Russell Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership from the Twentieth Century's Greatest Winner
updated 9d ago
updated 9d ago
Nearly all of my new teammates were egotists in exactly the way Red was. Each of them knew how good he was, but each of them seemed to understand perfectly that everyone had to play his part for us to win.
Blas Moros added 16d ago
To get the most out of being a member of a team it is absolutely essential to establish yourself as an integral part of the unit. That is your responsibility, not anyone else’s.
Blas Moros added 16d ago
Red Auerbach, walking down the tunnel toward the court with me, asked if I had any worries about my ability to score. “I wouldn’t say I had any worries, I think about it sometimes,” I said. He told me then he’d make a deal with me, that he’d never use statistics in negotiating one of my contracts, that the only thing he’d ever bring up was how I pl
... See moreBlas Moros added 16d ago
What I found with the Celtics was a set of other players who were brilliant and accomplished. I needed to know who the different players were, what their tendencies were, their habits, their preferences. I had to learn about their thinking, their temperaments. For me to play my best game, I had to discover theirs.
Blas Moros added 16d ago
A good shot always comes from the toes and then flows up through the body to the fingertips. And I observed then that for good shooters to get off good shots, they had to be in position to use their feet, their toes. They had to essentially square up to the basket, and if they didn’t, if they were forced to turn to the side, for example, they would
... See moreBlas Moros added 16d ago
I am frequently asked if I am a basketball player, and I always say no. One time years ago John Havlicek and I were standing in an airport when he asked me why I did that. I told him what I had been telling myself all along: basketball is what I do, it’s not who I am.
Blas Moros added 16d ago
When a ball reached me in the middle, it was as though my eyesight and my hands got better. I could see from sideline to sideline, knowing where each of my teammates was. My impulse was to get the ball to someone who was in a position to shoot. More and more, I prided myself on my passing. I never made fancy passes, but I always made good ones that
... See moreBlas Moros added 16d ago
As a player and a coach, I didn’t look at statistics the way sportswriters and fans did. I wasn’t interested in who scored most, got the most rebounds or assists. I was after clues that would let me see patterns, what it was that enabled the Knicks to succeed against us. The stats, this time, revealed something startling about the Knicks’ defense.
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Adversity is said to bring out the best in people. I don’t believe that for a moment. It brings out only what they have to do. It begins with self-acceptance and then proceeds, through resilience, to taking the necessary positive actions.
Blas Moros added 16d ago