Tex Winter says that a team must pay tribute to the basketball gods in order to succeed, his metaphor to inspire players to practice solid fundamentals and teamwork. According to the 1958 National Coach of the Year, the team that executes at both ends of floor the best will be rewarded.
Fortunately, I was coaching a team that was able to benefit from this today, directly and indirectly. Directly because poise and control resulted in quality scoring chances and defensive pressure produced turnovers and indirectly because fate assessed the opponent with a bizarre technical foul when a player removed their jersey on the bench.
The team could thank Tex for his figure of speech and his offence. First of all, the players deserve all of the credit for their win, a thirteen point comeback in the final minutes of the game and an overtime win. When they focused their determination by playing hard, playing smart, and playing together, the momentum shifted entirely. Secondly, switching to the old reliable offence – the sideline triangle – created opportunities for selfless passing and dribble penetration, which led to excellent shot selection.
Unlike the last overtime game, I stayed out of the way and allowed the team to play. It was satisfying to see every player contribute and to be involved in a game that told a fascinating story. I kept it simple, emphasized our strengths, and other intervened when specific situations permitted me to give the team and advantage. The basketball gods rewarded everyone’s effort with a result that was a polar opposite of the last time.
This isn’t the first time that Tex or the basketball gods have saved me. Tex’s insightful work is timeless, as illustrated by his travels from Kansas State to Chicago to Los Angeles. The basketball gods are not demanding in terms of quantity (or complexity) but are very particular regarding quality.