing up on the streets of Brooklyn, New York was the New York Knicks.  Red Holzman was their coach and he preached to play the right way and always hit the open man.   One of their forwards, Bill Bradley put together an excellent book that all players/coaches/parents should own.  ‘Values of the Game’ is a must read for all.  I look at it almost every day.

There are excellent passages by Bradley;  stories and examples of the values of the game that should never be neglected.  Bradley was a player who played the right way and really bought into the team concept.   The Princeton graduate has written other books too but ‘Values of the Game’ to me is his best.

Here’s a review from a customer via Amazon.com

In this inspiring book, Bradley demonstrates the values that have helped shape him as a person, and enabled him to achieve excellence. The book is a colorful and creative collection of eye-catching basketball photos interlaced with chapters on values of the game.

In describing ideals that have helped him and other champions to succeed both on and off the court, he encourages us all to pursue excellence in our own lives- whatever our life circumstances may be.

He names ten core values that he has found meaningful in his development as a player and a person. They are: passion, discipline, selflessness, respect, perspective, courage, leadership, responsibility, resilience and imagination.

Bill Bradley has demonstrated here that he is truly a man of the people. He wants to encourage every American to celebrate the gifts, abilities and values that give them meaning and hope in their lives.

I highly recommend this book to everyone with the courage to reach beyond their grasp and strive for excellence in their lives. The pictures and stories are great, and the essays are even better. Pick it up today, and also, be sure to make your vote count in November- your opinion matters and deserves to be heard!

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

SIMPLY A WINNER

Bill Russell, the greatest winner in the history of team sports has written a book about his relationship with his former coach Red Auerbach, ‘Red and Me’.  I listened to a great interview a few weeks ago with Russell and Jim Rome.  At the conclusion, Russell asked Rome to do him a favor and from then on, to always introduce him as ‘the former captain of the Boston Celtics-and not Bill Russell the Hall of Fame center’.  I thought that was amazing!  Russell later explained that it was more important to be the captain of the Celtics than to be in the Hall of Fame. 

Bill Bradley, former NBA player writes the review in today’s New York Times.

If I could pick any player in history to start a franchise in the National Basketball Association, I would pick Bill Russell. He was the smartest player ever to play the game and the epitome of a team leader. 

RED AND ME

My Coach, My Lifelong Friend

By Bill Russell with Alan Steinberg

Illustrated. 187 pp. Harper/HarperCollins Publishers. $24.99

 

 

 

Coach Finamore

hoops135@hotmail.com

YOUR ROLE

This is the second part of an article written by former New York Knicks forward Bill Bradley in Sports Illustrated back on Oct. 31, 1977. (Click here for part 1)

The hardest part in basketball is not caring who gets the credit. Sharing the ball, sharing the spotlight and being a great teammate. Simple tasks but not the number one responsibility on some players agenda.

It takes a special player to understand this concept. Where does it start? How do players learn some of these outstanding traits?

On a basketball team all players can’t be all things. The essence of the game is selectivity, knowing limitations and abiding by them. Some players are capable of exercising many skills, but their team situation requires that they concentrate on one. Roles don’t come from a job description sheet. There is more to them than physical skill. They must evolve within the context of the team so that creative spontaneity is preserved while at the same time self-sacrifice is volunteered. Inability to accept an on-court role has shortened the careers of many players.

Look at all championship teams – they are filled with role players. The Boston Celtics had Rajon Rondo willing to do all the little things. Ray Allen, moving without the ball. James Posey coming off the bench and supplying energy, defense and hard work.

It’s not all about scoring the most points each game.

Learn to accept your role…

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

DOLLAR BILL

While researching the current writing project I have been working on, I came across some great material on Bill Bradley, former small forward of the New York Knicks.

Bradley is known by many in the political world but he once was a very good basketball player. He has written a few books during his time while in the game and out. All players, coaches and parents should find the book he wrote while in retirement, Values of the Game. It’s one of the best on Player Development.

It should be required by every player!

Bill Bradley was a three-time basketball all-American at Princeton, Olympic gold medalist, Rhodes scholar, member of the New York Knicks from 1967 to 1977 and two-time NBA champion; he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.

As kids growing up in the schoolyard, we used to try and imitate his free-throw shooting style. (See SI photo below)

I had seen a piece on Bradley during my research journey and it mentioned Bradley had written an article after he retired from the game for Sports Illustrated back on Oct. 31, 1977. So I set out to track it down.

The internet didn’t have the article I was looking for.

Update 7/11/08: Thanks to Carolyn for this link to the original piece via SI.Com.

So I looked high and low – called and emailed all my resources, friends and family.

To my delight, I found the article! The hard copy that is…

For those who aren’t aware, Bradley played with a New York Knicks team that can go down as one of the most unselfish, team-oriented organizations to ever step foot on the playing field. Dave DeBusschere, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Dick Barnett, Walt Frazier, Phil Jackson and Bradley.

Their head coach, the late Red Holzman could always be heard shouting, ‘Hit the Open Man’ or, ‘See the Ball, See the Ball…’

So for the next few blog entries, I will throw up excerpts from the piece titled, You Can’t Buy Heart, here is Part 1 of many to come.

WANTED: A Championship team – now. Will pay any price, test any law, sell any product, join any club, make any promise if it can be assured that champagne will flow over my head as the owner.

Pro basketball is a simple game. It is a sport in which success, as symbolized by the championship, requires that the community goal prevail over selfish impulses. An exceptional player is simply one point on a five pointed star. Great individual players may earn dollars for the owner just as a sideshow does for the circus, but stardom is if anythinga deterrent in the pursuit of a championship.

Sports Illustrated Oct. 31, 1977, Bill Bradley